And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber.
And he partnered with him to build ships that would sail to Tarshish, and they built these ships in Ezion Gaber.
This verse describes King Jehoshaphat forming a business partnership with King Ahaziah to build a merchant fleet for trade.
📚 Historical Context
In the historical context, King Jehoshaphat of Judah formed an alliance with Ahaziah, the wicked king of Israel, to build ships for trading expeditions to the distant port of Tarshish, which were constructed in Ezion-geber, a key seaport on the Red Sea. This event occurred during the divided kingdom period, around the 9th century BC, when kings sought to expand trade but often at the cost of spiritual fidelity. The alliance highlighted the dangers of partnering with unfaithful rulers, as it was later condemned by a prophet, leading to the ships' destruction.
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