Bible Commentaries
1 Kings 5

Verses 1-18

Solomon’s Preparations for building the Temple

1. Hiram] see 2 Samuel 5; 1 Chronicles 14:1. It has been questioned whether this Hiram, who was living as late as Solomon’s twentieth year (1 Kings 9:10), is really identical with the Hiram mentioned in connexion with David (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Chronicles 1:1), because, according to Josephus, his reign lasted only 34 years. But it is possible that David did not undertake the buildings in which Hiram assisted him until comparatively late in his life.

3. Could not build an house] see 1 Chronicles 2:28. Here the reason given why David could not build the Temple is the turmoil that filled his reign.

4. Occurrent] i.e. occurrence.

5. As the Lord spake] see 2 Samuel 7:18.

7. Blessed be the Lord] Hiram, who, as king of Tyre, was a worshipper of Melkarth and Ashtoreth, would not regard the Lord (Jehovah) as, the only God, but would acknowledge His as the God of Israel. Jehovah’s existence and power were similarly recognised by the Syrian Naaman, who was himself a worshipper of Rimmon (2 Kings 5 u): cp. also the language of the Moabite king Balak (Numbers 23:17; Numbers 24:11).

9. Convey them, etc.] RV make them into rafts to go by sea.’ The place] Joppa (2 Chronicles 2:16). To be discharged] RV ’to be broken up.’

11. Measures] Heb. cors (see on 1 Kings 4:22). For twenty measures of pure oil LXX has ’20,000 baths of oil’ (a ’bath’ being one-tenth of a ’cor’: cp. 2 Chronicles 2:10. For the export of corn and other produce from Judah to Tyre cp. Ezekiel 27:17. The nearness of Lebanon must have prevented the Tyrians from obtaining much corn from their own soil.

13. Thirty thousand men] These were probably taken from native Israelites (cp. the prediction in 1 Samuel 8:11-18); whereas the 150,000 labourers mentioned in 1 Kings 5:15 were ’strangers that were in the land of Israel’ (2 Chronicles 2:17: cp. 1 Kings 9:20, 1 Kings 9:2). David seems to have imposed forced labour upon the latter only (1 Chronicles 22:2); and the different practice of his son caused the discontent that eventually rent the kingdom in two (1 Kings 12:4). 14. By courses] i.e. by turns or shifts. Adoniram] see 1 Kings 4:6, the Adoram of 1 Kings 12:18.

17. Great stones] Some of these perhaps still remain, for stones 30 ft. long and 7J ft. high have been found (it is said) ’at the SW, angle of the wall of the Haram area in the modern Jerusalem.’

18. The stonesquarers] RV ’Gebautes’: the inhabitants of Gebal or Byblus, a maritime town at the foot of Lebanon.