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1 Kings 1-6
New English Translation

Adonijah Tries to Seize the Throne

1 King David was very old;[a] even when they covered him with blankets,[b] he could not get warm. 2 His servants advised[c] him, “A young virgin must be found for our master, the king,[d] to take care of the king’s needs[e] and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you[f] and keep our master, the king, warm.”[g] 3 So they looked through all Israel[h] for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The young woman was very beautiful; she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king was not intimate with her.[i]

5 Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith,[j] was promoting himself,[k] boasting,[l] “I will be king!” He managed to acquire[m] chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard.[n] 6 (Now his father had never corrected[o] him[p] by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom.[q]) 7 He collaborated[r] with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported[s] him.[t] 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors[u] did not ally themselves[v] with Adonijah. 9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons,[w] as well as all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors,[x] or his brother Solomon.

11 Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Has it been reported to you[y] that Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king behind our master David’s back?[z] 12 Now[aa] let me give you some advice as to how[ab] you can save your life and your son Solomon’s life. 13 Visit[ac] King David and say to him, ‘My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise[ad] your servant, “Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne”? So why has Adonijah become king?’ 14 While[ae] you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive[af] and verify your report.”[ag]

15 So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters.[ah] (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 16 Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before[ai] the king. The king said, “What do you want?” 17 She replied to him, “My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.’ 18 But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you,[aj] my master the king, are not even aware of it![ak] 19 He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. 20 Now,[al] my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne.[am] 21 If a decision is not made,[an] when my master the king is buried with his ancestors,[ao] my son Solomon and I[ap] will be considered state criminals.”[aq]

22 Just then,[ar] while she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor.[as] 24 Nathan said, “My master, O king, did you announce, ‘Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne’? 25 For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment[at] they are having a feast[au] in his presence, and they have declared, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’[av] 26 But he did not invite me—your servant—or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon. 27 Has my master the king authorized this without informing your servants[aw] who should succeed my master the king on his throne?”[ax]

David Picks Solomon as His Successor

28 King David responded,[ay] “Summon Bathsheba!”[az] She came and stood before the king.[ba] 29 The king swore an oath: “As certainly as the Lord lives (he who has rescued me[bb] from every danger), 30 I will keep[bc] today the oath I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: ‘Surely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne.’” 31 Bathsheba bowed down to the king with her face to the floor[bd] and said, “May my master, King David, live forever!”

32 King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet,[be] and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king, 33 and he[bf] told them, “Take your master’s[bg] servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon.[bh] 34 There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint[bi] him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed[bj] that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada responded[bk] to the king: “So be it![bl] May the Lord God of my master the king confirm it![bm] 37 As the Lord is with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make him an even greater king than my master King David!”[bn]

38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites[bo] went down, put Solomon on King David’s mule, and led him to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest took a horn filled with olive oil[bp] from the tent and poured it on[bq] Solomon; the trumpet was blown and all the people declared, “Long live King Solomon!” 40 All the people followed him up, playing flutes and celebrating so loudly they made the ground shake.[br]

41 Now Adonijah and all his guests heard the commotion just as they had finished eating.[bs] When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, “Why is there such a noisy commotion in the city?”[bt] 42 As he was still speaking, Jonathan[bu] son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for[bv] an important man like you must be bringing good news.”[bw] 43 Jonathan replied[bx] to Adonijah: “No![by] Our master[bz] King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites and they put him on the king’s mule. 45 Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed[ca] him king in Gihon. They went up from there rejoicing, and the city is in an uproar. That is the sound you hear. 46 Furthermore, Solomon has assumed the royal throne.[cb] 47 The king’s servants have even come to congratulate[cc] our master[cd] King David, saying, ‘May your God[ce] make Solomon more famous than you and make him an even greater king than you!’[cf] Then the king leaned[cg] on the bed 48 and said[ch] this: ‘The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because[ci] today he has placed a successor on my throne and allowed me to see it.’”[cj]

49 All of Adonijah’s guests panicked;[ck] they jumped up and rushed off their separate ways. 50 Adonijah feared Solomon, so he got up and went and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.[cl] 51 Solomon was told, “Look, Adonijah fears you;[cm] see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘May King Solomon solemnly promise[cn] me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’” 52 Solomon said, “If he is a loyal subject,[co] not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor,[cp] he will die.” 53 King Solomon sent men to bring him down[cq] from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon told him, “Go home.”[cr]

David’s Final Words to Solomon

2 When David was close to death,[cs] he told[ct] Solomon his son: 2 “I am about to die.[cu] Be strong and become a man! 3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you[cv] by following his instructions[cw] and obeying[cx] his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish,[cy] 4 and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me,[cz] ‘If your descendants watch their step[da] and live faithfully in my presence[db] with all their heart and being,[dc] then,’ he promised,[dd] ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’[de]

5 “You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether.[df] During peacetime he struck them down as if in battle;[dg] when he shed their blood, he stained the belt on his waist and the sandals on his feet.[dh] 6 Do to him what you think is appropriate,[di] but don’t let him live long and die a peaceful death.[dj]

7 “Treat fairly[dk] the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs,[dl] because they helped me[dm] when I had to flee from your brother Absalom.

8 “Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim,[dn] who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim.[do] He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised[dp] him by the Lord, ‘I will not strike you down[dq] with the sword.’ 9 But now[dr] don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him;[ds] make sure he has a bloody death.”[dt]

10 Then David passed away[du] and was buried in the City of David.[dv] 11 David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem thirty-three years.

Solomon Secures the Throne

12 Solomon sat on his father David’s throne, and his royal authority[dw] was firmly solidified.

13 Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.”[dx] 14 He added,[dy] “I have something to say to you.” She replied, “Speak.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom[dz] was mine and all Israel considered me king.[ea] But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the Lord decided it should be his.[eb] 16 Now I’d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don’t refuse me.”[ec] She said, “Go ahead and ask.”[ed] 17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won’t refuse you.”[ee] 18 Bathsheba replied, “That’s fine;[ef] I’ll speak to the king on your behalf.”

