Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 9:21
For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
21. For the king’s ships went to Tarshish ] R.V. For the king had ships that went to Tarshish. Here the Chronicler misunderstands the parallel passage (1Ki 10:22, “For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish ”). “Navy (or ‘ships’) of Tarshish” is a phrase meaning large ships fit for long voyages; cp. Psa 48:7. The merchandise mentioned in this verse doubtless came from the East and not from Tarshish (= Tartessus in Spain).
every three years once ] R.V. once every three years.
apes ] These animals were much sought after; they appear e.g. pictured in relief on the Black Obelisk (in the British Museum) among the tribute received by Shalmaneser II. of Assyria.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
2Ch 9:21
And apes, and peacocks.
Apes and peacocks
(to children):–We learn from this passage–
I. That a rich man can get, as far as worldly goods are concerned, almost what he likes in this world.
II. What even wise men will do, when they have more money than they know how to use. Such was Solomons position; apes and peacocks were costly, and so he had a special desire to have s goodly number about him. (D. Davies.)
Apes
I. The ape is something like us, and yet he is very much unlike us.
1. He cannot speak.
2. He cannot learn.
3. He has no foresight or forethought. It is wonderful how deceptive appearances can be.
II. The ape is only a caricature of a man, and does not imitate him in his better movements or habits; so you generally find that if a child or man apes another, he apes him only in his failings. I saw a boy the other day, who could not have been more than eleven, vigorously puffing the end of a cigar that he had picked up somewhere. He evidently thought he looked like a man, but I need not tell you how disgusted I felt, and wished that he could imitate the man in a more manly way. He stupidly aped a gentleman whose failing was that he smoked at all. Learn to be natural. Let the one desire of your life be to be true. Never put on a false look or try to live under false pretences. (D. Davies.)
Peacocks
The peacock has a beautiful tail, and in this respect no bird can match him. But the more you know about him the less you think of his tail. He can only screech hideously when he tries to sing. He is also a very gluttonous and a very selfish and destructive character. The beautiful bird has nothing to commend it except its beautiful feathers. Its characteristic failing is vanity.
I. I want you to remember that there are some people in the world like that peacock. Everything depends upon their dress, or their outward appearance. But if you get to know their disposition and their conduct, you will very often cease to be charmed with their dress.
II. I want you to guard yourselves against attaching too much importance to appearances. God does not. Learn that the truest ornament is a meek and gentle spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price. (D. Davies.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 21. The king’s ships went to Tarshish] “Went to Africa.” – Targum.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
21. the king’s ships went toTarshishrather, “the king’s ships of Tarshish went”with the servants of Huram.
ships of Tarshishthatis, in burden and construction like the large vessels built for orused at Tarshish [CALMET,Fragments].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[See comments on 1Ki 10:22].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(21) For the kings ships went to Tarshish.1Ki. 10:22, For the king had a Tarshish fleet on the sea, with the fleet of Hiram. It is generally assumed that the words of the chronicler are an erroneous paraphrase of the expression, Tarshish fleet, i.e., a fleet of ships fitted for long voyages. (Comp. Isa. 2:16.) The identity of the present fleet with that mentioned above in 2Ch. 9:10 is not evident. Solomon may have had a fleet in the Mediterranean (the sea of 1Ki. 10:22) trading westward, as well as in the Red Sea, trading south and east. Some have identified Tarshish with Cape Tarsis in the Persian Gulf. (See Note on 2Ch. 20:36.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 9:21. The ships of Tarshish That this was some place in the East Indies, appears, as Bochart thinks, from the commodities, elephants’ teeth, apes, and peacocks, brought from thence; and because the ships sent thither were built at Ezion-geber, on the Red Sea. He is of opinion, that this Tarshish was properly the promontory Cory, on the north of the island of Ceylon, which, according to him, was the land of Ophir, whither the ships of Solomon went. If this opinion be admitted, Tarshish may seem to have been so called from being the farthest place then known eastward, as Tarshish in Spain was westward; just as we from the East Indies call part of America, since discovered, the West Indies. But, after all that Bochart has written on this subject, I must not omit to observe, that another very ingenious writer is of opinion, that the Tarshish to which Solomon’s fleet sailed, was no other than the Tarshish in Spain, whither the Phoenicians had before traded with vast advantage; that he fitted out his fleet from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea, because he had no other convenient port on the Mediterranean; that this fleet coasted along the shore of Africa, and, doubling the cape of Good Hope, came to Tarshish in Spain, and thence back again the same way. In this manner our author accounts for their spending so long a time as three years in their voyage out and home; and remarks, that Spain and the coast of Africa furnish all the commodities which Solomon’s fleet is said to have brought back: and to confirm this, it seems certain, from the account given by Herodotus, lib. 4: cap. 42 that in the reign of Necus, or Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, above six hundred years before Christ, some Phoenicians sent out by him did, in like manner, set sail from the Red Sea, and coast round Africa to the straits of Gibraltar; though indeed, instead of going back by the cape of Good Hope, they returned to Egypt the third year by the Mediterranean. See Nature Displayed, vol. 4:, and Parkhurst’s Lexicon on the word.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
the. No article in the Hebrew here.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
1Ki 10:22, 1Ki 22:48, Tharshish
Tarshish: Bochart thinks this Tarshish was probably the promontory Cory, on the north of the island of Ceylon, which, according to him, was the land of Ophir. That it was name of a place in the East Indies, seems probable from the articles brought thence, and also from the ships sent thither being built at Ezion-geber, on the Red Sea; though Michaelis supposes that the fleet coasted along the shore of Africa, doubling the Cape of Good Hope, and came to Tartessus, in Spain, and thence back again the same way; that this accounts for their three years’ voyage out and home; and that Spain and the coasts of Africa furnish all the commodities which they brought back.
ivory: or, elephants’ teeth
peacocks: Tukkeeyim is rendered taysin in the Targum, , in the Alexandrian manuscript of the LXX, and pavos, “peacocks,” in the Vulgate; with which the Syriac, Arabic, and Rabbins agree. This derives confirmation from the fact, that the peacock is called in Malabaric, Togei. Job 39:13
Reciprocal: 2Ch 20:37 – to Tarshish Psa 72:10 – General Isa 23:1 – ye ships
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9:21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of {l} Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
(l) Which is thought by the best writers to be Cilicia, 1Ki 10:22.