What are "Ani Tarshish"?
Rashi, based on Targum Yonasan: They are boats of Africa.
Malbim citing Mahari - Tarshish is Carthage, in north Africa (Tunisia), on the Mediterranean Sea. How can boats go from Etziyon Gever, to Tarshish? There are strips of Midbar in between! Rather, they are made like boats of Tarshish 1 . It says in Divrei ha'Yamim (II, 20:37) that in Etziyon Gever, they made boats to go to Tarshish! We must say that Ezra erred. He explained the verse below (22:49) "Yehoshafat Asah Aniyos Tarshish Laleches Ofirah
Malbim: Heaven forbid to say that Ezra erred, and did not know that a boat cannot go from Etziyon Gever to Tarshish! There is nothing in Kisvei ha'Kodesh that opposes reality! Refer to 10:22:1:3.
Nesanel ben Yeshayah says that Ofir is India. Ya'aros Devash (1:4) says that it is Peiro.
Malbim: "Yehoshafat Asah Aniyos Tarshish Laleches Ofirah" (22:49), i.e. to go to Tarshish and Ofir.
I.e. Gilbraltar. (PF)
Nowadays, we say that the Yam Suf enters the Indian Ocean. In Chazal's words, Okainus encompasses the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. (PF)
Why does it say "Im Ani Chiram"?
Malbim: Chiram was primary, for Tarshish was under his rule.
What are "Shenhabim v'Kofim v'Sukiyim"?
Rashi: They are elephant tusks, monkeys and peacocks 1 .
Malbim: They brought these for they are common there. They brought also silver, which is there in abundance - "Kesef Meruka mi'Tarshish Yuva" (Yirmeyah 10:9).
