Queen of Sheba

Biblical Account

The story of the Queen of Sheba appears in nearly identical form in 1 Kings 10:1-13 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-12. Scripture does not give her name. Sheba is generally thought to have been a kingdom in the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, in the region of present-day Yemen.

Having heard of the fame of Solomon "concerning the name of the LORD," the queen came to Jerusalem with a large retinue and with camels bearing spices, gold, and precious stones. She tested Solomon with hard questions (riddles), and the text records that there was nothing he could not answer. When she saw Solomon's wisdom, his palace, the order of his servants, and the burnt offerings presented at the house of the LORD, the queen was deeply moved. She declared that not even half had been told her, and she blessed the LORD, who had set Solomon on the throne of Israel (1 Kings 10:9). The queen gave him 120 talents of gold along with a great quantity of spices and precious stones, and Solomon in turn gave her all that she asked before sending her home. In the middle of this account is a note that Hiram's ships brought gold and almug wood from Ophir.

Significance Within Scripture

The book of Kings presents this story as an example of how Solomon's wisdom and glory became known even among foreign nations. It is also a scene in which a foreign queen praises the God of Israel.

In the New Testament, Jesus told those who sought a sign that "the queen of the south" had come from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. He went on to say, "behold, a greater than Solomon is here," and declared that she would rise up in the judgment and condemn this generation (Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31). This saying is paired with a reference to the repentant people of Nineveh. It draws a contrast: even a Gentile came seeking wisdom, yet Jesus' own people did not receive him.

Interpretations and Debates

• In the Christian interpretive tradition, the queen's visit has sometimes been read as a type of the Gentiles coming to Christ. Some interpreters also connect it, together with the references to gifts from Sheba in Psalms 72:10 and Isaiah 60:6, with the worship of the Magi. This, however, is an interpretive connection; the text itself does not say so directly.
• In Ethiopia there is a tradition that the queen's name was Makeda and that Menelik, her son by Solomon, founded the Ethiopian royal dynasty. This tradition is preserved in the Kebra Nagast, which is thought to have been compiled around the fourteenth century and which also includes an account of the Ark of the Covenant being brought to Ethiopia.
• Islamic tradition, in connection with the account in Surah 27 of the Qur'an, calls the queen Bilqis.
• Stories that Solomon and the queen married or had children are later traditions not found in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, the queen's visit is treated mainly under two themes. One is a willingness to travel far in search of wisdom and truth; the other, based on Matthew 12:42, is "Jesus Christ, who is greater than Solomon." In Sunday school, the story is often presented alongside lessons on Solomon's wisdom.