1 Kings 10:22 For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram's fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

◄ 1 Kings 10:22 ►

New International Version
The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

New Living Translation
The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

English Standard Version
For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

Berean Standard Bible
For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
For the king had merchant ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

New American Standard Bible
For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s ships; once every three years the ships of Tarshish would come carrying gold and silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.

NASB 1995
For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

NASB 1977
For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

Legacy Standard Bible
For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came carrying gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

Amplified Bible
For the king had at sea the [large cargo] ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.

Christian Standard Bible
for the king had ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
for the king had ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

American Standard Version
For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

Contemporary English Version
Solomon had a lot of seagoing ships. Every three years he sent them out with Hiram's ships to bring back gold, silver, and ivory, as well as monkeys and peacocks.

English Revised Version
For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The king had a fleet headed for Tarshish with Hiram's fleet. Once every three years the Tarshish fleet would bring gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

Good News Translation
He had a fleet of ocean-going ships sailing with Hiram's fleet. Every three years his fleet would return, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.

International Standard Version
because the king had ships that sailed to Tarshish accompanied by Hiram's ships. Once every three years ships from Tarshish returned, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

Majority Standard Bible
For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

NET Bible
Along with Hiram's fleet, the king had a fleet of large merchant ships that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet came into port with cargoes of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

New Heart English Bible
For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
for the king has a navy of Tarshish at sea with a navy of Hiram; once in three years the navy of Tarshish comes, carrying gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks [[or monkeys]].

Young's Literal Translation
for a navy of Tarshish hath the king at sea with a navy of Hiram; once in three years cometh the navy of Tarshish, bearing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

Smith's Literal Translation
For a ship of Tharshish to the king in the sea with the ship of Hiram: one for three years will come, a ship of Tharshish lifting up gold and silver and ivory and apes and peacocks.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
For the king's navy, once in three years, went with the navy of Hiram by sea to Tharsis, and brought from thence gold, and silver, and elephants' teeth, and apes, and peacocks.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For the navy of the king, once every three years, went with the navy of Hiram by sea to Tarshish, bringing from there gold, and silver, and elephant tusks, and primates, and peacocks.

New American Bible
For the king had a fleet of Tarshish ships at sea with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish ships would come with a cargo of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

New Revised Standard Version
For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
For the king had at sea a navy of ships of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram; once every three years came the navy from Tarshish, bringing silver and gold, ivory, apes and peacocks.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because the King had the ships of Tarshish in the sea with the ships of Khiram. Once in three years the ships from Tarshish came and carried silver and gold and elephants and apes and peacocks.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram; once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For Solomon had a ship of Tharsis in the sea with the ships of Chiram: one ship came to the king every three years out of Tharsis, laden with gold and silver, and wrought stones, and hewn stones.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Solomon's Wealth and Splendor
…21All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 22For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 23So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

2 Chronicles 9:21
For the king had the ships of Tarshish that went with Hiram’s servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

1 Kings 9:26-28
King Solomon also assembled a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. / And Hiram sent his servants, sailors who knew the sea, to serve in the fleet with Solomon’s servants. / They sailed to Ophir and imported gold from there—420 talents—and delivered it to Solomon.

2 Chronicles 8:17-18
Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the coast of Edom. / So Hiram sent him ships captained by his servants, along with crews of experienced sailors. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and acquired from there 450 talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

Isaiah 2:16
against every ship of Tarshish, and against every stately vessel.

Ezekiel 27:12
Tarshish was your merchant because of your great wealth of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your wares.

Ezekiel 27:25
The ships of Tarshish carried your merchandise. And you were filled with heavy cargo in the heart of the sea.

Revelation 18:12
cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

Revelation 18:17-19
For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance / and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim. / Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”

Psalm 72:10
May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.

Psalm 72:15
Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him; may they bless him all day long.

Jeremiah 10:9
Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz—the work of a craftsman from the hands of a goldsmith. Their clothes are blue and purple, all fashioned by skilled workers.

Job 28:16
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire.

Matthew 12:42
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

Luke 11:31
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

Isaiah 60:9
Surely the islands will wait for Me, with the ships of Tarshish in the lead, to bring your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you.

Treasury of Scripture

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.

Tharshish

1 Kings 22:48
Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.

Genesis 10:4
And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

2 Chronicles 9:21
For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

Tarshish

2 Samuel 10:18
And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

Amos 3:15
And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD.

peacocks

Job 39:13
Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

Jump to Previous

Apes Baboons Carrying Fleet Gold Hiram Ivory Monkeys Navy Once Peacocks Sea Ships Silver Tarshish Tarshish-Ships Tharshish Three Trading Used

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Apes Baboons Carrying Fleet Gold Hiram Ivory Monkeys Navy Once Peacocks Sea Ships Silver Tarshish Tarshish-Ships Tharshish Three Trading Used

1 Kings 10

1. The queen of Sheba admires the wisdom of Solomon
14. Solomon's gold
16. His targets
18. The throne of ivory
21. His vessels
24. His presents
26. his chariots and horse
28. his tribute

Berean Study Bible

For the king had the ships of Tarshish
This phrase highlights the extensive maritime ventures of King Solomon. The "ships of Tarshish" were large, ocean-going vessels capable of long voyages. The term "Tarshish" is often associated with distant lands, possibly in the western Mediterranean, such as Spain. The Hebrew root "Tarshish" suggests a place of great wealth and resources, indicating Solomon's reach and influence extended far beyond Israel's borders. This reflects the fulfillment of God's promise to Solomon of wisdom and wealth, as seen in 1 Kings 3:13.

at sea with the fleet of Hiram
Hiram, the king of Tyre, was a significant ally of Solomon. The alliance between Solomon and Hiram is a testament to the peaceful and prosperous relations that Solomon maintained with neighboring nations. The "fleet of Hiram" indicates a joint venture, combining Israelite and Phoenician maritime expertise. Historically, the Phoenicians were renowned sailors and traders, and their collaboration with Solomon underscores the strategic and economic acumen of Solomon's reign.