19 So Bathsheba visited King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah’s behalf. The king got up to greet[eg] her, bowed to her, and then sat on his throne. He ordered a throne to be brought for the king’s mother,[eh] and she sat at his right hand. 20 She said, “I would like to ask you for just one small favor.[ei] Please don’t refuse me.”[ej] He said,[ek] “Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.” 21 She said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him?[el] Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

23 King Solomon then swore an oath by the Lord, “May God judge me severely,[em] if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life![en] 24 Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty[eo] for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!” 25 King Solomon then sent[ep] Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah.[eq]

26 The king then told Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your property[er] in Anathoth. You deserve to die,[es] but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times.”[et] 27 Solomon removed Abiathar from being a priest for the Lord, fulfilling the Lord’s message that he had pronounced against the family of Eli in Shiloh.

28 When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported[eu] Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he[ev] ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.[ew] 29 When King Solomon heard[ex] that Joab had run to the tent of the Lord and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada,[ey] “Go, strike him down.” 30 When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the Lord, he said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he replied, “No, I will die here!” So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab’s reply.[ez] 31 The king told him, “Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father’s family[fa] the guilt of Joab’s murderous, bloody deeds.[fb] 32 May the Lord punish him for the blood he shed;[fc] behind my father David’s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he[fd]—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 33 May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family,[fe] and his dynasty.”[ff] 34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab;[fg] he was buried at his home in the wilderness. 35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to take his place at the head of[fh] the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest to take Abiathar’s place.[fi]

36 Next the king summoned[fj] Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but you may not leave there to go anywhere.[fk] 37 If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die. You will be responsible for your own death.”[fl] 38 Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable.[fm] Your servant will do as you say.”[fn] So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.[fo]

39 Three years later two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your servants are in Gath.” 40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath. 41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, 42 the king summoned[fp] Shimei and said to him, “You will recall[fq] that I made you take an oath by the Lord, and I solemnly warned you, ‘If you ever leave and go anywhere,[fr] know for sure that you will certainly die.’ You said to me, ‘The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.’[fs] 43 Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?”[ft] 44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David.[fu] The Lord will punish you for what you did.[fv] 45 But King Solomon will be empowered,[fw] and David’s dynasty[fx] will endure permanently before the Lord.” 46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei.[fy]

So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom.[fz]

The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom

3 Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David[ga] until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places,[gb] because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord.[gc] 3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following[gd] the practices[ge] of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places.[gf] Solomon would offer up[gg] 1,000 burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared[gh] to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell[gi] me what I should give you.” 6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated[gj] great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served[gk] you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.[gl] You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.[gm] 7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.[gn] 8 Your servant stands[go] among your chosen people;[gp] they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning mind[gq] so he can make judicial decisions for[gr] your people and distinguish right from wrong.[gs] Otherwise[gt] no one is able[gu] to make judicial decisions for[gv] this great nation of yours.”[gw] 10 The Lord[gx] was pleased that Solomon made this request.[gy] 11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies,[gz] 12 I[ha] grant your request[hb] and give[hc] you a wise and discerning mind[hd] superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.[he] 13 Furthermore, I am giving[hf] you what you did not request—riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.[hg] 14 If you follow my instructions[hh] by obeying[hi] my rules and regulations, just as your father David did,[hj] then I will grant you long life.”[hk] 15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream.[hl] He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings,[hm] and held a feast for all his servants.

Solomon Demonstrates His Wisdom

16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was with me in the house. 18 Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us.[hn] 19 This woman’s child suffocated[ho] during the night when she rolled[hp] on top of him. 20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms. 21 I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there[hq] he was, dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.”[hr] 22 The other woman said, “No! My son is alive; your son is dead!” But the first woman replied, “No, your son is dead; my son is alive.” Each presented her case before the king.[hs]

23 The king said, “One says, ‘My son is alive; your son is dead,’ while the other says, ‘No, your son is dead; my son is alive.’” 24 The king ordered, “Get me a sword.” So they placed a sword before the king. 25 The king then said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” 26 The real mother[ht] spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were awakened.[hu] She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!”[hv] But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him. Let them cut him in two!” 27 The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” 28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected[hw] the king, for they realized[hx] that he possessed divine wisdom[hy] to make judicial decisions.

Solomon’s Royal Court and Administrators

4 King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 2 These were his officials:

Azariah son of Zadok was the priest.

3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, wrote down what happened.[hz]

Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records.

4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of[ia] the army.

Zadok and Abiathar were priests.

5 Azariah son of Nathan was supervisor of[ib] the district governors.

Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to[ic] the king.

6 Ahishar was supervisor of the palace.[id]

Adoniram son of Abda was supervisor of[ie] the work crews.[if]

7 Solomon had twelve district governors appointed throughout Israel who acquired supplies for the king and his palace. Each was responsible for one month in the year. 8 These were their names:

Ben Hur was in charge of the hill country of Ephraim.

9 Ben Deker was in charge of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan.

10 Ben Hesed was in charge of Arubboth; he controlled Socoh and all the territory of Hepher.

11 Ben Abinadab was in charge of Naphath Dor. (He was married to Solomon’s daughter Taphath.)

12 Baana son of Ahilud was in charge of Taanach and Megiddo, as well as all of Beth Shean next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah and on past Jokmeam.

13 Ben Geber was in charge of Ramoth Gilead; he controlled the villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan, including sixty large walled cities with bronze bars locking their gates.

14 Ahinadab son of Iddo was in charge of Mahanaim.

15 Ahimaaz was in charge of Naphtali. (He married Solomon’s daughter Basemath.)

16 Baana son of Hushai was in charge of Asher and Aloth.

17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was in charge of Issachar.

18 Shimei son of Ela was in charge of Benjamin.

19 Geber son of Uri was in charge of the land of Gilead (the territory which had once belonged to King Sihon of the Amorites and to King Og of Bashan). He was sole governor of the area.

