The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-07-26

of Sheba. The name may in commerce have
had some such indefinite extent of meaning,
as the name Indies has borne in modern
times, and as Tarshish, in the West, proba-
bly, had in the same age. Buff it was thus
applied indefinitely to the region visited by
the navy that passed out of the Red Sea, 1t
was transferred no doubt from the chief en-
porium of that trade, or the country upon
the Arabian coast, still bearing the name of
their ancestor Ophir the son Of Joktan.
The queen "heard of the fame of Solo,
mon, concerning the name of the Lord
This is most significant expression in this
connection. 1t shows that his piOus subjects
had given him a religious reputation abroad.
There it probably included in this fame,
what God had done for him, in enduing him
with wisdom and greatness, and what ne had
done in establishing the temple and its Wor-
ship. But at least the name of Jehovah
was the centre and substance of that reputa-
ton in this distant land. The queen ''came
to prove him with hard questions. Delight
in enigmss and riddles has been characseris-
tic of the orientsls since the days of Sam
son; and Jewish and Arabic tradition give
US many of those said to have been pro-
pounded to Solomon on this occasion. But
the wittiest of them are too trivial to be re
ceived, by even the credulous. Such trHing
is not consistent with the dignity of an en-
terprising queen of people, great, wise,
and wealthy, as were the Sabeans. And es-
pecially is it not consistent with that which
led to the queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon,
his "fame concerning the name of the
Lord" In an age when no knowledge
was spread by the press, and but little
by the pen, it was no unusual thing
for those in search of it, to go from one
seat of learning to another. And the
inquiry after knowledge, whether secular
or religious, is consistent with the highe
intellect and the noblest station. tbs there
fore legitimate inference that ''the queen
of the south who "came to hear the wis
dom of Solomon" had her soul stirred with
in ner to know that wisdom, the highest
phase of which is, "the fear of the Lord. -
This view is at least consonant with the use
our Lord makes of this event in His instruc-
tons, Matt. xii: AZ
V. 2. "She came to Jerusalem "a dis
lance of about 1900 miles" with very
great train" travelling in state becoming her
own prosperity, and the great king she was
visiting. She may have made the whole
Journey on camels, 'the ships of the desert, p"
or she may have come by water to Ezion-
geber, the port of Solomon's navy, and
thence with train of these beasts of burden
to Jerusalem. She bought of the "spices, y
in which her own Arabia Felix surpassed the
whole world: and Jerusalem received
"Sabean odours from the spicy shores
| Of Araby the best"
Among lneu mOulu 10 bhO OOo"y HJAAH,
spikenard, and csssia. Whether gold has
ever been the product of this region is dis
puted; but both gold and precious stones
could be gathered here, by the commerce of
land whose products were almost as pre-
ciOus as gold, from the shores of Africa and
India, and the neighboring islands. This
bringing of gifts was strictly in accordance
with oriental custom. A visit of ceremony
or friendship could not be made without a
present
The first thing done after the arrival of
the queen was to carry out the object of her
visit; "she commuued with Solomon of all
that was in her heart" She sought from
the king that wisdom, the desire of which
had led her to take this long and tedious
journey.
3. Whatever was the nature of her ques-
tons, they were sll answered. 1t cannot be
supposed that the time of 80 important a
visit was spent in triaing or curious inqui-
ries. She "came from the utmost parts Of
the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon"
She may have received Instructions in the
affairs of government, of Law, of science, of
architecture, in all of which Solomon was
skilled; but we suppose that she heard such
lessons of true and high wisdom, as are left
us in his book of Proverbs.
SolOmOn's splendOr, VS.. 4. 5.
V. 4. Besides seeing the exhibition of Sol
onions wisdom as above explained, the queen
saw with admiration the plans and arrange
ments of his government and household, and
the most remarkable buildings that adorned
his capital. "The house that he had built
was his palace, the temple being usually des-
iguated as " the house of God" The build
ing is described in chapter vii: liz. In
this description, his own house" " the
house of the forest of Lebanon, and the
house for Pharaoh's daughter" probably
designated different parts of the same palace.
V. 5. "The meat of his table, the great
abundance and variety of the provision for
the kings table, as we'll as the costly and
elegant style in which it was served, (v: p,
23.) "The sitting of the servants, refers
to the regular graduation in service, and the
orderly arrangements of the household. Al
though the queen of Sheba, like every other
oriental sovereign was accustomed to large
number of servants, always in attendance,