1 Kings 9:26
in 1 Kings 9King Solomon also assembled a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd 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, Num 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.
This site's exposition
on the shore of the Red sea
on 1 Kings 9:26-28
A port beside Eloth on the Red sea gives Solomon a southern outlet his father's conquest of Edom had opened to Judah's crown, and Hiram supplies shipmen with knowledge of the sea that Israel's own inland tribes did not have. Four hundred and twenty talents of gold return from Ophir in one voyage, a location the commentators place variously in Arabia or India, its exact site unresolved since antiquity. The chapter that opened with the Lord's warning about turning aside closes with the wealth that chapter 10 will show becoming its own kind of test.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Probably that wilderness now began to be peopled by the Edomites, which it was not then. To them this port had belonged, but, David having subdued the Edomites, it now pertained to the crown of Judah. The fleet traded to Ophir in the East Indies, supposed to be that which is now called Ceylon.
4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: 5 Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A navy of ships - Literally, אני oni, a ship: in the parallel place, 2Ch 8:17, it is said that Hiram sent him אניות 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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth--These were neighboring ports at the head of the eastern or Elanitic branch of the Red Sea. Tyrian ship carpenters and sailors were sent there for Solomon's vessels (see on 2Ch 8:17, 18). Ezion-geber--that is, "the giant's backbone"; so called from a reef of rocks at the entrance of the harbor.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
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.)
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֳנִ֡י | vooni | and ship[s] | H590 → | 7 times |
| עָשָׂה֩ | ʾasah | he made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| בְּעֶצְיֽוֹן־ | beetzyon- | at Ezion | H6100 → | 14 times |
| גֶּ֨בֶר | gever | Geber | H6100 → | 14 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֧ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | [is] with | H854 → | 929 times |
| אֵל֛וֹת | ʾelot | Elath | H359 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שְׂפַ֥ת | sefat | [the] shore of | H8193 → | 176 times |
| יַם־ | yam- | [the] sea of | H3220 → | 396 times |
| ס֖וּף | suf | reed[s] | H5488 → | |
| בְּאֶ֥רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֱדֽוֹם׃ | ʾedom | Edom | H123 → | 99 times |
וָאֳנִ֡יand ship[s]
vooniH590 →7 times
עָשָׂה֩he made
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֜הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
בְּעֶצְיֽוֹן־at Ezion
beetzyon-H6100 →14 times
גֶּ֨בֶרGeber
geverH6100 →14 times
אֲשֶׁ֧רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֶת־[is] with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
אֵל֛וֹתElath
ʾelotH359 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שְׂפַ֥ת[the] shore of
sefatH8193 →176 times
יַם־[the] sea of
yam-H3220 →396 times
ס֖וּףreed[s]
sufH5488 →
בְּאֶ֥רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
אֱדֽוֹם׃Edom
ʾedomH123 →99 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 22:48Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 10:22
For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
- 1 Kings 9:28
They sailed to Ophir and imported gold from there—420 talents—and delivered it to Solomon.
- Isaiah 60:9
Surely the islands will wait for Me, with the ships of Tarshish in the lead, to bring your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God,…
- 1 Kings 10:22
Through
Numbers 33:35They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 2:8
So we passed by our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned away from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion-geber, and traveled along the road of…
- 1 Kings 22:48
Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
- Deuteronomy 2:8
Through
Deuteronomy 2:8So we passed by our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. We turned away from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion-geber, and traveled along the road of…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 16:6
At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram, drove out the men of Judah, and sent the Edomites into Elath, where they live to this day.
- Judges 11:18
Then Israel traveled through the wilderness and bypassed the lands of Edom and Moab. They came to the east side of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon.…
- 2 Kings 14:22
Azariah was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah rested with his fathers.
- 2 Kings 16:6
About 1 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.