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1 Kings 5:7-17

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7 When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he was very pleased and said, “Praise the LORD today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.”
8 Then he sent this reply to Solomon: “I have received your message, and I will supply all the cedar and cypress timber you need.
9 My servants will bring the logs from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea and make them into rafts and float them along the coast to whatever place you choose. Then we will break the rafts apart so you can carry the logs away. You can pay me by supplying me with food for my household.”
10 So Hiram supplied as much cedar and cypress timber as Solomon desired.
11 In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons of pure olive oil.
12 So the LORD gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace.
13 Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.
14 He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force.
15 Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country,
16 and 3,600 foremen to supervise the work.
17 At the king’s command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple.
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1 Kings 5:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS 5

This chapter relates Solomon's preparation for building the temple: on Hiram, king of Tyre, sending a congratulatory letter to him, he returned another to him, signifying his intention to build an house for God, and requesting him to supply him with timber, and men to work it, 1Ki 5:1-6; to which Hiram readily agreed, and sent him cedar and fir, and Solomon in return sent him food for his household; and things went on very amicably between them, 1Ki 5:7-12; the chapter concludes with an account of Solomon's workmen, where, how, and in what they were employed, 1Ki 5:13-18.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. Hebrew the sea.
  • [b]. Hebrew 20,000 cors [4,400 kiloliters].
  • [c]. As in Greek version, which reads 20,000 baths [420 kiloliters] (see also 2 Chr 2:10 ); Hebrew reads 20 cors, about 1,000 gallons or 4.4 kiloliters in volume.
  • [d]. As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 2 Chr 2:2, 18 ); Hebrew reads 3,300.
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