Solomon’s Wealth

10:14 Solomon received 666 talents26 of gold per year,27 10:15 besides what he collected from the merchants,28 traders, Arabian kings, and governors of the land. 10:16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures29 of gold were used for each shield. 10:17 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas30 of gold were used for each of these shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest.31

10:18 The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 10:19 There were six steps leading up to the throne, and the back of it was rounded on top. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side.32 10:20 There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.33

10:21 All of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon’s time.34 10:22 Along with Hiram’s fleet, the king had a fleet of large merchant ships35 that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet36 came into port with cargoes of37 gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.38

10:23 King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth.39 10:24 Everyone40 in the world wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom.41 10:25 Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules.42

10:26 Solomon accumulated43 chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem.44 10:27 The king made silver as plentiful45 in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was46 as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands.47 10:28 Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt48 and from Que; the king’s traders purchased them from Que. 10:29 They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.49