“May he have dominion
From sea to sea!
May he have dominion
From the river to the ends of the earth!
May his foes
Bow down before him!
May his enemies
Lick the dust!
May the kings of Tarshish
Render him tribute!
May the kings of the isles
Render him tribute!
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
Bring gifts!
May all kings
Fall down before him!
All nations
Give him service!”
Now we have the practical empire of the king. He will be king from sea to shining sea even to the ends of the earth. His foes will bow down before him, while his enemies will lick dust. What a nice thought! The kings of Tarshish and various islands will render him tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba will also bring gifts and tribute. The river mentioned here is the Euphrates River, since that was a border area easily recognized. Tarshish maybe Spain and the other Mediterranean islands. Sheba and Seba are probably Arabian countries. There is no mention of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Egyptians, and other common enemies, suggesting maybe a post-exilic writing. King Solomon had been an idealist wise king that everyone respected. Thus all the kings and all the nations would bring gifts and give service to him.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 