Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 9:26
And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which [is] beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
26 28. Solomon’s navy (2Ch 8:17-18)
26. in Ezion-geber ] The name signifies ‘the Giant’s chine,’ and it was probably a promontory. Ezion-geber is mentioned first in the narrative of the journey of the Israelites from Egypt (Num 33:35). It was the last halting-place before they entered the wilderness of Zin. It lay at the top of the gulf of Akabah. Here was also Eloth ( or Elath) of which we read (2Ki 14:22) that, though it is here said to be in the land of Edom, it was conquered for Judah at a later time, and still later (2Ki 16:6) came into the possession of Rezin king of Syria.
In reference to this navy, we are told (2Ch 8:18) that Hiram sent Solomon the ships. Putting that passage side by side with this, it can only mean that the wood for ship-building was brought from Tyre along the coast as far as was necessary, and then at the nearest point carried over land to the Gulf of Akabah, where the ships were built. The only other interpretation of the statement in 2 Chronicles would be that Hiram sent ships from Tyre round Africa and then by the Indian Ocean into the Red Sea, which cannot for a moment be supposed.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
On Ezion-geber and Eloth, see the notes to marginal references. As the entire tract about Elath (Akaba) is destitute of trees, it is conjectured that the wood of which Solomon built his fleet was cut in Lebanon, floated to Gaza by sea, and thence conveyed across to Ezion-geber, at the head of the E anitic Gulf, by land carriage. (Compare 2Ch 2:16.)
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. A navy of ships] Literally, oni, a ship: in the parallel place, 2Ch 8:17, it is said that Hiram sent him oniyoth, ships; but it does not appear that Solomon in this case built more than one ship, and this was manned principally by the Tyrians.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Solomon made a navy of ships; not now in the order in which it is placed in the history, but in the beginning of his reign; as appears, because the almug trees which he used in this work were brought in this navy from Ophir, 1Ki 10:11,12; 2Ch 9:10,11, which was a three years voyage & here, 1Ki 10:22; for Ophir and Tharshish were either the same place, or one near to another.
Eloth, or Elath, as it is called, 2Ki 14:22. See Deu 2:8. It is thought to be that famous port on the Red Sea which Ptolemy and Strabo call Elana.
In the land of Edom; which David brought under his dominion, and Solomon kept it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26. Ezion-geber, which is besideElothThese were neighboring ports at the head of the easternor Elanitic branch of the Red Sea. Tyrian ship carpenters and sailorswere sent there for Solomon’s vessels (see on 2Ch8:17, 18).
Ezion-geberthat is,”the giant’s backbone”; so called from a reef of rocks atthe entrance of the harbor.
ElothElim or Elath;that is, “the trees”; a grove of terebinths still exists atthe head of the gulf.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And King Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber,…. Which was one of the stations of the Israelites, near the wilderness of Sin, or Paran, Nu 33:35, it signifies the backbone of a man; and it is said w the ridge of rocks before this port were in that form, covered by the sea at high water, and sticking up with various points in a line when it was low. Josephus says x in his time it was called Berenice, which is placed by Mela y between the Heroopolitic bay, and the promontory Strobilus, or Pharan. It is thought probable z to be the same with that which is called by the Arabs Meenah-el-Dsahab, the port of gold, called Dizahab, De 1:1, which stands upon the shore of the Arabic gulf, about two or three days’ distance from Mount Sinai; though by others a thought to be the same the Arabs call Calzem, where was a great quantity of wood fit for building ships. It is further described,
which is beside Elath, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom; and when Edom was subdued by David, this port fell into his hands, and so was in the possession of Solomon; and there being plenty of timber in the parts adjacent, and this being a port in the Red sea, Solomon chose it as proper place to build ships in. Elath, near to which was, is the same the Elanitic bay had its name from; or which
[See comments on De 2:8]. Trajan, the Roman emperor, formed a navy in the Red sea b, that by it he might ravage and waste the borders of India; and here it seems Solomon’s navy went; see 1Ki 9:28.
