Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, on the seashore in the land of Edom.
The temple is finished, and Solomon now turns to the sea, going down to two harbours in the land of Edom. Two questions follow: why the temple-builder wanted ships, and why the record adds no word of blame.
Eloth is also spelled Elath. A reference work places it:
A seaport town at the far north of the Gulf of Akaba branch of the Red Sea. It is first mentioned during the wanderings of the Israelites. Later it became part of Solomon's kingdom, and close by, at Ezion-geber, he kept a navy of ships.
The verse puts both ports in Edom's land, and that mattered later:
Uzziah built Eloth and restored that important harbor to Judah. From Eloth and Ezion-Geber Solomon's ships had gone to Ophir. Eloth had probably become independent earlier, in the days of Joram (also called Jehoram) of Judah, when Edom revolted.
The king of Tyre had already helped with the temple. Here his help changes:
In verses 17-18 we again see the king of Tyre adding to the splendour of Solomon's reign. It is no longer only his share in the work of the temple. Now he adds to the outward wealth of this glorious reign, a reign in which gold was counted as common as stones in Jerusalem.
The record says nothing against Solomon here. That silence has a purpose, and it runs through the whole book:
1 Chronicles does not mention David's great sin with Bathsheba and her husband. 2 Chronicles passes over Solomon's grave failure and disobedience in the same way. This is because the Lord here stresses the truth that David and Solomon are pictures of Christ, in whom there is no failure. What stands out in this history is the grace of God, which enabled the kings to do God's work.
One writer sees Hiram's help as a small picture of a day still to come:
Hiram's friendship was valuable to Solomon. Solomon gained from the seafaring skill of Hiram's fleet. His own ships sailed with that fleet to bring back gold, silver, ivory, apes and monkeys. So Solomon's riches and wisdom went beyond those of all the kings of the earth... This shows that many in the millennium will come to Israel to learn of the glory of the great King of kings, and will bring gifts of homage to Him.
Chronicles records the voyage without blame. One writer still measures it against the law's limit on a king, quoting Scripture in an older translation:
A king was also not to "greatly multiply silver and gold for himself". The Lord promised to give Solomon "riches and wealth and honor". But that was not enough for him, just as other wealthy men grasp after more and more. Solomon fitted out merchant ships to greatly increase his wealth, and he laid heavy taxes on the people.
Ezion-geber appears again later, and the second time the ships never sail. The name itself carries the lesson:
Jehoshaphat clearly wanted to follow Solomon in building ships to bring gold from Ophir. But the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber... Ezion Geber means "the counsel of a man." Jehoshaphat had sought that kind of counsel, not the counsel of God.
What Jehoshaphat learned was not about ships:
Jehoshaphat understood what had been the great weakness of his life. God disapproves of an alliance with the world, whatever its purpose may be, and such an alliance will bring judgment on His children.
- Place. Ezion-geber and Eloth were harbours at the top of the Gulf of Aqaba, in Edom's land. They gave a land kingdom a way to the sea.
- Partner. Tyre's help now goes past temple materials to the splendour of the reign — a foreign king's skill serving Solomon's glory.
- Purpose. Chronicles omits Solomon's failures on purpose, holding him up as a picture of Christ, in whom there is no failure.
- Preview. Foreign sailors working for Israel's king point to the day when many will bring gifts of homage to the King of kings.
- Peril. The same port later wrecked Jehoshaphat's fleet. Its name means "the counsel of a man" — and God brings judgment on an alliance with the world.
And Huram sent him by his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and fetched thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
Solomon's work now reaches the sea: a foreign king's sailors join his servants and bring gold back from Ophir. Commentators read this short trade report two ways — as a picture of Christ's coming kingdom, and as a warning sign for Israel's king.
Scripture knows Ophir by what came out of it. One reference work fixes the place by its cargo and its route, not by a point on the map.
The place from which Solomon imported gold, precious stones, and almug trees. These were brought by ships to the Gulf of Akaba. Possibly southern Arabia is meant; but India and Africa have also been suggested.
The verse names two crews in one fleet. One writer sees here the pattern of Hiram's whole dealing with Solomon: a Gentile friend whose goodwill for the temple ran on into the kingdom's wealth.
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, ever ready to serve the greatness of the king who is seated on Jehovah's throne, and his good will for the house of the Lord likewise extends to the wealth and prosperity of the kingdom.
The same events appear in 1 Kings, but with a different tone. Chronicles does not blame Solomon here. One writer says the reason lies in what the reign pictures.
It is true that God had said that a king should not multiply horses (Deut. 17:16), but Solomon is not reproved for this here, for again his actions serve as a picture of the future glory of Christ, rather than as exposing his own unfaithfulness, as is done in 1 Kings.
Ophir's gold has a name in the temple record. One writer counts the kinds of gold there and finds meaning in the variety.
Referring again to the temple built by Solomon, we read that he used seven kinds of gold in relation to it. The tabernacle account mentions only two kinds of gold. For what Solomon built we read of gold, pure gold, fine gold, perfect gold, best gold, gold of Parvaim and gold of Ophir. Why do we see such rich decoration in temple days, and not in tabernacle days? I gather it suggests the distinctive rays of the glory of God which will shine out in the day of display.
Commentators differ over how bright this chapter is. One writer sees the ground drop at chapter 8, with Solomon's wisdom now turned to lesser work.
We are now on lower ground (chapter 8). This is not a foreshadowing of the peaceful reign of Messiah. Here instead is a man who holds glory and honour. He was given it so that he might display the glories of the coming kingdom, as far as a mere man can. He is a man who used his excellent wisdom to search out the things of nature, and found no profit in them.
The law had set limits on Israel's king, and multiplying horses was one of them. Another writer holds Solomon's record up against that list.
How remarkable that the three things the king was not to do were exactly the things the greatest and wisest of Israel's kings did — and did on a large scale.
Solomon's harbour appears again later. A king of Judah built ships there with a wicked partner, and they never sailed.
Jehoshaphat allied himself to Ahaziah, Ahab's son ("who did very wickedly"), to build ships to go to Tarshish. They were made at Ezion-Geber where Solomon had his navy built… "Because you have joined yourself to Ahaziah, the Lord has broken your works." And the ships were broken, and could not go to Tarshish.
- Port — Solomon's fleet sails from the Gulf of Akaba to Ophir, a place known for the gold, gems and rare wood it sent back.
- Partner — Two crews sail as one. Hiram's seamen work with Solomon's servants, and a Gentile friend's goodwill for the temple now serves the kingdom's wealth.
- Cargo — Ophir's gold is one of seven kinds of gold in Solomon's temple. One writer reads that variety as rays of God's glory, waiting for the day of display.
- Picture — Chronicles does not blame Solomon here, so the reign can stand as a picture of the future glory of Christ.
- Caution — Later, at the same harbour, Jehoshaphat's ships were broken. Glory that is given can still slide into what God forbade the king.