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SHEBA

(Heb. šĕḇāʾ),

QUEEN OF

The queen, identified only by her country, who visited King Solomon (1 Kgs. 10:1-13 = 2 Chr. 9:1-12). In 1 Kgs. 10 her visit follows reports of Solomon’s building (9:15-25) and commercial (9:26-28) projects, and is set within the context of Solomon’s great wealth and achievements (10:11-12, 14-29). In response to rumors of Solomon’s fame, the queen (accompanied by a large and costly retinue; cf. 1 Kgs. 10:2) came to Jerusalem to “test him [Solomon] with hard questions” (v. 1). Not only did Solomon answer her questions satisfactorily (1 Kgs. 10:3), he so impressed her with the quality of his household that there “was no more spirit in her” (vv. 4-5). After praising Solomon at great length (1 Kgs. 10:6-9) the queen gave Solomon numerous and costly gifts (v. 10). In return, Solomon gave the queen of Sheba “every desire that she expressed” (the content of this gift is not specified) and she returned home with her servants (1 Kgs. 10:13).

While the content of the Chronicler’s account parallels that in Kings, its context is different. Since 2 Chronicles has no tensions surrounding Solomon’s accession (compare 1 Chr. 29 to 1 Kgs. 1–2); no mention prior to 2 Chr. 9 of Solomon’s accession (compare to 1 Kgs. 3:16-28; 4:29-34); and no subsequent political catastrophe due to Solomon’s apostasy (compare 2 Chr. 9:13-29 to 1 Kgs. 11), the queen’s visit in 2 Chr. 9 becomes the showcase example of Solomon’s wisdom and the climax of his peaceful and prosperous reign.

Although the NT does not mention the queen of Sheba, Matt. 12:42 (= Luke 11:31) does refer to a “queen of the South” who “came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.” Another identification, linking Candace queen of the Ethiopians (Acts 8:27) with the queen of Sheba, is more problematic.

Bibliography. L. S. Schearing, “A Wealth of Women: Looking Behind, Within, and Beyond Solomon’s Story,” in The Age of Solomon, ed. L. K. Handy. SHANE 11 (Leiden, 1997).

Linda S. Schearing






Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)

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