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1 Kings 22:28,49
And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you…

1 Kings 10:22
For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

Tharshish

1 Kings 9:26
And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, whichis beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.

Ezion-geber

and these were built in Ezion-geber
Ezion-geber was a port city located near the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, part of the Red Sea. It was an important hub for trade and shipbuilding during the reigns of Solomon and Jehoshaphat. Archaeological evidence suggests that this area was a center for copper smelting and trade, supporting its role as a significant economic site. The location was strategically chosen for its access to the Red Sea, facilitating trade routes to Africa, Arabia, and beyond. The construction of ships here highlights the advanced maritime capabilities of the Israelites during this period. However, the venture ultimately failed, as God disapproved of the alliance with Ahaziah, leading to the destruction of the ships (2 Chronicles 20:37). This serves as a reminder of the importance of seeking God's guidance and favor in all endeavors.

• Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, had just returned from a victorious deliverance the LORD accomplished over invading armies (2 Chron 20:22–30).

• Instead of resting in that divine sufficiency, he “made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who was guilty of wickedness” (2 Chron 20:35), repeating the mistake he had been warned about earlier (2 Chron 19:2; cf. 2 Chron 18:1).

• The verse under study sits in that uneasy context—faithful Judah partnering with apostate Israel.

“They agreed to make ships…”

• Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah formed a joint commercial venture—a tangible expression of their political alliance (1 Kings 22:48).

• Scripture never condemns industry itself; the issue is the unequal partnership with a king characterized by evil (2 Corinthians 6:14 finds an Old-Testament echo here).

• The agreement signals compromise: the righteous king seeking prosperity through companionship with darkness rather than exclusive trust in the LORD (Psalm 33:16–18).

“…to go to Tarshish…”

• Tarshish symbolized distant, lucrative trade (1 Kings 10:22). For Jonah it represented the farthest edge of the known world (Jonah 1:3).

• The plan promised gold, silver, ivory, and exotic goods—an enticing shortcut to wealth.

• Yet the LORD had already bestowed abundance on Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 17:5). Seeking more through compromise revealed discontent and misplaced confidence (Proverbs 15:16).

“…and these were built in Ezion-geber.”

• Ezion-geber, at the northern tip of the Red Sea, was Solomon’s former naval yard (1 Kings 9:26).

• The site was ideal: deep water access to the Red Sea and onward to the Indian Ocean.

• Using this inherited facility should have reminded Jehoshaphat of Solomon’s prosperity under covenant faithfulness—but he chose to imitate Solomon’s ships without Solomon’s wholehearted devotion (1 Kings 3:3, 13).

• Though our verse records only the construction, the very next sentence reveals God’s verdict: “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made” (2 Chron 20:37).

• The ships never left harbor; they were “wrecked,” a direct act of divine judgment (Psalm 127:1).

• God’s action underscores the message: achievements birthed in compromise cannot carry His blessing, no matter how impressive the plans.

2 Chronicles 20:36 captures a seemingly harmless business deal—two kings pooling resources to build a fleet at Ezion-geber for Tarshish trade. Yet, read in context, the verse warns that partnerships with ungodliness, even for noble-sounding goals, court disaster. Jehoshaphat’s ships illustrate that success pursued apart from wholehearted trust and obedience sinks before it sails.

To make ships to go to Tarshish.--In1Kings 22:48-49, we read: "Jehoshaphat madeships (i.e., a fleet)of Tarshish, to go to Ophir for gold; and it went not; for the ships were broken (i.e., wrecked) in Ezion-geber. Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships; and Jehoshaphat consented not." There is no mention of a previous alliance and partnership in the ship-building with Ahaziah. Moreover, the expression of our text, "ships to go to Tarshish," appears to be an erroneous paraphrase of "ships of Tarshish," or "Tarshish-men," as we might say; a phrase which really means, vessels built for long sea-voyages. According to Kings, the ships were built "to go to Ophir for gold;" in other words, to renew Solomon's traffic with India from the port on the Red Sea.

Andthey made theships in Ezion-gaber.--The Edomite port at the head of the Gulf of Akaba. If Tarshish means the Phoenician Tartessus in Spain, the fleet could only go thither by doubling the Cape, or crossing the Isthmus of Suez. Therefore some have supposed another Tarshish somewhere in the Persian Gulf or on the north-west coast of India. (See on2Chronicles 9:21.)