Añadir traducción en paralelo Imprimir Opciones de la página

Solomon Entertains a Queen

When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon,[a] she came to challenge[b] him[c] with difficult questions.[d] She arrived in Jerusalem with a great display of pomp,[e] bringing with her camels carrying spices,[f] a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king.[g] When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon’s wisdom, the palace[h] he had built, the food in his banquet hall,[i] his servants and attendants[j] in their robes, his cupbearers in their robes, and his burnt sacrifices which he presented in the Lord’s temple,[k] she was amazed.[l] She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight[m] was true! I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn’t hear even half the story![n] Your wisdom surpasses what was reported to me. Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy![o] May the Lord your God be praised because he favored[p] you by placing you on his throne as the one ruling on his behalf.[q] Because of your God’s love for Israel and his lasting commitment to them,[r] he made you king over them so you could make just and right decisions.”[s] She gave the king 120 talents[t] of gold and a very large quantity of spices and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched.[u] 10 (Huram’s[v] servants, aided by Solomon’s servants, brought gold from Ophir, as well as[w] fine[x] timber and precious gems. 11 With the timber the king made steps[y] for the Lord’s temple and royal palace as well as stringed instruments[z] for the musicians. No one had seen anything like them in the land of Judah before that.[aa]) 12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, more than what she had brought him.[ab] Then she left and returned[ac] to her homeland with her attendants.

Read full chapter

Notas al pie

  1. 2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Heb “the report about Solomon.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Or “test.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Heb “Solomon.” The recurrence of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style, so the pronoun has been used in the translation instead.
  4. 2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Or “riddles.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Heb “with very great strength.” The Hebrew word חַיִל (khayil, “strength”) may refer here to the size of her retinue or to the great wealth she brought with her.
  6. 2 Chronicles 9:1 tn Or “balsam oil.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 9:2 tn Heb “Solomon declared to her all her words; there was not a word hidden from the king which he did not declare to her.” If riddles are specifically in view (see v. 1), then one might translate, “Solomon explained to her all her riddles; there was no riddle too complex for the king.”
  8. 2 Chronicles 9:3 tn Heb “house.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 9:4 tn Heb “the food on his table.”
  10. 2 Chronicles 9:4 tn Heb “the seating of his servants and the standing of his attendants.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 9:4 tc The Hebrew text has here, “and his upper room [by] which he was going up to the house of the Lord.” But עֲלִיָּתוֹ (ʿaliyyato, “his upper room”) should be emended to עֹלָתוֹ, (ʿolato, “his burnt sacrifice[s]”). See the parallel account in 1 Kgs 10:5.
  12. 2 Chronicles 9:4 tn Or “it took her breath away”; Heb “there was no breath still in her.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 9:5 tn Heb “about your words [or perhaps, “deeds”] and your wisdom.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 9:6 tn Heb “the half was not told to me.”
  15. 2 Chronicles 9:7 tn Heb “How happy are your men! How happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually, who hear your wisdom!”
  16. 2 Chronicles 9:8 tn Or “delighted in.”
  17. 2 Chronicles 9:8 tn Heb “as king for the Lord your God.”
  18. 2 Chronicles 9:8 tn Heb “to make him stand permanently.”
  19. 2 Chronicles 9:8 tn Heb “to do justice and righteousness.”
  20. 2 Chronicles 9:9 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold was 8,076 lbs. (3,672 kg).
  21. 2 Chronicles 9:9 tn Heb “there has not been like those spices which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”
  22. 2 Chronicles 9:10 tn Heb “Huram’s” (also in v. 21). Some medieval Hebrew mss, along with the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate spell the name “Hiram,” agreeing with 1 Chr 14:1. “Huram” is a variant spelling referring to the same individual.
  23. 2 Chronicles 9:10 tn Heb “who brought gold from Ophir, brought.”
  24. 2 Chronicles 9:10 tn Heb “algum.”
  25. 2 Chronicles 9:11 tn Heb “tracks.” The parallel text in 1 Kgs 10:12 has a different term whose meaning is uncertain: “supports,” perhaps “banisters” or “parapets.”
  26. 2 Chronicles 9:11 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
  27. 2 Chronicles 9:11 tn Heb “there was not seen like these formerly in the land of Judah.”
  28. 2 Chronicles 9:12 tn Heb “besides what she brought to the king.”
  29. 2 Chronicles 9:12 tn Heb “turned and went.”

The Queen of Sheba Visits(A)

When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to ·test [challenge] him with ·hard questions [difficult riddles]. She ·had a large group of servants with her [L came with very great strength; C possibly referring to her large retinue or great wealth] and camels carrying spices, ·jewels [precious stones], and much gold. When she came to Solomon, she talked with him about all she had ·in mind [L on her heart/mind], and Solomon answered all her questions. Nothing was ·too hard for him to [hidden from him that he could not] explain to her. The queen of Sheba ·saw [realized; observed] that Solomon was very wise. She saw the ·palace [L house] he had built, the food on his table, ·his many officers [the organization/attendance of his officials], the palace servants and their ·good [fine; splendid] clothes, the ·servants who served Solomon his wine [cupbearers] and their ·good [fine; splendid] clothes. She saw the whole burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] he made in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. All these things ·amazed her [overwhelmed her; took her breath away].

So she said to King Solomon, “What I heard in my own country about your ·achievements [wise sayings; L words] and wisdom is true. I did not believe it then, but now I have come and seen it with my own eyes. I was not told even half of your great wisdom! You ·are much greater than [surpass/exceed what] I had heard. Your people and officials are very ·lucky [happy; fortunate; blessed], because in ·always serving [continually standing before] you, they are able to hear your wisdom. ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord your God who ·was pleased to make you king [delights in you]. He has put you on his throne to ·rule [reign] for the Lord your God, because your God loves the people of Israel and ·supports [upholds; secures; establishes] them forever. He has made you king over them to ·keep justice and to rule fairly [rule/act with justice and righteousness].”

Then she gave the king ·about nine thousand pounds [L 120 talents] of gold and many spices and ·jewels [precious stones]. No one had ever given such spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 ·Hiram’s [or Huram’s; 2:3] men and Solomon’s men brought gold from Ophir [C perhaps a region in southern Arabia], ·juniper wood [sandalwood; algum], and ·jewels [precious stones]. 11 King Solomon used the ·juniper wood [sandalwood; algum] to build steps for the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and the ·palace [L house] and to make lyres and harps for the ·musicians [singers]. No one in Judah had ever seen ·such beautiful things as these [anything like them].

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she ·wanted [desired] and asked for, even more than she had brought to him. Then she and her servants returned to her own country.

Read full chapter