Bible Strands
1 Kings 10:25
Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative records Solomon’s reign after foreign rulers have sought his God-given wisdom. Each visitor annually presents tribute to the king.
The words — מִנְחָתוֹ (minḥātô) means "his gift" or "tribute," while כְּלֵי (kəlê) denotes "articles of" or "vessels." The text specifies silver, gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules as the annual offerings.
The thread — This tribute pattern echoes Psalms 72:10, where distant kings are called to bring gifts and tribute. The surrounding context in 1 Kings 10:24–26 frames these offerings as a response to Solomon’s wisdom and his subsequent military accumulation.
Why it lands — The verse provides a factual accounting of annual foreign tribute without moral commentary on the accumulation of wealth or military power. It asks the reader to observe how political influence and material exchange functioned within Solomon’s reign.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
Cross-references
- Esther 8:14 The couriers rode out in haste on their royal horses, pressed on by the command of the king. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.
- Job 42:11 All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances came and dined with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
- Psalms 72:10 May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
- Psalms 72:15 Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him; may they bless him all day long.
- Isaiah 66:20 And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”
- Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
- Genesis 36:24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. (This is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness as he was pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon.)
- Judges 3:15 And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
- 1 Samuel 10:27 But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.
- 2 Samuel 8:2 David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.