SEV Biblia, Chapter 10:11
La flota de Hiram que había traído el oro de Ofir, traía también de Ofir mucha madera de brasil, y piedras preciosas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 10:11
Verse 11. Great plenty of almug trees] In the parallel place, 2 Chron. ix. 10, 11, these are called algum trees, the µ mem and the g 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 µymwgla algumim, comes from la al, not, and µg 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 xula pukina, 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. And the navy also of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir , etc.] This perhaps was before Solomon was concerned with Hiram in navigation and merchandise; though in ( 2 Chronicles 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 ( 1 Kings 9:28), many writers make mention of gold in that part of the world, as Diodorus Siculus f225 , Strabo f2226 , Dionysius f227 , Curtius f228 , Pliny f229 , and others: and this navy also brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees : or algum trees, by transposition of letters, ( 2 Chronicles 9:10,11), which some of the Jewish writers take to be coral, which is not likely; others Brasil, rather ebony, which was peculiar to India, as both Solinus and Virgil say; Strabo 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 f234 , as diamonds, beryls, jaspers, topazes, and amethysts, and by Curtius f235 , Solinus f236 , and others.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 diligentl searching the Scriptures, by consulting wise and experience Christians, and by practising what we have learned, we shall be delivered from difficulties. Solomon's wisdom made more impression upo the queen of Sheba than all his prosperity and grandeur. There is 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 on half was not told them of the pleasures and the advantages of wisdom' ways. Glorified saints, much more, will say of heaven, that the thousandth part was not told them, 1Co 2:9. She pronounced them happ that constantly attended Solomon. With much more reason may we say of Christ's servants, Blessed are they that dwell in his house; they wil 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 ou 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 shal be present with the Lord.
Original Hebrew
וגם 1571 אני 590 חירם 2438 אשׁר 834 נשׂא 5375 זהב 2091 מאופיר 211 הביא 935 מאפיר 211 עצי 6086 אלמגים 484 הרבה 7235 מאד 3966 ואבן 68 יקרה׃ 3368
