وَالشَّياطينَ كُلَّ بَنّاءٍ وَغَوّاصٍ

And the devils [as well as], every builder and diver.

EXEGESIS

Shayāṭīn (devils) is here referring to evil jinns, who were subjected to Prophet Solomon (a), who could direct them to do as he commanded, and [We placed at his service] some of the jinn who would work for him by the permission of his Lord (34:12).^{‎[1]Makārim Shīrāzī has argued that since shayāṭīn could also refer to human beings it may be that they too were meant by the verse (Nemuneh, 19/287).}

Ghawwāṣ (diver) literally means the one who dives into the water.^{‎[2]Tibyan, 8/565.} It is said they would dive into the seas and rivers and bring forth the pearls and precious things for him.^{‎[3]Tabrisi, 8/744; Tabari, 23/104; Razi, 26/395.}

EXPOSITION

In addition to the wind, Prophet Solomon (a) was also given authority over the evil jinns, being able to command them, something akin to detainment with hard labour. The jinns were used by Prophet Solomon (a) to build the kingdom of Israel, especially its temples, They built for him as many temples as he wished, and figures, basins like cisterns, and caldrons fixed [in the ground] (34:13). It is possible that diver here also refers to those who would dive to the depths of the earth to mine minerals to help in the construction of the aforementioned temples.^{‎[4]Mudarrisi, 11/362.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some commentators have said that Prophet Solomon (a) was the first to extract pearls from the sea.^{‎[5]Thalabi, 8/211; Zamakhshari, 4/96; Baghawi, 4/73; Qurtubi, 15/206.} However, this does not seem to be factually correct as there is recorded use of pearls in the Middle East up to 7500 years ago.^{‎[6]See Vincent Charpentier, Carl S. Phillips, Sophie Méry, “Pearl fishing in the ancient world: 7500 BP” in Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, (May 2012), Vol. 23, Issue 1, pp. 1-6.}

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

The same account of jinns building Solomon’s (a) temple is related in the Talmud:

1. As it is written with regard to the building of the Temple: ‘For the house, when it was being built, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was being built’ (1 Kings 6:7). Solomon said to the sages: How shall I make it so that the stone will be precisely cut without using iron? They said to him: There is a creature called a shamir that can cut the stones, which Moses brought and used to cut the stones of the ephod.^{‎[7]Gittin 68a.}

[1] Makārim Shīrāzī has argued that since shayāṭīn could also refer to human beings it may be that they too were meant by the verse (Nemuneh, 19/287).
[2] Tibyan, 8/565.
[3] Tabrisi, 8/744; Tabari, 23/104; Razi, 26/395.
[4] Mudarrisi, 11/362.
[5] Thalabi, 8/211; Zamakhshari, 4/96; Baghawi, 4/73; Qurtubi, 15/206.
[6] See Vincent Charpentier, Carl S. Phillips, Sophie Méry, “Pearl fishing in the ancient world: 7500 BP” in Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, (May 2012), Vol. 23, Issue 1, pp. 1-6.
[7] Gittin 68a.