Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
Here is, I. A short account of the reign of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, of which we shall have a much fuller narrative in the book of Chronicles, and of the greatness and goodness of that prince, neither of which was lessened or sullied by any thing but his intimacy with the house of Ahab, which, upon several accounts, was a diminution to him.
Commenting on 1 Kings 22:41-53
Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber. (c) By Tharshish the scripture means Cilicia and all the Mediterranean Sea. (d) Josephus writes that Ophir is in India, where the Egyptians and Arabians traffic for gold.
Ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold - In the parallel place (Ch2 20:36) it is said that Jehoshaphat joined himself to Ahaziah, to make ships to go to Tharshish; and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. Concerning these places, and the voyage thither, see the notes on Kg1 9:26-28 (note); Kg1 10:11 (note), Kg1 10:22 (note). Some translate, instead of ships of Tharshish, ships of burden.