Bible Strands
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The chronicler records Solomon’s commercial arrangements immediately after detailing the gold utensils of his palace and temple, placing the account at the narrative peak of his reign. This description addresses the reader directly by documenting the logistical foundation of the king’s unprecedented wealth.
The words — אֳנִיּ֤וֹת תַּרְשִׁישׁ ('o.ni.Yot tar.Shish) literally translates to “ships of Tarshish,” identifying the specific maritime vessels used for long-range trade. The participle הֹלְכ֣וֹת (ho.le.Khot) denotes their habitual movement alongside the servants of Huram.
The thread — The text mirrors the parallel record in 1 Kings 10:22, which lists the identical triennial cargo of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. Subsequent references to royal shipbuilding at Ezion-geber appear in 1 Kings 22:48 and 2 Chronicles 20:36, though those later ventures are noted as unsuccessful.
Why it lands — The verse grounds the summary of Solomon’s riches in concrete economic activity, requiring the reader to acknowledge that royal prosperity depended on structured alliances and maritime logistics. It asks the reader to evaluate how institutional trade networks sustain political influence rather than relying on unexplained abundance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- 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 22:48 Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
- 2 Chronicles 20:36 They agreed to make ships to go to Tarshish, and these were built in Ezion-geber.
- Job 39:13 The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork.