1 Kings 10:11
Ver. 11. 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 2Ch 9:10 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 1Ki 9:28, 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
brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees: or algum trees, by transposition of letters, 2Ch 9:10, 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:
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.
{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.