1 Kings 9:26-28

1 Kings 9:26-28

[26] And king  Solomon  made  a navy of ships  in Eziongeber,  which is beside Eloth,  on the shore  of the Red  sea,  in the land  of Edom.  [27] And Hiram  sent  in the navy  his servants,  shipmen  that had knowledge  of the sea,  with the servants  of Solomon.  [28] And they came  to Ophir,  and fetched  from thence gold,  four  hundred  and twenty  talents,  and brought  it to king  Solomon. 

What does 1 Kings 9:26-28 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

God blessed Solomon with an effective navy that brought added wealth from the south and the east. Ophir ( 1 Kings 9:28) evidently was in southeast Arabia (modern Oman and or the United Arab Emirates; 1 Kings 10:11; Job 22:24; Job 28:16). Other less likely sites that various scholars have proposed are southwest Arabia (modern Yemen), Somaliland (Somalia), and Supara in India.
The writer documented in this section further evidence of God"s blessing on Solomon that came to him for his dedication to God. The fertility motif stands out strongly here. Blessing in many different forms came to Solomon and Israel.
However, "Solomon"s defense works and monumental buildings drained the nation"s wealth while providing only a temporary appearance of strength and grandeur [1]." [2]