1 Kings 5:1-18 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Solomon's Alliance with Hiram. Preparation for the Temple. This chapter has a few Deuteronomic additions (1 Kings 5:3-5 and 1 Kings 5:12). In 1 Kings 5:4 there is a truly Deuteronomic touch: the one sanctuary could not come into existence till God had given the people rest (2 Samuel 7:11; Deuteronomy 12:9; Deuteronomy 25:19).

The alliance was of mutual importance to the Israelites and the Tyrians. The corn-growing districts of N. Palestine were the granary of the Phœ nicians in the time of Solomon (1 Kings 5:9), as in the days of the Herods (Acts 12:20). David had made a treaty with Tyre (2 Samuel 5:11). Zidon was probably the older city, and Hiram's people are called, in 1 Kings 5:6, Zidonians. The Tyrian trade was very extensive, and had reached to the Atlantic, and even to our own islands, in search of the tin mines. Hiram helped Solomon in his trade with the East (see below). Owing to the reading of the LXX, And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to anoint Solomon, it has been supposed that Israel was a subject nation. There is, however, no hint of this elsewhere in the Bible. Tyre is the subject of two great prophecies (Isaiah 23 and Ezekiel 27). In Ezekiel there is a striking description of the trade and prosperity of the great city. From the prophets we see that Israel looked on Tyre as the home of a civilisation greatly superior to their own. The skill of the Phœ nician workmen (1 Kings 5:6) is confirmed by the testimony of Homer, Herodotus, and Strabo. Hiram was apparently overlord of the Phœ nician coast and Zidon.

Hiram's name is variously spelt as Hiram, Hirom, and Huram; Josephus calls him Eiromos. The name is Phœ nician, and was probably Ahi-ram, brother of the exalted one (Stenning in HDB). Josephus declares (Ant. viii.) that copies of the letters between Hiram and Solomon were preserved in the Tyrian archives. He also (Apion, i. 1 Kings 17:18) quotes the historians Dius and Menander of Ephesus, who say that Hiram was son of king Abibalus (Abi-baal) and therefore plainly an historical personage. Hiram provided timber for Solomon, which was brought on rafts to Joppa (2 Chronicles 2:16), and in return Solomon supplied him with wheat and beaten oil i.e. oil of the finest kind (1 Kings 5:11).

1 Kings 5:13-18 relates to Solomon's levy of forced service under Adoniram (or Adoram; see 1 Kings 4:6). The great stones were hewed by the servants of Hiram and the Gebalites. The LXX (B) omits the verse, and reads for Gebalites Biblioi (Ezekiel 27:9); the AV has stone-squarers. Gebal is a city on the sea at the foot of Lebanon. The modern name is Jubeil. The reading of 1 Kings 5:18 is very doubtful.

Related Commentaries of 1 Kings 5:1

1 Kings 5:1-18

1 And Hirama king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.

2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,

3 Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.

4 But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.

5 And, behold, I purposeb to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.

6 Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint:c for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.

7 And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the LORD this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people.

8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have consideredd the things which thou sentest to me for: and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir.

9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appointe me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.

10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire.

11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measuresf of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.

12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

13 And king Solomon raised a levyg out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

14 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy.

15 And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains;

16 Beside the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work.

17 And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.

18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.