Kings I 10:11

11 And all that had known him before came, and saw, and behold, he in the midst of the prophets: and the people said every one to his neighbour, What this that has happened to the son of Kis? Saul also among the prophets?

Kings I 10:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 10:11

And the navy also of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir
This perhaps was before Solomon was concerned with Hiram in navigation and merchandise; though in ( 2 Chronicles 9:10 ) both their servants are said to bring it; and it is here inserted perhaps to show that Solomon had not his gold, at least all of it, from the queen of Sheba; but much from Hiram, who fetched it from Ophir; and as this was in India, as observed on ( 1 Kings 9:28 ) , many writers make mention of gold in that part of the world, as Diodorus Siculus F23, Strabo F24, Dionysius F25, Curtius F26, Pliny F1, and others: and this navy also

brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees:
or algum trees, by transposition of letters, ( 2 Chronicles 9:10 2 Chronicles 9:11 ) , which some of the Jewish writers F2 take to be coral, which is not likely; others Brasil, rather ebony, which was peculiar to India, as both Solinus F3 and Virgil F4 say; Strabo F5 makes mention of strange trees in India:

and precious stones;
of which there is great variety and plenty in that country, as related by Dionysius F6, as diamonds, beryls, jaspers, topazes, and amethysts, and by Curtius F7, Solinus F8, and others.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 121.
F24 Geograph l. 15. p. 481.
F25 Perieg. v. 1144.
F26 Hist. l. 8. sect. 9.
F1 Nat. Hist. 1. 6. c. 19, 20.
F2 Daved de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 70. 3.
F3 Polyhistor. c. 64.
F4 "Sola India nigrum fert ebenum." Georgie. l. 2. ver. 116, 117.
F5 Geograph. l. 15. p. 477.
F6 Perieget, ver. 1119
F7 Hist. l. 8. c. 9.
F8 Polyhistor. c. 65.

Kings I 10:11 In-Context

9 And it came to pass when he turned his back to depart from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all these signs came to pass in that day.
10 And he comes thence to the hill, and behold a band of prophets opposite to him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them.
11 And all that had known him before came, and saw, and behold, he in the midst of the prophets: and the people said every one to his neighbour, What this that has happened to the son of Kis? Saul also among the prophets?
12 And one of them answered and said, And who his father? and therefore it became a proverb, Saul also among the prophets?
13 And he ceased prophesying, and comes to the hill.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.