3 Kings 10:22
For the king's navy, once in three years, went with the navy of Hiram by sea to Tharsis, and brought from thence gold, and silver, and elephants' teeth, and apes, and peacocks.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- quia classis regis per mare cum classe Hiram semel per tres annos ibat in Tharsis, deferens inde aurum, et argentum, et dentes elephantorum, et simias, et pavos.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ὅτι ναῦς Θαρσεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ μετὰ τῶν νηῶν Χειράμ· μία διὰ τριῶν ἐτῶν ἤρχετο τῷ βασιλεῖ ναῦς ἐκ Θαρσεὶς χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου καὶ λίθων τορευτῶν καὶ πελεκητῶν.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- כִּי֩ אֳנִ֨י תַרְשִׁ֤ישׁ לַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ בַּיָּ֔ם עִ֖ם אֳנִ֣י חִירָ֑ם אַחַת֩ לְשָׁלֹ֨שׁ שָׁנִ֜ים תָּב֣וֹא אֳנִ֣י תַרְשִׁ֗ישׁ נֹֽשְׂאֵת֙ זָהָ֣ב וָכֶ֔סֶף שֶׁנְהַבִּ֥ים וְקֹפִ֖ים וְתֻכִּיִּֽים
Haydock's commentary
To Tharsis. This word in Hebrew signifies, "the sea," Isaias ii. 16., and xxiii. 10. (Menochius)
But when it signifies some particular place, (Haydock) it probably refers to Tarsus of Cilicia, which was once the most famous mart on the Mediterranean, though not perhaps in the days of Solomon, but after it had been embellished by the Assyrian kings. "Ships of Tharsis," often denote such as were fit for a long voyage; and of this description were the fleets of Solomon and of Hiram, which sailed from Asiongaber to Ophir, and touched at various ports, where they procured what they wanted. (Calmet)
Hebrew, "the king had at sea a navy of Tharsis....once in three years: the navy of Tharsis came, bringing gold," &c. (Haydock)
Teeth. Hebrew Shenhabim. The latter word is commonly rendered elephants, k being lost at the beginning. (Bochart)
Syriac and Arabic intimate, that the elephants were brought alive. Perhaps n may be dropped after b; so that we should read, ebnim, as [in] Ezechiel xxvii. 15., and translate ivory and ebony; the one being remarkable for its white, and the other for is black colour. Both might be procured on the coasts of Ethiopia, by which the fleet passed. The Persians, and Sesostris, required the people of the country to pay both for tribute. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xii. 14.; Diodorus i.)
Apes. Hebrew Kophim. Greek, Kepos. There was a peculiar species in Ethiopia, which the Egyptians adored at Babylon, near Memphis, and was exhibited by Julius Cæsar, in the public shews. (Solin.; Bochart)
Read on
Peacocks is not expressed in the Septuagint. (Calmet)
The Roman edition, instead of elephants, &c., inserts, "stones" &c., intended for the various edifices and towns, which Solomon fortified, to keep under the nations of Chanaan, whom he forced to labour, &c. But the Alexandrian copy has, taonon, "peacocks," as thuciim is rendered (Haydock) by the Chaldean, Syriac, &c. (Calmet)
Huet observes, that these birds were scarcely known in the time of Alexander, and would therefore understand , psittacos, "parrots." (Du Hamel)
But peacocks were called, "birds of Media," as they were very common in that country, (Calmet) and about Babylon. (Diodorus ii.)
The fleet of Solomon might advance as far as the confines of Media. Josephus adds, that it brought home Ethiopian slaves, who were in high esteem in a country where eunuchs were employed to guard the women, (Calmet) as there would be less danger of too great familiarity. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Gregory the Great The Book of Pastoral Rule, Of the weight of government; and that all manner of adversity is to be despised, and prosperity feared
So much, then, have we briefly said, to shew how great is the weight of government, lest whosoever is unequal to sacred offices of government should dare to profane them, and through lust of pre-eminence undertake a leadership of perdition. For hence it is that James affectionately deters us, saying, Be not made many masters, my brethren ( James iii. 1 ). Hence the Mediator between God and man Himself, He who, transcending the knowledge and understanding even of supernal spirits, reigns in heaven from eternity, on earth fled from receiving a kingdom. For it is written, When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into the mountain Himself alone ( Joh. vi. 15 ). …