w Harris’s Voyages, vol. 1. B. 1. ch. 2. sect. 3. p. 377. x Antiqu. l. 8. c. 6. sect. 4. y De Situ Orbis, l. 3. c. 8. z Clayton’s Chronology, &c. p. 407. a Vossius in Melam ut supra, (Harris’s Voyages, vol. 1. B. 1. ch. 2. sect. 3.) p. 386. b Eutrop. Rom. Hist. l. 8. Ruti Fest. Breviar.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
B. SOLOMONS NAVY 9:2628
TRANSLATION
(26) And King Solomon made a fleet of Ezion-geber which is beside Eloth upon the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. (27) And Hiram sent his servants with the fleet, skilled sailors, along with the servants of Solomon. (28) And they went to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred twenty talents of gold, and brought unto King Solomon.
COMMENTS
The allusion to Solomons navy is probably inserted at this point because it was to the voyage of this fleet that the king was indebted for the gold with which he financed his various building projects. Next to the Temple, the construction of this fleet was probably the greatest accomplishment of Solomons reign.[265] The king built his ships at Ezion-geber located on the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba (1Ki. 9:26). The earlier subjugation of Edom in the reign of David (2Sa. 8:14) made this valuable port available to the Israelites. The Chronicler adds a detail to what is recorded in 1Ki. 9:26 when he relates that Solomon himself made a journey or possibly undertook a campaign to Ezion-geber (2Ch. 8:17). The Eloth mentioned in 1Ki. 9:26 is probably the new settlement which sprang up in the days of Solomon around the ancient settlement of Ezion-geber.
[265] That Israelite naval enterprises actually began under David is hinted at in the fact that David collected for the Temple three hundred talents of gold of Ophir (1Ch. 29:4). Traditions concerning Davids maritime activities have survived in the Jewish communities of the Mediterranean. See Stieglitz, MAAI, p. 148.
The importance of the outlet at Ezion-geber to the Israelites can hardly be overestimated. From the time of David unto the reign of Ahaz (735715 B.C.), the kings of Jerusalem sought to maintain control over this spot and the near-by trade routes.[266]
[266] Stieglitz, MAAI, p. 73.
In this maritime venture, Solomon and Hiram of Tyre were partners. Phoenician sailors, known throughout ancient times for their expertise in seamanship, joined the inexperienced men of Solomon on their voyages (1Ki. 9:27). The Chronicler adds that Hiram also provided the ships (2Ch. 8:18). This probably means that the ships were transported overland, in sections, to the port at Ezion-geber and were there reassembled. Hiram would not have encouraged Solomon in a maritime enterprise which would have involved competition with his own interests. He was, however, anxious to open up the Red Sea trade routes to which he otherwise had no access.
The location of Ophir is uncertain. Modern scholarship has attempted to narrow the location to either India or East Africa. A couple of clues bearing on this problem are given in the text. For one thing it would appear that Ophir was accessible only from the Red Sea and therefore, must be located somewhere along the coasts of that body of water which today is called the Indian Ocean. The best clue, however, is the list of products obtained from Ophir: gold, almug trees and precious stones (1 Kings 10 :II).[267] These products suggest that Ophir was located along the coasts of Africa, possibly even the Atlantic coasts of Africa.[268] Without further evidence,[269] however, it is difficult to be more precise as to the whereabouts of Ophir.
[267] Other products, usually assumed by scholars to originate in Ophir (although this is not stated in the Bible), are those which were brought back by Solomons Tarshish fleet: gold, silver, ivory, apes and baboons. For discussion of Solomons Tarshish fleet see comments on 1Ki. 10:22.
[268] Stieglitz, MAAI, pp. 6061.
[269] Attempts have been made to identify Ophir by linguistic analysis of the Biblical product names. The results are inconclusive, some scholars vigorously asserting the Indian and some the Egyptian origin of these names.
