1 Kings 10:28

1Ki 10:28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

Ver. 28. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt.] Which abounded with these commodities. {Pro 7:16 Isa 31:1; Isa 31:3 Eze 27:7}

Received the linen yarn at a price.] And so got the trade and monopoly thereof, and of horses, into their own hand, for the king’s behoof and benefit.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:28-29 In addition to his own accumulation, Solomon apparently served as a middleman, exchanging horses and chariots between the Egyptians to the south and the Syrians and Anatolians to the north.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, for the company of the King’s merchants did receive a number at a price.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 28. Horses brought out of Egypt] It is thought that the first people who used horses in war were the Egyptians; and it is well known that the nations who knew the use of this creature in battle had greatly the advantage of those who did not. God had absolutely prohibited horses to be imported or used; but in many things Solomon paid little attention to the Divine command.

And linen yarn] The original word, מקוה mikveh, is hard to be understood, if it be not indeed a corruption.

The versions are all puzzled with it: the Vulgate and Septuagint make it a proper name: "And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and from Coa, or Tekoa." Some think it signifies a tribute, thus Bochart: "They brought horses to Solomon out of Egypt; and as to the tribute, the farmers of this prince received it at a price." They farmed the tribute, gave so much annually for it, taking the different kinds to themselves, and giving a round sum for the whole.

Some suppose that MIKVEH signifies the string or cord by which one horse's head is tied to the tail of another; and that the meaning is, Solomon brought droves of horses, thus tied, out of Egypt.

Rabbi Solomon Jarchi, in his comment on the parallel place, 2Ch 1:14, says that מקוה mikveh signifies a collection or drove of horses, or what the Germans call stutte, a stud. He observes on that place, "That he has heard that there was a company of merchants in Egypt, who bought horses from the Egyptians at a certain price, on condition that no person should be permitted to bring a horse out of Egypt but through them."

Houbigant supposes the place to be corrupt, and that for מקוה mikveh we should read mercabah, chariots: "And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and chariots; and the king's merchants received the chariots at a price: and a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver," c. This makes a very good and consistent sense but none of the versions acknowledged it, nor is there any various reading here in any of the MSS. yet collated.

If we understand it of thread, it may refer to the byssus or fine flax for which Egypt was famous; but I do not see on what authority we translate it linen thread. Bochart's opinion appears to me the most probable, as the text now stands; but the charge contended for by Houbigant makes the text far more simple and intelligible.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(28) Linen yarn.—The introduction of this seems to be an error. If the reading of the Hebrew text is to stand, the sense appears to be, “And Solomon’s horses were brought from Egypt; a troop of the king’s merchants obtained a troop (of horses) at a fixed price.” The horses were brought up (that is) in caravans from the plains of Egypt, where they abounded (see Gen_47:17; Exo_9:3; Exo_14:9; Deu_17:17; Isa_31:1; Isa_36:9), although from their not being represented on the monuments before the eighteenth dynasty it is thought they were introduced from abroad, perhaps by the Hyksos, or shepherd kings. But the LXX. has a remarkable various reading “and from Tekoa” (from which the Vulg. et de Coa, probably comes), according to which the passage runs very simply: “And Solomon’s horses were brought from Egypt; and from Tekoa the king’s merchants,” &c. Tekoa lay on the hills to the east of Hebron, not far from Bethlehem, and might well be an emporium for caravans from Egypt. The parallel passages of 2Ch_1:16-17; 2Ch_9:28, give us no help, for the former is exactly the same as this, and the latter runs thus: “And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt] The first clause of the verse ends here according to the Hebrew punctuation, and this appears to be a general statement, of which the particulars are given in what follows. But the literal rendering is ‘and the export of horses which was to Solomon (was) from Egypt;’ and this the R.V. represents by And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt.

and linen yarn] The word (מקוה) mikveh so translated, is derived from a verb which implies ‘a stringing together,’ and a kindred noun (תקוה) tikvah, is used (Jos_2:18) for the line of scarlet cord which Rahab was ordered to bind in her window. From this connexion the rendering of the A.V. is derived. But the word in the text is used for gathering together in other senses, and here seems to be intended for ‘a string of horses,’ which sense the R.V. has represented by ‘a drove.’ The word occurs twice over and must have the same sense in both places of the same verse. The whole is rendered in R.V. and the king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price. The Hebrew pointing represents the word מקוה in a form which may be considered in construction, though it need not necessarily be so. Hence some have given a double meaning to the word, referringit in the first place to the caravan of merchants, and only in the second place to the string of horses. The rendering then would be ‘And a company of the king’s merchants received a (each) drove of horses at a price.’ But it appears harsh to give two senses to the same word in the same verse.

