Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options

1 Kings 4:33-5:14
New English Translation

33 He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant,[a] from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing[b] animals, birds, insects, and fish. 34 People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom;[c] they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.

Solomon Gathers Building Materials for the Temple

5 (5:15)[d] King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers[e] 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[f] his God, for he was busy fighting battles on all fronts while the Lord subdued his enemies.[g] 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[h] to build a temple to honor the Lord[i] 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.’[j] 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[k] has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.” 8 Hiram then sent this message to Solomon: “I received[l] the message you sent to me. I will give you all the cedars and evergreens you need.[m] 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.[n] There I will separate the logs[o] and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court.”[p]

10 So Hiram supplied the cedars and evergreens Solomon needed,[q] 11 and Solomon supplied Hiram annually with 20,000 cors [r] of wheat as provision for his royal court,[s] as well as 120,000 gallons[t] of pure[u] olive oil.[v] 12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. And Hiram and Solomon were at peace and made a treaty.[w]

13 King Solomon conscripted[x] work crews[y] 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[z] the work crews.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:33 tn Heb “he spoke about plants.”
  2. 1 Kings 4:33 tn Heb “he spoke about.”
  3. 1 Kings 4:34 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon.”
  4. 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.
  5. 1 Kings 5:1 tn Heb “his servants.”
  6. 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.
  7. 1 Kings 5:3 tn Heb “because of the battles which surrounded him until the Lord placed them under the soles of his feet.”
  8. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “Look, I am saying.”
  9. 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.
  10. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “a house for my name.”
  11. 1 Kings 5:7 tn Or “Blessed be the Lord today, who….”
  12. 1 Kings 5:8 tn Heb “heard.”
  13. 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.”
  14. 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.
  15. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “smash them,” i.e., untie the bundles.
  16. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “as for you, you will satisfy my desire by giving food for my house.”
  17. 1 Kings 5:10 tn Heb “and Hiram gave to Solomon cedar wood and the wood of evergreens, all his desire.”
  18. 1 Kings 5:11 sn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
  19. 1 Kings 5:11 tn Heb “his house.”
  20. 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).
  21. 1 Kings 5:11 tn Or “pressed.”
  22. 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.”
  23. 1 Kings 5:12 tn Heb “a covenant,” referring to a formal peace treaty or alliance.
  24. 1 Kings 5:13 tn Heb “raised up.”
  25. 1 Kings 5:13 sn Work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
  26. 1 Kings 5:14 tn Heb “was over.”
Next
1 Kings 3
1 Kings 6
Next
dropdown
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.