Solomon’s Wealth and Fame

20 The people of Judah and Israel were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore; they had plenty to eat and drink and were happy. 21 (5:1)[ig] Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River[ih] to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms paid tribute as Solomon’s subjects throughout his lifetime.[ii] 22 Each day Solomon’s royal court consumed[ij] thirty cors[ik] of finely milled flour, sixty cors of cereal, 23 ten calves fattened in the stall,[il] 20 calves from the pasture, and 100 sheep, not to mention rams, gazelles, deer, and well-fed birds. 24 His royal court was so large because[im] he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah[in] to Gaza; he was at peace with all his neighbors.[io] 25 All the people of Judah and Israel had security; everyone from Dan to Beer Sheba enjoyed the produce of their vines and fig trees throughout Solomon’s lifetime.[ip] 26 Solomon had 4,000 stalls[iq] for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. 27 The district governors acquired supplies for King Solomon and all who ate in his royal palace.[ir] Each was responsible for one month in the year; they made sure nothing was lacking. 28 Each one also brought to the assigned location his quota of barley and straw for the various horses.[is]

29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding[it] was as infinite as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon was wiser than all the men of the east and all the sages of Egypt.[iu] 31 He was wiser than any man, including Ethan the Ezrahite or Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. He was famous in all the neighboring nations.[iv] 32 He composed[iw] 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. 33 He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant,[ix] from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing[iy] animals, birds, insects, and fish. 34 People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom;[iz] they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.

Solomon Gathers Building Materials for the Temple

5 (5:15)[ja] King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers[jb] to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in his father’s place. (Hiram had always been an ally of David.) 2 Solomon then sent this message to Hiram: 3 “You know that my father David was unable to build a temple to honor the Lord[jc] his God, for he was busy fighting battles on all fronts while the Lord subdued his enemies.[jd] 4 But now the Lord my God has made me secure on all fronts; there is no adversary or dangerous threat. 5 So I have decided[je] to build a temple to honor the Lord[jf] my God, as the Lord instructed my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, is the one who will build a temple to honor me.’[jg] 6 So now order some cedars of Lebanon to be cut for me. My servants will work with your servants. I will pay your servants whatever you say is appropriate, for you know that we have no one among us who knows how to cut down trees like the Sidonians.”

7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was very happy. He said, “The Lord is worthy of praise today because he[jh] has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.” 8 Hiram then sent this message to Solomon: “I received[ji] the message you sent to me. I will give you all the cedars and evergreens you need.[jj] 9 My servants will bring the timber down from Lebanon to the sea. I will send it by sea in raft-like bundles to the place you designate.[jk] There I will separate the logs[jl] and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court.”[jm]

10 So Hiram supplied the cedars and evergreens Solomon needed,[jn] 11 and Solomon supplied Hiram annually with 20,000 cors [jo] of wheat as provision for his royal court,[jp] as well as 120,000 gallons[jq] of pure[jr] olive oil.[js] 12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. And Hiram and Solomon were at peace and made a treaty.[jt]

13 King Solomon conscripted[ju] work crews[jv] from throughout Israel, 30,000 men in all. 14 He sent them to Lebanon in shifts of 10,000 men per month. They worked in Lebanon for one month, and then spent two months at home. Adoniram was supervisor of[jw] the work crews. 15 Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers[jx] and 80,000 stonecutters[jy] in the hills, 16 besides 3,300 officials[jz] who supervised the workers.[ka] 17 By royal order[kb] they supplied large valuable stones in order to build the temple’s foundation with chiseled stone. 18 Solomon’s and Hiram’s construction workers,[kc] along with men from Byblos,[kd] did the chiseling and prepared the wood and stones for the building of the temple.[ke]

The Building of the Temple

6 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, during the month Ziv[kf] (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple. 2 The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet[kg] long, 30 feet[kh] wide, and 45 feet[ki] high. 3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet[kj] long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet[kk] wide, extending out from the front of the temple. 4 He made framed windows for the temple. 5 He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and Holy Place and constructed side rooms in it.[kl] 6 The bottom floor of the extension was 7½ feet[km] wide, the middle floor 9 feet[kn] wide, and the third floor 10½ feet[ko] wide. He made ledges[kp] on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls.[kq] 7 As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry[kr] were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built. 8 The entrance to the bottom[ks] level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up[kt] to the middle floor and then on up to the third[ku] floor. 9 He finished building the temple[kv] and covered it[kw] with rafters[kx] and boards made of cedar.[ky] 10 He built an extension all around the temple; it was 7½ feet high[kz] and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.

11 [la] The Lord’s message came to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow[lb] my rules, observe[lc] my regulations, and obey all my commandments,[ld] I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.[le] 13 I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”

14 So Solomon finished building the temple.[lf] 15 He constructed the walls inside the temple with cedar planks; he paneled the inside with wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters[lg] of the ceiling. He covered the temple floor with boards made from the wood of evergreens. 16 He built a wall 30 feet in from the rear of the temple as a partition for an inner sanctuary that would be the Most Holy Place.[lh] He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters.[li] 17 The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long.[lj] 18 The inside of the temple was all cedar and was adorned with carvings of round ornaments and of flowers in bloom. Everything was cedar; no stones were visible.[lk]

19 He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there. 20 The inner sanctuary was 30 feet[ll] long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold,[lm] as well as the cedar altar.[ln] 21 Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold.[lo] He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary[lp] with gold. 22 He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary.[lq]

23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood; each stood 15 feet[lr] high. 24 Each of the first cherub’s wings was 7½ feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet.[ls] 25 The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape.[lt] 26 Each cherub stood 15 feet high.[lu] 27 He put the cherubim in the inner sanctuary of the temple.[lv] Their wings were spread out. One of the first cherub’s wings touched one wall and one of the other cherub’s wings touched the opposite wall. The first cherub’s other wing touched the second cherub’s other wing in the middle of the room.[lw] 28 He plated the cherubim with gold.