What appears to be meant is that the king’s representatives dealt wholesale with the Egyptian breeders, contracting to take so many horses for a stipulated sum; afterwards they brought the droves away, and disposed of them, as retailers, and hence secured for king Solomon a considerable revenue by the profits.

The Vulgate takes the word ‘Mikveh’ ‘a drove’ as being a proper name preceded by a preposition, and renders ‘and from Coa.’ The LXX. has done something of the same kind, but has taken the word as ‘Tekoa’ καὶ ἐκ Θεκουέ.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver,.... Which, reckoning at two shillings and six pence a shekel, amounted to seventy five pounds; but a shekel was not worth more than two shillings and four pence farthing:

and an horse for one hundred and fifty; and this being the fourth part of the above sum, the Jews gather from hence that there were four horses in a chariot; the horses must be reckoned one with another, the whole collection of them, or otherwise no doubt but one horse was better than another; and it was a pretty large price to give for a horse in those times; which, taking a shekel at the lowest rate, must be upwards of ten pounds; and which is too great a sum still for a custom or tribute to be paid for them, whether to Pharaoh or Solomon, as some understand it:

and so for all the kings of the Hittites; perhaps the same with the kings of Arabia, Kg1 10:15 and for the kings of Syria; those of Damascus, Zobah, &c.

did they bring them out by their means; that is, by the means of Solomon's merchants, who bought them out of Egypt, and sold them to these kings.

Next: 1 Kings Chapter 11

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The word translated “linen yarn” is thought now by Hebraists to mean “a troop” or “company.” If the present reading is retained, they would translate the passage - “As for the bringing up of Solomon’s horses out of Egypt, a band of the king’s merchants fetched a band (or troop) of horses at a price.” But the reading is very uncertain. The Septuagint had before them a different one, which they render “and from Tekoa.” Tekoa, the home of Amos Amo 1:1, was a small town on the route from Egypt to Jerusalem, through which the horses would have naturally passed. The monuments of the 18th and of later dynasties make it clear that the horse, though introduced from abroad, became very abundant in Egypt. During the whole period of Egyptian prosperity the corps of chariots constituted a large and effective portion of the army. That horses were abundant in Egypt at the time of the Exodus is evident from Exo 9:3; Exo 14:9, Exo 14:23, Exo 14:28; Deu 17:16. That they continued numerous in later times appears from frequent allusions, both in the Historical Books of Scripture and in the prophets, as 2Ki 7:6; 2Ki 18:24; Isa 36:9; Eze 17:15, etc. The monuments show that the horse was employed by the Egyptians in peace no less than in war, private persons being often represented as paying visits to their friends in chariots.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

CHAPTER X.

Egypt was once very famous for horses, and the breed is much admired by travellers. The Turks will not suffer strangers to have them. The canals made by Sesostris and other kings, caused their numbers to be diminished. (Herodotus ii. 108.) --- Yet there were many used in the time of Ezechias, 4 Kings xviii. 24. --- And Coa. Some take this to be the name of some unknown place, (Du Hamel) or of a town in Arabia Felix, (Ptol. vi. 17.) or "of a fair." (Tirinus) --- Hebrew, "and from Michoe," which was the ancient name of Troglodytis, near Egypt. (Pliny, [Natural History?] vi. 29.) (Calmet) --- Protestants, "and linen yarn; the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at the price." Mokue signifies "a thread;" (Haydock) and the linen cloth of Egypt was in high estimation, Isaias xix. 9., and Ezechiel xxvii. 7. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xix. 1.) --- Jarchi and others understand, "a string" of horses, tied together by the tails. But Bochart translates, "They brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt; and, as for the tribute, the custom-house officers of the king received it, at a certain rate," agreed upon between Solomon and the king of Egypt.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Horses and linen yarn; the two chief commodities of Egypt. See Pro 7:16; Son 1:9; Isa 3:23; Eze 27:7.

