‏ 1 Kings 9:26-28

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.

 Verse 28. And they came to Ophir] No man knows certainly, to this day, where this Ophir was situated. There were two places of this name; one somewhere in India, beyond the Ganges, and another in Arabia, near the country of the Sabaeans, mentioned by Job, Job 22:24: Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust; and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. And Job 28:16: It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. Calmet places this country at the sources of the Euphrates and Tigris.

But there are several reasons to prove that this was not the Ophir of the Bible, which it seems was so situated as to require a voyage of three years long to go out, load, and return. Mr. Bruce has discussed this subject at great length; see his Travels, vol. ii., chap. iv., p. 354, &c. He endeavours to prove that Ezion-geber is situated on the Elanitic branch of the Arabian Gulf or Red Sea. 2. That Tharshish is Moka, near to Melinda, in the Indian Ocean, in about three degrees south latitude. 3. That Ophir lies somewhere in the land of Sofala, or in the vicinity of the Zimbeze river, opposite the island of Madagascar, where there have been gold and silver mines in great abundance from the remotest antiquity. And he proves, 4. That no vessel could perform this voyage in less than THREE years, because of the monsoons; that more time need not be employed, and that this is the precise time mentioned in 1Ki 10:22. 5. That this is the country of the queen of Sheba, or Sabia, or Azeba, who on her visit to Solomon, brought him one hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices and precious stones great store, 1Ki 10:10. And that gold, ivory, silver, &c., are the natural productions of this country. To illustrate and prove his positions he has given a map on a large scale, "showing the track of Solomon's fleet in their three years'

voyage from the Elanitic Gulf to Ophir and Tharshish;" to which, and his description, I must refer the reader.

‏ 1 Kings 10:11

Verse 11. Great plenty of almug trees] In the parallel place, 2Ch 9:10, 11, these are called algum trees, the mem and the gimel being transposed; probably the latter is the more correct orthography. What the algum trees were we do not exactly know. The Vulgate calls it ligna thyina, the thya or lignum vitae wood; and Mr. Parkhurst thinks that the original algumim, comes from al, not, and gem, to fill; because the lignum vitae is of so close a texture that it can imbibe no water, and cannot be affected by wet weather. The Septuagint translate it ξυλαπυκινα, pine timber; the Syriac [Syriac] kaise dakisotho, probably cypress wood, or what the translators render ligna brasilica; the Arabic translates coloured wood, and subjoins a paraphrase, for that wood was by nature painted with various colours. Perhaps the Arabic comesnearest the truth; wood shaded of different colours, such as the rose wood and such like, which are brought to us from various parts of the East Indies. The whole passage as it stands in the Arabic is this: "And the ships of Hiram brought gold from the land of Hind, (India,) and they carried also much coloured wood, (but this wood is naturally painted of various colours,) and very precious jewels. And Solomon put some of that same painted wood which was brought to him in the house of the Lord, and in his own house; and with it he adorned them." And for inlaying and veneering nothing can be finer than this wood.

‏ 1 Kings 10:22

Verse 22. A navy of Tharshish] For probable conjectures concerning this place, and the three years' voyage, see at the end of this and the preceding chapter. See Clarke on 1Ki 10:29; "1Ki 9:28".

Apes] kophim; probably a species of monkey rather than ape.
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