The Meaning of 1 Kings 10:12 Explained

1 Kings 10:12

KJV: And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.

YLT: and the king maketh the almug-trees a support for the house of Jehovah, and for the house of the king, and harps and psalteries for singers; there have not come such almug-trees, nor have there been seen such unto this day.

Darby: And the king made of the sandal-wood a balustrade for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, and harps and lutes for the singers. There came no such sandal-wood, nor was there seen to this day.)

ASV: And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen, unto this day.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the king  made  of the almug  trees  pillars  for the house  of the LORD,  and for the king's  house,  harps  also and psalteries  for singers:  there came  no such almug  trees,  nor were seen  unto this day. 

What does 1 Kings 10:12 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 10:1-13 - "the Half Was Not Told Me"
Sheba, to the Jewish mind, was at the ends of the earth, Matthew 12:42. It probably lay in southern Arabia, fifteen hundred miles from Jerusalem. The queen brought munificent presents of spices, gold, precious stones, and sweet-scented wood. The last-named Solomon used for musical instruments and for stairs in his Temple and palace, 2 Chronicles 9:11. But the queen's heart was set on plying him with hard questions, for which she had sought in vain a satisfactory solution.
We may come to "a greater than Solomon," Matthew 12:42. Our native country may lie far away, but He will receive us, and give us the right to live forever in His palace, listening to His words and beholding His face. Let us bring Him, as our gifts, the faith, love, and loyalty of our hearts. Above all, let us lay before Him our perplexities and questions. He may not immediately reveal an answer, as Solomon did, but will put His Spirit into our hearts. And having the anointing of the Spirit, we shall know all things, 1 John 2:27. Though the mind cannot grasp, the heart will be at rest. The Bible, as someone says, does not teach us philosophy, but makes us philosophers. Be sure to obtain and use your share of His royal bounty.
1 Kings 10:1-29 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 10

1  The queen of Sheba admires the wisdom of Solomon
14  Solomon's gold
16  His targets
18  The throne of ivory
21  His vessels
24  His presents
26  his chariots and horse
28  his tribute

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 10:12 mean?

And made the king - of wood the almug steps for the house of Yahweh for house of the king and harps and stringed instruments for singers never there came again such wood almug nor has the like been seen to day this
וַיַּ֣עַשׂ הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ אֶת־ עֲצֵ֨י הָאַלְמֻגִּ֜ים מִסְעָ֤ד לְבֵית־ יְהוָה֙ וּלְבֵ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְכִנֹּר֥וֹת וּנְבָלִ֖ים לַשָּׁרִ֑ים לֹ֣א בָֽא־ כֵ֞ן עֲצֵ֤י אַלְמֻגִּים֙ וְלֹ֣א נִרְאָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה

וַיַּ֣עַשׂ  And  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֲצֵ֨י  of  wood 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
הָאַלְמֻגִּ֜ים  the  almug 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אַלְמֻגִּים  
Sense: a tree from Lebanon, almug trees (sandalwood?), almug wood.
מִסְעָ֤ד  steps 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִסְעָד  
Sense: support, pillar.
לְבֵית־  for  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
וּלְבֵ֣ית  for  house 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְכִנֹּר֥וֹת  and  harps 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כִּנּׄור  
Sense: lyre, harp.
וּנְבָלִ֖ים  and  stringed  instruments 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root:  
Sense: a skin-bag, jar, pitcher.
לַשָּׁרִ֑ים  for  singers 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שִׁיר  
Sense: to sing.
לֹ֣א  never 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
בָֽא־  there  came  again 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
כֵ֞ן  such 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
עֲצֵ֤י  wood 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
אַלְמֻגִּים֙  almug 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אַלְמֻגִּים  
Sense: a tree from Lebanon, almug trees (sandalwood?), almug wood.
וְלֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נִרְאָ֔ה  has  the  like  been  seen 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הַיּ֥וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.