1 Kings 10:27

Easy-to-Read Version

The king made Israel very rich. In the city of Jerusalem, silver was as common as rocks and cedar wood was as common as the many fig trees growing on the hills.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills.

Hebrew Names Version
The king made silver to be in Yerushalayim as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.

King James Version
And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.

English Standard Version
And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah.

New Century Version
In Jerusalem Solomon made silver as common as stones and cedar trees as common as the fig trees on the western hills.

New English Translation
The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands.

Amplified Bible
The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

New American Standard Bible
And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the King gaue siluer in Ierusalem as stones, and gaue cedars as the wilde figtrees that growe abundantly in the plaine.

Legacy Standard Bible
The king also made silver as plentiful as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the Shephelah.

Contemporary English Version
While he was king, there was silver everywhere in Jerusalem, and cedar was as common as ordinary sycamore trees in the foothills.

Complete Jewish Bible
The king made silver in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as sycamore-fig trees are in the Sh'felah.

Darby Translation
And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he as the sycamores that are in the lowland for abundance.

George Lamsa Translation
And King Solomon made silver to be as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore trees that are on the plain.

Good News Translation
During his reign silver was as common in Jerusalem as stone, and cedar was as plentiful as ordinary sycamore in the foothills of Judah.

Lexham English Bible
The king made the silver in Jerusalem as the stones, and the cedars he made as the sycamore fig trees which are in the Shephelah in abundance.

Literal Translation
And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as the sycamores that are in the low country, for abundance.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the kynge broughte it to passe, that there was as moch syluer at Ierusale as stones: and as many Ceders as there were wylde figge trees in the valleys.

American Standard Version
And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore-trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.

Bible in Basic English
And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem and cedars like the sycamore-trees of the lowlands in number.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king made siluer in Hierusalem as plenteous as stones, and Cedar as plenteous as the wilde fegge trees that growe aboundauntly in the fieldes.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the Lowland, for abundance.

King James Version (1611)
And the king made siluer to be in Ierusalem as stones, and Cedars made he to be as the Sycomore trees, that are in the vale for abundance.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king made gold and silver in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as the sycamores in the plain for multitude.

English Revised Version
And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.

Berean Standard Bible
The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he made, that so greet aboundaunce of siluer was in Jerusalem, how greet was also of stoonys; and he yaf the multitude of cedris as sicomoris, that growen in feeldy places.

Young's Literal Translation
And the king maketh the silver in Jerusalem as stones, and the cedars he hath made as the sycamores that [are] in the low country, for abundance.

Update Bible Version
And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars he made to be as the sycamore-trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king made silver [to be] in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars he made [to be] as the sycamore trees that [are] in the vale, for abundance.

World English Bible
The king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.

New King James Version
The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.

New Living Translation
The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.

New Life Bible
The king made silver as easy to find as stones in Jerusalem. He made cedar trees as easy to find as the sycamore trees of the valley.

New Revised Standard
The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as numerous as the sycamores of the Shephelah.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the king caused silver in Jerusalem to be as stones, - cedars also, caused he to be as the sycamores that are in the lowlands, for abundance.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he made silver to be as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars to be as common as sycamores which grow in the plains.

Revised Standard Version
And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephe'lah.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ Every year King Solomon received almost 25 tons of gold. ¹⁵ In addition to the gold brought in by the traveling merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. ¹⁶ King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold. He used about 15 pounds of gold for each shield. ¹⁷ He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold. He used almost 4 pounds of gold for each shield. The king put them in the Forest-of-Lebanon House. ¹⁸ King Solomon also built a large throne with ivory decorations. It was covered with pure gold. ¹⁹ There were six steps leading up to the throne. The back of the throne was round at the top. There were armrests on both sides of the throne, and there were lions in the sides of the throne under the armrests. ²⁰ There were also two lions on each of the six steps, one at each end. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom. ²¹ All of Solomon's cups and glasses were made of gold, and all the dishes in the building called the Forest of Lebanon were made from pure gold. Nothing in the palace was made from silver. There was so much gold that in Solomon's time people did not think silver was important. ²² The king also had many cargo ships that he sent out to trade things with other countries. These were Hiram's ships. Every three years the ships would come back with a new load of gold, silver, ivory, and apes and baboons. ²³ King Solomon became greater in riches and wisdom than any other king on earth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the king: 2 Chronicles 1:15-17, 2 Chronicles 9:27, Job 22:24, Job 22:25

made: Heb. gave

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 17:5 - he had riches Job 3:15 - who filled their houses Job 27:16 - heap up Isaiah 9:10 - bricks Zechariah 9:3 - heaped Luke 19:4 - a sycamore

Cross-References

Genesis 10:20
All these people were descendants of Ham. They are arranged by families, languages, countries, and nations.

Genesis 10:28
Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones,.... By the vast quantity he received from Tarshish; this is an hyperbolical expression:

and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are the vale for abundance; not by the growth of them, but by the importation of them from the dominion of Hiram; this is said in the same figurative way; of the sycamore trees, Rauwolff says g, they are what the Moors and Arabians calls "mumeitz"; which he describes to be as large and as high as white mulberry trees, and having almost the same leaves, but rounder, and their fruit not unlike our figs, only sweeter, and no little seeds within, and not so good; and are therefore not esteemed, and are commonly sold to the poorer sort, and that they grow in all fields and grounds; of which :-.

g Travels, par. 1. c. 4. p. 37.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Made silver as stones - This strong hyperbole marks in the most striking way the great wealth and prosperity of the capital during Solomon’s reign. The lavish expenditure which impoverished the provinces, and produced, or helped to produce, the general discontent that led to the outbreak under Jeroboam, enriched the metropolis, which must have profited greatly by the residence of the court, the constant influx of opulent strangers, and the periodical visits of all Israelites not hindered by some urgent reason at the great festivals.

The “sycomore-trees in the vale” (Shephelah) are mentioned also in 1 Chronicles 27:28. Like the olives and the vines, they were placed by David under a special overseer, on account of their value. The tree meant seems to be the sycomore proper, or “fig-mulberry,” which is still common in Palestine, and is highly esteemed both on account of its fruit and its timber.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 27. Made silver - as stones — He destroyed its value by making it so exceedingly plenty.

As the sycamore trees — He planted many cedars, and doubtless had much cedar wood imported; so that it became as common as the sycamore trees, which appear to have grown there in great abundance. This is considered to be a tree that partakes of the nature of the fig tree, and of the mulberry. Of the former it has the fruit, and of the latter the leaves; that is, the fruit had a considerable resemblance to the fig, and the leaf to that of the mulberry tree: hence its name sycamore, from the Greek συκον, a fig, and μορεα, a mulberry tree.