29 On all the walls around the temple, inside and out,[lx] he carved[ly] cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom. 30 He plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out.[lz] 31 He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided.[ma] 32 On the two doors made of olive wood he carved[mb] cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them with gold.[mc] He plated the cherubim and the palm trees with hammered gold.[md] 33 In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with four-sided pillars.[me] 34 He also made[mf] two doors out of wood from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves.[mg] 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom and plated them with gold, leveled out over the carvings. 36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of chiseled stones and a row of cedar beams.

37 In the month of Ziv[mh] in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign[mi] the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple. 38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul[mj] (the eighth month) the temple was completed in accordance with all its specifications and blueprints. It took seven years to build.[mk]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 1:1 tn Heb “was old, coming into the days” (i.e., advancing in years).
  2. 1 Kings 1:1 tn Or “garments.”
  3. 1 Kings 1:2 tn Heb “said to.”
  4. 1 Kings 1:2 tn Heb “let them seek for my master, the king, a young girl, a virgin.” The third person plural subject of the verb is indefinite (see GKC 460 §144.f). The appositional expression, “a young girl, a virgin,” is idiomatic; the second term specifically defines the more general first term (see IBHS 230 §12.3b).
  5. 1 Kings 1:2 tn Heb “and she will stand before the king.” The Hebrew phrase “stand before” can mean “to attend; to serve” (BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד).
  6. 1 Kings 1:2 tn Heb “and she will lie down in your bosom.” The expression might imply sexual intimacy (see 2 Sam 12:3 [where the lamb symbolizes Bathsheba] and Mic 7:5), though v. 4b indicates that David did not actually have sex with the young woman.
  7. 1 Kings 1:2 tn Heb “and my master, the king, will be warm.”
  8. 1 Kings 1:3 tn Heb “through all the territory of Israel.”
  9. 1 Kings 1:4 tn Heb “did not know her.” The verb יָדַע (yadaʿ, “to know”) is a euphemism for sexual relations.
  10. 1 Kings 1:5 tn Heb “son of Haggith,” but since this formula usually designates the father (who in this case was David), the translation specifies that David was Adonijah’s father.sn Haggith was one of David’s wives (2 Sam 3:4; 2 Chr 3:2).
  11. 1 Kings 1:5 tn Heb “lifting himself up.”
  12. 1 Kings 1:5 tn Heb “saying.”
  13. 1 Kings 1:5 tn Or “he acquired for himself.”
  14. 1 Kings 1:5 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
  15. 1 Kings 1:6 tn Or “disciplined.”
  16. 1 Kings 1:6 tn Heb “did not correct him from his days.” The phrase “from his days” means “from his earliest days,” or “ever in his life.” See GKC 382 §119.w, n. 2.
  17. 1 Kings 1:6 tn Heb “and she gave birth to him after Absalom.” This does not imply they had the same mother; Absalom’s mother was Maacah, not Haggith (2 Sam 3:4).
  18. 1 Kings 1:7 tn Heb “his words were.”
  19. 1 Kings 1:7 tn Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).
  20. 1 Kings 1:7 tn Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  21. 1 Kings 1:8 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
  22. 1 Kings 1:8 tn Heb “were not.”
  23. 1 Kings 1:9 tc The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.
  24. 1 Kings 1:10 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
  25. 1 Kings 1:11 tn Heb “Have you not heard?”
  26. 1 Kings 1:11 tn Heb “and our master David does not know.”
  27. 1 Kings 1:12 tn Heb “now, come.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.
  28. 1 Kings 1:12 tn Or “so that.”
  29. 1 Kings 1:13 tn Heb “come, go to.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.
  30. 1 Kings 1:13 tn Or “swear an oath to.”
  31. 1 Kings 1:14 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which here draws attention to Nathan’s concluding word of assurance and support. For this use of the word, see HALOT 252 s.v. הִנֵּה.
  32. 1 Kings 1:14 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will come after you.”
  33. 1 Kings 1:14 tn Heb “fill up [i.e., confirm] your words.”
  34. 1 Kings 1:15 tn Or “bedroom.”
  35. 1 Kings 1:16 tn Heb “bowed low and bowed down to.”
  36. 1 Kings 1:18 tc Instead of עַתָּה (ʿattah, “now”) many Hebrew mss, along with the Old Greek, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate, have the similar sounding independent pronoun אַתָּה (ʾattah, “you”). This reading is followed in the present translation.
  37. 1 Kings 1:18 tn Heb “you do not know [about it].”
  38. 1 Kings 1:20 tc Many Hebrew mss have עַתָּה (ʿattah, “now”) rather than the similar sounding independent pronoun אַתָּה (ʾattah, “you”).
  39. 1 Kings 1:20 tn Heb “the eyes of all Israel are upon you to declare to them who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.”
  40. 1 Kings 1:21 tn The words “if a decision is not made” are added for clarification.
  41. 1 Kings 1:21 tn Heb “lies down with his fathers.”
  42. 1 Kings 1:21 tn Heb “I and my son Solomon.” The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  43. 1 Kings 1:21 tn Heb “will be guilty”; NASB “considered offenders”; TEV “treated as traitors.”
  44. 1 Kings 1:22 tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) here draws attention to Nathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.
  45. 1 Kings 1:23 tn Heb “ground.” Since this was indoors, “floor” is more appropriate than “ground.”
  46. 1 Kings 1:25 tn Heb “look.”
  47. 1 Kings 1:25 tn Heb “eating and drinking.”
  48. 1 Kings 1:25 tn Heb “let the king, Adonijah, live!”
  49. 1 Kings 1:27 tc Many Hebrew mss and ancient textual witnesses agree with the Qere in reading this as singular, “your servant.”
  50. 1 Kings 1:27 tn Heb “From my master the king is this thing done, and you did not make known to your servants who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him?”
  51. 1 Kings 1:28 tn Heb “answered and said.”
  52. 1 Kings 1:28 sn Summon Bathsheba. Bathsheba must have left the room when Nathan arrived (see 1:22).
  53. 1 Kings 1:28 tn Heb “she came before the king and stood before the king.”
  54. 1 Kings 1:29 tn Or “ransomed my life.”
  55. 1 Kings 1:30 tn Or “carry out, perform.”
  56. 1 Kings 1:31 tn Heb “bowed low, face [to] the ground, and bowed down to the king.”
  57. 1 Kings 1:32 sn Summon…Nathan. Nathan must have left the room when Bathsheba reentered.
  58. 1 Kings 1:33 tn Heb “the king.”
  59. 1 Kings 1:33 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
  60. 1 Kings 1:33 tn Heb “mount Solomon my son on the mule that belongs to me and take him down to Gihon.”
