And king Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion-Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.
Among lists of Solomon's building projects, this verse records something new: Israel's king now had a fleet. It lay at the far south of his land, on ground that once belonged to Edom — so why would a people who were not sailors need ships?
Eloth and Ezion-geber sat at the top of the Gulf of Akaba. The place had a long history before Solomon and after him.
Seaport town at the extreme north of the Gulf of Akaba branch of the Red Sea. It is first mentioned during the wanderings of the Israelites. Later it came under Solomon's rule, and near it, at Ezion-geber, he had a navy of ships. Later still we read that Azariah built it, and that it was given back to Judah. After that Rezin conquered it, and the Syrians held it, until it became a frontier town of Rome. Elath is now called Aqaba and is in Jordan; it is the only seaport of that country.
Israel had ships now, but no tradition of the sea. (Where the ESV says "a fleet of ships," older translations say "a navy.")
The Israelites were not a seafaring people. Solomon had a 'navy of ships' at Ezion Geber, on the eastern branch of the Red Sea. But Hiram sent his sailors, 'who had knowledge of the sea', along with the servants of Solomon… The word for 'galley' in Isaiah 33:21 is the same as the word translated 'navy' in Kings.
The shipyard stood "in the land of Edom." One writer takes that detail as a measure of how far Solomon's rule reached.
Solomon brings under his control everything that could have stood in the way of fully enjoying the promised land, to its whole extent, whether on the side of Tyre or of Syria… Edom itself was his possession, and all the way to the Red Sea everyone was the king's subject. The king of Tyre, who represents the Gentile glory of the world, supplied all that he needed to carry out his plans.
The fleet had one job: bring wealth home. One writer gives the details, then asks an uncomfortable question.
He built a fleet of ships near Elath, on the shores of the Red Sea. With it he could carry valuable goods from other countries to Israel (v.26). Hiram joined him in this project by sending experienced seamen, since Tyre was a leading sea trading country. It was not a long trip to Ophir, in Saudi Arabia, where at that time there was much gold. Now, it is reported, no gold can be found there at all. Perhaps Solomon took all the gold that was there: 420 talents, which comes to 55,000 pounds! With wealth like that, why did he tax the people so heavily? (1 Kings 12:4).
Another writer sees these verses as part of the kingdom's outward glory, with Hiram at the centre of it.
In verses 26-28 we again find the relationship of Solomon with Hiram in view of the glory and external affairs of the kingdom. Gold flows into Jerusalem. Hiram is the Gentile friend, always ready to serve the greatness of the king who sits on Jehovah's throne. In the same way, his good will for the house of the Lord extends to the wealth and prosperity of the kingdom.
Not every writer reads the gold as pure gain. One weighs Solomon's record against the limits set for Israel's king.
How very remarkable that the three things the king was told not to do were exactly the things done — and done on a large scale — by the greatest and wisest of Israel's kings.
Commentators differ: some read the fleet as a picture of glory, others as an early step in a drift that ended badly.
Years later another king, Jehoshaphat, tried to copy Solomon at this same port. It went wrong.
Jehoshaphat clearly wanted to follow Solomon in building ships to bring gold from Ophir, but his ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber. 2 Chronicles 20:37 shows us the reason. Jehoshaphat had unwisely allied himself with Ahaziah the son of Ahab, who followed his father in wickedness. So God sent a prophet to tell Jehoshaphat that He would destroy his works. Ezion Geber means "the counsel of a man." Jehoshaphat had sought that kind of counsel, not the counsel of God.
- Place. Solomon built the fleet at Ezion-geber, beside Eloth, at the top of the Gulf of Akaba — a port later lost, rebuilt, and today called Aqaba.
- Partner. Israel was not a seafaring nation, so Hiram of Tyre supplied the crews who knew the sea.
- Possession. The shipyard stood in Edom, showing how far Solomon's rule reached — as far as the Red Sea, all were the king's subjects.
- Picture. Gold flowed into Jerusalem through a willing Gentile friend, a sign of a kingdom whose glory the nations serve.
- Peril. That same wealth broke the limits set for Israel's king. That same harbour later wrecked a king who took a man's counsel instead of God's.
And Hiram sent in the fleet his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon;
Solomon built a fleet, but Israel had no sailors to man it, so Hiram of Tyre lent him trained crews to work beside Solomon's own servants. Was this partnership the high point of Solomon's glory, or his first step toward ruin?
One reference work gives the plain reason. Its wording follows an older translation of the verse:
The Israelites were not a seagoing people. Solomon had a "navy of ships" at Ezion Geber, on the eastern branch of the Red Sea. But Hiram sent his shipmen "who had knowledge of the sea" with the servants of Solomon.
Hiram had what Solomon lacked. One writer points to Tyre's place in sea trade:
Hiram joined him in this project by sending experienced seamen, since Tyre was a prominent sea trading country.
Read at its best, this verse shows wealth flowing toward Jerusalem. One writer links Hiram's help here with his earlier help on the temple:
In verses 26-28 we see Solomon's relationship with Hiram again, now in view of the glory and outward affairs of the kingdom. Gold flows into Jerusalem. Hiram is the Gentile friend, always ready to serve the greatness of the king who sits on Jehovah's throne. His good will for the house of the Lord reaches the wealth and prosperity of the kingdom as well.
One writer reads these joint voyages forward. Nations outside Israel work with God's king here, as they will in a kingdom still to come:
Every three years Solomon sent ships to Tarshish. He used the help of Huram's servants to bring back gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks. So he had Gentile cooperation in such ventures, as will be true in the future kingdom of Israel. Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. Yet he gives only a faint picture of the greater glory of "the world kingdom" of the Lord Jesus.
Commentators differ on whether these voyages were a blessing at all. One measures Solomon's success against the rules given to Israel's kings:
How very remarkable that the three things the king was not to do were the very things the greatest and wisest of Israel's kings did — and did on a large scale.
Another writer names where the ships went, and then asks a hard question:
It was not a long distance to go to Ophir, in Saudi Arabia, where at that time there was much gold. Perhaps Solomon obtained all the gold that was there, the amount being 420 talents. … Having such wealth, why did he tax the people so heavily?
One writer marks the turn in who gives to whom:
When it comes to giving to Solomon, Hiram shows that he is very generous. … As long as Hiram was paying tribute to him for the building of the temple, everything had divine approval. Now Hiram is calling Solomon "my brother" and giving him presents!
The same writer finds the lesson in a later king who lost his fleet:
Thank God, after the prophet's word and the destruction of his fleet, Jehoshaphat understood what the great weakness of his life had been. An alliance with the world, whatever its purpose, is something God disapproves of, and it will bring judgment on His children.
- Lack — Israel was not a seagoing people. The ships could not sail without Hiram's crews, seamen "familiar with the sea."
- Loan — Tyre supplied the skill Solomon lacked. The king who helped build the temple now helped fill the treasury.
- Likeness — Help from the nations to the king on Jehovah's throne is a faint sketch of Christ's coming reign. Then the nations will serve the King.
- Limit — Israel's king was told not to do certain things. Solomon did them, on a large scale, and still taxed his own people hard.
- Line — The shift comes when the world stops serving and starts calling the king "my brother." A later king lost his fleet, and learned where an alliance with the world ends.