“And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Kings 10:5 Mean?
"There was no more spirit in her." The Queen of Sheba, after witnessing Solomon's wisdom, his palace, his food, his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and the ascent to the Temple — is left breathless. The phrase means her spirit was taken away: she had nothing left. The experience exceeded her capacity to process. The reality overwhelmed the expectation.
The list that precedes the breathlessness is specific and ascending: food (provision), servants' seating (organization), ministers' attendance (service quality), apparel (aesthetics), cupbearers (personal attention), and the ascent to the Temple (worship architecture). Each element adds to the cumulative impression until the queen's capacity for awe is exhausted.
The Queen of Sheba came to test Solomon with hard questions (verse 1). She arrived skeptical. She leaves overwhelmed. The testing produced the opposite of what she expected: instead of exposing Solomon's limitations, the visit exposed her own capacity's limitations. She ran out of spirit before Solomon ran out of wisdom.
Reflection Questions
- 1.When was the last time something genuinely exceeded your capacity for awe?
- 2.What does the queen's skepticism dissolving into breathlessness teach about encountering the real thing?
- 3.What does Solomon's ascent from palace to Temple teach about orienting power toward worship?
- 4.What would it take to leave you with 'no more spirit' — genuinely overwhelmed?
Devotional
She ran out of breath. The Queen of Sheba — one of the wealthiest, most sophisticated rulers of the ancient world — saw Solomon's operation and had nothing left. No more spirit. The reality exceeded everything she'd heard. The experience surpassed the report.
The breathlessness follows a specific list: the food, the servants, the ministers, the clothing, the cupbearers, the Temple ascent. Each element adds to the overwhelming impression. By the time she sees the ascent to the Temple — the architectural pathway from palace to sanctuary — her capacity for awe is exhausted. She came with questions. She leaves with silence.
The queen came to test Solomon (verse 1 — 'hard questions'). The testing was supposed to expose his limits. Instead, it exposed hers. She brought her best questions. He answered them all. She brought her skepticism. Reality dissolved it. The tester was tested — and found to have insufficient capacity for what she encountered.
The detail that takes her breath away is the ascent to the Temple: the physical pathway Solomon built from his palace to the house of God. The architecture that connects the king's house to God's house. The stairs that say: the palace serves the Temple, not the other way around. The ascent is the orientation: everything in Solomon's kingdom goes up toward God.
What would take your breath away — genuinely overwhelm your capacity for awe? And when was the last time you experienced something that exceeded your ability to process?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And the meat of his table,.... The various sorts of it, the different dishes, and the multitude of them; see Kg1 4:22.…
And the meat of his table - Compare 1Ki 4:22-23. The scene here described receives very apt illustration from the…
The meat of his table - The immense supply of all kinds of food daily necessary for the many thousands which were fed at…
We have here an account of the visit which the queen of Sheba made to Solomon, no doubt when he was in the height of his…
the sitting of his servants Here -servants" signifies the officers and distinguished persons who were privileged to sit…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture