WHAT IS THE “TRAIN” IN 1 KINGS 10:2?
by Shawn Brasseaux
First Kings 10:1-2: “[1] And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. [2] And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.” What is this “train?”
We are not to suppose it is a locomotive pulling a series of rail cars running on a set of parallel tracks. This is another type of train. Let us expand our vocabulary and learn a new sense of a familiar word! One helpful verse is situated in the analogous passage, 2 Chronicles 9:1: “And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.”
Her “train” is her pack animals holding goods and moving in a line, a procession of beasts of burden bearing belongings, a caravan of creatures carrying commodities. A type or picture of the Gentiles bringing treasures to King Jesus Christ as He reigns in Jerusalem (Psalm 72:10; Isaiah 61:6), the Gentile Queen of Sheba offers valuables to King Solomon. She has brought these possessions via a drove of camels—her “train.”
About 1,000 years later, during His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus alluded to that historical event in Matthew 12:42: “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” Also, Luke 11:31: “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” This Person “greater than Solomon” is a superior King—the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!
In other words, if the Gentile Queen of Sheba travelled from such a faraway land to hear Solomon’s wisdom and esteem and bless him, how much more should Israel pay attention to and honor and praise the Son of God, the greater King, imparting wisdom to them during His earthly ministry?! In the Day of Judgment, those having more revelation (unbelievers during Christ’s earthly ministry) will be held more accountable for rejecting it than those who refused less spiritual light (unbelievers during Solomon’s rule).
Also see:
» How could “wise” King Solomon let foreign women deceive him?
» Why is the Bible Book of “Ecclesiastes” thus named?
» What does “my kingdom is not of this world” mean?