1 Kings 5:9

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹Now when Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king in his father's place, he sent envoys to Solomon; for Hiram had always been friends with David. ²And Solomon relayed this message to Hiram: ³"As you are aware, because of the wars waged on all sides against my father David, he could not build a house for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD had put his enemies under his feet. ⁴But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or crisis. ⁵So behold, I plan to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God, according to what the LORD said to my father David: 'I will put your son on your throne in your place, and he will build the house for My Name.' ⁶Now therefore, order that cedars of Lebanon be cut down for me. My servants will be with your servants, and I will pay your servants whatever wages you set, for you know that there are none among us as skilled in logging as the Sidonians." ⁷When Hiram received Solomon's message, he rejoiced greatly and said, "Blessed be the LORD this day! He has given David a wise son over this great people!" ⁸Then Hiram sent a reply to Solomon, saying: "I have received your message; I will do all you desire regarding the cedar and cypress timber. ⁹My servants will haul the logs from Lebanon to the sea, and I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate the logs, and you can take them away. And in exchange, you can meet my needs by providing my household with food."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Lebanon: Deuteronomy 3:25

and I will: 2 Chronicles 2:16

appoint: Heb. send

in giving food: 2 Chronicles 1:15, Ezra 3:7, Ezekiel 27:17, Acts 12:20

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 5:11 - Hiram 1 Kings 9:27 - his servants 1 Chronicles 14:1 - and timber

Cross-References

1 Chronicles 1:2
Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared,

Luke 3:37
the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon unto the sea,.... The Mediterranean sea, on which Tyre stood:

and I will convey them by sea in floats; which were either a sort of carriage for the timber the Tyrians and Sidonians had, being furnished with various navigable vessels; or these were the timber itself, and the planks of it, which being fastened together, were set afloat under the direction of some boats with oars, of which they had plenty:

unto the place that thou shalt appoint me; which was Joppa, as appears from 2 Chronicles 2:16; belonging to the land of Israel, in the same sea:

and will cause them to be discharged there; either to be unloaded from the vessels, or to be unloosed and taken up separately:

and thou shalt receive [them]; by his servants appointed there to bring them to Jerusalem, which was forty miles from Joppa:

and thou shalt accomplish my desire in giving food for my household; signifying, that all that he desired in return was, that he would supply him with corn or wheat, which he stood in need of, and his letter in Josephus d expresses; and we find in later times this place was supplied with bread corn from Judea, see Ezra 3:7

Acts 12:20.

d Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 8. c. 2. sect. 8.)

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the marginal reference. The timber was first carried westward from the flanks of Lebanon to the nearest part of the coast, where it was collected into floats, or rafts, which were then conveyed southward along the coast to Joppa, now Jaffa, from where the land journey to Jerusalem was not more than about forty miles. A similar course was taken on the building of the second temple Ezra 3:7.

Food for my household - The Phoenician cities had very little arable territory of their own, the mountain range of Lebanon rising rapidly behind them; and they must always have imported the chief part of their sustenance from abroad. They seem commonly to have derived it from Judaea (marginal references). Hiram agreed now to accept for his timber and for the services of his workmen 1 Kings 5:6 a certain annual payment of grain and oil, both of them the best of their kind, for the sustentation of his court. This payment was entirely distinct from the supplies furnished to the workmen (marginal reference “l”).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 5:9. Shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea — As the river Adonis was in the vicinity of the forest of Lebanon, and emptied itself into the Mediterranean sea, near Biblos, Hiram could transport the timber all squared, and not only cut to scantling, but cut so as to occupy the place it was intended for in the building, without any farther need of axe or saw. It might be readily sent down the coast on rafts and landed at Joppa, or Jamnia, just opposite to Jerusalem, at the distance of about twenty-five miles. See 2 Chronicles 2:16. The carriage could not be great, as the timber was all fitted for the building where it was hewn down. The materials had only to be put together when they arrived at Jerusalem. See 1 Kings 6:7.