1
1Ki 10:1-13.
英文原文
1Ki 10:1-13.
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA ADMIRES THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON.
1. the queen of Sheba--Some think her country was the Sabean kingdom of Yemen, of which the capital was Saba, in Arabia-Felix; others, that it was in African Ethiopia, that is, Abyssinia, towards the south of the Red Sea. The opinions preponderate in favor of the former. This view harmonizes with the language of our Lord, as Yemen means "South"; and this country, extending to the shores of the Indian ocean, might in ancient times be considered "the uttermost parts of the earth."
heard of the fame of Solomon--doubtless by the Ophir fleet.
concerning the name of the Lord--meaning either his great knowledge of God, or the extraordinary things which God had done for him.
hard questions--enigmas or riddles. The Orientals delight in this species of intellectual exercise and test wisdom by the power and readiness to solve them.
2
無標題
2. 她來到耶路撒冷,隨從甚多,有駱駝——一長串的馱獸是阿拉伯常見的旅行方式;所列的禮物也正好是那地的土產。當然,王室的車隊自然比尋常的商隊更為龐大、更為壯觀。
英文原文
2. 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.
6
無標題
6. 我在本國所聽見論到你的事和你的智慧,實在是真的——她對所羅門智慧所得的證據——不僅來自他的言談,也來自他的作為;宮殿的華美、廚房與餐桌的調度、朝廷的秩序、僕從的等級與華麗服飾;尤其是一座從王宮通往聖殿的拱形高架橋
(2Ki 16:18),
其遺蹟最近才被發現〔ROBINSON〕——都令她驚嘆不已。
[參
2Ch 9:4
的註釋。]
英文原文
6. It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom--The proofs she obtained of Solomon's wisdom--not from his conversation only, but also from his works; the splendor of his palace; the economy of his kitchen and table; the order of his court; the gradations and gorgeous costume of his servants; above all, the arched viaduct that led from his palace to the temple
(2Ki 16:18),
and the remains of which have been recently discovered [ROBINSON]--overwhelmed her with astonishment. [See on
2Ch 9:4.]
9
無標題
9. 耶和華你的神是應當稱頌的——(參
1Ki 5:7
的註釋)。
正如猶太著者所說,這位女王很可能因所羅門的影響而歸信了真神的敬拜。但並無記載說她在聖殿中獻過任何禮物或祭物。
英文原文
9. Blessed be the Lord thy God--(See on
1Ki 5:7).
It is quite possible, as Jewish writers say, that this queen was converted, through Solomon's influence, to the worship of the true God. But there is no record of her making any gift or offering in the temple.
10
無標題
10. 她就將一百二十他連得金子給王——合七十二萬英鎊。
英文原文
10. she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold--£720,00.
11
無標題
11. 烏木——附帶地,與示巴女王的貴重禮物一同提及的,有一種外邦木材,是由俄斐的船隻運來的。有人認為是檀香木;也有人認為是雪松——一種芬芳的松柏,在印度多用於神聖及重要的工程。所羅門用它來建造聖殿和王宮的樓梯
(2Ch 9:11),
但主要是用來製造樂器。
英文原文
11. almug trees--Parenthetically, along with the valuable presents of the queen of Sheba, is mentioned a foreign wood, which was brought in the Ophir ships. It is thought by some to be the sandalwood; by others, to be the deodar--a species of fragrant fir, much used in India for sacred and important works. Solomon used it for stairs in his temple and palace
(2Ch 9:11),
but chiefly for musical instruments.
13
無標題
13. 示巴女王一切所要所求的,所羅門王都送給她,另外——即所羅門不僅把這位尊貴賓客所要的一切見識和信息都賜給她;而且按東方的習俗,對她所帶來的禮物給予豐厚的回報。
英文原文
13. King Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside--that is, Solomon not only gave his illustrious guest all the insight and information she wanted; but, according to the Oriental fashion, he gave her ample remuneration for the presents she had brought.
14
1Ki 10:14-29.
1Ki 10:14-29.
他的財富
14, 15. 所羅門每年所得的金子共有——六百六十六他連得,合三百九十九萬六千英鎊。這些金子的來源沒有說明;這也不是他全部的收入;因為「另外還有商人、香料商的進項、以及亞拉伯諸王和各地省長所納的」。他大力鼓勵商業,使王室庫房因此致富。他在國中各處——尤其在幼發拉底河的渡口他普撒、以及敘利亞曠野的他瑪等地——修築堡壘,為商隊貿易提供完全的保障,免受阿拉伯強盜的劫掠;作為這種保護的回報,他向外國貨物的進口徵收一定的通行稅或關稅,也是理所當然的。他建造的積貨城和客棧也會帶來可觀的收入;而且這些城很可能就是商埠,商隊商人可在那裏卸下成捆的香料和其他貨物,賣給王的代理商,而這些代理商按東方現代的做法,在西方市場上零售圖利。他「從附庸諸王和各地省長所得的收入」,想必就是東方一切下級官吏定期呈獻給君王的貢物——以各行省的土產為形式的禮物。
英文原文
1Ki 10:14-29.
