Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

1 Kings 9:18

and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Baalath;   Elijah;   Solomon;   Tadmor;   Thompson Chain Reference - Tadmore;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Baalath;   Egypt;   Tadmor or Tamar;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Megiddo;   Solomon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Baalath;   Desert;   Solomon;   Tadmor;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Arabia;   Baalath;   Judges, the Book of;   Palmtree;   Tadmor;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baalath;   Chariots;   Economic Life;   Solomon;   Tadmor;   Tamar;   Transportation and Travel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Alliance;   Baal, Baalah, Baalath;   Bilhah;   Gift, Giving;   Israel;   Solomon;   Tadmor;   Tamar;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Wilderness (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Baalath ;   Hiram ;   Tadmor ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Millo;   Tadmor;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Tad'mor;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Palm Tree;   Tadmor;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Baalath;   Fortification;   Jerusalem;   Solomon;   Solomon's Servants;   Tadmor;   Tamar (2);   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Baalath;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Baalath, Tamar in the Wilderness of Judah,
Hebrew Names Version
and Ba`alat, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land,
King James Version
And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,
English Standard Version
and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
New Century Version
and Baalath, as well as Tadmor, which is in the desert.
New English Translation
Baalath, Tadmor in the wilderness,
Amplified Bible
Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
New American Standard Bible
and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Baalath and Tamor in the wildernes of the land,
Legacy Standard Bible
and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
Contemporary English Version
Baalath, and Tamar in the desert of Judah.
Complete Jewish Bible
Ba‘alat, Tadmor in the desert, in the land,
Darby Translation
and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,
Easy-to-Read Version
He also built the cities of Baalath and Tamar in the Judean desert.
George Lamsa Translation
And Baalath and Tadmor in the land of the wilderness
Good News Translation
Baalath, Tamar in the wilderness of Judah,
Lexham English Bible
as well as Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness in the land;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and Baelath and Thamar, in ye wyldernes, in the londe,
American Standard Version
and Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land,
Bible in Basic English
And Baalath and Tamar in the waste land, in that land;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Baalath and Thamar in the wildernesse in the lande:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,
King James Version (1611)
And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wildernesse, in the land.
English Revised Version
and Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land,
Berean Standard Bible
Baalath, and Tamar in the Wilderness of Judah,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and Balaath, and Palmyra in the lond of wildirnesse;
Young's Literal Translation
and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land;
Update Bible Version
and Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land,
Webster's Bible Translation
And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,
World English Bible
and Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land,
New King James Version
Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
New Living Translation
Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness within his land.
New Life Bible
and Baalath and Tamar in the desert, in the land of Judah.
New Revised Standard
Baalath, Tamar in the wilderness, within the land,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and Baalath and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Baalath, and Palmira, in the land of the wilderness.
Revised Standard Version
and Ba'alath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
THE MESSAGE
After Solomon had completed building The Temple of God and his own palace, all the projects he had set his heart on doing, God appeared to Solomon again, just as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. And God said to him, "I've listened to and received all your prayers, your ever-so-passionate prayers. I've sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I've set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I'll back your kingly rule over Israel, make it a sure thing on a solid foundation. The same guarantee I gave David your father I'm giving you: ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel's throne.' "But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my guidance and judgments, taking up with alien gods by serving and worshiping them, then the guarantee is off: I'll wipe Israel right off the map and repudiate this Temple I've just sanctified to honor my Name. And Israel will become nothing but a bad joke among the peoples of the world. And this Temple, splendid as it now is, will become an object of contempt; visitors will shake their heads, saying, ‘Whatever happened here? What's the story behind these ruins?' Then they'll be told, ‘The people who used to live here betrayed their God , the very God who rescued their ancestors from Egypt; they took up with alien gods, worshiping and serving them. That's what's behind this God -visited devastation.'" At the end of twenty years, having built the two buildings, The Temple of God and his personal palace, Solomon rewarded Hiram king of Tyre with a gift of twenty villages in the district of Galilee. Hiram had provided him with all the cedar and cypress and gold that he had wanted. But when Hiram left Tyre to look over the villages that Solomon had given him, he didn't like what he saw. He said, "What kind of reward is this, my friend? Twenty backwoods hick towns!" People still refer to them that way. This is all Hiram got from Solomon in exchange for four and a half tons of gold! This is the work record of the labor force that King Solomon raised to build The Temple of God , his palace, the defense complex (the Millo), the Jerusalem wall, and the fortified cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. Pharaoh king of Egypt had come up and captured Gezer, torched it, and killed all the Canaanites who lived there. He gave it as a wedding present to his daughter, Solomon's wife. So Solomon rebuilt Gezer. He also built Lower Beth Horon, Baalath, and Tamar in the desert, back-country storehouse villages, and villages for chariots and horses. Solomon built widely and extravagantly in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and wherever he fancied. The remnants from the original inhabitants of the land (Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—all non-Israelites), survivors of the holy wars, were rounded up by Solomon for his gangs of slave labor, a policy still in effect. But true Israelites were not treated this way; they were used in his army and administration—government leaders and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. They were also the project managers responsible for Solomon's building operations—550 of them in charge of the workforce. It was after Pharaoh's daughter ceremonially ascended from the City of David and took up residence in the house built especially for her that Solomon built the defense complex (the Millo). Three times a year Solomon worshiped at the Altar of God , sacrificing Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings, and burning incense in the presence of God . Everything that had to do with The Temple he did generously and well; he didn't skimp. And ships! King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, located near Elath in Edom on the Red Sea. Hiram sent seaworthy sailors to assist Solomon's men with the fleet. They embarked for Ophir, brought back sixteen tons of gold, and presented it to King Solomon.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,