Wherever its location, Ophir supplied Solomon with enormous quantities of goldfour hundred twenty talents (about $10,000,000) according to Kings (1Ki. 9:28), four hundred fifty talents according to Chronicles. It is possible that Kings gives the amount of gold that actually entered the coffers of Solomon, while Chronicles includes thirty additional talents which went to Hiram for his services. Whether all this gold, amounting to some thirty tons, was brought back on one voyage, or whether this figure represents the profits from several voyages to Ophir cannot be determined.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(26) Ezion-geber.This place is first noticed in Num. 33:35 and Deu. 2:8 as a station in the wanderings of the Israelites, reached not long before their entrance into Canaan. It lies at the head of the Gulf of Akabah, the nearest point of the Red Sea, on the edge of the mountain country of Edom. Its very name (the giants backbone) indicates the nature of the country around it, which (it has been noted) could hardly have itself supplied timber for ship-building. But from 2Ch. 8:18 it appears that the ships, or the materials from which they were built, were sent from Tyre.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. A navy of ships A fleet, of course, of less size, and ships of smaller dimensions than those with which we are familiar. The success and great importance of Phenician navigation probably suggested this enterprise to Solomon. The Hebrews were never a seafaring people, and Solomon’s sailors had to be taught by Hiram’s shipmen. See next verse.
Ezion-geber An ancient city on the eastern arm of the Red Sea, at which the Israelites once or twice encamped during their wanderings in the desert. Num 33:35; Deu 2:8. In modern times no trace of it seems to be found.
Eloth Written, also, Elath. This city seems to have been more ancient and more important than Ezion-geber, since it is mentioned for the purpose of showing the locality of other places. It, also, was one of the places where Israel halted in the desert journey. Deu 2:8. All that now remains of it are extensive mounds of rubbish which “present nothing of interest, except as indicating that a very ancient city has here utterly perished.” Robinson.
On the shore of the Red Sea That is, on the eastern arm of the Red Sea, which bounds the Peninsula of Sinai on the southeast. It is now commonly called the Elanitic Gulf, or Bahr Akabah.
Land of Edom The mountainous tract of country lying to the south of Palestine, and, as here appears, extending to the Red Sea; the possession of the children of Esau. See at Gen 36:8.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Solomon’s Seafaring Activity And The Visit Of The Queen Of Sheba ( 1Ki 9:26-28 ).
In this passage we learn of Solomon’s international influence and widespread trading activities, while central to it is Solomon’s reputation for wisdom as evidenced by the visit of the Queen of Sheba. Even though very much aware of Solomon’s weaknesses and failures the author hides nothing of his splendour. He is fair and open minded while making clear his disapproval simply by the way in which he words things. The sad thing about Solomon is that such a wise man, to whom God had given so much, should have been so foolish as to destroy his kingdom because of his vanity, pride and lust. He was fulfilling all the prophetic warnings of what happened when men were given supreme kingship (1Sa 8:11-18; Deu 17:16-17).
The coming of the Queen of Sheba was almost certainly because she wanted to ensure the maintenance of trading routes between her kingdom in Arabia, the Red Sea trade through Ezion-Geber, the northern trade routes, and the maritime trade through Tyre and Sidon. Solomon’s kingdom bestrode and controlled all the trade routes. We know from Assyrian records that queens were a regular feature of Arabian rule of Saba around this time, along with their priest-kings, so that this visit is not surprising. She clearly wanted to search out and sum up her prospective trading partner. She was suitably impressed. But, of course, no hint of such trading activities is given. Kings did not ‘trade’. They gave each other things (compare Hiram above).
Analysis.
a
b And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon, and they came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon (1Ki 9:27-28).
c And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of YHWH, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels which bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones, and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart (1Ki 10:1-2).
d And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king which he told her not (1Ki 10:3).
e And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built, and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of YHWH, there was no more spirit in her (1Ki 10:4-5).
f And she said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom” (1Ki 10:6).
e “Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and my own eyes had seen it, and, behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard” (1Ki 10:7).
d “Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, and who hear your wisdom. Blessed be YHWH your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel, because YHWH loved Israel for ever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness” (1Ki 10:8-9).
c And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones. There came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon (1Ki 10:10).
b And the navy also of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug-trees and precious stones. And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of YHWH, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for the singers. There came no such almug-trees, nor were seen, to this day (1Ki 10:11-12).
And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants (1Ki 10:13).