  61. 1 Kings 1:34 tn Or “designate” (i.e., by anointing with oil).
  62. 1 Kings 1:35 tn Or “commanded.”
  63. 1 Kings 1:36 tn Heb “answered and said.”
  64. 1 Kings 1:36 tn Or “Amen.”
  65. 1 Kings 1:36 tn Heb “So may the Lord God of my master the king say.”
  66. 1 Kings 1:37 tn Heb “and may he make his throne greater than the throne of my master King David.”
  67. 1 Kings 1:38 sn The Kerethites and Pelethites were members of David’s royal guard (see 2 Sam 8:18). The Kerethites may have been descendants of an ethnic group originating in Crete.
  68. 1 Kings 1:39 tn Heb “the horn of oil.” This has been specified as olive oil in the translation for clarity.sn A horn filled with oil. An animal’s horn was used as an oil flask in the anointing ceremony.
  69. 1 Kings 1:39 tn Or “anointed.”
  70. 1 Kings 1:40 tn Heb “and all the people went up after him, and the people were playing flutes and rejoicing with great joy and the ground split open at the sound of them.” The verb בָּקַע (baqaʿ, “to split open”), which elsewhere describes the effects of an earthquake, is obviously here an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis.
  71. 1 Kings 1:41 tn Heb “And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard, now they had finished eating.”
  72. 1 Kings 1:41 tn Heb “Why is the city’s sound noisy?”
  73. 1 Kings 1:42 tn The Hebrew text has “look” at this point. The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), “look” draws attention to Jonathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.
  74. 1 Kings 1:42 tn Or “surely.”
  75. 1 Kings 1:42 tn Heb “you are a man of strength [or “ability”] and you bring a message [that is] good.” Another option is to understand the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (ʾish khayil) in the sense of “a worthy man,” that is “loyal.” See also 1 Kgs 1:52 and HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל.
  76. 1 Kings 1:43 tn Heb “answered and said.”
  77. 1 Kings 1:43 tn For a similar use of אֲבָל (ʾaval), see Gen 17:19, where God rejects Abraham’s proposal and offers an alternative.
  78. 1 Kings 1:43 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
  79. 1 Kings 1:45 tn I.e., designated by anointing with oil.
  80. 1 Kings 1:46 tn Heb “And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.”
  81. 1 Kings 1:47 tn Heb “to bless.”
  82. 1 Kings 1:47 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
  83. 1 Kings 1:47 tc Many Hebrew mss agree with the Qere in reading simply “God.”
  84. 1 Kings 1:47 tn Heb “make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.” The term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) is used here of one’s fame and reputation.
  85. 1 Kings 1:47 tn Or “bowed down; worshiped.”
  86. 1 Kings 1:48 tn The Hebrew text reads, “and the king said.”
  87. 1 Kings 1:48 tn Or “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who….” In this blessing formula אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher, “who; because”) introduces the reason why the one being blessed deserves the honor.
  88. 1 Kings 1:48 tn Heb “and my eyes are seeing.”
  89. 1 Kings 1:49 tn Or “were afraid, trembled.”
  90. 1 Kings 1:50 sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Adonijah was seeking asylum from Solomon.
  91. 1 Kings 1:51 tn Heb “King Solomon.” The name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“you”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  92. 1 Kings 1:51 tn Or “swear an oath to.”
  93. 1 Kings 1:52 tn Heb “if he is a man of strength [or ability].” In this context, where Adonijah calls himself a “servant,” implying allegiance to the new king, the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (ʾish khayil) probably carries the sense of “a worthy man,” that is, “loyal” (see HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל).
  94. 1 Kings 1:52 tn Heb “but if evil is found in him.”
  95. 1 Kings 1:53 tn Heb “sent and they brought him down.”
  96. 1 Kings 1:53 tn Heb “Go to your house.”
  97. 1 Kings 2:1 tn Heb “and the days of David approached to die.”
  98. 1 Kings 2:1 tn Or “commanded.”
  99. 1 Kings 2:2 tn Heb “going the way of all the earth.”
  100. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “keep the charge of the Lord your God.”
  101. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “by walking in his ways.”
  102. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Or “keeping.”
  103. 1 Kings 2:3 tn Heb “then you will cause to succeed all which you do and all which you turn there.”
  104. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “then the Lord will establish his word which he spoke to me, saying.”
  105. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “guard their way.”
  106. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “by walking before me in faithfulness.”
  107. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Or “soul.”
  108. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “saying.”
  109. 1 Kings 2:4 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from upon the throne of Israel.”
  110. 1 Kings 2:5 tn Heb “what he did to the two commanders…and he killed them.”
  111. 1 Kings 2:5 tn Heb “he shed the blood of battle in peace.”
  112. 1 Kings 2:5 tn Heb “and he shed the blood of battle on his belt which is on his waist and on his sandal[s] which are on his feet.” That is, he covered himself with guilt and his guilt was obvious to all who saw him.
  113. 1 Kings 2:6 tn Heb “according to your wisdom.”
  114. 1 Kings 2:6 tn Heb “and do not bring down his grey hair in peace [to] Sheol.”
  115. 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “do loyalty with”; or “act faithfully toward.”
  116. 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “and let them be among the ones who eat [at] your table.”
  117. 1 Kings 2:7 tn Heb “thus drew near to.”
  118. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “Look, with you is Shimei….”
  119. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “and he cursed me with a horrible curse on the day I went to Mahanaim.”
  120. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Or “swore an oath to.”
  121. 1 Kings 2:8 tn Heb “kill you.”
  122. 1 Kings 2:9 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek and the Vulgate have here “you” rather than “now.” The two words are homonyms in Hebrew.
  123. 1 Kings 2:9 tn Heb “what you should do to him.”
  124. 1 Kings 2:9 tn Heb “bring his grey hair down in blood [to] Sheol.”
  125. 1 Kings 2:10 tn Heb “and David lay down with his fathers.”
  126. 1 Kings 2:10 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  127. 1 Kings 2:12 tn Or “kingship.”
  128. 1 Kings 2:13 tn Heb “[in] peace.”
  129. 1 Kings 2:14 tn Heb “and he said.”
  130. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Or “kingship.”