HIS RICHES.
14, 15. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year--666 talents, equal to £3,996,000. The sources whence this was derived are not mentioned; nor was it the full amount of his revenue; for this was "Beside that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country." The great encouragement he gave to commerce was the means of enriching his royal treasury. By the fortifications which he erected in various parts of his kingdom, (particularly at such places as Thapsacus, one of the passages of Euphrates, and at Tadmor, in the Syrian desert), he gave complete security to the caravan trade from the depredations of the Arab marauders; and it was reasonable that, in return for this protection, he should exact a certain toll or duty for the importation of foreign goods. A considerable revenue, too, would arise from the use of the store cities and khans he built; and it is not improbable that those cities were emporia, where the caravan merchants unloaded their bales of spices and other commodities and sold them to the king's factors, who, according to the modern practice in the East, retailed them in the Western markets at a profit. "The revenue derived from the tributary kings and from the governors of the country" must have consisted in the tribute which all inferior magistrates periodically bring to their sovereigns in the East, in the shape of presents of the produce of their respective provinces.
16
無標題
16, 17. 二百面擋牌,六百舍客勒——這些防具古時用木頭製成,外蒙皮革;這些則以精金包裹。每面擋牌用六百舍客勒金子——每面盾牌用三百舍客勒。它們是為王宮的國家軍械庫而設(參
1Ki 14:26)。
英文原文
16, 17. two hundred targets, six hundred shekels--These defensive arms were anciently made of wood and covered with leather; those were covered with fine gold. 600 shekels were used in the gilding of each target--300 for each shield. They were intended for the state armory of the palace (see
1Ki 14:26).
18
無標題
18-26. 一個大的象牙寶座——這寶座似乎不是用實心象牙製成,而是鑲嵌的。其形如一張扶手椅,椅背經過雕花。登寶座的臺階有六級,每級兩旁各有一獅子,代替欄杆——而兩側各有一獅,大概是鎏金金屬所造,我們可由其他東方寶座的類比推測,它們支撐著一個華蓋。據
2Ch 9:18
所記,這寶座還附有一個金腳凳,其豪華被描述為無與倫比。
英文原文
18-26. a great throne of ivory--It seems to have been made not of solid ivory, but veneered. It was in the form of an armchair, with a carved back. The ascent to it was by six steps, on each of which stood lions, in place of a railing--while a lion, probably of gilt metal, stood at each side, which, we may suppose from the analogy of other Oriental thrones, supported a canopy. A golden footstool is mentioned
(2Ch 9:18)
as attached to this throne, whose magnificence is described as unrivalled.
22
無標題
22. 他施的船隻——即西班牙的他珥土斯。古時那裏出產的金,尤其是銀,數量極豐,在所羅門時代並不算稀奇。但「他施」後來成了西方的泛稱
(Jon 1:3)。
在海邊——即地中海。
三年一次——即每三年一次。沒有羅盤,他們只能沿海岸航行。象牙、猿猴和孔雀,大概是在去程或返程中,在非洲北岸——那些動物的產地——購得的。之所以特地提及,大概是因為牠們是船上最稀有的物品。
英文原文
22. a navy of Tharshish--Tartessus in Spain. There gold, and especially silver, was obtained, anciently, in so great abundance that it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. But "Tarshish" came to be a general term for the West
(Jon 1:3).
at sea--on the Mediterranean.
once in three years--that is, every third year. Without the mariner's compass they had to coast along the shore. The ivory, apes, and peacocks might have been purchased, on the outward or homeward voyage, on the north coast of Africa, where the animals were to be found. They were particularized, probably as being the rarest articles on board.
26
無標題
26-29.——(參
2Ch 1:14
[及
2Ch 9:25]
的註釋。)
英文原文
26-29.--(See on
2Ch 1:14
[and
2Ch 9:25].)
1Ki 10:1-13.
示巴女王欽慕所羅門的智慧
1. 示巴女王——有人認為她的國家是阿拉伯•菲力克斯(Arabia-Felix)的薩巴王國,其首都為薩巴(Saba);也有人認為在非洲的衣索比亞,即阿比西尼亞(Abyssinia),位於紅海以南。多數意見傾向於前者。這一看法與主的話語相符,因為「也門」(Yemen)意即「南方」;該國一直延伸到印度洋沿岸,在古代可被視為「地極」。
聽見所羅門的名聲——無疑是藉由俄斐船隊聽說的。
屬耶和華的名——意指他對神有極深的認識,或指神為他行了奇事。
難解的話——即謎語或隱語。東方人喜愛這類智力活動,並以解答這些難題的能力與敏捷來考驗智慧。