1 Kings 5
5
Solomon Asks Hiram To Help Build the Temple
(2 Chronicles 2.1-16)
1King Hiram of Tyre#5.1 Tyre: The most important city in Phoenicia. It was located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel, in what is today southern Lebanon. had always been friends with Solomon's father David. When Hiram learned that Solomon was king, he sent some of his officials to meet with Solomon.
2Solomon sent a message back to Hiram:
3Remember how my father David wanted to build a temple where the Lord his God could be worshiped? But enemies kept attacking my father's kingdom, and he never had the chance. 4Now, thanks to the Lord God, there is peace in my kingdom and no trouble or threat of war anywhere.
5 #
2 S 7.12,13; 1 Ch 17.11,12. The Lord God promised my father that when his son became king, he would build a temple for worshiping the Lord. So I've decided to do that.
6I'd like you to send your workers to cut down cedar trees in Lebanon for me. I will pay them whatever you say and will even have my workers help them. We both know that your workers are more experienced than anyone else at cutting lumber.
7Hiram was so happy when he heard Solomon's request that he said, “I am grateful that the Lord gave David such a wise son to be king of that great nation!” 8Then he sent back his answer:
I received your message and will give you all the cedar and pine logs you need. 9My workers will carry them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea. They will tie the logs together and float them along the coast to wherever you want them. Then they will untie the logs, and your workers can take them from there.
To pay for the logs, you can provide the grain I need for my household.
10Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and pine logs he needed. 11In return, Solomon gave Hiram over 2,000 tons of wheat and almost 4,000 liters of pure olive oil each year.
12The Lord kept his promise and made Solomon wise. Hiram and Solomon signed a treaty and never went to war against each other.
Solomon's Workers
13Solomon ordered 30,000 people from all over Israel to cut logs for the temple, 14#1 K 12.15-19. and he put Adoniram in charge of these workers. Solomon divided them into three groups of 10,000. Each group worked one month in Lebanon and had two months off at home.
15He also had 80,000 workers to cut stone in the hill country of Israel, 70,000 workers to carry the stones, 16and over 3,000 assistants to keep track of the work and to supervise the workers. 17He ordered the workers to cut and shape large blocks of good stone for the foundation of the temple.
18Solomon's and Hiram's men worked with men from the city of Gebal,#5.18 Gebal: Later known as Byblos. and together they got the stones and logs ready for the temple.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
1 Kings 5
5
Hiram’s Building Materials
1Hiram king of Tyre # 2Ch 2:3 sent his servants 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 Yahweh 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 all around; there is no enemy or crisis. # 1Kg 4:24-25 5So I plan to build a temple for the name of Yahweh 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 greatly rejoiced and said, “May the Lord be praised 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 100,000 bushels # Lit 20,000 cors of wheat as food for his household and 110,000 gallons # 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 Work Force
13Then King Solomon drafted forced laborers from all Israel; # 1Kg 4:6; 9:15 the labor force numbered 30,000 men. 14He sent 10,000 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 70,000 porters and 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, # 2Ch 2:17-18 16not including his 3,300 # Some LXX mss read 3,600 ; 2Ch 2:2,18 deputies # 1Kg 9:23 in charge of the work. They ruled over 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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