And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
Hiram sent his own servants, shipmen who had knowledge of the sea, to serve alongside Solomon's servants in Solomon's navy. Their seafaring skill made possible the king's distant voyages that brought wealth to Solomon from Ophir and other far lands. The joint fleet sailed from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea toward Ophir, returning with gold, almug wood, and precious stones, while trade also brought silver from Tarshish and gold from Ophir.
The verse stands in the account of Solomon's foreign alliances and trade entered into to obtain wealth. Those voyages put Solomon and Israel in contact with people from many lands, an opening that could have been used to make the true God known. That opportunity was lost when commerce and personal gain were given priority. The wealth gained through these ties came at the cost of integrity and sacred trust and helped lead Solomon away from God.
Hiram sent his own servants, shipmen who had knowledge of the sea, to serve alongside Solomon's servants in Solomon's navy. Their seafaring skill made possible the king's distant voyages that brought wealth to Solomon from Ophir and other far lands. The joint fleet sailed from Ezion-geber on the Red Sea toward Ophir, returning with gold, almug wood, and precious stones, while trade also brought silver from Tarshish and gold from Ophir.
The verse stands in the account of Solomon's foreign alliances and trade entered into to obtain wealth. Those voyages put Solomon and Israel in contact with people from many lands, an opening that could have been used to make the true God known. That opportunity was lost when commerce and personal gain were given priority. The wealth gained through these ties came at the cost of integrity and sacred trust and helped lead Solomon away from God.