Note that in ‘a’ Solomon had established maritime trade routes through the port of Ezion-Geber, trade routes which were important to Arabian trade, and in the parallel ‘all her desire’ would include access to these trade routes on reasonable terms. In ‘b’ Hiram enabled Solomon to set up his fleet, which went to Ophir, and in the parallel Hiram’s navy brings goods back from Ophir. In ‘c’ the Queen of Sheba arrived bring many precious gifts, and in the parallel she supplies these gifts to Solomon. In ‘d’ Solomon revealed his wisdom to the Queen of Sheba, and in the parallel she extols his wisdom. In ‘e’ the Queen saw all the splendour of Solomon’s court, and in the parallel she expatiates on its magnificence. Centrally in ‘f’ she gives her fulsome verdict on Solomon.
1Ki 9:26
‘ And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.’
As a result of David’s conquest of Edom Solomon had control of the port of Ezion-Geber on the Red Sea. This is now Guzarat al-Far’un, and the nearby ancient storage facilities have been excavated. Traces of ship-building materials (long nails, lumps of pitch, carbonised cables) were found on site. It was an important maritime trade route for Arabia. Elath also was on the Gulf of Aqabah, and is mentioned for identification purposes. These facilities would provide Solomon with huge revenues, as well as enabling his own trading ventures.
1Ki 9:27-28
‘ And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. And they came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.’
Taking advantage of his treaty friendship with Hiram Solomon set up his own fleet, with his own people receiving expert guidance and help from the experienced Tyrian sailors and shipbuilders. And they regularly set sail for Ophir, and returned bringing back large consignments of gold (compare Job 22:24; Job 28:16; Isa 13:12), a trade attested on the Tell Qasileh ostracon inscriptions. We do not know the identity of Ophir, which may have been in southern Arabia (Gen 10:29), or East Africa (e.g. Somalia which was a source of frankincense and myrrh) or even India. India is known to have had a thriving trade with the Persian Gulf region in 2nd-1st millenniums BC, and all the commodities mentioned were available from there.
There is no reason for doubting the huge amount of gold which would accumulate over many voyages. Solomon’s trade was expansive, and such levels are mentioned in inscriptions elsewhere.
1Ki 10:1
‘ And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of YHWH, she came to prove him with hard questions.’
The real purpose of the visit, trading negotiations, would naturally be passed over, and there is no good reason for doubting the Queen of Sheba’s genuine interest in what she had heard of Yahwism. The fame of Solomon’s Temple had no doubt spread, and together with it the mystery of the covenant chest, topped by the Cherubim which represented the invisible God, which ‘bore the Name of YHWH of Hosts’ (2Sa 6:2). It would be quite clear to all the greatness that He had given to Solomon, as He had raised up this powerful empire on his behalf. Furthermore Solomon’s reputation for wisdom had reached her ears, and she wanted to test him out with riddles, as well as to discuss diplomatic and ethical questions. All this is quite in accord with what we might expect.
1Ki 10:2
‘ And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels which bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.’
The Queen was taking advantage of the visit for trading purposes, and brought with her a huge train of valuable commodities, no doubt well guarded. Her camels brought the spices, gold and precious stones for which Arabia was famous. They would, of course, have been a gift, in return for which she would be entitled to expect similar ‘gifts’. But the main purpose of her own coming was in order to sound Solomon out, and discover what she could about him, with thoughts of future dealings in mind. Thus they talked about many things.
1Ki 10:3
‘ And Solomon told her all her questions. There was not anything hid from the king which he did not tell her.’
She found Solomon competent and capable, and able to live up to the reputation that he had earned. He was able to give satisfactory answers to all her questions, and was not caught out by any of them.
1Ki 10:4-5
‘ And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built, and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of YHWH, she was breathless with wonder (there was no more spirit in her).’
The magnificence of Solomon’s court impressed even such a great queen, while his wisdom, the magnificence of his palace complex, and the engineering ingenuity of the access which had been built between the palace and the Temple, filled her with awe. It fulfilled all her expectations. Also included among her impressions was the quality and quantity of food, the protocol of his chief ministers, the wide variety of lesser ministers, and the kind of clothing that they wore, together with the hugely important ‘cupbearers’ (not just wine waiters. Compare the Rabshakeh in 2Ki 18:17, and the later Nehemiah) who supervised all drinking and ensured that no important persons were poisoned. Everything was magnificent, and it took her breath away.
Alternatively what might have impressed her about his ascent to the house of YHWH may have been the huge bodyguard with their shields of glistening gold (1Ki 14:28 with 1Ki 10:17).
1Ki 10:6-7
‘ And she said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and my own eyes had seen it, and, behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard”.’
While fulsome praise was expected by kings, and indeed its lack would have been looked on as an insult, there is no reason for doubting the genuineness of the Queen’s words. She had heard of his doings and his wisdom, and had hardly been able to believe that it was true, but now she had seen it with her own eyes. Indeed what she had seen had surpassed all that she had heard. Both in wisdom and in wealth, Solomon surpassed all expectations. Sadly it was these very things which would contribute so very much towards his downfall. Reputation and wealth can destroy the best of men, especially when they have absolute power.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
(26) And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom. (27) And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. (28) And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
It is supposed, and not without good reason, that the Ophir here spoken of is the same with what is now called Sri Lanka, in the East Indies. But, Reader, what is the golden wedge of Ophir, compared to the preciousness of Jesus. Isa 13:12 . It is worthy the Reader’s remark, that Judea, the Holy land, and what is called the glory of all lands, had no gold. And as the land, so the people of God. What are they, and who are they that are the excellent of the earth? James tells us, they are the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom. Jas 2:5 . Reader! see to it, that you are of this description. Remember who God’s poor are: not simply poor in outward circumstances but poor in spirit. Jesus’ followers. This is to do as Solomon, after all his attainments, recommended. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, (says he), that is Jesus; for Jesus is the wisdom of God, and the power of God; and the man that getteth understanding; for the merchandize of it is better than the merchandize of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. Pro 3:14 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Ki 9:26 And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which [is] beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
Ver. 26. And king Solomon made a navy of ships. ] Not now first, but when he first began to build, or before. Neither out of covetousness, but for the ease of the people, and to defray his great charges. Fabrica enim opes etiam regias et maximas exhaurit. Building is very costly.
In Eziongeber.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Ezion-geber. Compare Num 33:35. Deu 2:8. Position lost when Edom revolted (2Ki 8:20). Restored by Uzziah (2Ki 14:22). Finally lost by Ahaz (2Ki 16:6).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
made a navy: 2Ch 8:12, 2Ch 8:17, 18-11:4
Eziongeber: 1Ki 22:48, Num 33:35, Deu 2:8
Eloth: 2Ki 14:22
shore: Heb. lip
Reciprocal: Gen 22:17 – shore 2Ki 2:13 – bank 2Ki 16:6 – Elath 2Ch 20:36 – Eziongaber Pro 31:14 – General Eze 47:7 – bank
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
CLOSE OF SOLOMONS REIGN
WISDOM AND WEALTH (1Ki 9:26 to 1Ki 10:29)
A look at a map in the back of your Bible may identify the locality of 1Ki 9:26, whence Solomon, with Hirams help, extended his influence by sea. Ophir (1Ki 9:28) has been regarded as a general name for all the southern territory in the neighborhood of the inland seas. A talent is not easy to estimate but, on the supposition of some that a talent of gold represented about $30,000, we have here a contribution of between $12,000,000 and $14,000,000. In our clay not so much, but in that day a tremendous fortune.
One result of expansion by the sea was the visitors it brought, as illustrated by the Queen of Sheba, whose country cannot be identified except in a general way as indicated by our Lord (Mat 12:42; Luk 11:31). A query arises as to whether 1Ki 10:9 means that she was really converted to Jehovah as the result of what she saw and heard.
The targets or shields of 1Ki 10:16, usually made of wood and covered with leather, were weapons of defense for the palace. (See 1Ki 14:26.) Tarshish (1Ki 10:22) is a general term for the west, as Ophir was for the south, and points to Solomons commercial ventures across the Mediterranean.
1Ki 10:26 shows him departing from the commandment of God about horses and chariots (Deu 17:16), and at a wholesale rate, judging by 1Ki 10:28-29 in the Revised Version.