The king’s merchants received the linen yarn for a price; Solomon received them from Pharaoh at a certain price agreed between them, and gave this privilege to his merchants, for a tribute to be paid to him out of it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

28. Solomon had horses brought — More literally, As to the bringing of the horses of Solomon out of Egypt. In importing horses from Egypt Solomon further broke the Divine commandment. Deu_17:16.

And linen yarn — This translation of מקוהmust be given up as unsupported by any sufficient reason or authority. Gesenius renders the word a troop or company: And a company of the king’s merchants brought (from Egypt) a company (of horses) at a price. But the old versions and many critics take the word as the name of a place, Koa, or Coa, somewhere “in the neighbourhood of Egypt, where Israelite traders abode for the sake of the traffic in horses.” — Furst. The whole verse would then read: As to the bringing of the horses of Solomon from Egypt, and from Coa, the traders of the king received them from Coa at a price. This, on the whole, seems to be the best explanation of this passage.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king"s merchants received the linen yarn at a price. This is a difficult passage, and the difficulty lies in the word hwqmi, here rendered "linen yarn." Elsewhere the word signifies, a congregation, or gathering, as of water (Gen_1:10; Exo_7:19; Lev_11:36) Consequently, Gesenius (with Vatablus, al.) would here interpret, "company." "And the company of kings" merchants took the company (of horses) at a price." The great difficulty in the way of this interpretation is perhaps the paronomasia, which, though not altogether without precedent, would be formal and unusual in grave history. Somewhat similarly Bahr: "and as to horses and their collection, the merchants of the king made a collection for a certain price," but this again is strained and artificial. Perhaps it is safer to see in the word the name of a place. The LXX (similarly the Vulgate) renders, "from Egypt and from Thekoa," kai ejk qekoue, which Keil, however, contends is manifestly a variation of an older reading, kai ejk Koue, and from Koua." As to Koa or Kova, it is objected that no such place is mentioned elsewhere, and it is alleged that if it were a market for horses, or even if it were a frontier station, where the duties on horses were collected, we should surely have heard of it again. But this is by no means certain. Koa may well have been an in. significant post on the frontier which it was only necessary to mention in this connexion. Qekoue certainly looks like an emendation, but it is to be remembered that although Tekoa (Amo_1:1; 2Ch_11:6 2Ch_20:20) was apparently an insignificant village, still it gave its name to a district; it was no great distance from the Egyptian frontier it was some six Roman miles south of Bethlehem, according to Jerome (in Amos, Proem.), and it may have been the rendezvous of the Egyptian and Hebrew horse dealers. The text would thus yield the following meaning: "And as for the expert of Solomon"s horses from Egypt and from Koa (or Tekoa), the king"s merchants took them from Koa (or Tekoa) at a price."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Horses, &c. - The two chief commodities of Egypt. Price - Solomon received them from Pharaoh at a price agreed between them, and gave this privilege to his merchants, for a tribute to be paid out of it.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

were imported from Egypt

This can be stated in active form. AT: "that his merchants had bought from people in Egypt" (See: Active or Passive)

Kue

This is the name of a region. Some think that Kue was the same as Cilicia, in Asia Minor. (See: How to Translate Names)

Chariots were purchased

This can be stated in active form. AT: "His merchants purchased chariots" (See: Active or Passive)

six hundred shekels of silver ... 150 shekels

A shekel is a unit of weight equal to about 11 grams. AT: "about 6.6 kilograms of silver ... about 1.7 kilograms" (See: Biblical Weight)

six hundred shekels of silver

"600 shekels of silver" (See: Numbers)

150 shekels

"one hundred and fifty shekels" (See: Numbers)

Many of these were then sold

This can be stated in active form. AT: "His merchants then sold many of these" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

Solomon

Egypt

king

flocks

silver

Hittite

Aram

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

The source of the horses that Shlomo possessed. Was from Egypt.

A privileged cartel. The gathering of horse dealers was in Egypt. Shlomo’s merchants bought [the rights] from the king of Egypt, because no person could export horses from there except through them. This is what I heard. Therefore, there is a “zakef gadol” on “ומקוה,” to denote that the word מקוה stands by itself and is not connected with what follows it.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.