(18) Ivory.--This seems to have been brought in by the Tyrians (1Kings 10:22), and it may be noted that the only other notice of ivory in the history is in the "ivory house" of Ahab (1Kings 22:39), who was allied with Tyre. In Psalm 45:8 (presumably of the age of Solomon) we find mention of "ivory palaces," or possibly "caskets." The Tyrians are described in Ezekiel 27:15 as receiving it through Dedan in Arabia, whither, no doubt, it came from India. But the Egyptians used ivory largely, drawing it from Africa; and there was, in later times, a port on the Red Sea which was a mart for ivory. The Tyrians may, therefore, have imported it both from India and from Africa. The throne of Solomon was probably inlaid with ivory and gold. Traces of such inlaying are found in Assyrian and Egyptian monuments. It is probable that, like his other architectural and decorative work, it was executed by Tyrian workmen, and the detailed description of it shows how greatly it impressed the imagination of Israel. The lion was the emblem of the house of Judah; the number twelve corresponded to the twelve tribes; and the exaltation of the throne--specially remarkable in a country where men sat commonly on the ground or on cushions--was the emblem of majesty. In the Dictionary of the Bible ("THRONE") is given a sketch of an Assyrian throne, from a Nineveh bas-relief, which has horses in the position, supporting "the stays," or arms of the throne, here ascribed to the lions.

Verse 18. - Moreover the ling made a great throne [Heb. seat. The use of a chair where the custom of the country is to squat on the ground, or to recline on a divan, is always a mark of dignity. See 2 Kings 4:10; Proverbs 9:14] of ivory [Heb. tooth. Below in ver. 22 we have elephant's tooth. It is generally thought that this "throne of the house of David" (Psalm 122:5) was of wood, veneered with ivory, as was the practice in Assyria (Rawlinson, "Ancient Monarchies," 1. p. 463), and in the chryselephantine statues of the Greeks (Paus. 2:4. 1; 6:25. 4, etc.) Bahr says there is no more necessity for believing this throne to have been of solid ivory than the "ivory house" mentioned in 1 Kings 22:39. Cf. Psalm 45:8; Amos 3:15; Amos 6:4. But there is surely this difference between them, that the palace could not possibly be constructed entirely of ivory, whereas the throne might be, and some of the thrones of India have been (Rawlinson)], and overlaid it with the best [מוּפָז, from the root פָּזַז, separavit = aurum depuratum. The chronicler explains the word by טָהור (2 Chronicles 9:17)] gold. [It is very unlikely that the gold entirely covered and concealed the ivory, especially if the latter was merely a veneer. Keil and Bahr consider that the gold was laid on the wood and the ivory inserted between the plates, but the text does not speak of overlaying with ivory, but of overlaying ivory with gold. And the presumption is that the ivory was solid. In the Greek statues both ivory and gold were applied in laminae, the former representing the flesh, the latter the drapery.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Additionally, the king
הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

made
וַיַּ֧עַשׂ (way·ya·‘aś)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

a great
גָּד֑וֹל (gā·ḏō·wl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

throne
כִּסֵּא־ (kis·sê-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3678: Seat of honor, throne

of ivory
שֵׁ֖ן (šên)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 8127: A tooth, ivory, a cliff

and overlaid it
וַיְצַפֵּ֖הוּ (way·ṣap·pê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6823: To lay out, lay over

with pure
מוּפָֽז׃ (mū·p̄āz)
Verb - Hofal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6338: To be refined

gold.
זָהָ֥ב (zā·hāḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky


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OT History: 1 Kings 10:18 Moreover the king made a great throne (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)