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This passage is the pinnacle of Solomon as a messianic figure. In the first part of the chapter, we are introduced to the Queen of Sheba. She had heard of Solomon’s wisdom and recognized a supernatural source of Solomon’s wisdom.
Then the passage shifts to talk of silver. The people of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) didn’t find any value for silver because symbolically they already were living in the messianic reign, but those in the nations, such as Egypt, symbolically were still longing for the word of God. They were longing for God’s teaching and counsel, just as the Queen of Sheba sought out Solomon’s.
Intensely personal riddles were the most common way to test a person’s wisdom, such as Samson’s riddle of the honey and the lion (Judges 14:5–20). When Solomon answered her tests and riddles, this showed the queen that Solomon knew God, because God would be the only one beside her who knew the answer. She was “out of breath” (1st Kings 10:5), so to speak, after he had answered all her questions.
Her interest in Solomon is spiritual and political, not personal or physical. There is nothing in the plain text of scripture that indicates any marriage or conjugal relationship between the two.
The chapter mentions how much gold, silver, ivory, spices, etc. came into the kingdom. It was an abundance. There was so much silver coming into Jerusalem that silver did not have any value as a currency in Jerusalem, even as they used for foreign trade with countries who still considered silver a valuable currency.
Solomon wrote Psalm 72 in honor of the Queen of Sheba. Solomon had 700 wives yet this woman and her visit had such a profound effect on Solomon’s life he wrote a Psalm about her. Psalm 72, inspired by the Queen of Sheba Psalm is all about the Messiah.
Much later, a messianic prophecy in Isaiah 60 echoed the symbolism of 1st Kings 10 and Psalm 72.
When we read 1st Kings 10, we are supposed to think about the Messiah and that Solomon is playing the messianic role.
Silver as a biblical symbol
Twice 1st Kings 10 says silver has no value. There are only a few items in the Temple made of silver. Most of them were made of either gold, used in interaction between the high priest and God, or copper, used on instruments that interact with the people.
- Silver has a redemption value, such as redeeming a firstborn son. For example, Yeshua was bought for 30 pieces of silver.
- Silver is also used in the trumpets that call the leaders or the people (Num. 10:1–10).
- Silver is also symbolic of purity and chastening. The process of purifying silver is the same as the process God uses to chasten and purify the priests (Mal. 3:1–4).
- Silver is also symbolic of the word of God itself that is purified seven times (Psa. 12:6).
- Silver is also symbolic of longing. The Hebrew word כֶּסֶף keseph (Strong’s lexicon No. H3701) for longs in Psa. 84:2 is another word for silver, because the root word (H3700) means to be pale, like the color of silver.
Why the Bible uses the symbol of silver to communicate something of value: One is longing to be chastened and redeemed, to be called back to the Word of God.
Speaker: Daniel Agee. Summary: Tammy.