Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 12:42

"The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here." — Matthew 12:42 (ASV)

The queen of the South was the queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1–13), who came to Jerusalem because of reports of Solomon’s wisdom. But Jesus is “one greater than Solomon”; he is the Messiah. Thus the queen of Sheba will rise at the Judgment to join the Ninevites in condemning the unbelieving generation of Jesus’ time.