VOLUPTUOUSNESS AND IDOLATRY (1Ki 11:1-8)
What had become of Solomons wisdom? The answer is that the wisdom he had was of the earthly rather than the heavenly kind. It was sufficient to keep the city but not to keep his heart. It helped him rule the kingdom but not his own spirit. Was Solomon really regenerated, who can tell? (Compare Pro 31:1-3 and Ecc 4:13.) The princesses were daughters of tributary kings taken as hostages perhaps, or to strengthen Solomons hands in the political sense; but the concubines were secondary wives not having the same recognition in the kingdom.
Compare 2Ki 23:13 for the name given to that part of Olivet on which Solomon built the temples for the false gods. These he had been induced to worship through the influence of his harem. God alone knows what loathsome wickedness this may have introduced into Israel.
CHASTISEMENT AND SORROW (1Ki 11:9-43)
What aggravated Solomons offense (1Ki 11:9-10)?What judgment is threatened (1Ki 11:11)? But what mercy is shown and why (1Ki 11:12)? To what extent was the kingdom to be rent from Solomon (1Ki 11:13)? The significance of this is that in the line of David that greater than Solomon was to come of whom we learned in 2 Samuel 11. (Compare also 1Ki 11:35-36.) We shall see later that not only was Judah left to Solomons son, but Benjamin and Levi as well, three tribes, although here named as one. Many individuals and families in the other tribes in addition stayed with him for religious reasons. (See 1Ki 12:17 and 2Ch 11:12-13.) Who was the first rod of Gods anger raised against Solomon (1Ki 11:14)? And the second (1Ki 11:23-25)? And the third (1Ki 11:26)?
This last was the most formidable because of the internal commotion he aroused. He came first into notice as a mechanical engineer in charge of some of Solomons many works (1Ki 11:27-28); but God had chosen him for a higher task, the knowledge of which seems to have turned his head (1Ki 11:29-31). He could not wait patiently for God to remove Solomon as David did in the case of Saul, but began to take matters into his own hand with the consequences in 1Ki 11:40.
Observe the name of the book of record from which the inspired compiler of 1 Kings may have obtained his data (1Ki 11:41), and compare with it the statement in 2Ch 9:29.
QUESTIONS
1. Has your Bible any maps?
2. What can you recall of Hirams history?
3. What two geographic names having a general application are given here?
4. How much value may have been represented by a talent of gold?
5. Have you a copy of the Revised Version?
6. How would you discriminate in the case of Solomons wisdom?
7. Have you compared the Scripture references in this lesson?
8. What name was given that part of Olivet on which Solomon built the idol temples?
9. Name the three tribes that remained loyal to the house of David?
10. Name the three human scourges of Solomon towards the close of his life.
11. What prophet is named in this lesson?
12. What data may the compiler of Kings have had to draw upon?
Fuente: James Gray’s Concise Bible Commentary
1Ki 9:26-27. King Solomon made a navy of ships Not now, in the order in which it is placed in the history, but in the beginning of his reign; as appears from this consideration, that the almug-trees, used in the work of the Lords house, were brought in this navy from Ophir, (1Ki 10:11-12; 2Ch 9:10-11,) which was a three years voyage, 1Ki 9:22. And Hiram sent in the navy his servants The navy was Solomons, who had servants of his own on board the ships, to manage the traffic; but as they had no skill in navigation, Hiram sent as many sailors as were necessary to man the ships, the Tyrians being in general bred at sea, and famous for their knowledge in maritime affairs.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Solomon’s navy 9:26-28
God blessed Solomon with an effective navy that brought added wealth from the south and the east. Ophir (1Ki 9:28) evidently was in southeast Arabia (modern Oman and or the United Arab Emirates; 1Ki 10:11; Job 22:24; Job 28:16). Other less likely sites that various scholars have proposed are southwest Arabia (modern Yemen), Somaliland (Somalia), and Supara in India.
The writer documented in this section further evidence of God’s blessing on Solomon that came to him for his dedication to God. The fertility motif stands out strongly here. Blessing in many different forms came to Solomon and Israel.
However, "Solomon’s defense works and monumental buildings drained the nation’s wealth while providing only a temporary appearance of strength and grandeur [cf. 1Ki 12:4]." [Note: DeVries, p. 133.]