For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
To Tharsis. This word in Hebrew signifies, "the sea "Isaias ii. 16., and xxiii. 10. (Menochius)
But when it signifies some particular place, (Haydock) it probably refers to Tarsus of Cilicia, which was once the most famous mart on the Mediterranean, though not perhaps in the days of Solomon, but after it had been embellished by the Assyrian kings. "Ships of Tharsis "often denote such as were fit for a long voyage; and of this description were the fleets of Solomon and of Hiram, which sailed from Asiongaber to Ophir, and touched at various ports, where they procured what they wanted. (Calmet)
Hebrew, "the king had at sea a navy of Tharsis.once in three years: the navy of Tharsis came, bringing gold "(Haydock)
Teeth. Hebrew Shenhabim. The latter word is commonly rendered elephants, k being lost at the beginning. (Bo chart)
Syriac and Arabic intimate, that the elephants were brought alive. Perhaps n may be dropped after b; so that we should read, ebnim, as xii. 14.; Diodorus i.)
Apes. Hebrew Kophim. Greek, Kepos. There was a peculiar species in Ethiopia, which the Egyptians adored at Babylon, near Memphis, and was exhibited by Julius Cæsar, in the public shews. (Solin.; Bo chart)
Peacocks is not expressed in the Septuagint. (Calmet)
The Roman edition, instead of elephants, inserts, "stones", intended for the various edifices and towns, which Solomon fortified, to keep under the nations of Chanaan, whom he forced to labour But the Alexandrian copy has, taonon, "peacocks "as thuciim is rendered (Haydock) by the Chaldean, Syriac (Calmet)
Huet observes, that these birds were scarcely known in the time of Alexander, and would therefore understand , psittacos, "parrots. "(Du Hamel)
But peacocks were called, "birds of Media "as they were very common in that country, (Calmet) and about Babylon. (Diodorus ii.)
The fleet of Solomon might advance as far as the confines of Media. Josephus adds, that it brought home Ethiopian slaves, who were in high esteem in a country where eunuchs were employed to guard the women, (Calmet) as there would be less danger of too great familiarity. (Haydock)
