The weight of gold
This phrase emphasizes the immense wealth that Solomon accumulated. In the ancient Near East, gold was a symbol of wealth, power, and divine favor. The Hebrew word for "weight" is "מִשְׁקַל" (mishkal), which indicates a measured amount, suggesting that Solomon's wealth was not only vast but also meticulously accounted for. This reflects the organized and prosperous nature of Solomon's reign, which was marked by economic stability and international trade.

that came to Solomon
The phrase highlights the influx of wealth to Solomon, indicating that this was not a one-time event but a regular occurrence. The Hebrew verb "בּוֹא" (bo) means "to come" or "to enter," suggesting that this wealth was brought to Solomon from various sources, including tributes, trade, and gifts. This underscores Solomon's influence and the respect he commanded from surrounding nations, fulfilling God's promise of wisdom and prosperity to him.

each year
This phrase indicates the consistency and reliability of Solomon's wealth accumulation. The Hebrew term "שָׁנָה" (shanah) means "year," and its use here suggests a cyclical, ongoing process. This annual influx of gold reflects the stability and continuity of Solomon's reign, as well as the sustained economic prosperity of Israel during this period. It also serves as a testament to Solomon's wise governance and the blessings of God upon his kingdom.

was 666 talents
The specific number "666" has intrigued scholars and theologians for centuries. In Hebrew, "תַּלֶּנְט" (kikkar) refers to a large unit of weight, approximately 75 pounds or 34 kilograms. The mention of "666 talents" signifies an enormous quantity of gold, highlighting the extraordinary wealth of Solomon's kingdom. While the number 666 is often associated with negative connotations in other biblical contexts, here it simply denotes the vastness of Solomon's riches. This wealth enabled Solomon to undertake grand projects, such as the construction of the Temple, and to maintain a lavish court, further solidifying his status as a powerful and wise ruler.

(14) Talents.--The word properly signifies a "circle," or "globe," and the talent (among the Hebrews and other Orientals, as among the Greeks) denoted properly a certain weight. (a) The ordinary talent of gold contained 100 "manehs," or "portions" (the Greek mna, or mina), and each maneh (as is seen by comparing 1Kings 10:17 with 2Chronicles 9:16) contained 100 shekels of gold. According to Josephus (Ant. xiv. 7, 1), each maneh contained 2« Roman pounds, and the talent, therefore, 250 Roman pounds, or 1,262,500 grains; and this agrees fairly with his computation elsewhere (Ant. iii. 8, 10), that the gold shekel was equivalent to the daric, which is about 129 grains. (See Dictionary of the Bible: "WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.") According to this calculation, 666 talents would give a weight of gold now worth 7,780,000. (b) On the other hand, the talent of silver is expressly given (by comparison of Exodus 30:13-15; Exodus 38:25-28) at 3,000 "shekels of the sanctuary," and such a shekel appears, by the extant Maccabaean coins, to be about 220 grains. Of such talents, 666 would give a little more than half the former weight; hence, if the talent of gold here be supposed to be in weight the same as the talent of silver, the whole would give a weight of gold now worth about 4,000,000. Considering that this is expressly stated to be independent of certain customs and tributes, the smaller sum seems more probable; in any case, the amount is surprisingly large. But it should be remembered that at certain times and places accumulations of gold have taken place, so great as practically to reduce its value, and lead to its employment, not as a currency, but as a precious ornament. Making all allowance for exaggeration, this must have been the case among the Mexicans and Peruvians before the Spanish conquests. It is not improbable that the same may have occurred in the time of Solomon.

Verse 14. - Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year [probably one particular and exceptional year, probably also the year of the queen's visit, not year by year (Wordsworth, al.), as the Vulgate (per singulos annos). One fleet only came home from its voyage after three years, and the gold would hardly weigh precisely 666 talents year by year] was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold. [The correspondence with the number of the Beast (Revelation 13:18; cf. Ezra 2:13) is in all probability not altogether accidental. It is possible, i.e., that the number of the beast is a reminiscence of this number of talents. For we may surely see in this statement of Solomon's prodigious wealth an indication of his worldliness, the turning point, perhaps, in his estrangement from God. "The love of money" may have been the root of all his evil. It is certainly remarkable that from this time forward his career is one of steady declension. It is also remarkable that while he is here represented to us as a "royal merchant," the mark of the beast is on the buyers and sellers (Revelation 13:17). But see "Expositor," May, 1881. It is, of course, possible that the number has been corrupted, but, on the other hand, it may have been recorded, partly because of the singularity of the sum total. The 666 talents include the receipts from all sources - taxes, tribute, and voyages - with the exception made presently (ver. 15). Rawlinson quotes Keil (in his earlier edition) as estimating this amount at £3,646,350. But in his later work, Keil puts it in round numbers at two and a half millions (17,000,000 thalers), while Mr. Peele calculates it at about £8,000,000. These widely varying figures are instructive, as showing that both estimates are little more than guesswork. We do not know the value of the Hebrew talent, nor, indeed, can it ever be rightly appraised until we know its purchasing power. The denarius, e.g., is generally valued at 8½ d. (or 7½ d.) because it contained some 58 grains of pure silver but its real value was nearer three shillings, inasmuch as it was a fair wage for a day's work on the land (Matthew 20:2). In any case, it is clear that this sum should hardly be compared with the annual revenue of other Oriental empires, as by Rawlinson (see above).

Parallel Commentaries ...


The weight
מִשְׁקַ֣ל (miš·qal)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4948: Weight, weighing

of gold
הַזָּהָ֔ב (haz·zā·hāḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky

that
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

came
בָּ֥א (bā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to Solomon
לִשְׁלֹמֹ֖ה (liš·lō·mōh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8010: Solomon -- David's son and successor to his throne

each year
בְּשָׁנָ֣ה (bə·šā·nāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

was
וַֽיְהִי֙ (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

666
שֵׁ֥שׁ (šêš)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 8337: Six (a cardinal number)

talents,
כִּכַּ֥ר (kik·kar)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3603: A round, a round district, a round loaf, a round weight, a talent (a measure of weight or money)


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OT History: 1 Kings 10:14 Now the weight of gold that came (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)