Read 1 Kings 10 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
10:1-13 {p}The queen of Sheba came to Solomon to see his wisdom for herself
10:14-17 {p} The gold that came into Solomon’s treasury yearly was 666 talents/ his shields of gold
10:18-25 {s} Solomon’s throne/ the glory of his reign, surpassing all kings of the earth in riches and wisdom
10:26-29 {p} Solomon gathered chariots, horsemen, and horses to himself
The Strong themes:
10:18-29 {s+p} Solomon’s throne/ his glory, surpassing all kings in riches, wisdom/ his chariots
1 Kin 9:14-10:29 Chiastic Structure:
Sheba was a son of Joktan, a grandson of Eber (Gen 10:25-29). Joktan was “the progenitor of no less than thirteen southern Arabian tribes, [and] is remembered amongst modern Arabs as Yaqtan. Only the purest Arabs, it is still maintained, are those Semitic Arabs descended from Joktan; whilst Hamitic Arabs are referred to somewhat disdainfully as Musta’rabs, pretended Arabs. Joktan’s name is preserved in that of the ancient town of Jectan near present-day Mecca.” Bill Cooper, After the Flood. The Sabean kingdom (modern Yemen), a wealthy region ruled by the queen who visited Solomon, likely took its name from its ancestor Sheba.
Ophir was a son of Joktan (Gen 10:25-29), a gold-rich region in southern Arabia (modern Yemen), possibly extending via trade to India (Malabar Coast, per Coptic Sophir), known for gold, almug trees (likely sandalwood, per Gesenius), and precious stones, accessible via the Red Sea, situated to the east of Jerusalem.
Tarshish was a son of Javan, a son of Japheth (Gen 10:4). The people derived from him were “thought by most to have settled in Spain. The Mediterranean Sea was once known as the Sea of Tarshish, and it is known that the Phoenicians built a class of vessel called a ship of Tarshish … Phoenician inscriptions found on Sardinia, and dating to the 9th century BC, mention Tarshish without, unfortunately, providing us with a positive identification of its geographical location.” Bill Cooper, After the Flood. Tartessus in southern Spain, a Phoenician trade hub known for silver, iron, tin, and lead (Eze 27:12), likely took its name from its ancestor. That ships of Tarshish brought apes (from Africa) and peacocks (from India) solidifies its role as a trading hub, situated to the west of Jerusalem.
Kue was a region in Cilicia (southern Turkey), northwest of Jerusalem. It’s mentioned in Assyrian records as Quwê, a horse-breeding hub. Solomon imported horses from both Egypt to his south and Kue to his northwest, exporting them to the Hittites and Aram to his north and northeast.
Hittites were descended from Heth, a son of Canaan (Gen 10:15), “whose name was known to the Assyrians as the Khatti. The Hittites were apparently the first nation to smelt iron on any appreciable scale. The Armana tablets contain letters that were sent between the Hittite emperor Subbiluliuma and Amenhotep IV of Egypt. Rameses II tells us how he engaged the Hittites in what was the earliest recorded battle involving massed battle chariots. This was the famous battle of Kadesh, and it appears that the Hittites got the better of the Egyptian forces. Heth’s name was perpetuated in the Hittite capital of Hattushash, modern Boghazkoy in Turkey.” Bill Cooper, After the Flood. They once ruled a powerful empire in modern-day Turkey from BC 1600-1200. By Solomon’s time, their great empire had collapsed, but smaller Hittite city-states survived in northern Syria and southern Turkey, such as Carchemish and Aleppo. In 1 Kin 10:29, the “kings of the Hittites” likely refer to these local rulers.
Aram was a son of Shem (Gen 10:22) and “the founder of the Aramaeans, known to the Akkadians as the Aramu, but who were later known to the Greeks as the Syrians … A clay tablet from Ur bears the of Aramu, and it is of interest to note that Aramaic is still spoken today.” Bill Cooper, After the Flood. Aram was home to several small kingdoms like Damascus by Solomon’s era. The “kings of Aram” in 1 Kin 10:29 indicate these local rulers, who also purchased horses and chariots from Solomon, reflecting his economic dominance over neighboring lands.
Solomon traded in luxury items and wealth from regions east (Ophir) and west (Tarshish), and north (Kue, Hittites, Aram) and south (Sheba, Egypt); that is, all the known world. The glory of his throne foreshadows the glory of Messiah’s throne when He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16).
If there are questions, these are good resources:
The Table of Nations – Bill Cooper (pdf download; the link is good)
After the Flood: the early post-Flood history of Europe traced back to Noah – Bill Cooper / in print
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