Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

They brought every man his present - This means tribute; and it shows us of what sort that tribute was, viz., vessels of gold and silver, probably ingots; garments of very rich stuffs; armor, for little of this kind was ever made in Judea; spices, which doubtless sold well in that country; horses, which were very rare; and mules, the most necessary animal for all the purposes of life.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

His present - i. e., his tribute (1 Kings 4:21 note). A statement illustrated by Egyptian and Assyrian sculptures on slabs and obelisks. Tribute-bearers from the subject kings, bring not only the fixed rate of bullion, but a tribute in kind besides, consisting of the most precious products of their respective countries.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And they brought every man his present,.... To recommend them, and introduce them into his presence:

vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules, a rate year by year; everyone brought according to the commodities of his country; and they did yearly, out of great respect to him, and in veneration of him for his wisdom, and for the advantages they received by his wise counsels and instructions; besides, it was the custom of the eastern countries not to pay a visit, especially to great personages, without carrying a present.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

1 Kings 10:25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

Ver. 25. And they brought every man his present.] That they might be directed and instructed by him. Yea, Sulpitius Severus saith, that even kings tendered themselves and their kingdoms to Solomon to be ruled by him.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

brought = kept bringing.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

They brought every man his present - i:e., to him as their feudal superior. No doubt, the making of presents is in the East an established custom of social life. Not only when going into the presence of a superior is it usual to pay such a compliment, but even in familiar visits among inferior people the presentation of some gift-even a flower or fruit-some token of regard, is expected; and the visitor who should omit or neglect the observance of this mark of civility would incur the suspicion of intending to affront or defraud the person on whom he waited. But the presents described in this verse as brought to Solomon by foreign prince, were of a totally different character from the conventional tokens of civil contact. They were made as an acknowledgment of dependence and subjection-in fact, a kind of homage or tribute to Solomon; and that we are to understand the presents spoken of in this verse as brought with such a view, is evident from the fact that they were contributed "a rate year by year," as in Assyria ('Nineveh and Babylon,' p. 635). 26. (See the notes at 2 Chronicles 1:14-17.)

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

every man

10; Judges 3:15; 1 Samuel 10:27; 2 Samuel 8:2,10; 2 Chronicles 26:8; Job 42:11; Psalms 72:10,15; Isaiah 36:16; Matthew 2:11

and mules

1:33; 18:5; Genesis 36:24; Ezra 2:66; Esther 8:10,14; Isaiah 66:20; Ezekiel 27:14

a rate

2 Kings 17:4; 2 Chronicles 9:24