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Solomon’s Wisdom: Prosperity

21 [a] Now Solomon was ruling over all the kingdoms from the River[b] to the land of the Philistines, and up to the border of Egypt, who were bringing tribute and were serving Solomon all the days of his life. 22 The food of Solomon for one day was thirty dry measures of choice meal and sixty dry measures of flour; 23 ten stall-fed oxen and twenty pasture-fed oxen and a hundred sheep, besides deer and buck gazelles and roebucks and well-fed fowls. 24 For he was ruling over all the west of the River[c] from Tiphsah up to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River;[d] and he had peace from every side all around. 25 Judah and Israel lived in security, each man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

26 Now Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his war chariots and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 These governors sustained King Solomon and all who came near to the table of King Solomon, each in his month; they did not omit anything. 28 The barley and the straw for the horses and for packhorses they brought to the place where they were, each according to his share.

Solomon’s Wisdom: Literature, Zoology, Biology, Dendrology

29 God gave wisdom to Solomon and very great discernment, as well as breadth of understanding,[e] as the sand which is on the edge of the seashore. 30 The wisdom of Solomon was greater than the wisdom of all the people[f] of the east and more than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than all the men: Ethan the Ezrahite; Heman, Calcol, and Darda the children of Mahol; and he was very well known.[g] 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. 33 He spoke concerning the trees, from the cedar which is in Lebanon up to the hyssop which grows on the wall; he also spoke concerning the animals, concerning the birds, concerning the creeping things, and concerning the fish. 34 They came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon; from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

Solomon’s Wisdom: Architecture

Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him as king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend for David. Then Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, “You knew David my father, that he was not able to build a house for the name of Yahweh his God, in view of the warfare[h] which surrounded him, until Yahweh placed them[i] under the soles of his feet. But now Yahweh my God has given me rest all around me. There is no adversary, and there is no bad occurrence. Here I am, intending to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh promised to my father David, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set in your place on your throne, shall build the house for my name.’ So then, command that they may cut cedars for me from Lebanon, and let my servants be with your servants. The wage of your servants I will give to you according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.” When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and he said, “Blessed be Yahweh this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard what you have sent to me; I will do all of your desire concerning the timber of cedars and concerning the timber of cypresses. My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts in the sea to float to the place which you indicated to me. Then I shall break them up there, and you may carry them further, and you shall meet my needs[j] by giving food for my house.” 10 So Hiram was giving to Solomon the cedar timbers and the cypress timbers, everything he needed.[k] 11 Then Solomon gave to Hiram twenty thousand dry measures of wheat as food for his household, and twenty dry measures of specially prepared olive oil;[l] thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year. 12 Yahweh gave wisdom to Solomon as he promised to him, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made[m] a covenant.

13 Then King Solomon conscripted a forced labor from all Israel, and the forced labor numbered thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand every month;[n] the work groups were a month in Lebanon and two months at home; now Adoniram was over the forced labor. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand common laborers[o] and eighty thousand stone craftsmen in the hill country. 16 Besides the chiefs of the officers Solomon had, there were three thousand three hundred having charge over the people who were doing the work. 17 When the king commanded, they quarried great stones and precious stones to lay the foundation of the house with hewn stones. 18 So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites hewed stones, and they prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:21 1 Kings 4:21–5:18 in the English Bible is 5:1–32 in the Hebrew Bible
  2. 1 Kings 4:21 That is, the Euphrates
  3. 1 Kings 4:24 That is, the Euphrates
  4. 1 Kings 4:24 That is, the Euphrates
  5. 1 Kings 4:29 Literally “width of heart”
  6. 1 Kings 4:30 Or “sons/children”
  7. 1 Kings 4:31 Literally “his name was among all the peoples around”
  8. 1 Kings 5:3 Literally “because of the face of the warfare”
  9. 1 Kings 5:3 That is, David’s enemies
  10. 1 Kings 5:9 Literally “you shall do my desire”
  11. 1 Kings 5:10 Literally “all of his desire”
  12. 1 Kings 5:11 Literally “beaten olive oil”
  13. 1 Kings 5:12 Literally “cut”
  14. 1 Kings 5:14 Literally “in the month”
  15. 1 Kings 5:15 Literally “carrying burden”

21 And Solomon ruled(A) over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River(B) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.(C) These countries brought tribute(D) and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

22 Solomon’s daily provisions(E) were thirty cors[a] of the finest flour and sixty cors[b] of meal, 23 ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.(F) 24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah(G) to Gaza, and had peace(H) on all sides. 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,(I) lived in safety,(J) everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.(K)

26 Solomon had four[c] thousand stalls for chariot horses,(L) and twelve thousand horses.[d]

27 The district governors,(M) each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

Solomon’s Wisdom

29 God gave Solomon wisdom(N) and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand(O) on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East,(P) and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.(Q) 31 He was wiser(R) than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs(S) and his songs(T) numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop(U) that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings(V) of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.[e]

Preparations for Building the Temple(W)

[f]When Hiram(X) king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David. Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:

“You know that because of the wars(Y) waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build(Z) a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.(AA) But now the Lord my God has given me rest(AB) on every side, and there is no adversary(AC) or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple(AD) for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’(AE)

“So give orders that cedars(AF) of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.”

When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased and said, “Praise be to the Lord(AG) today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.”

So Hiram sent word to Solomon:

“I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and juniper logs. My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea(AH), and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food(AI) for my royal household.”

10 In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted, 11 and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors[g] of wheat as food(AJ) for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths[h][i] of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year. 12 The Lord gave Solomon wisdom,(AK) just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.(AL)

13 King Solomon conscripted laborers(AM) from all Israel—thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month, so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram(AN) was in charge of the forced labor. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills, 16 as well as thirty-three hundred[j] foremen(AO) who supervised the project and directed the workers. 17 At the king’s command they removed from the quarry(AP) large blocks of high-grade stone(AQ) to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple. 18 The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram(AR) and workers from Byblos(AS) cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:22 That is, probably about 5 1/2 tons or about 5 metric tons
  2. 1 Kings 4:22 That is, probably about 11 tons or about 10 metric tons
  3. 1 Kings 4:26 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Chron. 9:25); Hebrew forty
  4. 1 Kings 4:26 Or charioteers
  5. 1 Kings 4:34 In Hebrew texts 4:21-34 is numbered 5:1-14.
  6. 1 Kings 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1-18 is numbered 5:15-32.
  7. 1 Kings 5:11 That is, probably about 3,600 tons or about 3,250 metric tons
  8. 1 Kings 5:11 Septuagint (see also 2 Chron. 2:10); Hebrew twenty cors
  9. 1 Kings 5:11 That is, about 120,000 gallons or about 440,000 liters
  10. 1 Kings 5:16 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Chron. 2:2,18) thirty-six hundred