1 Kings 10:12

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.)

Parallel Translations

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 did such almug wood arrive, and the like has not been seen again.

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.

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.

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 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.)

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

Contextual Overview

¹ The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, and she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. ² She brought with her a large group of attendants, as well as camels loaded with spices, jewels, and a large amount of gold. When she and Solomon met, she asked him all the questions that she could think of. ³ He answered them all; there was nothing too difficult for him to explain. ⁴ The queen of Sheba heard Solomon's wisdom and saw the palace he had built. ⁵ She saw the food that was served at his table, the living quarters for his officials, the organization of his palace staff and the uniforms they wore, the servants who waited on him at feasts, and the sacrifices he offered in the Temple. It left her breathless and amazed. ⁶ She said to King Solomon, "What I heard in my own country about you and your wisdom is true! ⁷ But I couldn't believe it until I had come and seen it all for myself. But I didn't hear even half of it; your wisdom and wealth are much greater than what I was told. ⁸ How fortunate are your wives! And how fortunate your servants, who are always in your presence and are privileged to hear your wise sayings! ⁹ Praise the Lord your God! He has shown how pleased he is with you by making you king of Israel. Because his love for Israel is eternal, he has made you their king so that you can maintain law and justice." ¹⁰ She presented to King Solomon the gifts she had brought: almost five tons of gold and a very large amount of spices and jewels. The amount of spices she gave him was by far the greatest that he ever received at any time.

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.