INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS 5 This chapter relates Solomon's preparation for building the temple: on Hiram, king of Tyre, sending a congratulatory letter to him, he returned another to him, signifying his intention to build an house for God, and requesting him to supply him with timber, and men to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIRAM KING OF TYRE SENT SERVANTS UNTO SOLOMON,.... His ambassadors, to condole him on the death of his father, and congratulate him on his accession to the throne; this king is called by the Phoenician historians s Hirom, and by Eupolemus t Suron, as he is Huram in 2 Chronicles 2:3; and by Theop... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOLOMON SENT TO HIRAM,.... A letter, either by the hand of his ambassadors when they returned, as Kimchi thinks, or by ambassadors Solomon sent on purpose. Josephus w appeals to the Tyrian archives for the genuineness of these letters that passed between Hiram and Solomon; and Eupolemus, an Heat... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU KNOWEST HOW THAT DAVID MY FATHER COULD NOT BUILD AN HOUSE UNTO THE NAME OF THE LORD HIS GOD,.... As he designed, and was desirous of; and which Hiram might know not only by common fame, but from David himself, between whom there was an intercourse, and that in relation to cedars for building, w... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW THE LORD MY GOD HATH GIVEN ME REST ON EVERY SIDE,.... From foreign enemies; for Solomon had no wars with any: [SO THAT THERE IS] NEITHER ADVERSARY; or Satan, no internal enemy in his kingdom, as well as no external ones, Adonijah, Joab, and other ill-designing persons, being cut off: NOR E... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, BEHOLD, I PURPOSE TO BUILD AN HOUSE UNTO THE NAME OF THE LORD MY GOD,.... For his worship, and for his honour and glory: AS THE LORD SPAKE UNTO DAVID MY FATHER; by the prophet Nathan, 2 Samuel 7:12; SAYING, THY SON WHOM I WILL SET UPON THY THRONE IN THY ROOM, HE SHALL BUILD AN HOUSE UNTO MY N... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEREFORE COMMAND THOU THAT THEY HEW ME CEDARS OUT OF LEBANON,.... That is, order his servants to cut them down there for him. Some think that Lebanon belonged to the land of Israel, and therefore Solomon did not ask for the cedars upon it, but for his servants to hew them for him; but as it lay... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN HIRAM HEARD THE WORDS OF SOLOMON,.... The letter read he sent him: THAT HE REJOICED GREATLY; that the friendship which had subsisted between him and David was like to be continued between him and his successor, but chiefly for what follows: SAYING, BLESSED [BE] THE LORD T... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIRAM SENT TO SOLOMON,.... A letter to him, to the following purpose: SAYING, I HAVE CONSIDERED THE THINGS WHICH THOU SENTEST TO ME FOR; whether he could, and whether it was fitting he should grant his request; which was acting like a wise and prudent prince: [AND] I WILL DO ALL THY DESIRE CON... [ Continue Reading ]
MY SERVANTS SHALL BRING [THEM] DOWN FROM LEBANON UNTO THE SEA,.... The Mediterranean sea, on which Tyre stood: AND I WILL CONVEY THEM BY SEA IN FLOATS; which were either a sort of carriage for the timber the Tyrians and Sidonians had, being furnished with various navigable vessels; or these were th... [ Continue Reading ]
SO HIRAM, GAVE SOLOMON CEDAR TREES, AND FIR TREES,.... Ordered his servants to cut them down from Lebanon, and sent them to him in floats, which he received: [ACCORDING TO] ALL HIS DESIRE; he had as many as he requested, and what he wanted.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOLOMON GAVE HIRAM TWENTY THOUSAND MEASURES OF WHEAT [FOR] FOOD TO HIS HOUSEHOLD,.... This measure was the Hebrew measure "cor", or "corus", and, according to Bishop Cumberland e, its contents were 17,477 solid inches; it was equal to ten ephahs, each of which held two gallons and an half, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD GAVE SOLOMON WISDOM, AS HE PROMISED HIM,.... Which, among other things, appeared in his preparations for building the temple, and in his agreements with Hiram for timber and workmen for that purpose and by continuing and confirming friendship between himself and Hiram, who was so servic... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KING SOLOMON RAISED A LEVY OUT OF ALL ISRAEL,.... Not of money, but of men, as follows: AND THE LEVY WAS THIRTY THOUSAND MEN; for what purpose, and how they were employed, 1 Kings 5:14 shows.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SENT THEM TO LEBANON, TEN THOUSAND A MONTH BY COURSES,.... In their turns; these are the servants of his he proposed to be with Hiram's servants, assisting in cutting down the trees, and squaring the timber in Lebanon, 1 Kings 5:6; A MONTH THEY WERE IN LEBANON, [AND] TWO MONTHS AT HOME; that... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOLOMON HAD THREESCORE AND TEN THOUSAND THAT BARE BURDENS,.... Seventy thousand to carry the stones from the mountains out of which they were dug, and which were near Jerusalem, to the city; these were strangers in Israel, as were those that follow: AND FOURSCORE THOUSAND HEWERS IN THE MOUNTAIN... [ Continue Reading ]
BESIDES THE CHIEF OF SOLOMON'S OFFICERS WHICH [WERE] OVER THE WORK,.... Over the whole work, preparatory for the building of the temple; though it seems chiefly to have respect to that of hewing the stones, and bringing them to the city: THREE THOUSAND AND THREE HUNDRED WHICH RULED OVER THE PEOPLE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE KING COMMANDED, AND THEY BROUGHT GREAT STONES,.... Not in quality, but in quantity, large stones, fit to lay in the foundation; strong, and durable against all the injuries of time, as Josephus says i: COSTLY STONES; not what are commonly called precious stones, as gems, pearls, c. but ston... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOLOMON'S BUILDERS AND HIRAM'S BUILDERS DID HEW [THEM],.... The stones; for it seems Solomon had not only hewers of wood, but of stone, from Hiram: AND THE STONESQUARERS; or rather the Giblites, the men of Gebal, which were under the jurisdiction of Tyre, and were skilful in this sort of work,... [ Continue Reading ]