This page gives you ready-to-use study questions for 1 Kings 10, the chapter where the queen of Sheba visits Solomon and sees his wisdom, wealth and court for herself. It is written for small groups, Sunday classes and personal study. Each section can be used as is, or you can pick the questions that fit your group’s time and interests.
1 Kings 10 at a Glance
The chapter opens with the queen of Sheba hearing about Solomon’s reputation and traveling to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Solomon answers everything she asks, and she is overwhelmed by his house, his servants, his food and his worship at the temple. She praises the LORD for placing him on the throne and gives him large gifts of gold and spices.
The rest of the chapter widens the lens to show Solomon’s wealth as a whole: gold from Ophir, a great ivory throne, fleets of ships, horses and chariots, and silver that became as common as stones in Jerusalem. The chapter ends with a reminder that all of this was a remarkable display of God’s blessing on a king who had asked for wisdom.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask the group to point to the exact words in the text, and keep the discussion close to what the chapter actually reports.
1 Kings 10:1-3
1 When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the LORD’s name, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart. 3 Solomon answered all her questions. There was not anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her.
(WEB)
This opening passage sets the scene and the queen’s purpose, and it shows Solomon answering every question she asked. Reading it aloud helps the group hear the story as it unfolds before any analysis begins.
1 Kings 10:4-5
4 When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his officials, their clothing, his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the LORD’s house; there was no more spirit in her.
(WEB)
These verses list what overwhelmed the queen, giving the group a concrete picture of Solomon’s court. Reading them aloud slowly helps people notice the detail the writer chose to include.
1 Kings 10:9
Blessed is the LORD your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”
(WEB)
The queen’s blessing on the LORD is the theological center of the chapter, linking Solomon’s kingship to God’s love for Israel. Reading it aloud gives the group a clear anchor for discussing the chapter’s meaning.
1 Kings 10:23-24
23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24 All the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
(WEB)
These verses summarize Solomon’s wisdom and wealth and connect it to the wisdom God put in his heart. Reading them aloud helps the group see how the chapter’s themes come together in a single statement.
1 Kings 10:26-27
26 Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he kept in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedars as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.
(WEB)
These verses describe Solomon’s chariots, horsemen and the abundance of silver and cedar. Reading them aloud prompts the group to weigh the chapter’s praise against its quieter signals of excess.
Memory Verse for 1 Kings 10
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that you give wisdom generously and that you hear the hard questions we bring to you. Like the queen of Sheba, we want to come to you honestly and leave with our hearts full of what is true. Help us to notice the people around us who serve quietly, and to give you thanks for every good gift. Guard us from measuring our worth by what we own or how much we can display. Fill us instead with the wisdom that comes from you and the love that reaches toward others. Let our conversation today draw us closer to you and to one another. Amen.
