1 Kings 5:3

3 "You know that David my father wasn't able to build a house for the name of ADONAI his God, because of the wars that beset him from every side, until ADONAI put his enemies under the soles of my feet.

1 Kings 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 5:3

Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house
unto the name of the Lord his God
As he designed, and was desirous of; and which Hiram might know not only by common fame, but from David himself, between whom there was an intercourse, and that in relation to cedars for building, which David had of Hiram, ( 2 Chronicles 2:3 ) ;

for the wars which were about him on every side;
or warriors, as the Targum, the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, and Syrians:

until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet;
made them subject and tributary to him, as he did at length, see ( 2 Samuel 7:1 ) ( 8:1 ) so the "Cetib", or textual reading, is; but the "Keri", or marginal reading, is, "under the soles of my feet"; that is, Solomon's, which agrees with what follows; it was true of both.

1 Kings 5:3 In-Context

1 Hiram king of Tzor sent his servants to Shlomo, because he had heard that they had anointed him king in his father's place, and Hiram had always loved David.

2 Shlomo returned this message to Hiram:

3 "You know that David my father wasn't able to build a house for the name of ADONAI his God, because of the wars that beset him from every side, until ADONAI put his enemies under the soles of my feet.

4 But now ADONAI my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor calamity.

5 So now I intend to build a house for the name of ADONAI my God, in keeping with what ADONAI said to David my father, 'Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, will be the one to build the house for my name.'