1 Kings 10:18

“Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, etc.] To sit on and judge his people; and ivory being white, may denote the purity, justice, and equity with which he judged; the white throne in (<662011>Revelation 20:11) may be an allusion to this; the ivory he had from Tarshish, (<111022>1 Kings 10:22) and overlaid it with the best gold; for the greater splendour and majesty of it; not that he covered it all over, for then the ivory would not be seen, but interlined it, or studded it with it, whereby it appeared the more beautiful and magnificent. Such a throne of gold and ivory was decreed to Caesar by the Romans f243.”

“a great throne of ivory--It seems to have been made not of solid ivory, but veneered. It was in the form of an armchair, with a carved back. The ascent to it was by six steps, on each of which stood lions, in place of a railing--while a lion, probably of gilt metal, stood at each side, which, we may suppose from the analogy of other Oriental thrones, supported a canopy. A golden footstool is mentioned (Ch2 9:18) as attached to this throne, whose magnificence is described as unrivalled.”

“It is, on the whole, probable that the substance of the throne was wood, and that the ivory, cut into thin slabs, and probably carved in patterns, was applied externally as a veneer. This is found to have been the practice in Assyria. The gold was probably not placed over the ivory, but covered other parts of the throne. return to 'Top of Page'”

“10:18-21 Solomon obtained ivory through commercial ventures with Hiram. Ancient Near Eastern kings often used lion figures as symbols of royal power and divine protection of the throne.”

“a great throne: Ch2 9:17-19; Psa 45:6, Psa 110:1, Psa 122:5; Heb 1:3, Heb 1:8; Rev 20:11 ivory: Kg1 10:22, Kg1 22:39; Psa 45:8; Eze 27:6; Amo 6:4; Rev 18:12 3 Kings (1 Kings) 10:19”

“Solomon had a great throne of ivory made, and had it overlaid with fine gold. כּסּא־שׁן is not a throne made of ivory, but one merely ornamented with ivory; and we are to imagine the gilding as effected by laying the gold simply upon the wood, and inserting the ivory within the gold plate. מוּפז, a hophal participle of פּזז: aurum depuratum, hence = טהור in Ch2 9:17. The throne had six steps, and a "rounded head on the hinder part thereof," i.e., a back which was arched above or rounded off, (Note: Instead of מאחריו לכּסּה עגול וראשׁ we have in the Chronicles מאחזים לכּסּא בּזּהב וכבשׁ, "and a footstool in gold fastened to the throne" (the plural מאחזים refers to the footstool and the…”