10:18 The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 10:19 There were six steps leading up to the throne, and the back of it was rounded on top. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side. 1 10:20 There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom. 2
10:21 All of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon’s time. 3 10:22 Along with Hiram’s fleet, the king had a fleet of large merchant ships 4 that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet 5 came into port with cargoes of 6 gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 7
1 tn Heb “[There were] armrests on each side of the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.”
2 tn Heb “nothing like it had been made for all the kingdoms.”
3 tn Heb “there was no silver, it was not regarded as anything in the days of Solomon.”
4 tn Heb “a fleet of Tarshish [ships].” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
5 tn Heb “the fleet of Tarshish [ships].”
6 tn Heb “came carrying.”
7 tn The meaning of this word is unclear. Some suggest “baboons.”