1 Kings 5:18

18 So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the men of Gebal did the hewing and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.

1 Kings 5:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 5:18

And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew [them],
&c.] The stones; for it seems Solomon had not only hewers of wood, but of stone, from Hiram:

and the stonesquarers;
or rather the Giblites, the men of Gebal, which were under the jurisdiction of Tyre, and were skilful in this sort of work, as some of them were in others, see ( Ezekiel 27:9 ) ;

so they prepared timber and stones to build the house;
both Solomon's and Hiram's builders, and the large number of workmen, both Israelites and strangers; which latter were an emblem of the Gentiles concerned in the building of the spiritual temple, the church of Christ, ( Zechariah 6:15 ) ; and whereas the number of strangers that wrought for the building was far greater than that of the Israelites, it may denote the greater number of Gentiles in the Gospel church state mentioned besides these: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year: so long as the building lasted, and the workmen were employed; but Abarbinel thinks that he gave it to him as long as he lived, out of his great munificence and liberality.

1 Kings 5:18 In-Context

16 besides Solomon's three thousand three hundred chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work.

17 At the king's command, they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.

18 So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the men of Gebal did the hewing and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.