Bible Strands
1 Kings 10:3
And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Solomon responds to the queen of Sheba immediately after she arrives in Jerusalem with a large caravan and voices all her inquiries. He addresses her directly, demonstrating his royal authority and preparedness.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיַּגֵּד־ (va/yag-ḇed) literally means "and he told" or "he declared," paired with כָּל־דְּבָרֶיהָ (kol-devar-eha) for "all her words." The clause לֹא־הָיָה דָּבָר (lo'-hayah da-var) uses a negative construction to state "not was anything," emphasizing the complete absence of unanswerable queries.
The thread — This theme of royal wisdom answering every inquiry echoes in 2 Samuel 14:17 and 2 Samuel 14:20, where the king’s discernment is compared to angelic wisdom. It also fulfills the specific grant in 1 Kings 3:12, where God promises Solomon a wise and discerning heart that leaves no question unmet.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that Solomon’s capacity to explain every difficulty stems from divine endowment rather than innate intellect. It requires the reader to acknowledge that true wisdom operates through complete and unreserved communication.
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 Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 14:17 And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”
- 2 Samuel 14:20 Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”
- 1 Kings 3:12 behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been another like you, nor will there ever be.
- 1 Kings 10:1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.
- 2 Chronicles 9:2 And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain.
- Proverbs 1:5 let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
- Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
- Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.
- Daniel 2:20 and declared: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.
- Matthew 13:11 He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.