1 Kings 7:14

14 the son of a woman widow (the son of a widow woman), of the lineage of Naphtali, of the father of a man of Tyre, a craftsman of brass, and full of wisdom, and understanding, and doctrine, or teaching, to make all work of brass. And when he had come to king Solomon, he made all his work.

1 Kings 7:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 7:14

He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali
In ( 2 Chronicles 2:14 ) , his mother is said to be of the daughters of Dan, as she might be, and yet her son of the tribe of Naphtali; for either she was of the city of Dan, which is placed in the tribe of Naphtali ^F13, or her mother was of the tribe of Dan; and therefore she is said to be of the daughters of Dan, when her father was of the tribe of Naphtali, as it is expressed by the Targum on ( 2 Chronicles 2:14 ) , and in which way most of the Jewish commentators reconcile this; or she was of Dan, and her husband of Naphtali besides, if there was any mistake, it must be ascribed, not to the sacred historians, but to the king of Tyre, whose words they are in the above place, and who might not be so well acquainted with the tribe this man and his parents were of:

and his father was a man of Tyre;
not a Tyrian by birth, but one who had dwelt there a while, and therefore so called, as Obededom, for a like reason, is called the Gittite:

a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding,
and cunning to work all works in brass;
which might be true both of the father and of the son, and especially of the son, who had improved upon his father's knowledge and instructions; and who was skilful to work in other things besides brass, as gold, silver, iron, stone, timber, purple, blue and fine linen, crimson, and all sorts of engraving, and every device that could be put to him by the most ingenious workmen that either David or Solomon had, ( 2 Chronicles 2:14 ) , but this is only mentioned, because it was in such work he was only employed by Solomon; and it seems, by the mode of expression, that, besides his natural genius, and his diligence and industry, he was filled with wisdom from God more immediately for this service, as Bezaleel and Aholiab were for the service of the tabernacle:

and he came to King Solomon, and wrought all his work;
in brass, as follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 Vid. Adrichom. Theat. T. S. p. 105. Fuller's Pisgah-Sight, 107.

1 Kings 7:14 In-Context

12 And the greater court, either void space, was round, of three orders of hewn stones, and of one order of hewn cedar beams; also and in the inner large street of the house of the Lord, and in the porch of the house of the Lord. (And the great courtyard all around had three rows of hewn stones, and one row of hewn cedar beams; as did the inner courtyard of the House of the Lord, and the vestibule of the House of the Lord.)

13 Also king Solomon sent, and brought from Tyre, Hiram , (And King Solomon sent for, and brought there Hiram from Tyre,)

14 the son of a woman widow (the son of a widow woman), of the lineage of Naphtali, of the father of a man of Tyre, a craftsman of brass, and full of wisdom, and understanding, and doctrine, or teaching, to make all work of brass. And when he had come to king Solomon, he made all his work.

15 And he made two pillars of brass, one pillar of eighteen cubits of height; and a line of twelve cubits compassed ever either pillar. (And he made two bronze pillars, each pillar eighteen cubits in height; and it took a cord twelve cubits long to go all around either pillar.)

16 Also he made two pommels, molten of brass, which were set on the heads of the pillars; one pommel of five cubits of height, and the tother pommel of five cubits of height; (And he cast two bronze capitals, which were set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits in height;)