Once every three years
This phrase suggests a well-organized and periodic trading expedition. The three-year cycle indicates the long distances traveled and the time required for such extensive voyages. It also reflects the patience and foresight in Solomon's economic strategies, ensuring a steady influx of wealth and exotic goods into his kingdom. This regularity in trade would have contributed to the stability and prosperity of Israel during Solomon's reign.

the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks
The list of goods—gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks—illustrates the opulence and grandeur of Solomon's court. Gold and silver signify wealth and economic power, while ivory, apes, and peacocks represent luxury and the exotic. The Hebrew words for these items emphasize their rarity and value. Archaeological findings and historical records from surrounding regions confirm the trade of such goods, highlighting the interconnectedness of ancient civilizations. This abundance of wealth and luxury fulfilled the biblical portrayal of Solomon's wisdom and prosperity, as promised by God, and served as a testament to the blessings bestowed upon him for his faithfulness and dedication to building the Temple and leading Israel.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) A navy of Tharshish.--There seems little doubt that the Tarshish of Scripture is properly Tartessus in Spain, which name, indeed, is drawn from an Aramaic form of Tarshish. For (a) Tarshish is first noted in Genesis 10:4 as among the descendants of Javan, the son of Japhet, which probably points to a European position; (b) in some other places (Isaiah 23:1; Isaiah 23:6; Isaiah 23:10; Isaiah 23:14; Ezekiel 27:12-13) as here, and in 23:48, it is closely connected with Tyre, of which Tartessus is expressly said by Arrian to have been a colony: (c) from Jonah 1:3; Jonah 4:2, we gather that it was on the Mediterranean Sea; (d) the silver, which was evidently the chief import by this navy of Tarshish, was in ancient times found in large quantities in Spain, as also "the iron, lead, and tin," mentioned with the silver in Ezekiel 27:12. But the phrase "ships of Tarshish" appears to have become a technical phrase for ships of large size (see Isaiah 2:17; Jeremiah 10:9; Psalm 48:8); hence a "navy of Tarshish" would not necessarily mean a navy going to Tarshish. . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 22. - For [Reason why silver was so lightly esteemed. It was because of the prodigious quantity both of gold and silver brought in by the fleet] the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish [It has been much disputed

(1) whether this was a second fleet, or the same as that mentioned 1 Kings 9:26-28, as trading to Ophir, and

(2) whether this fleet, if it were not the same, went to Ophir or to Tartessus in Spain. Keil and Bahr contend that there was Out one fleet, first, because there is no mention of a second fleet at 1 Kings 9:28, and, secondly, because the cargoes were practically the same. I incline (with Rawlinson, al.) to think there were two separate navies, for the following reasons:

(1) The expression "navy of Tarshish" (in 2 Chronicles 9:21 expanded into "ships going to Tarshish," which Keil and Bahr are compelled to set aside as a mistake on the part of the writer), taken in connexion with the following words, "with (עִם, together with, as well as) the navy of Hiram" (i.e., as we conclude from ver. 11, the navy manned, or, it may be, owned, by Hiram) points to a separate fleet; . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

For
כִּי֩ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the king had
לַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ (lam·me·leḵ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

the ships
אֳנִ֨י (’o·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 590: Ships, a fleet

of Tarshish
תַרְשִׁ֤ישׁ (ṯar·šîš)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8659: Tarshish -- a son of Javan, also a port on the Mediterranean, also a Benjamite

at sea
בַּיָּ֔ם (bay·yām)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

with
עִ֖ם (‘im)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

Hiram’s
חִירָ֑ם (ḥî·rām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2438: Hiram -- a Benjamite, also two Arameans (Syrians)

fleet,
אֳנִ֣י (’o·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 590: Ships, a fleet

and once
אַחַת֩ (’a·ḥaṯ)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

every three years
לְשָׁלֹ֨שׁ (lə·šā·lōš)
Preposition-l | Number - feminine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

the ships
אֳנִ֣י (’o·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 590: Ships, a fleet

of Tarshish
תַרְשִׁ֗ישׁ (ṯar·šîš)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8659: Tarshish -- a son of Javan, also a port on the Mediterranean, also a Benjamite

would arrive
תָּב֣וֹא ׀ (tā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

bearing
נֹֽשְׂאֵת֙ (nō·śə·’êṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

gold,
זָהָ֣ב (zā·hāḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky

silver,
וָכֶ֔סֶף (wā·ḵe·sep̄)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3701: Silver, money

ivory,
שֶׁנְהַבִּ֥ים (šen·hab·bîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8143: Probably, tooth of elephants, ivory tusk

apes,
וְקֹפִ֖ים (wə·qō·p̄îm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6971: A monkey

and peacocks.
וְתֻכִּיִּֽים׃ (wə·ṯuk·kî·yîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8500: Of foreign derivation, some imported creature, a peacock

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OT History: 1 Kings 10:22 For the king had at sea (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)