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1 Kings 5

KJV · Chapter 5/22

1And Hiram 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.

2And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,

3Thou 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.

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

5And, behold, I purpose 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.

6Now 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: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.

7And 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.

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

9My 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 appoint 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.

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

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

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

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

14And 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.

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

16Beside 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.

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

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

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Solomon forms an alliance with Hiram, king of Tyre, to obtain cedar wood and skilled craftsmen for building the temple. In exchange, he sends wheat and olive oil. Thousands of Israelite and foreign workers are recruited for the great project.

Explanation

This chapter shows the international diplomacy required for a project of such magnitude — the temple in Jerusalem was not built in isolation, but with the cooperation of neighboring nations and their resources and technical knowledge. The alliance with Tyre (a Phoenician city famous for seafaring and craftsmanship) demonstrates that major projects of faith often depend on practical partnerships and good diplomatic relations. It is also worth noting the high human cost: the forced labor conscription (mentioned as a 'levy') would become one of the grievances that later led to the kingdom's division.

Fun facts

  • Cedars of Lebanon were extremely prized in the ancient world for their durability and fragrance, used in temples and palaces by various civilizations of the ancient Near East, including Egypt.
  • The trade agreement between Solomon and Hiram — timber for food — is one of the first international trade treaties recorded in detail in the Bible.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 1 Kings 5:1Hiram, king of Tyre, sends envoys to Solomon as soon as he hears he has become king — because Hiram always had a good relationship with David, and the alliance naturally passes to the son.
  2. 1 Kings 5:2Solomon replies to Hiram’s message with a proposal — the start of the negotiation to build the Temple.
  3. 1 Kings 5:3Solomon explains that David could not build the house of God because he was always at war, until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.
  4. 1 Kings 5:4Now, Solomon says, God has given rest on every side: no adversary, no threat — the right moment to finally build the Temple.
  5. 1 Kings 5:5Solomon announces his intention to Hiram: to build the house of the Lord, fulfilling the promise God made to David that his son would raise up that Temple.
  6. 1 Kings 5:6Israel had no good building timber or tradition of working with it; that is why Solomon negotiates with Hiram, the Phoenician king of Tyre, trading skilled labor and raw material for food. It is a typical commercial deal of the time between neighbors with different resources.
  7. 1 Kings 5:7On hearing Solomon’s request, Hiram is glad and blesses God for having given David such a wise son to rule over that great people.
  8. 1 Kings 5:8Hiram replies that he will provide everything Solomon asked for regarding cedar and cypress timber.
  9. 1 Kings 5:9The practical deal: Hiram’s men will float the timber by sea in rafts to wherever Solomon indicates, and in exchange Solomon will supply food for Hiram’s household.
  10. 1 Kings 5:10Hiram delivers to Solomon all the cedar and cypress timber he had requested — the commercial deal takes shape.
  11. 1 Kings 5:11Payment to Hiram is made in wheat and oil, not money. It is a sign of an economy still based on trading goods, since minted currency would only appear in the region centuries later.
  12. 1 Kings 5:12God gives Solomon the promised wisdom, and there is peace between him and Hiram: the two seal an alliance.
  13. 1 Kings 5:13This levy of workers was forced labor in shifts: Israelites drafted to cut and haul timber in Lebanon, one month away from home and two at home. It is the same kind of demand that, expanded by Solomon’s son, will trigger the revolt that splits the kingdom in chapter 12.
  14. 1 Kings 5:14Solomon sends the workers to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand at a time: one month working there, two months at home, all under Adoniram’s supervision.
  15. 1 Kings 5:15Besides that, Solomon had seventy thousand men carrying loads and eighty thousand cutting stone in the mountains — the scale of the Temple project was enormous.
  16. 1 Kings 5:16Over all these workers, three thousand three hundred foremen gave the orders and coordinated the work.
  17. 1 Kings 5:17The king ordered large, high-quality stones to be brought, already cut, to serve as the foundation of the house.
  18. 1 Kings 5:18Solomon’s builders, Hiram’s builders, and the men of Gebal worked together preparing the timber and the stone to raise the Temple.

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