1 Kings 9 Study Notes

9:17-19 These verses describe more of Solomon’s military building operations together with some of the more important names involved. These operations were more extensive and expensive than this brief description indicates. They involved garrison and provision cities for a world-class chariot army. This demanded huge initial expenses, road maintenance, and facilities for feeding and caring for the chariot horses as well as living quarters for the charioteers and support personnel. Since the charioteers represented a high degree of skill, which could not be quickly developed, it is likely that Solomon’s charioteers were largely international mercenary warriors. Later, as early as Zimri (16:9), Israel had homegrown chariot warriors. Since this text is ambiguous concerning Tamar (in southern Judah) and Tadmor (ancient Palmyra in Aramean territories), we are not positive which location is referred to here. Second Ch 8:4 clearly refers to Tadmor. Solomon’s building in Tadmor probably referred to Solomon’s imperial fortifications there.

9:20-23 There were two categories of Canaanite survivors among the Israelites. (1) There were Canaanites like the house of Rahab, the Gibeonite league, and apparently some of the sons of Hamor (Jdg 9:28) who had survived since the time of Jacob. These had more or less converted to faith in the Lord and were assimilated into the Israelite population. The rights of these Canaanites were protected, even when they were not completely assimilated (e.g., the Gibeonites, who could demand vengeance because Saul violated their rights, 2Sm 21:1-6). (2) There were the unconquered and still openly pagan Canaanites who were yet to be either killed or assimilated into Israelite society. Solomon’s forced labor brigades were probably pressed into service from this second group.

9:24 Moving Pharaoh’s daughter out of Jerusalem and so away from the Lord’s house can be interpreted in two ways: as an act of piety that removed pagan pollution from the vicinity of the house of the Lord or as an act of respect for the most prestigious of Solomon’s political marriages by giving her quarters worthy of her stature.

9:25 The Lord’s temple was not truly finished until it was ready for worship.

9:26-10:29 We must recognize Solomon’s historical role in world trade as presented in these documents. North-south trade in luxury items was already producing wealth. Southern Arabia, Africa, and points further east were sources of expensive commodities such as gold, ivory, and jewels; esoteric luxury items such as apes and baboons; and spices. These goods could move from the region of southern Arabia north. Depending on the security of sea travel, they could come north by ships on the Red Sea, or they could come north by camel caravan on the Red Sea coast of the Arabian Peninsula. If they came by sea, they could move to the Mediterranean Sea either through Egypt, via the famed Wadi Hamamat, or they could move through the region of Palestine. In either case, once the goods reached the Mediterranean Sea, they went to points further west in Phoenician ships. At this time violent repercussions of Greek-speaking invaders still hampered sea trade to the north toward the Black Sea.

Solomon’s joint sea ventures with Hiram were a way of controlling this trade and channeling it through Hebrew territory so that Solomon, instead of Pharaoh, shared in the wealth of such trade. Solomon, like Herod the Great and the Athenians, built a famed temple with the profits from international trade.

9:26-28 These verses indicate that Solomon implemented regular mercantile, seafaring expeditions from Ezion-geber. Some believe it is more accurate to speak in terms of caravan trade from the south rather than seafaring commerce. The decisive argument for seafaring trade is the fact that, according to Egyptian wall inscriptions, Shishak (14:25-26) destroyed the forts in the Arabah that protected the routes from Eloth north. This effort was frivolous if it was not aimed at diverting the sea trade via the Red Sea to Egyptian territory.