Question
Answer
The Queen of the South is mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 12:42 and its parallel passage, Luke 11:31. Jesus says the Queen of the South will bear witness on the Day of Judgment, condemning those Israelites who rejected Jesus as Lord. Jesus identifies the Queen of the South as a queen who visited King Solomon to benefit from his wisdom. From this, we can deduce that she is the Queen of Sheba who came to test Solomon with difficult questions (1 Kings 10:1).
Most biblical scholars believe that Sheba was a city in modern-day Ethiopia or Yemen, and that the Queen of the South was the ruler of that city, a woman of amazing wealth and power. Having heard reports of King Solomon’s wisdom, the Queen of Sheba wanted to find out if what she had heard was true, if there really could be a king that wise. So she traveled to Jerusalem to quiz Solomon with riddles. She also brought a wealth of gifts and spices and jewels from her own land to give to him (1 Kings 10:10; 2 Chronicles 9:9). Solomon answered all her questions (1 Kings 10:3) and repaid her in gifts of equal value. The Queen of the South then returned home (2 Chronicles 9:12).
The Queen of the South has been the subject of many artistic works and legends. Some people also speculate that the Queen of the South is the same woman as the Shulammite mentioned in the Song of Solomon, because of the reference to the Shulammite’s dark skin (Song of Solomon 1:5). However, there is stronger evidence to suggest that the Shulammite came from Shunem, a region near Israel.
Jesus mentions the Queen of the South in the context of Israel’s rejection of their True King. Though she was a Gentile, she traveled a long distance to hear Solomon, and the treasures she brought showed her respect for him and the wisdom he possessed. In contrast, the Jews of Jesus’ time were unwilling to travel any distance to hear the King of kings. The Queen of Sheba’s lavish respect for Solomon stood in stark contrast to Israel’s flat-out rejection of Christ. Yet Christ is greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42). Solomon was a son of David, but Jesus is the Son of David. Solomon was rich, but Jesus is the Creator of all riches. Solomon possessed the gift of wisdom, but Jesus is wisdom personified (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Return to:Questions about Matthew
Who was the Queen of the South?
This post is also available in: हिन्दी
(Hindi) When Jesus referred to the Queen of the South in Matthew 12:42 and Luke 11:31, He was actually talking about the Queen of Sheba. We read of the Queen of the South visiting the court of Solomon in 1 Kings 10:1, 3, 9. Jesus was contrasting the Queen’s actions with the actions of the
religious leaders of His time. Though she was a pagan queen, she traveled a long distance to listen to Solomon and seek his wisdom whereas the religious leaders were unwilling to listen to the Son of God who came down from
heaven to save them.
The Queen of the South
The the Queen of Sheba sought the wisdom of Solomon for her many questions. As she had “heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the LORD, [and] came to test Solomon with hard questions” (1 Kings 10:1). And God had granted Solomon the gift of wisdom (1 Kings 3:5–12), so “nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her” (1 Kings 10:3).
Solomon shared God’s Wisdom
Solomon gave helpful, intelligent answers, which directed the queen’s mind to the true source of all wisdom and prosperity. After the Queen of Sheba had witnessed Solomon’s wisdom and works, she didn’t thank him only for the hospitality that he showed her but more importantly for the knowledge of God’s truth. She said, “Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness” (1 kings 10:9).
Her visit led to her conversion and salvation. In gratitude to Solomon, the Queen of the south gave King Solomon gifts. And she returned to her own country blessed (1 Kings 10:13).
The Comparison with the Jewish Leaders
While the Queen of the south accepted the wisdom of Solomon with all eagerness, the religious leaders rejected Jesus which is the personification of all wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30) for He was indeed greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42). For this, Jesus added that the Queen of the South will be saved whereas the religious leaders will be judged at the judgement day for their rebellion against God’s Son.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
This post is also available in: हिन्दी (Hindi)