1 Kings 22:48

48 King Jehoshaphat had ocean-going ships built to sail to the land of Ophir for gold; but they were wrecked at Eziongeber and never sailed.

1 Kings 22:48 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 22:48

Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish
Ships to go to sea, particularly the Indian sea, ( 1 Kings 10:22 ) . Tarshish is used for the sea in general, ( Psalms 48:7 ) ( Isaiah 2:16 ) , in the Cetib, or text, it is "ten"; in the Keri, or margin, it is "made", which we follow, and may be put together, as in the Tigurine version, and read, "he made ten ships to go by sea":

even to go to Ophir for gold;
as Solomon did; of which place see ( 1 Kings 9:28 ) ,

but they went not, for the ships were broken at Eziongeber;
the port where they were built: as soon as they were launched, or sailed, they were broken to pieces against the rocks near the harbour, which stood up like a man's backbone, whence the port had its name; (See Gill on 1 Kings 9:26), and if this was Calzem, as there observed, near to it was a dangerous place for ships, and where many were lost, and is supposed to be the place where Pharaoh and his host were drowned {y}; the reason of this shipwreck was, because Jehoshaphat joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, for which he was reproved by the prophet Eliezer, and this was his punishment, ( 2 Chronicles 20:35-37 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F25 Vid. Geograph. Nub. Climat. 3. par. 3. in fine.

1 Kings 22:48 In-Context

46 He got rid of all the male and female prostitutes serving at the pagan altars who were still left from the days of his father Asa.
47 The land of Edom had no king; it was ruled by a deputy appointed by the king of Judah.
48 King Jehoshaphat had ocean-going ships built to sail to the land of Ophir for gold; but they were wrecked at Eziongeber and never sailed.
49 Then King Ahaziah of Israel offered to let his men sail with Jehoshaphat's men, but Jehoshaphat refused the offer.
50 Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City, and his son Jehoram succeeded him as king.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.