  131. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “set their face to me to be king.”
  132. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “and the kingdom turned about and became my brother’s, for from the Lord it became his.”
  133. 1 Kings 2:16 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
  134. 1 Kings 2:16 tn Heb “She said, ‘Speak!’”
  135. 1 Kings 2:17 tn Heb “Say to Solomon the king, for he will not turn back your face, that he might give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.”
  136. 1 Kings 2:18 tn Heb “[It is] good!”
  137. 1 Kings 2:19 tn Or “meet.”
  138. 1 Kings 2:19 tn Heb “he set up a throne for the mother of the king.”
  139. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Or “I’d like to make just one request of you.”
  140. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
  141. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Heb “and the king said to her.”
  142. 1 Kings 2:22 tn Heb “for Adonijah.”
  143. 1 Kings 2:23 tn Heb “So may God do to me, and so may he add.”
  144. 1 Kings 2:23 tn Heb “if with his life Adonijah has not spoken this word.”
  145. 1 Kings 2:24 tn Heb “house.”
  146. 1 Kings 2:25 tn The Hebrew text adds, “by the hand of.”
  147. 1 Kings 2:25 tn Heb “and he struck him and he died.”
  148. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Or “field.”
  149. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Heb “you are a man of death,” an idiom.
  150. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Heb “and because you suffered through all which my father suffered.”
  151. 1 Kings 2:28 tn Heb “turned after” (also later in this verse).
  152. 1 Kings 2:28 tn Heb “Joab.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  153. 1 Kings 2:28 sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Joab was seeking asylum from Solomon.
  154. 1 Kings 2:29 tn Heb “and it was related to King Solomon.”
  155. 1 Kings 2:29 tn Heb “so Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying.”
  156. 1 Kings 2:30 tn Heb “saying, “In this way Joab spoke and in this way he answered me.”
  157. 1 Kings 2:31 tn Heb “house.”
  158. 1 Kings 2:31 tn Heb “take away the undeserved bloodshed which Joab spilled from upon me and from upon the house of my father.”
  159. 1 Kings 2:32 tn Heb “The Lord will cause his blood to return upon his head.”
  160. 1 Kings 2:32 tn Heb “because he struck down two men more innocent and better than he and he killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know.”
  161. 1 Kings 2:33 tn Heb “house.”
  162. 1 Kings 2:33 tn Heb “his throne.”
  163. 1 Kings 2:34 tn Heb “struck him and killed him.” The referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  164. 1 Kings 2:35 tn Heb “over.”
  165. 1 Kings 2:35 tc The Old Greek translation includes after v. 35 some fourteen verses that are absent from the MT.
  166. 1 Kings 2:36 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
  167. 1 Kings 2:36 tn Heb “and you may not go out from there here or there.”
  168. 1 Kings 2:37 tn Heb “your blood will be upon your head.”
  169. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “Good is the word, as my master the king has spoken.”
  170. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “so your servant will do.”
  171. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “many days.”
  172. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
  173. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “Is it not [true]…?” In the Hebrew text the statement is interrogative; the rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course it is.”
  174. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “here or there.”
  175. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “good is the word; I have heard.”
  176. 1 Kings 2:43 tn Heb “Why have you not kept the oath [to] the Lord and the commandment I commanded you?”
  177. 1 Kings 2:44 tn Heb “You know all the evil, for your heart knows, which you did to David my father.”
  178. 1 Kings 2:44 tn Heb “The Lord will cause your evil to return upon your head.”
  179. 1 Kings 2:45 tn Or “blessed.”
  180. 1 Kings 2:45 tn Heb “throne.”
  181. 1 Kings 2:46 tn “The king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada and he went out and struck him down and he died.”
  182. 1 Kings 2:46 tn “And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.”
  183. 1 Kings 3:1 sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  184. 1 Kings 3:2 sn Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated.
  185. 1 Kings 3:2 tn Heb “for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “to honor the Lord”). The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.
  186. 1 Kings 3:3 tn Heb “by walking in.”
  187. 1 Kings 3:3 tn Or “policies, rules.”
  188. 1 Kings 3:4 tn Heb “for it was the great high place.”
  189. 1 Kings 3:4 tn Or, “customarily offered up.” The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See GKC 314 §107.b.
  190. 1 Kings 3:5 tn Or “revealed himself.”
  191. 1 Kings 3:5 tn Heb “ask.”
  192. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “did.”
  193. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “walked before.”
  194. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
  195. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.”
  196. 1 Kings 3:7 tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
  197. 1 Kings 3:8 tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
  198. 1 Kings 3:8 tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
  199. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
  200. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to judge.”
  201. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
  202. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
  203. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
  204. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to judge.”
  205. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “your numerous people.”
  206. 1 Kings 3:10 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
  207. 1 Kings 3:10 tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
  208. 1 Kings 3:11 tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”
  209. 1 Kings 3:12 tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
  210. 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made.
  211. 1 Kings 3:12 tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”).
  212. 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
  213. 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
  214. 1 Kings 3:13 tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
  215. 1 Kings 3:13 tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
  216. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
  217. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Or “keeping.”
  218. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “walked.”
  219. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
