2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she was come to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in her heart.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
See 1-Kings 10:10 note.
She came to Jerusalem with - spices, etc. - Those who contend that she was queen of the Sabaeans, a people of Arabia Felix, towards the southern extremity of the Red Sea, find several proofs of their opinion:
1. That the Sabaeans abounded in riches and spices.
India mittit ebur, molles sua thura Sabaei
"India furnishes ivory, and the effeminate Sabaeans their frankincense."
Virg. Geor. i., ver. 57.
And again: -
Divisae arboribus patriae: sola India nigrum
Fert ebenum; solis est thurea virga Sabaeis.
Geor. ii., ver. 116.
All sorts of trees their several countries know:
Black ebon only will in India grow;
And odorous frankincense on the Sabaean bough.
Dryden.
- Ubi templum illi centumque Sabaeo Thure calent arae.
Where to her fame a hundred altars rise,
And pour Sabaean odours to the skies.
Pliny (Hist. Nat. lib. xii., c. 17) observes,
Non alia ligni genera in usu sunt quam odorata;
cibosque Sabaei coquunt thuris ligno; alii myrrhae.
"The Sabaeans use odorous wood only, and even use the incense tree and myrrh to cook their victuals."
2. All ancient authors speak, not only of their odoriferous woods, but of their rich gold and silver mines, and of their precious stones. See Pliny, Hist. Nat. lib. xxxvii., c. 6, etc.
3. It is also well known that the Sabaeans had queens for their sovereigns, and not kings. So Claudian, in Eutrop. lib. i.
- Medis levibusque Sabaeis Imperat hic sexus,
reginarumque sub armis Barbariae pars magna jacet.
By this is meant, says Mr. Bruce, the country between the tropic and mountains of Abyssinia, the country of shepherds, from berber, a shepherd. And he contends that these Sabaeans were a distinct people from the Ethiopians and the Arabs, and that Saba was a distinct state.
And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train,.... With many of her courtiers and principal men, as well as with a large retinue of servants:
with camels that bare spices; her country abounded both with camels and spices; See Gill on Isaiah 60:6; see Gill on Jeremiah 6:20, and as Pliny (f) observes, who says their spices used to be carried on camels, particularly frankincense, for which Sheba was famous, and is therefore called by him "regio thurifera", the frankincense country (g), being to be had nowhere else; and Strabo (h) speaks of "cinamon, cassia", and other spices here in such plenty, that the inhabitants burnt the wood of them for fuel; and Diodorus Siculus (i) represents this country as exceeding odoriferous, and as having besides the above spices, balsam, myrrh, calamus, costus, and others, in such abundance that they heated their ovens with them:
and very much gold; see 1-Kings 10:10, the gold of Sheba is spoken of in Psalm 72:15 and Pliny (k) observes, that the Sabeans are exceeding rich, as in other things, so in gold; and Diodorus Siculus (l) and Strabo (m) speak of gold found here in large lumps, very pure, and of a fine colour:
and precious stones; as crystals, emeralds, beryls, and chrysolites, mentioned by Diodorus (n) as in those parts; and a late traveller says (o), that Arabia Felix abounds with balsam, myrrh, cassia, manna, dates, gold, frankincense, and pearl:
and when she was come to Solomon; unto his palace, and admitted into his presence:
she communed with him of all that was in her heart; which she had in her mind to discourse with him about, and which she had laid up in her memory for that purpose; and some things which she had kept to herself, and had never imparted to any before, as some think; all which she had full liberty from Solomon to propound unto him.
(f) Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 14. (g) Ibid. "----Molles sua thura Sabaei", Virg. Georg l. 1. v. 57. & l. 2. v. 117. Thurilegos Arabes, Ovid. Fast. l. 4. Vid. Plant. Trinum. Acts. 4. Sc. 2. v. 89. (h) Geograph. l. 16. p. 535. (i) Bibliothec. l. 2. p. 132. (k) Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 28. (l) Ut supra, (Bibliothec. l. 2.) p. 133. l. 3. p. 181. (m) Ut supra. (Geograph. l. 16. p. 535.) (n) Ut supra, (Bibliothec. l. 2.) p. 134. & l. 3. p. 181. (o) Ovington's Voyage to Surat, p. 421.
she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels--A long train of those beasts of burden forms the common way of travelling in Arabia; and the presents specified consist of the native produce of that country. Of course, a royal equipage would be larger and more imposing than an ordinary caravan.
All her heart - Of all the doubts and difficulties wherewith her mind was perplexed.
*More commentary available at chapter level.