John Gill Commentary 1 Kings 9:28

"And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon." — 1 Kings 9:28 (ASV)

And they came to Ophir
About which place there are various opinions; some take it to be the little island of Zocatora, on the eastern coast of Africa, at a small distance from the straits of Babelmandel; others the island of Ceylon; others Sofala in Africa; some

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and fetched from thence gold four hundred and twenty talents , and brought it to King Solomon; which according to Brerewood ^F19 amounted to 1,890,000 pounds of our money; and according to another writer ^F20 5,132,400 ducats of gold. Abarbinel says a talent of gold was equal to 12,300 Venetian ducats;

In (2 Chronicles 8:18) it is said, that four hundred and fifty talents of gold were brought to Solomon; perhaps thirty might be expended in the voyage, or paid to Hiram's servants for their wages, as some Jewish writers observe; or in the bulk or ore it might be four hundred and fifty talents, but when purified only four hundred and twenty, as Grotius remarks; either way removes the difficulty; though some think different voyages are respected here and there;

Of the gold of Ophir frequent mention is made in Scripture.

FOOTNOTES:

• F19: De Ponder. & Pret. c. 5.
• F20: Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 3. p. 572.