  220. 1 Kings 3:15 tn Heb “and look, a dream.”
  221. 1 Kings 3:15 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
  222. 1 Kings 3:18 sn There was no one else in the house except the two of us. In other words, there were no other witnesses to the births who could identify which child belonged to which mother.
  223. 1 Kings 3:19 tn Heb “died.”
  224. 1 Kings 3:19 tn Heb “lay, slept.”
  225. 1 Kings 3:21 tn Heb “look.”
  226. 1 Kings 3:21 tn Heb “look, it was not my son to whom I had given birth.”
  227. 1 Kings 3:22 tn Heb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.”
  228. 1 Kings 3:26 tn Heb “the woman whose son was alive.”
  229. 1 Kings 3:26 tn Heb “for her compassions grew warm for her son.”
  230. 1 Kings 3:26 tn The infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the main verb.
  231. 1 Kings 3:28 tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.”
  232. 1 Kings 3:28 tn Heb “saw.”
  233. 1 Kings 3:28 tn Heb “the wisdom of God was in his midst for performing justice.” The phrase “wisdom of God” may be taken as an attributive genitive, “divine wisdom,” or as a genitive of source, “wisdom from God.” Even in English they are basically the same, since wisdom from God is divine in character.
  234. 1 Kings 4:3 tn Heb “were scribes”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “secretaries”; TEV, NLT “court secretaries.”
  235. 1 Kings 4:4 tn Heb “was over.”
  236. 1 Kings 4:5 tn Heb “was over.”
  237. 1 Kings 4:5 tn Heb “close associate of”; KJV, ASV, NASB “the king’s friend” (a title for an adviser, not just an acquaintance).
  238. 1 Kings 4:6 tn Heb “over the house.”
  239. 1 Kings 4:6 tn Heb “was over.”
  240. 1 Kings 4:6 sn The work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
  241. 1 Kings 4:21 sn Beginning with 4:21, the verse numbers through 5:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 4:21 ET = 5:1 HT, 4:22 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:18 ET = 5:32 HT. Beginning with 6:1 the numbering of verses in the English Bible and the Hebrew text is again the same.
  242. 1 Kings 4:21 tn Heb “the River” (also in v. 24). This is the standard designation for the Euphrates River in biblical Hebrew.
  243. 1 Kings 4:21 tn Heb “[They] were bringing tribute and were serving Solomon all the days of his life.”
  244. 1 Kings 4:22 tn Heb “the food of Solomon for each day was.”
  245. 1 Kings 4:22 tn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
  246. 1 Kings 4:23 tn The words “in the stall” are added for clarification; note the immediately following reference to cattle from the pasture.
  247. 1 Kings 4:24 tn Heb “because.” The words “his royal court was so large” are added to facilitate the logical connection with the preceding verse.
  248. 1 Kings 4:24 sn Tiphsah. This was located on the Euphrates River.
  249. 1 Kings 4:24 tn Heb “for he was ruling over all [the region] beyond the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kingdoms beyond the River, and he had peace on every side all around.”
  250. 1 Kings 4:25 tn Heb “Judah and Israel lived securely, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan to Beer Sheba, all the days of Solomon.”
  251. 1 Kings 4:26 tn The Hebrew text has “40,000,” but this is probably an inflated number (nevertheless it is followed by KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, CEV). Some Greek mss of the OT and the parallel in 2 Chr 9:25 read “4,000” (cf. NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT).
  252. 1 Kings 4:27 tn Heb “everyone who drew near to the table of King Solomon.”
  253. 1 Kings 4:28 tn Heb “barley and straw for the horses and the steeds they brought to the place which was there, each according to his measure.”
  254. 1 Kings 4:29 tn Heb “heart,” i.e., mind. (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
  255. 1 Kings 4:30 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon was greater than the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.”
  256. 1 Kings 4:31 tn Heb “his name was in all the surrounding nations.”
  257. 1 Kings 4:32 tn Heb “spoke.”
  258. 1 Kings 4:33 tn Heb “he spoke about plants.”
  259. 1 Kings 4:33 tn Heb “he spoke about.”
  260. 1 Kings 4:34 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon.”
  261. 1 Kings 5:1 sn The verse numbers in the English Bible differ from those in the Hebrew text (BHS) here; 5:1-18 in the English Bible corresponds to 5:15-32 in the Hebrew text. See the note at 4:21.
  262. 1 Kings 5:1 tn Heb “his servants.”
  263. 1 Kings 5:3 tn Heb “a house for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.
  264. 1 Kings 5:3 tn Heb “because of the battles which surrounded him until the Lord placed them under the soles of his feet.”
  265. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “Look, I am saying.”
  266. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “a house for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.
  267. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “a house for my name.”
  268. 1 Kings 5:7 tn Or “Blessed be the Lord today, who….”
  269. 1 Kings 5:8 tn Heb “heard.”
  270. 1 Kings 5:8 tn Heb “I will satisfy all your desire with respect to cedar wood and with respect to the wood of evergreens.”
  271. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “I will place them [on? as?] rafts in the sea to the place where you designate to me.” This may mean he would send them by raft, or that he would tie them in raft-like bundles, and have ships tow them down to an Israelite port.
  272. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “smash them,” i.e., untie the bundles.
  273. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “as for you, you will satisfy my desire by giving food for my house.”
  274. 1 Kings 5:10 tn Heb “and Hiram gave to Solomon cedar wood and the wood of evergreens, all his desire.”
  275. 1 Kings 5:11 sn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
  276. 1 Kings 5:11 tn Heb “his house.”
  277. 1 Kings 5:11 tc The Hebrew text has “twenty cors,” but the ancient Greek version and the parallel text in 2 Chr 2:10 read “20,000 baths.” sn A bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons (about 22 liters), so this was a quantity of about 120,000 gallons (440,000 liters).
  278. 1 Kings 5:11 tn Or “pressed.”
  279. 1 Kings 5:11 tn Heb “and Solomon supplied Hiram with 20,000 cors of wheat…pure olive oil. So Solomon would give to Hiram year by year.”
  280. 1 Kings 5:12 tn Heb “a covenant,” referring to a formal peace treaty or alliance.
  281. 1 Kings 5:13 tn Heb “raised up.”
  282. 1 Kings 5:13 sn Work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
  283. 1 Kings 5:14 tn Heb “was over.”
  284. 1 Kings 5:15 tn Heb “carriers of loads.”
  285. 1 Kings 5:15 tn Heb “cutters” (probably of stones).
  286. 1 Kings 5:16 tc Some Greek mss of the OT read “3,600”; cf. 2 Chr 2:2, 18 and NLT.