Contextual Overview

15 And this is the reason of the labor force that King Solomon raised, to build the house of Jehovah, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 (Pharaoh the king of Egypt had gone up and had captured Gezer, and had burned it with fire. And he killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and gave it as a dowry to his daughter, the wife of Solomon.) 17 and Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the lower, 18 and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land; 19 and all the store cities which Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities of the horsemen, and the desire of Solomon that he desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 20 All the people that were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites who were not of the sons of Israel, 21 their sons left behind them in the land, whom the sons of Israel had not been able to exterminate, Solomon even caused to go on them a burden of forced labor to this day. 22 But Solomon did not give as a slave out of the sons of Israel, for they were the men of war, and his servants, and his rulers, and his commanders, and the commanders of his chariots, and his horsemen. 23 These were the commanders of the officers who were over the work of Solomon: five hundred and fifty, those ruling among the people who were working in the work. 24 But the daughter of Pharaoh went up out of the city of David to her house that he built for her; then he built Millo.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Baalath: Joshua 19:44

Tadmor: 2 Chronicles 8:4

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 12:25 - built 2 Chronicles 8:6 - Baalath Psalms 72:9 - They that

Cross-References

Genesis 9:23
And Shem and Japheth took a garment and put it on both their shoulders. And they went backward and covered the nakedness of their father, their faces backward. And they did not see the nakedness of their father.
Genesis 9:25
And he said, Cursed be Canaan. He shall be a slave of slaves to his brothers.
Genesis 9:27
God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall live in the tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be their slave.
Genesis 10:1
And these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.
Genesis 10:6
And Ham's sons were Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan.
1 Chronicles 1:4
Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Baalath,.... A city in the tribe of Dan, Joshua 19:44

and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land; or "Tamar", as in the Cetib, or Scriptural reading; for we go according to the marginal reading, and so Thamato in Ptolemy p; and is thought by some to be the same with Tamar in Ezekiel 47:19, which Jerom there says is Palmyra. Tamar signifies a palm tree, from whence this city had its name Palmyra, the situation of which place agrees with this; hence we read both in Ptolemy q and Pliny r of the Palmyrene deserts: the ruins of it are to be seen to this day, and of it this account is given; that it is enclosed on three sides with long ridges of mountains, which open towards the east gradually, to the distance of about an hour's riding; but to the south stretches a vast plain, beyond the reach of the eye; the air is good, but the soil exceeding barren; nothing green to be seen therein, save some few palm trees in the gardens, and here and there about the town; and from these trees, I conceive, says my author, it obtained its name both in Hebrew and in Latin: it appears to have been of a large extent, by the space now taken up by the ruins; but there are no footsteps of any wall remaining, nor is it possible to judge of the ancient figure of the place. The present inhabitants, as they are poor, miserable, dirty people, so they have shut themselves up, to the number of about thirty or forty families, in little huts made of dirt, within the walls of a spacious court, which enclosed a most magnificent Heathen temple s. Benjamin of Tudela says t, it is situated in a wilderness, far from any habitable place, and is four days' journey from Baalath before mentioned; which place he takes to be the same with Baalbek, in the valley of Lebanon, built by Solomon for Pharaoh's daughter; which, according to the Arabic geographer u, was situated at the foot of Mount Lebanon; and Tadmor seems to be in the land of Hamathzobah, 2 Chronicles 8:3.

p Geograph. l. 5. c. 16. q Ib. c. 15. r Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 26. & 6. 28. s Halifax apud Philosphic. Transact. vol. 3. p. 504. t Itinerar. p. 57, 58. u Geograph. Nub. par. 5. clim. 3. p. 117.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Tadmor - The Hebrew text here has, as written, Tamor (or Tamar), and as read, Tadmor. That the latter place, or Palmyra, was meant appears, first, from the distinct statement of Chronicles 2 Chronicles 8:4 that Solomon built Tadmor, and the improbability that the fact would be omitted in Kings; secondly, from the strong likelihood that Solomon, with his wide views of commerce, would seize and fortify the Palmy-rene Oasis: and thirdly, from the unanimity of the old versions in rendering Tamar here by Tadmor. The probability seems to be that Tamar was the original name of the place, being the Hebrew word for “a palm,” from where it is generally agreed that the town derived its name. Tadmor was a corrupt or dialectic variety of the word, which was adopted at the city itself, and prevailed over the original appellation. No reference is found to Tadmor in the Assyrian inscriptions, or in any Classical writer before Pliny.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 9:18. And Tadmor in the wilderness — This is almost universally allowed to be the same with the celebrated Palmyra, the ruins of which remain to the present day, and give us the highest idea of Solomon's splendour and magnificence. Palmyra stood upon a fertile plain surrounded by a barren desert, having the river Euphrates on the east. The ruins are well described by Messrs. Dawkes and Wood, of which they give fine representations. They are also well described in the ancient part of the Universal History, vol. i., p. 367-70. The description concludes thus: "The world never saw a more glorious city; the pride, it is likely, of ancient times, and the reproach of our own; a city not more remarkable for the state of her buildings and unwontedness of her situation than for the extraordinary personages who once flourished there, among whom the renowned Zenobia and the incomparable Longinus must for ever be remembered with admiration and regret."


 
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