2 Chronicles 1:16

2Ch_1:16

The Kings merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

The kings merchants

I. The advantages of commerce. In softening manners and breaking down prejudices, in helping industry, promoting peace, and stimulating into Natures resources.

II. The blessings of the nation whose sovereign takes an interest in commerce (J. Wolfendale.)

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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:16 If Egypt is the correct translation, this verse indicates disobedience by Solomon (see Deut 17:16). However, importing from Muzur in Anatolia was not prohibited.

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

Read 1 Kings. 10:28.

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

Verse 16. Linen yarn] 1Kg 10:28, where this subject is particularly examined.

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

(16) And Solomon had horses brought out . . .—Rather, And the outcome (export) of horses for Solomon was from Egypt, and the company of the king’s merchants—a company (of horses) they would fetch at a price. The same is read in Kings, only that the word company (miqwç) is there spelt in the ancient fashion (miqwçh), and two words are transposed (“they would fetch a company”). Miqweh means gathering, collection (Gen_1:10 [of the waters]). The repetition of this term constitutes a kind of artless play on words, such as is common in the Old Testament. (Comp. Gen_15:2; Jdg_15:16.) Both here and in Kings the Vulg. renders the word as a proper name, “from Coa.” So also the LXX. in Kings “from Thekkoue” (Tekoa); and the Syriac of Chronicles, “from the city of the Aphelâvç.” These variations only prove that the text was felt to be obscure. The “linen yarn” of the Authorised version is a guess based upon the likeness of the word miqweh to qaw, “rope,” and tiqwâh, “line” (Jos_2:18), and upon the fact that much linen was made in Egypt.

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

16. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt] R.V. And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt. Egypt is an agricultural not a pastoral country; it lacks the broad plains suitable for the rearing of large numbers of horses. Egypt was therefore probably only the market; the raising ground was elsewhere.

and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price] R.V. the king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price. “Linen yarn” is a mistranslation of a word which perhaps means “drove.” The whole verse refers to traffic in horses. According to a third view the Heb. “miḳvê” means neither “yarn” nor “drove,” but conceals a proper name, known to us from Assyrian inscriptions, Ku‘i or Kuë (= Cilicia). In this case the horses would be brought in the first place from eastern Asia Minor and Armenia, since Cilicia itself is not a horse-breeding country. We then translate, And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt and out of Cilicia; the king’s merchants received them from Cilicia at a price. The further supposition that “Egypt” (Mizraim) is a mistake for “Musri” (a land supposed to lie N.E. of Cilicia) may be true but is difficult to prove.

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.

Coa may signify either some city, (Mariana) or an "exporium," where things are sold, as kuch means "a collection." (Tirinus) (3 Kings x. 28.) Neglecting the points of the Masorets, we may well understand Coa, a city of Egypt, or an island of the Mediterranean. The Masorets read Mikve, instead of Micoa. (Du Hamel)

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 brought.., out of Egypt. Later on we read that horses were imported from other countries as well, (2Ch_9:24, 2Ch_9:28) as, for instance, from Arabia and Armenia. (Eze_27:14) Linen yarn. The words are without doubt wrong here. But it is impossible to say with any certainty what should be in their place. The Vulgate shows here from Coa, presumably meaning Tekoa, a small place on the road from Egypt to Jerusalem. It might not have been easy to surmise, however, so much as this, but for the fact that the Septuagint shows in the parallel place, "And from Tekoa". (Amo_1:1) The Septuagint, however, has for the present place, Kai hJ timhrwntou basilewv poreuesqai kairazon The Hebrew word here translated "linen yarn" is aewqmi (i.q. hwqmi niph. of hwq "to be gathered together")." Gesenius, followed by De Wette (and others), and himself following Piscator (born tire. 1480) and Vatablus (born circ. 1546), would translate the word "company," and read, "a company of the king"s merchants took a company (of horses) at a price." Others would translate the word "import;" and read, "the import of the king"s merchants was an import at a price," i.e. in money. Neither of these renderings can be considered really satisfactory. Some slight corruption of text still baulks us, therefore.

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

As for the importation of horses from Egypt and Kue for Solomon

"Importation" is the act of bringing something into one country from another country. This can be stated as a verb. AT: "As for the horses Solomon imported from Egypt and Kue" (See: Abstract Nouns)

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)

at a price

"at a set price" or "for money"

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

"600" (See: Numbers)

exported

to send something out of one country into another

translationWords

horse

Egypt

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.

And Solomon’s source of horses i.e., Solomon’s entire source of horses was exclusively from Egypt.

and [there was] an assemblage from which the king’s agents - Heb. מִקְוֵה, the assemblage of the horses in Egypt, and it is called stutte in Middle High German.

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.