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cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_kings/10-10.htm" title="1 Kings 10:10">◄</a> 1 Kings 10:11 <a href="../1_kings/10-12.htm" title="1 Kings 10:12">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.</div><div id="jump">Jump to: <a href="/commentaries/barnes/1_kings/10.htm" title="Barnes' Notes">Barnes</a> • <a href="/commentaries/benson/1_kings/10.htm" title="Benson Commentary">Benson</a> • <a href="/commentaries/illustrator/1_kings/10.htm" title="Biblical Illustrator">BI</a> • <a href="/commentaries/cambridge/1_kings/10.htm" title="Cambridge Bible">Cambridge</a> • <a href="/commentaries/clarke/1_kings/10.htm" title="Clarke's Commentary">Clarke</a> • <a href="/commentaries/darby/1_kings/10.htm" title="Darby's Bible 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The wood of the “almug” tree, called (apparently more properly) the “algum” tree in <a href="/2_chronicles/9-10.htm" title="And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.">2Chronicles 9:10</a>, is (see Note on <a href="/1_kings/9-25.htm" title="And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to the LORD, and he burnt incense on the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the house.">1Kings 9:25</a>) the red sandal-wood found in China and the Indian Archipelago, and still used for precious utensils in India. The “pillars for the house of the Lord” could not have been any of the larger supports of the Temple. They are usually supposed to have been (see margin) “rails” or “balustrades” for stairs. (See <a href="/2_chronicles/9-11.htm" title="And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.">2Chronicles 9:11</a>.) For the harps and the “psalteries” (which appear to have been like our guitars) the beauty and hardness of the word would be especially appropriate. These represent the stringed instruments chiefly in use in the service of the Temple. The harp (kinnor) is the more ancient, traced (see <a href="/genesis/4-21.htm" title="And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.">Genesis 4:21</a>) even to antediluvian times. The psaltery (nebel) is first mentioned (generally with the harp) in the Psalms. Both seem to have been played either with the hand, or with a plectrum or quill.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/benson/1_kings/10.htm">Benson Commentary</a></div><span class="bld"><a href="/context/1_kings/10-11.htm" title="And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones....">1 Kings 10:11-12</a></span>. <span class="ital">The navy of Hiram — brought great plenty of almug-trees</span> — It is very uncertain what these almug-trees were, or algum-trees, as they are termed <a href="/2_chronicles/2-8.htm" title="Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that your servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with your servants,">2 Chronicles 2:8</a>, by a transposition of letters. Dr. Waterland renders the expression <span class="ital">gum-trees, </span>and Houbigant <span class="ital">ligna citra, citron-wood. </span>But Dr. Castell thinks it was the wood called <span class="ital">sanctulum, </span>which is proper for all the uses mentioned in the next verse, and is still in India. <span class="ital">The king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house — </span>There is nothing said from whence we can form any conjecture what is meant by these pillars or props, or how or where they were applied. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="mhc" id="mhc"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/mhc/1_kings/10.htm">Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary</a></div>10:1-13 The queen of Sheba came to Solomon to hear his wisdom, thereby to improve her own. Our Saviour mentions her inquiries after God, by Solomon, as showing the stupidity of those who inquire not after God, by our Lord Jesus Christ. By waiting and prayer, by diligently searching the Scriptures, by consulting wise and experienced Christians, and by practising what we have learned, we shall be delivered from difficulties. Solomon's wisdom made more impression upon the queen of Sheba than all his prosperity and grandeur. There is a spiritual excellence in heavenly things, and in consistent Christians, to which no reports can do justice. Here the truth exceeded; and all who, through grace, are brought to commune with God, will say the one half was not told them of the pleasures and the advantages of wisdom's ways. Glorified saints, much more, will say of heaven, that the thousandth part was not told them, 1Co 2:9. She pronounced them happy that constantly attended Solomon. With much more reason may we say of Christ's servants, Blessed are they that dwell in his house; they will be still praising him. She made a noble present to Solomon. What we present to Christ, he needs not, but will have us do so to express our gratitude. The believer who has been with Jesus, will return to his station, discharge his duties with readiness, and from better motives; looking forward to the day when, being absent from the body, he shall be present with the Lord.<a name="bar" id="bar"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/barnes/1_kings/10.htm">Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a></div>The navy of Hiram - i. e., Solomon's navy in the Red Sea, which was chiefly manned by subjects of Hiram. (see the marginal reference).<p>Almug-trees - Probably the sandal-wood tree (pterocarpus santalinus). The wood is very heavy, hard, and fine grained, and of a beautiful garnet color, which, according to the rabbinical writers, was the color of the algum. One of the names of the red sandal-wood, in its own native country (India) is "valguka," a word of which "algum" is a natural corruption. <a name="jfb" id="jfb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/jfb/1_kings/10.htm">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</a></div>11. almug trees—Parenthetically, along with the valuable presents of the queen of Sheba, is mentioned a foreign wood, which was brought in the Ophir ships. It is thought by some to be the sandalwood; by others, to be the deodar—a species of fragrant fir, much used in India for sacred and important works. Solomon used it for stairs in his temple and palace (2Ch 9:11), but chiefly for musical instruments.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/poole/1_kings/10.htm">Matthew Poole's Commentary</a></div> No text from Poole on this verse. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="gil" id="gil"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gill/1_kings/10.