Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on 1 Kings 9:26
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And King Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, etc.] Which was one of the stations of the Israelites, near the wilderness of Sin, or Paran, (<043335>Numbers 33:35), it signifies the backbone of a man; and it is said f177 the ridge of rocks before this port were in that form, covered by the sea at high water, and sticking up with various points in a line when it was low. Josephus says f178 in his time it was called Berenice, which is placed by Mela f179 between the Heroopolitic bay, and the promontory Strobilus, or Pharan. It is thought probable f180 to be the same with that which is called by the Arabs Meenah-el-Dsahab, the port of gold, called Dizahab, (<050101>Deuteronomy 1:1), which stands upon the shore of the Arabic gulf, about two or three days’ distance from Mount Sinai; though by others f181 thought to be the same the Arabs call Calzem, where was a great quantity of wood fit for building ships. It is further described, which is beside Elath, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom; and when Edom was subdued by David, this port fell into his hands, and so was in the possession of Solomon; and there being plenty of timber in the parts adjacent, and this being a port in the Red sea, Solomon chose it as proper place to build ships in. Elath, near to which was, is the same the Elanitic bay had its name from; or which (see Gill on “<050208>Deuteronomy 2:8”). Trajan, the Roman emperor, formed a navy in the Red sea f182, that by it he might ravage and waste the borders of India; and here it seems Solomon’s navy went; (see <110928>1 Kings 9:28).
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