Bible Commentaries
1 Kings 5

Verse 1

Hiram. Born of a Jewish mother (1 Kings 7:14 . 2 Chronicles 2:14 ).

lover = ally, Hebrews always at amity with the Phoenicians. Never with Canaanites.

Verse 3

Thou knowest . Compare 2 Samuel 5:11 . 1Ch 14:1 ; 1 Chronicles 22:4 .

could not. There were three reasons altogether: (1) not the time (2 Samuel 7:0 ); (2) not the opportunity (Luke 5:3 ); (3) not the man ( 1Ch 22:8 ; 1 Chronicles 28:3 , &c).

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .

Verse 4

adversary. Hebrew. satan.

Verse 5

as the LORD spake = according as Jehovah spake. Compare 2 Samuel 7:12 , 2Sa 7:13 . 1 Chronicles 17:11 , 1 Chronicles 17:12 .

Verse 6

any = a man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .

Verse 8

sent: i.e. wrote. Compare 2 Chronicles 2:11 . See note on Exodus 17:14 , and App-47 .

fir. Or, cypress.

Verse 9

bring them down. Note the illustration in the conversion of sinners. Cut down from nature's standing; down through the waters of death (Romans 6:11 ), before finding their place in the temple of God (Ephesians 2:20-22 ). Same with the stones. See note on 1 Kings 5:17 .

Verse 10

gave = continued to give. Compare Psalms 45:12 .

Verse 11

gave. Not the same as 2 Chronicles 2:10 . That was for Hiram's workmen in Lebanon. This was for his royal household at Tyre.

measures. See App-51 .

pure = bruised (as in a mortar), not crushed in a press.

Verse 12

as = according as. Compare 1 Kings 3:12 .

league =

a covenant. For breaking which Tyre was judged later. See Amos 1:9 .

Verse 13

levy = tribute of men for free labour, not the bond service of 1 Kings 9:21 , 1 Kings 9:22 . Compare 1 Kings 4:6 . 2 Samuel 20:24 . Foretold in 1 Samuel 8:16 . David employed forced service of resident aliens (1 Chronicles 22:2 ; and notes on 2 Samuel 12:31 ).

Verse 17

brought = quarried.

great stones. These stones illustrate the work of conversion in the sinner. Hewed out of nature's dark quarry (Isaiah 51:1 , Isaiah 51:2 ), out and carved for a place in the temple of glory (Ephesians 2:20-22 ).

Verse 18

stonesquarers = men of Gebal, or Giblites, as Ezekiel 27:9 , now Jubeil, forty miles north of Sidon. Compare Psalms 83:7 . Phoenician masons' marks still visible on them.

so = and.