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a></div>And the navy also of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir,.... This perhaps was before Solomon was concerned with Hiram in navigation and merchandise; though in <a href="/2_chronicles/9-10.htm">2 Chronicles 9:10</a> both their servants are said to bring it; and it is here inserted perhaps to show that Solomon had not his gold, at least all of it, from the queen of Sheba; but much from Hiram, who fetched it from Ophir; and as this was in India, as observed on <a href="http://biblehub.com/1_kings/9-28.htm">1 Kings 9:28</a>, many writers make mention of gold in that part of the world, as Diodorus Siculus (w), Strabo (x), Dionysius (y), Curtius (z), Pliny (a), and others: and this navy also <p>brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees: or algum trees, by transposition of letters, <a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/9-10.htm">2 Chronicles 9:10</a>, which some of the Jewish writers (b) take to be coral, which is not likely; others Brasil, rather ebony, which was peculiar to India, as both Solinus (c) and Virgil (d) say; Strabo (e) makes mention of strange trees in India: <p>and precious stones; of which there is great variety and plenty in that country, as related by Dionysius (f), as diamonds, beryls, jaspers, topazes, and amethysts, and by Curtius (g), Solinus (h), and others. <p>(w) Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 121. (x) Geograph l. 15. p. 481. (y) Perieg. v. 1144. (z) Hist. l. 8. sect. 9. (a) Nat. Hist. 1. 6. c. 19, 20. (b) Daved de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 70. 3.((c) Polyhistor. c. 64. (d) "Sola India nigrum fert ebenum." Georgie. l. 2. ver. 116, 117. (e) Geograph. l. 15. p. 477. (f) Perieget, ver. 1119, &c. (g) Hist. l. 8. c. 9. (h) Polyhistor. c. 65. <a name="gsb" id="gsb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gsb/1_kings/10.htm">Geneva Study Bible</a></div><span class="cverse2">And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.</span></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="comtype">EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)</div><a name="pul" id="pul"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/1_kings/10.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 11.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">And the navy of Hiram also</span> [<span class="accented">i.e.</span>, built and equipped by him, <a href="/1_kings/9-26.htm">1 Kings 9:26-28</a>], <span class="cmt_word">that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees</span> [In <a href="/2_chronicles/2-8.htm">2 Chronicles 2:8</a>; <a href="/2_chronicles/9-10.htm">2 Chronicles 9:10</a>, called "algum trees." The origin and meaning of the word are alike uncertain. By some (see Gesen., Thessalonians 1. p. 93) the <span class="accented">Al</span> is supposed to be the Arabic article, as found in <span class="accented">Al-coran, Al-cohol, Ad-miral</span>, etc., but later authorities (see, <span class="accented">e</span>.<span class="accented">g</span>., Max Muller," Science of Language," p. 214) lend no support to this view. "Celsius enumerates fifteen different trees, each of which has been supposed to have a claim to represent the almug tree of Scripture" Dict. Bib. 3. Appendix, p. 6.) It is now, however pretty generally agreed that the red sandalwood (<span class="accented">pterocarpus sandaliorus</span>, Linn.; or, according to others, <span class="accented">santalum album</span>, the white species) is intended - a tree which grows in India and on the coast of Malabar. It is said that in India sandalwood is called <span class="accented">valguha</span> (same root); and Stanley sees in almug the "Hebraized form of the Deccan word for sandal." Dr. Hooker, however, (Dict. Bib. <span class="accented">l.c.</span>) regards the question as still undecided], <span class="cmt_word">and precious stones.</span> [Stanley remarks on the frequent references to gold and silver and precious stones in the Book of Proverbs (<a href="/proverbs/1-9.htm">Proverbs 1:9</a>; <a href="/proverbs/3-14.htm">Proverbs 3:14, 15</a>; <a href="/proverbs/8-10.htm">Proverbs 8:10, 11</a>; <a href="/proverbs/10-20.htm">Proverbs 10:20</a>; <a href="/proverbs/16-16.htm">Proverbs 16:16</a>, etc.), as one indication that it belongs to the age of Solomon.] 1 Kings 10:11<a name="kad" id="kad"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/kad/1_kings/10.htm">Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament</a></div>The allusion to these costly presents leads the historian to introduce the remark here, that the Ophir fleet also brought, in addition to gold, a large quantity of Algummim wood (see at <a href="/1_kings/9-28.htm">1 Kings 9:28</a>) and precious stones. Of this wood Solomon had מסעד or מסלּות made for the temple and palace. מסעד, from סעד, signifies a support, and מסלּה may be a later form for סלּם, a flight of steps or a staircase, so that we should have to think of steps with bannisters. This explanation is at any rate a safer one than that of "divans" (Thenius), which would have been quite out of place in the temple, or "narrow pannelled stripes on the floor" (Bertheau), which cannot in the smallest degree be deduced from מסעד, or "support equals moveables, viz., tables, benches, footstools, boxes, and drawers" (Bttcher), which neither harmonizes with the temple, where there was no such furniture, nor with the מסלּות of the Chronicles. "And guitars and harps for the singers," probably for the temple singers. כּנּור and נבל are string instruments; the former resembling our guitar rather than the harp, the strings being carried over the sounding-board upon a bridge, the latter being of a pitcher shape without any sounding bridge, as in the case of the harps.<div class="vheading2">Links</div><a href="/interlinear/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 Interlinear</a><br /><a href="/texts/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 Parallel Texts</a><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/niv/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://bibleapps.com/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 Bible Apps</a><br /><a href="/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 Parallel</a><br /><a href="http://bibliaparalela.com/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="http://holybible.com.cn/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="http://saintebible.com/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 French Bible</a><br /><a href="http://bibeltext.com/1_kings/10-11.htm">1 Kings 10:11 German Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td align="center"><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><br /> </div> <div id="left"><a href="../1_kings/10-10.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="1 Kings 10:10"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="1 Kings 10:10" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../1_kings/10-12.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="1 Kings 10:12"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="1 Kings 10:12" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div> <div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>