Skip to content
God's MapOpen the map

The Queen of Sheba

the one who visited Solomon

Who was The Queen of Sheba?

Also called
The queen of the south Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31
From
From the kingdom of Sheba; Jesus says she came “from the ends of the earth” 1 Kings 10:1; Matthew 12:42
Occupation
Queen 1 Kings 10:1
The Queen of Sheba, an artistic recreation

What the Bible says

1 Kings 10:1-2

1And the queen of Saba, having; heard of the fame of Solomon in the name of the Lord, came to try him with hard questions. 2And entering into Jerusalem with a great train, and riches, and camels that carried spices, and an immense quantity of gold, and precious stones, she came to king Solomon, and spoke to him all that she had in her heart.

1 Kings 10:4-10

4And when the queen of Saba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built, 5And the meat of his table, and the apartments of his servants, and the order of his ministers, and their apparel, and the cupbearers, and the holocausts, which he offered in the house of the Lord: she had no longer any spirit in her, 6And she said to the king: The report is true, which I heard in my own country, 7Concerning thy words, and concerning thy wisdom. And I did not believe them that told me, till I came myself, and saw with my own eyes, and have found that the half hath not been told me: thy wisdom and thy works, exceed the fame which I heard. 8Blessed are thy men, and blessed are thy servants, who stand before thee always, and hear thy wisdom. 9Blessed be the Lord thy God, whom thou hast pleased, and who hath set thee upon the throne of Israel, because the Lord hath loved Israel for ever, and hath appointed thee king, to do judgment and justice. 10And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices a very great store, and precious stones: there was brought no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.

Matthew 12:42

The queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon here.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of The Queen of Sheba

  1. Before Jesus. The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame. She traveled to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. 1 Kings 10:1-2
  2. Before Jesus. She arrived with many people and with camels loaded with spices, gold and precious stones. 1 Kings 10:2
  3. With Jesus. She asked him everything she wanted, and Solomon answered it all. Nothing was left unexplained. 1 Kings 10:2-3
  4. With Jesus. She saw his wisdom, his palace, his table and the sacrifices he offered in the Temple. It took her breath away. 1 Kings 10:4-5
  5. With Jesus. She admitted to the king that she had not believed what people told her. Now she saw they had not told her even half. 1 Kings 10:6-7
  6. With Jesus. She told Solomon that his servants were blessed, because they were always with him and heard his wisdom. 1 Kings 10:8
  7. With Jesus. She blessed the Lord, the God of Solomon, for placing him on the throne of Israel. 1 Kings 10:9
  8. With Jesus. She also told him that the Lord had made him king because of his love for Israel, so that he would govern with justice. 1 Kings 10:9
  9. Afterward. She gave the king a great deal of gold, spices and precious stones. Solomon gave her everything she asked for, and she went back to her own land. 1 Kings 10:10, 13
  10. Afterward. She was not the only one. People from all over the earth wanted to see Solomon to hear the wisdom God had given him. 1 Kings 10:24
  11. Afterward. Centuries later, Jesus remembered her. He said she came from very far away to hear Solomon, and that one greater than Solomon was there. Matthew 12:42

Words of The Queen of Sheba

“The report is true, which I heard in my own country, concerning thy words, and concerning thy wisdom. And I did not believe them that told me, till I came myself, and saw with my own eyes, and have found that the half hath not been told me: thy wisdom and thy works, exceed the fame which I heard.” 1 Kings 10:6-7

To King Solomon, after seeing his wisdom and his palace.

“Blessed are thy men, and blessed are thy servants, who stand before thee always, and hear thy wisdom.” 1 Kings 10:8

During the same visit, speaking to Solomon.

“Blessed be the Lord thy God, whom thou hast pleased, and who hath set thee upon the throne of Israel, because the Lord hath loved Israel for ever…” 1 Kings 10:9

During the same visit, before giving him her gifts.

What they were like

The greatest thing they did

Not to be confused with

What people ask

Where was Sheba?

The Bible doesn’t say. A note in the NAB explains that for centuries Sheba was the main kingdom in what is now Yemen. NAB note on 1 Re 10, 1

What was the queen of Sheba’s name?

The Bible does not give her name. It calls her “the queen of Sheba” and, in the words of Jesus, “the queen of the south.” 1 Kings 10:1; Matthew 12:42

Did she marry Solomon?

The Bible doesn’t say. It tells us Solomon gave her everything she asked for, and she went back to her own land. 1 Kings 10:13

What did Jesus say about her?

That at the judgment she will rise up against the people of that time, because she came from far away to hear Solomon. And that one greater than Solomon was there. Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31

Why was Solomon so wise?

Because he asked God for it. Solomon asked for an understanding heart to govern with justice, and God gave him a wise heart. 1 Kings 3:9-12

What did people bring to Solomon?

Each one brought a gift every year: silver, gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses and mules. 1 Kings 10:25

Little known The Second Book of Chronicles tells her visit again, in almost the same words. 2 Chronicles 9:1-12 A note in the NAB recalls that Assyrian inscriptions speak of…

The rest of this page (daily life, failings, little-known facts, for you…) is part of the subscription.

See the map

Who The Queen of Sheba is connected to

More people

All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

See The Queen of Sheba on the map