2 Chronicles 9:10

2Ch 9:10 And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.

Ver. 10. And the servants also of Huram.] See 1Ki 10:11.

Brought algum trees.] Not corals, as some would have it, but brazil wood, or rather ebony.

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.

Vers. 10, 11. Either these two verses are misplaced (with their parallel, (1Ki_10:11, 1Ki_10:12) or they ought to have, though unstated, some occult bearing on the queen. There are some slight indications pointing to this, and the meaning is perhaps that the terraces, balustrades, stairs (which possibly is the idea in the "ascent," ver. 4), pillars, etc., made of the wood which Hiram"s and Solomon"s servants had formerly brought with gold, were the artificial-work wonders which helped to astound the queen. Terraces to the house of the Lord, and to the king"s palace. These so rendered terraces were probably stairs, and, as already intimated, may have composed the "ascent" (ver. 4), and explain the mention of it in ver. 4. The algum trees. This is the Hebrew text order of the lamed and gimel alphabet characters, as the Authorized Version order in the parallel almug is also the order of its Hebrew. The tree is mentioned only six times three times in Chronicles (2Ch_2:8 2Ch_9:10, 2Ch_9:11) and three times in. (1Ki_10:11, 1Ki_10:12) Apparently this wood did grow in Lebanon, (2Ch_2:8) though we think this not certain. Kimchi thinks it was the bukkum (Arabic word), which Europeans call Brazil wood, and which (Keil) was found in Ethiopia, as well as India. Some think it the sandal-wood of Malabar. Whatever it was, it no doubt was to be purchased at the emporium of Ophir. The intrinsic nature of the wood, and its intrinsically valuable nature, may easily be inferred from its use for the woodwork and sounding-board woodwork of musical instruments like the harp and psaltery. This fact would much incline to the view that the red sandal-wood is what is here called algum. The "Speaker"s Commentary" quotes Max Muller ("Lectures on Language," 1st series, p. 191) for the statement that the vernacular for this wood in India is valguka. Harps psalteries. (see our Exposition on 2Ch_5:12, and articles in Smith"s" Dictionary of the Bible," and others) The sentence, there were none such seen in the land of Judah, may Be read as an indication that they had been part of the exhibition made to the Queen of Sheba.

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

Read 2 Chron. 2:8 and 1 Kings 10:11.

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

(10) And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon.—Kings, “And the fleet also of Huram which carried gold from Ophir.” The phrase is altered here to correspond with 2Ch_8:18.

Brought algum trees.—See 2Ch_2:8. LXX., ξύλα πεύκιυα; Vulg., “ligna thyina;” Syriac, “acacia (?) wood” (’eshkor‘ô); Kings, “brought from Ophir almug trees in great abundance.” In the Mishna ’almûg is “coral;” and the Rabbis ascribe a red colour to the algum wood. The Pterocarpus Santalinus has blood-red wood with black streaks, is fragrant, and is used in works of art, as well as for burning. The tree called Valgu or Valgum is the Santalum album, which produces white and yellow sandalwood. Thenius doubts whether the algum wood of Solomon was not the teak (Cytharexylon Tectona), which abounds in East India, and is a hard, yellow-streaked, strongly-scented wood, used in India for temple building.

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

10. algum trees] in 1 Kin. “almug trees.” Cp. 2Ch_2:8 (note).

10, 11. These vv. interrupt the connexion. 2Ch_9:12 concludes the account of the visit of the Queen of Sheba.

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.

Thyine-trees, very odoriferous. (Calmet) --- Hebrew algumim: 3 Kings almugim, as the letters are frequently transposed in Hebrew. (Du Hamel) --- Huet thinks these were citron-trees, which did not produce fruit, but were used to make costly tables, and were a species of cedar.

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).

Hiram

Hiram was the king of Tyre. See how you translated his name in 2 Chronicles 2:11. AT: "Hiram, the king of Tyre" or "King Hiram" (See: How to Translate Names)

Ophir

This is the name of a place. Its location is not known. See how you translated this in 2 Chronicles 8:18. (See: How to Translate Names)

algum wood

Algum is a kind of tree that grows in Lebanon. King Hiram sent this kind of wood to Solomon. See how you translated it in 2 Chronicles 2:8.

the king made steps ... well as harps and lyres

The author speaks of the king having his workers make these things as if he himself had made them. AT: "the king had his workers make the steps .. as well as harps and lyres" or "the king's workers made steps ... well as harps and lyres" (See: Metonymy)

No wood like this had been seen before in the land of Judah

This can be stated in active form. AT: "No one had seen wood like this before in the land of Judah" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

servant

Solomon

house of God

harp

lute

Judah

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

algom wood In Pesikta it is explained: One verse (I Kings 10:11) says אַלְמֻגִּים, and one verse says אַלְגּוּמִּים. The truth is that its name is אַלְגּוּמִּים, but it is called אַלְמֻגִּים because it melted and bent because of its softness, (like cups, which bend because of their value.)

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.