1 Kings 5:6

Contextual Overview

¹When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David. ¹ When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David. ¹Then Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been one who loved David. ¹ Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David. ¹ And Hira king of Tyre sent his seruauntes vnto Solomon (for he had hearde that they had annoynted him king in the roome of his father) For Hira was euer a louer of Dauid. ¹ And Hiram the king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, for he heard that they had anointed him king instead of his father. For Hiram was a lover of David all his days. ¹ Hiram was the king of Tyre. He had always been David's friend. So when Hiram heard that Solomon had become the new king after David, he sent his servants to Solomon. ¹ Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father; for Hiram always loved David. ¹ Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David. ¹ And Hiram king of Tyre sent his seruants vnto Solomon: (for hee had heard that they had anointed him King in the roume of his father,) for Hiram was euer a louer of Dauid.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cedar trees: 1 Kings 6:9, 1 Kings 6:10, 1 Kings 6:16, 1 Kings 6:20, 2 Chronicles 2:8, 2 Chronicles 2:10, Psalms 29:5

will I give hire: Romans 12:17, Philippians 4:8

appoint: Heb. say

that there is not: 1 Corinthians 12:14-21, Ephesians 4:7

Sidonians: Genesis 10:15, Ezra 3:7

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 9:11 - Now Hiram 1 Kings 9:27 - his servants 1 Chronicles 14:1 - and timber 1 Chronicles 22:4 - cedar trees Psalms 74:5 - General Ezekiel 27:5 - cedars Ezekiel 27:8 - wise

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD .

Genesis 4:26
Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord .

Genesis 4:26
And to Seth, to him also, a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of Yahweh.

Genesis 4:26
To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 4:26
And vnto the same Seth also there was borne a sonne, and he called his name Enos: then began men to make inuocation in the name of the Lorde.

Genesis 4:26
Seth also had a son. He named him Enosh. At that time people began to pray to the Lord .

Genesis 4:26
To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 4:26
But also a sone was borun to Seth, which sone he clepide Enos; this Enos bigan to clepe inwardli the name of the Lord.

Genesis 4:26
And to Seth, to him also there was borne a sonne, and he called his name Enos: then began men to call vpon the Name of the LORD.

Genesis 4:26
And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 upon the borders of Israel, part of it might belong to them, and another part to Hiram, and on which the best cedars might grow, and so he furnished Solomon both with trees, and men to cut them, as it seems from 1 Kings 5:10; see also 2 Chronicles 2:3;

and my servants shall be with thy servants: to assist them, and to carry the timber from place to place, and to learn how to hew timber:

and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants, according to all that thou shalt appoint; pay them for their work and service, as Hiram himself should judge fit and reasonable for them; no mention being made of paying for the timber, seems to countenance the notion that the trees were Solomon's; but when the quantity of provisions sent yearly to Hiram for his household, besides what the servants had, is observed, it seems to have been sent as an equivalent to the timber received by Solomon, see 1 Kings 5:10;

for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians; it is not said Tyrians, the Sidonians, perhaps, being more skilful in this than they were; and the Sidonians are said by Homer y to be πολυδαιδαλοι, very ingenious: and they were both under the jurisdiction and at the command of Hiram; so Eupolemus z makes the inscription of Solomon's letter to him to run thus, to Suron (that is, Hiram) king of Tyre, Sidon, and Phoenicia. The Jews being chiefly employed in husbandry, and in feeding cattle, were very unskilful in mechanic arts, and in this of cutting down trees, and hewing timber; for there is skill to be exercised therein; the proper time of cutting down trees should be observed, the part in which they are to be cut, and the position in which they are to be put when cut down, as Vitruvius a directs, with other things, and Pliny b observes the same.

y Iliad. 23. ver. 743. z Ut supra. (Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 32, 34.) a De Architectura, l. 2. c. 9. b Nat. Hist. l. 16. c. 39.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Solomon’s message to Hiram and Hiram’s answer 1 Kings 5:8-9 are given much more fully in 2 Chronicles 2:3-16.

Cedar-trees - The Hebrew word here and elsewhere translated “cedar,” appears to be used, not only of the cedar proper, but of other timber-trees also, as the fir, and, perhaps, the juniper. Still there is no doubt that the real Lebanon cedar is most commonly intended by it. This tree, which still grows on parts of the mountain, but which threatens to die out, was probably much more widely spread anciently. The Tyrians made the masts of their ships from the wood Ezekiel 27:5, and would naturally be as careful to cultivate it as we have ourselves been to grow oak. The Assyrian kings, when they made their expeditions into Palestine, appear frequently to have cut it in Lebanon and Hermon, and to have transported it to their own capitals.

Skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians - The mechanical genius and nautical skill of the Phoenicians generally, and of the Sidonians in particular, is noticed by Homer and Herodotus. In the reign of Hiram, Sidon, though perhaps she might have a king of her own, acknowledged the supremacy of Tyre.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 5:6. Any that can skill to hew timber — An obsolete and barbarous expression for any that know how to cut timber. They had neither sawyers, carpenters, joiners, nor builders among them, equal to the Sidonians. Sidon was a part of the territories of Hiram, and its inhabitants appear to have been the most expert workmen. It requires more skill to fell and prepare timber than is generally supposed. Vitruvius gives some rules relative to this, lib. ii., cap. 9, the sum of which is this:

1. Trees should be felled in autumn, or in the winter, and in the wane of the moon; for in this season the trees recover their vigour and solidity, which was dispersed among their leaves, and exhausted by their fruit, in spring and summer; they will then be free from a certain moisture, very apt to engender worms and rot them, which in autumn and winter is consumed and dried up.

2. Trees should not be cut down at once; they should be cut carefully round towards the pith, that the sap may drop down and distil away, and thus left till thoroughly dry, and then cut down entirely.

3. When fully dried, a tree should not be exposed to the south sun, high winds, and rain; and should be smeared over with cow-dung to prevent its splitting.

4. It should never be drawn through the dew, but be removed in the afternoon.

5. It is not fit for floors, doors, or windows, till it has been felled three years. Perhaps these directions attended to, would prevent the dry rot. And we see from them that there is considerable skill required to hew timber, and in this the Sidonians excelled. We do every thing in a hurry, and our building is good for nothing.