Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish,.... Ships to go to sea, particularly the Indian sea, 1Ki 10:22. Tarshish is used for the sea in general, Ps 48:7, in the Cetib, or text, it is "ten"; in the Keri, or margin, it is "made", which we follow, and may be put together, as in the Tigurine version, and read, "he made ten ships to go by sea":even to go to Ophir for gold; as Solomon did; of which place see 1Ki 9:28,but they went not, for the ships were broken at Eziongeber; the port where they were built: as soon as they were launched, or sailed, they were broken to pieces against the rocks near the harbour, which stood up like a man's backbone, whence the port had its name;See Gill on "1Ki 9:26", and if this was Calzem, as there observed, near to it was a dangerous place for ships, and where many were lost, and is supposed to be the place where Pharaoh and his host were drowned ; the reason of this shipwreck was, because Jehoshaphat joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, for which he was reproved by the prophet Eliezer, and this was his punishment, 2Ch 20:35.
Vid. Geograph. Nub. Climat. 3. par. 3.