  287. 1 Kings 5:16 tn Heb “besides thirty-three hundred from the officials of Solomon’s governors who were over the work, the ones ruling over the people, the ones doing the work.”
  288. 1 Kings 5:17 tn Heb “and the king commanded.”
  289. 1 Kings 5:18 tn Heb “builders.”
  290. 1 Kings 5:18 tn Heb “the Gebalites.” The reading is problematic and some emend to a verb form meaning, “set the borders.”
  291. 1 Kings 5:18 tc The LXX includes the words “for three years.”
  292. 1 Kings 6:1 sn During the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.
  293. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “60 cubits.” A cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm. Measurements in vv. 2-10 have been converted to feet in the translation for clarity.
  294. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “20 [cubits].”
  295. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “30 cubits.”
  296. 1 Kings 6:3 tn Heb “20 cubits.”
  297. 1 Kings 6:3 tn Heb “10 cubits.”
  298. 1 Kings 6:5 tn Heb “and he built on the wall of the temple an extension all around, the walls of the temple all around, for the main hall and for the holy place, and he made side rooms all around.”
  299. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “five cubits.”
  300. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “six cubits.”
  301. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “7 cubits.”
  302. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Or “offsets” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “offset ledges.”
  303. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “so that [the beams] would not have a hold in the walls of the temple.”
  304. 1 Kings 6:7 tn Heb “finished stone of the quarry,” i.e., stones chiseled and shaped at the time they were taken out of the quarry.
  305. 1 Kings 6:8 tc The Hebrew text has “middle,” but the remainder of the verse suggests this is an error.
  306. 1 Kings 6:8 tn Heb “by stairs they went up.” The word translated “stairs” occurs only here. Other options are “trapdoors” or “ladders.”
  307. 1 Kings 6:8 tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew mss, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate הַשְּׁלִשִׁית (hashelishit, “the third”) rather than MT הַשְּׁלִשִׁים (hashelishim, “the thirty”).
  308. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
  309. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “the house.”
  310. 1 Kings 6:9 tn The word occurs only here; the precise meaning is uncertain.
  311. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “and rows with cedar wood.”
  312. 1 Kings 6:10 tn Heb “5 cubits.” This must refer to the height of each floor or room.
  313. 1 Kings 6:11 tc The LXX lacks vv. 11-14.
  314. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “walk in.”
  315. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “do.”
  316. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “and keep all my commandments by walking in them.”
  317. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “I will establish my word with you which I spoke to David your father.”
  318. 1 Kings 6:14 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
  319. 1 Kings 6:15 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
  320. 1 Kings 6:16 tn Heb “He built 20 cubits from the rear areas of the temple with cedar planks from the floor to the walls, and he built it on the inside for an inner sanctuary, for a holy place of holy places.”
  321. 1 Kings 6:16 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
  322. 1 Kings 6:17 tn Heb “and the house was 40 cubits, that is, the main hall before it.”
  323. 1 Kings 6:18 tn Heb “Cedar was inside the temple, carvings of gourds (i.e., gourd-shaped ornaments) and opened flowers; the whole was cedar, no stone was seen.”
  324. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “20 cubits” (this measurement occurs three times in this verse).
  325. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
  326. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “he plated [the] altar of cedar.”
  327. 1 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
  328. 1 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “it.”
  329. 1 Kings 6:22 tn Heb “all the temple he plated with gold until all the temple was finished; and the whole altar which was in the inner sanctuary he plated with gold.”
  330. 1 Kings 6:23 tn Heb “10 cubits” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
  331. 1 Kings 6:24 tn Heb “The first wing of the [one] cherub was 5 cubits, and the second wing of the cherub was 5 cubits, 10 cubits from the tips of his wings to the tips of his wings.”
  332. 1 Kings 6:25 tn Heb “and the second cherub was 10 cubits, the two cherubim had one measurement and one shape.”
  333. 1 Kings 6:26 tn Heb “the height of the first cherub was 10 cubits; and so was the second cherub.”
  334. 1 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “in the midst of the inner house,” i.e., in the inner sanctuary.
  335. 1 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “and their wings were in the middle of the room, touching wing to wing.”
  336. 1 Kings 6:29 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
  337. 1 Kings 6:29 tn Heb “carved engravings of carvings.”
  338. 1 Kings 6:30 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
  339. 1 Kings 6:31 tn Heb “the pillar, doorposts, a fifth part” (the precise meaning of this description is uncertain).
  340. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “carved carvings of.”
  341. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “he plated [with] gold” (the precise object is not stated).
  342. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “and he hammered out the gold on the cherubim and the palm trees.”
  343. 1 Kings 6:33 tn Heb “and so he did at the entrance of the main hall, doorposts of olive wood, from a fourth.”
  344. 1 Kings 6:34 tn The words “he also made” are added for stylistic reasons.
  345. 1 Kings 6:34 tc Heb “two of the leaves of the first door were folding, and two of the leaves of the second door were folding.” In the second half of the description, the MT has קְלָעִים (qelaʿim, “curtains”), but this probably should be emended to צְלָעִים (tselaʿim, “leaves”), which appears in the first half of the statement. One Hebrew ms, the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate support צְלָעִים (tselaʿim, “leaves”).
  346. 1 Kings 6:37 sn In the month of Ziv. This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.
  347. 1 Kings 6:37 tn The words “of Solomon’s reign” are added for clarification. See v. 1.
  348. 1 Kings 6:38 sn In the month Bul. This would be October-November 959 b.c. in modern reckoning.
  349. 1 Kings 6:38 tn Heb “he built it in seven years.”
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