1-kings 10:15
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
Beside that he had of the merchants, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.
American King James Version (AKJV)
Beside that he had of the merchants, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.
American Standard Version (ASV)
besides that which the traders brought , and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mingled people, and of the governors of the country.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
In addition to what came to him from the business of the traders, and from all the kings of the Arabians, and from the rulers of the country.
Webster's Revision
Besides what he had of the merchants, and of the traffic of the spice-merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.
World English Bible
besides [that which] the traders [brought], and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country.
English Revised Version (ERV)
beside that which the chapmen brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mingled people, and of the governors of the country.
Barnes's 1-kings 10:15 Bible Commentary
There is no mention in the original of "spice merchants." Two classes of traders are spoken of; but both expressions are general.
Kings of Arabia - Rather, "kings of the mingled people" (compare Jeremiah 25:24). These were probably tribes half Jewish, half Arabian, on the borders of the western desert. They are regarded as Arabs by the author of Chronicles (marginal reference).
Governors - The word used here is thought to be of Aryan origin. It appears to have been a title given by the Persians to petty governors, inferior to the great satraps of provinces. We find it borne by, among others, Tatnai Ezra 5:6, Zerubbabel Haggai 1:1, and Nehemiah Neh 5:14. It can scarcely have been in use among the Jews so early as Solomon, and we must therefore suppose it to have been substituted by the writer of Kings for some corresponding Semitic title. The empire of Solomon was not a state governed from a single center by an organisation of satrapies or provinces (1 Kings 4:21 note). But exceptionally, in some parts of the empire, the kings had been superseded by "governors" (compare 1 Kings 20:24).
Wesley's 1-kings 10:15 Bible Commentary
10:15 Merchant - men - Heb. of the searchers; either merchants, who use to search out commodities: or, the gatherers of the king's revenues,who used to search narrowly into all wares, that the king might not bedefrauded of his rights. Spice - merchants - Or rather, of themerchants in general, as the word is often used. So this and the formerparticular contain both the branches of the king's revenue, what he hadfrom the land, and what he had from the merchants and traders.Kings - Of those parts of Arabia which were next to Canaan, whichwere either conquered by David, or submitted to pay tribute toSolomon. But we must not think all these to be kings of largedominions; many of them were only governors of cities, and the territoriesbelonging to them, such as were formerly in Canaan, and were ancientlycalled kings. The country - Or, of the land; the land ofArabia: whereof some parts were so far conquered, that he had governorsof his own over them, who were each of them to take care of the king'srevenue in his jurisdiction; and part only so far, that they still hadkings of their own, but such as were tributaries to him.
