1 Kings 10:12

Christian Standard Bible ®

The king made the almug wood into steps for the Lord 's temple and the king's palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood come, and the like has not been seen again even to this very day.

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
And the king made of the almug trees supports for the house of Yahweh and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again nor have they been seen to this day.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The king made of the almug trees supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again nor have they been seen to this day.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king made of the Almuge trees pillers for the house of the Lorde and for the kinges palace, and made harpes and psalteries for singers: Ther came no more suche Almuge trees, nor were any more seene vnto this day.

Literal Translation
and the king made the almug trees a support for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, and harps and lyres for singers; no such almug trees have come, nor have there been seen such to this day.

Easy-to-Read Version
Solomon used this special wood to build supports in the Temple and the palace as well as harps and lyres for the singers. That was the last time such a large shipment of that kind of wood was brought to Israel. There hasn't been any seen around here since then.

Revised Standard Version
And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, lyres also and harps for the singers; no such almug wood has come or been seen, to this day.

World English Bible
The king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of Yahweh, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen, to this day.

King James Version (1611)
And the king made of the Almug trees, pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the Kings house, Harpes also and Psalteries for singers: there came no such Almug trees, nor were seene vnto this day.

King James Version
And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord , and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And of that costly tymber the kynge caused to make pilers in the house of the LORDE, and in ye kinges house, and harpes and Psalteries for the Musicians. There came nomore soch costly tymber, nether was it sene vnto this daye.

American Standard Version
And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen, unto this day.

Bible in Basic English
And from the sandal-wood the king made pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house, and instruments of music for the makers of melody: never has such sandal-wood been seen to this day.

Update Bible Version
And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of Yahweh, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen, to this day.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor have they been seen to this day.

New English Translation
With the timber the king made supports for the Lord 's temple and for the royal palace and stringed instruments for the musicians. No one has seen so much of this fine timber to this very day.)

New King James Version
And the king made steps of the almug wood for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers. There never again came such almug wood, nor has the like been seen to this day.

Complete Jewish Bible
The king used the sandalwood to make columns for the house of Adonai and for the royal palace, and also lyres and lutes for the singers. No sandalwood like it has come or been seen to this day.

Darby Translation
And the king made of the sandal-wood a balustrade for the house of Jehovah, and for the king's house, and harps and lutes for the singers. There came no such sandal-wood, nor was there seen to this day.)

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the King made of ye Almuggim trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for ye Kings palace, and made harpes and psalteries for singers. There came no more such Almuggim trees, nor were any more seene vnto this day.

George Lamsa Translation
And the king made of the sandalwood ornaments for the house of the LORD and for the kings house, harps also and psalteries for singers; never before nor since came such sandalwood to this day.

Amplified Bible
From the almug wood (sandalwood) the king made pillars for the house of the LORD and for the king's palace, and also lyres and harps for the singers. Such almug wood did not come in [to Israel] again, nor has it been seen to this day.

Hebrew Names Version
The king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen, to this day.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king made of the sandal-wood pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers; there came no such sandal-wood, nor was seen, unto this day.

New Living Translation
The king used the sandalwood to make railings for the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before or since has there been such a supply of sandalwood.)

New Life Bible
The king used the almug trees to make pillars for the house of the Lord and for the king's house. And he used them to make different kinds of harps for the singers. No such almug trees have come in again or have been seen to this day.

New Revised Standard
From the almug wood the king made supports for the house of the Lord , and for the king's house, lyres also and harps for the singers; no such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king made the hewn timber into buttresses of the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and lyres and harps for singers: such hewn timber had not come upon the earth, nor have been seen anywhere until this day.

English Revised Version
And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen, unto this day.

Berean Standard Bible
The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king's palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen to this day.)

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So the king made of the sandal-wood a footpath to the house of Yahweh, and to the house of the king, lyres also and harps, for the singers, - there hath neither come in such sandal-wood, nor been seen, unto this day.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king made of the thyine trees the rails of the house of the Lord, and of the king’s house: and citterns and harps for singers: there were no such thyine trees as these brought nor seen unto this day.)

Lexham English Bible
The king made a raised structure for the house of Yahweh and for the house of the king out of the almug wood, as well as lyres and harps for the singers. This much almug wood has not come nor been seen again up to this day.

English Standard Version
And the king made of the almug wood supports for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, also lyres and harps for the singers. No such almug wood has come or been seen to this day.

New American Standard Bible
The king made from the almug trees supports for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, and lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again, nor have they been seen to this day.

New Century Version
Solomon used the juniper wood to build supports for the Temple of the Lord and the palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Such fine juniper wood has not been brought in or been seen since that time.)

Good News Translation
Solomon used the wood to build railings in the Temple and the palace, and also to make harps and lyres for the musicians. It was the finest juniper wood ever imported into Israel; none like it has ever been seen again.)

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And kyng Salomon made of the trees of tyme vndir settyngis of the hows of the Lord, and of the kyngis hows, and harpis, and sitols to syngeris; siche trees of tyme weren not brouyt nether seyn, til in to present dai.

Young's Literal Translation
and the king maketh the almug-trees a support for the house of Jehovah, and for the house of the king, and harps and psalteries for singers; there have not come such almug-trees, nor have there been seen [such] unto this day.

Contextual Overview

¹ The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's fame connected with the name of Yahweh and came to test him with difficult questions. ² She came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that was on her mind. ³ So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain to her. ⁴ When the queen of Sheba observed all of Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built, ⁵ the food at his table, his servants' residence, his attendants' service and their attire, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord 's temple, it took her breath away. ⁶ She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. ⁷ But I didn't believe the reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half. Your wisdom and prosperity far exceed the report I heard. ⁸ How happy are your men. How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. ⁹ May Yahweh your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel, because of the Lord 's eternal love for Israel. He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness." ¹⁰ Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a quantity of spices arrive as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

pillars: or, rails, Heb. a prop

harps: 1 Chronicles 23:5, 1 Chronicles 25:1-31, Psalms 92:1-3, Psalms 150:3-5, Revelation 14:2, Revelation 14:3

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 9:11 - harps Revelation 18:12 - merchandise

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house,.... Or terraces, as in 2 Chronicles 9:11, causeways; and means the ascent or causeway he made from his own house to the temple; the pavement of which, as Jarchi interprets the word here, was made of the wood of these trees; or the supports of it, or rather the rails on each side, on which men might stay themselves as they passed along, as Ben Gersom; and since this ascent was admired by the queen of Sheba, it is particularly observed what wood it was made of, and from whence it came:

harps also, and psalteries for singers; these musical instruments were made of the same wood; Josephus i says of amber, and that their number was 400,000:

there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day; not in the land of Israel, neither before nor since, see 2 Chronicles 9:11.

i Antiqu. l. 8. c. 3. sect. 8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Pillars - The Hebrew word signifies ordinarily a “prop” (margin). It is generally supposed to mean in this place a “railing,” or “balustrade,” a sense which connects and harmonises the present passage with the parallel passage in Chronicles (marginal reference), where Solomon is said to have made of the almug-wood “stairs” for the temple and for his own house.

Harps - The Jewish harp כנור kı̂nnôr was of a triangular shape, and had ordinarily ten strings. It probably resembled the more ancient harp of the Assyrians, which was played with a plectrum, as was (ordinarily) the “kinnor.”

Psalteries - The psaltery, or viol. Hebrew: נבל nebel; Greek: νάβλα nabla, was a stringed instrument played with the hand; perhaps a lyre, like those on Hebrew coins, the sounding-board of which is shaped like a jug; or, perhaps, a sort of guitar, with a hollow jug-shaped body at the lower end.