1 Kings 5
5
Hiram’s Building Materials
1King Hiram of Tyre#2Ch 2:3 sent his emissaries to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in his father’s place,#1Kg 1:34,39 for Hiram had always been friends with David.#2Sm 5:11; 1Ch 14:1
2Solomon sent this message to Hiram: 3“You know my father David was not able to build a temple for the name of the Lord his God. This was because of the warfare all around him until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.#1Ch 28:2–3 4The Lord my God has now given me rest on every side; there is no enemy or misfortune.#1Kg 4:24–25 5So I plan to build a temple for the name of the Lord my God,#2Ch 2:4 according to what the Lord promised my father David: ‘I will put your son on your throne in your place, and he will build the temple for my name.’#2Sm 7:12–13
6“Therefore, command that cedars from Lebanon be cut down for me. My servants will be with your servants, and I will pay your servants’ wages according to whatever you say, for you know that not a man among us knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”#2Ch 2:8
7When Hiram heard Solomon’s words, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today!#1Kg 10:9 He has given David a wise son to be over this great people!” 8Then Hiram sent a reply to Solomon, saying, “I have heard your message; I will do everything you want regarding the cedar and cypress timber. 9My servants will bring the logs down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place you indicate. I will break them apart there, and you can take them away. You then can meet my needs by providing my household with food.”#2Ch 2:16; Ezr 3:7
10So Hiram provided Solomon with all the cedar and cypress timber he wanted, 11and Solomon provided Hiram with one hundred twenty thousand bushels#5:11 Lit 20,000 cors of wheat as food for his household and one hundred twenty thousand gallons#5:11 LXX reads 20,000 baths; MT reads 20 cors of oil from crushed olives.#2Ch 2:10 Solomon did this for Hiram year after year.
12The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him.#1Kg 3:12 There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.#1Kg 15:19
Solomon’s Workforce
13Then King Solomon drafted forced laborers from all Israel;#1Kg 4:6; 9:15 the labor force numbered thirty thousand men. 14He sent ten thousand to Lebanon each month in shifts; one month they were in Lebanon, two months they were at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. 15Solomon had seventy thousand porters and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountains,#2Ch 2:17–18 16not including his thirty-three hundred#5:16 Some LXX mss read 3,600; 2Ch 2:2,18 deputies#1Kg 9:23 in charge of the work. They supervised the people doing the work. 17The king commanded them to quarry large, costly stones to lay the foundation of the temple with dressed stones.#1Kg 6:7; 1Ch 22:2 18So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders,#1Kg 5:6,9 along with the Gebalites,#Jos 13:5 quarried the stone and prepared the timber and stone for the temple’s construction.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
1 Kings 5
5
Preparations for Building the Temple
1 # 5:1 Verses 5:1-18 are numbered 5:15-32 in Hebrew text. King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When Hiram learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.
2Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram:
3“You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies. 4But now the Lord my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well. 5So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.’
6“Therefore, please command that cedars from Lebanon be cut for me. Let my men work alongside yours, and I will pay your men whatever wages you ask. As you know, there is no one among us who can cut timber like you Sidonians!”
7When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he was very pleased and said, “Praise the Lord today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.” 8Then he sent this reply to Solomon:
“I have received your message, and I will supply all the cedar and cypress timber you need. 9My servants will bring the logs from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea#5:9 Hebrew the sea. and make them into rafts and float them along the coast to whatever place you choose. Then we will break the rafts apart so you can carry the logs away. You can pay me by supplying me with food for my household.”
10So Hiram supplied as much cedar and cypress timber as Solomon desired. 11In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels#5:11a Hebrew 20,000 cors [4,400 kiloliters]. of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons#5:11b As in Greek version, which reads 20,000 baths [420 kiloliters] (see also 2 Chr 2:10); Hebrew reads 20 cors, about 1,000 gallons or 4.4 kiloliters in volume. of pure olive oil. 12So the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace.
13Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. 14He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force. 15Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country, 16and 3,600#5:16 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 2 Chr 2:2, 18); Hebrew reads 3,300. foremen to supervise the work. 17At the king’s command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple. 18Men from the city of Gebal helped Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders prepare the timber and stone for the Temple.
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