For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea, working together with Hiram's fleet. Every three years, these ships would return bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
This verse shows that King Solomon had established a prosperous international trading network that brought exotic goods and wealth to Israel every three years.
📚 Historical Context
During the reign of King Solomon, Israel reached the height of its power and wealth, as described in the books of Kings, due to his wisdom and strategic alliances with neighboring kings. Solomon partnered with Hiram, the king of Tyre, to build a fleet of ships that sailed to distant regions like Tarshish, likely a prosperous trading area in the western Mediterranean, to acquire exotic goods. These voyages, occurring every three years, symbolized the expansive trade networks and economic prosperity that God had granted Solomon as a result of his faithful leadership.
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