1 Reis 5
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
1 Reis 5
NJB (MT versing) Alliance with King Hiram Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple Preparations for Building the Temple Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple Reorders Chapters 4 & 5 5:1-12 5:1-12 5:1-6 5:1-6 5:7-12 5:7-9 5:10-11 Conscription of Laborers 5:12 5:13-18 5:13-18 5:13-18 5:13-18 Etc.
1 Reis 5:1-12
5:1 "Hiram King of Tyre" This was the king of Phoenicia from 969-936 b.c. (Albright). He provided materials and artisans for David's palace ‒ here; 2 Sam. 5:11 Solomon's palace ‒ 1 Sam. 9:1,10 Solomon's Temple ‒ 1 Kings 5; 9:10-14 Josephus also gives information about Hiram (cf. Antiq. 7.3.3; 7.12.4; 8.6.6,7,9). His name is spelled several different ways. Hiram ‒ 2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Kgs. 5:1ff; 9:11 Hirom ‒ 1 Kgs. 5:10,18; Josephus Huram ‒ 2 Chr. 2:3,11 Because most of Hiram's activities occur in Solomon's reign, some scholars put David's palace construction late in his reign (i.e., Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 382). We must just admit we have no good extra-biblical, historical information about Hiram. The Chronicles obviously are not a chronologically based history but a theologically based reconstruction. ▣ "anointed" See SPECIAL TOPIC: "ANOINTING" IN THE BIBLE. ▣ "Hiram had always been a friend of David" He helped David build his palace with artisans and materials (cf. 2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Chr. 14:1). 5:2 "Then Solomon sent word to Hiram" 2 Chronicles 2:3-16 is a parallel (with more information included; see Josephus, Antiq. 8.2.6,7,9). 5:3 "for the name of the Lord" See SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH (OT). ▣ "put them under the soles of his feet" This is an idiom for military victory (cf. Josh. 10:24; Ps. 110:1). 5:4 YHWH gave Solomon the covenant promise of "rest" (NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 1132-1136) and "peace" (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). YHWH wanted to reveal Himself to the nations through Israel's covenant experience and consequent blessings. This same terminology is spoken to David in 2 Sam. 7:1,11; also note Deut. 12:10; Josh. 11:23; 23:1. 5:5 David not only desired to build a house for YHWH but drew up the plans and collected the materials (cf. 1 Chr. 28:11-18). 5:6 "cedars" These were large trees with beautiful, strong wood. We see from 1 Kgs. 5:8,10 that cypress trees were also part of the lumber of the temple. See UBS, Helps for Translators, Fauna and Flora of the Bible, pp. 108, 162-163, and NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 510-511. ▣ "the Sidonians" Phoenicia had two main cities, Tyre and Sidon. 5:9 Apparently at this time Phoenicia needed food supplies (cf. v. 11). For "cypress" see UBS, Fauna and Flora of the Bible, pp. 115-116. ▣ "rafts" This NOUNn (BDB 184) occurs only here. In the parallel in 2 Chr. 2:16, it has another hapax legomenon (BDB 952) which is translated "rafts." 5:11 This verse lists 20,000 kors of wheat and 20 kors of beaten oil. The parallel in 2 Chr. 2:10 lists 20,000 kors of crushed wheat 20,000 kors of barley 20,000 baths of wine 20,000 baths of oil SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES 5:12 "covenant" See SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT.
1 Reis 5:13-18
5:13 This verse seems to contrast 1 Kgs. 9:22. Possibly only non-military, non-government Israelites were subject to forced labors. Solomon surely used conquered peoples to build his projects (i.e., Gebalites, v. 18; cf. Josh. 13:5; Ezek. 27:9). See Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pp. 199-200, and Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, "State Slaves," pp. 88-90. 5:17 "great stones" These large stones are still visible today (i.e., the wailing wall, cf. 1 Kgs. 7:10-11). ▣ "costly stones" This does not seem to fit the lime stone blocks. There is an Arabic cognate that means "to split," so this may mean precisely cut stones to form the foundation of the temple (cf. 1 Kgs. 6:7).