1 Kings 10:11
And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
And the navy also of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir,.... This perhaps was before Solomon was concerned with Hiram in navigation and merchandise; though in 2 Chronicles 9:10 both their servants are said to bring it; and it is here inserted perhaps to show that Solomon had not his gold, at least all of it, from the queen of Sheba; but much from Hiram, who fetched it from Ophir; and as this was in India, as observed on 1 Kings 9:28, many writers make mention of gold in that part of the world, as Diodorus Siculus {w}, Strabo {x}, Dionysius {y}, Curtius {z}, Pliny {a}, and others: and this navy also
brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees: or algum trees, by transposition of letters, 2 Chronicles 9:10, which some of the Jewish writers {b} take to be coral, which is not likely; others Brasil, rather ebony, which was peculiar to India, as both Solinus {c} and Virgil {d} say; Strabo {e} makes mention of strange trees in India:
and precious stones; of which there is great variety and plenty in that country, as related by Dionysius {f}, as diamonds, beryls, jaspers, topazes, and amethysts, and by Curtius {g}, Solinus {h}, and others.
{w} Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 121.
{x} Geograph l. 15. p. 481.
{y} Perieg. v. 1144.
{z} Hist. l. 8. sect. 9.
{a} Nat. Hist. 1. 6. c. 19, 20.
{b} Daved de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 70. 3.
{c} Polyhistor. c. 64.
{d} "Sola India nigrum fert ebenum." Georgie. l. 2. ver. 116, 117.
{e} Geograph. l. 15. p. 477.
{f} Perieget, ver. 1119, &c.
{g} Hist. l. 8. c. 9.
{h} Polyhistor. c. 65.