1 And it came to pass, when Solomon H8010 had finished H3615 the building H1129 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and the king's H4428 house, H1004 and all Solomon's H8010 desire H2837 which he was pleased H2654 to do, H6213
2 That the LORD H3068 appeared H7200 to Solomon H8010 the second time, H8145 as he had appeared H7200 unto him at Gibeon. H1391
3 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto him, I have heard H8085 thy prayer H8605 and thy supplication, H8467 that thou hast made H2603 before H6440 me: I have hallowed H6942 this house, H1004 which thou hast built, H1129 to put H7760 my name H8034 there for H5704 ever; H5769 and mine eyes H5869 and mine heart H3820 shall be there perpetually. H3117
4 And if thou wilt walk H3212 before H6440 me, as David H1732 thy father H1 walked, H1980 in integrity H8537 of heart, H3824 and in uprightness, H3476 to do H6213 according to all that I have commanded H6680 thee, and wilt keep H8104 my statutes H2706 and my judgments: H4941
5 Then I will establish H6965 the throne H3678 of thy kingdom H4467 upon Israel H3478 for ever, H5769 as I promised H1696 to David H1732 thy father, H1 saying, H559 There shall not fail H3772 thee a man H376 upon the throne H3678 of Israel. H3478
6 But if ye shall at all H7725 turn H7725 from following H310 me, ye or your children, H1121 and will not keep H8104 my commandments H4687 and my statutes H2708 which I have set H5414 before H6440 you, but go H1980 and serve H5647 other H312 gods, H430 and worship H7812 them:
7 Then will I cut off H3772 Israel H3478 out H6440 of the land H127 which I have given H5414 them; and this house, H1004 which I have hallowed H6942 for my name, H8034 will I cast out H7971 of my sight; H6440 and Israel H3478 shall be a proverb H4912 and a byword H8148 among all people: H5971
8 And at this house, H1004 which is high, H5945 every one that passeth H5674 by it shall be astonished, H8074 and shall hiss; H8319 and they shall say, H559 Why hath the LORD H3068 done H6213 thus unto this land, H776 and to this house? H1004
9 And they shall answer, H559 Because they forsook H5800 the LORD H3068 their God, H430 who brought forth H3318 their fathers H1 out of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and have taken hold H2388 upon other H312 gods, H430 and have worshipped H7812 them, and served H5647 them: therefore hath the LORD H3068 brought H935 upon them all this evil. H7451
10 And it came to pass at the end H7097 of twenty H6242 years, H8141 when Solomon H8010 had built H1129 the two H8147 houses, H1004 the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and the king's H4428 house, H1004
11 (Now Hiram H2438 the king H4428 of Tyre H6865 had furnished H5375 Solomon H8010 with cedar H730 trees H6086 and fir H1265 trees, H6086 and with gold, H2091 according to all his desire,) H2656 that then H227 king H4428 Solomon H8010 gave H5414 Hiram H2438 twenty H6242 cities H5892 in the land H776 of Galilee. H1551
12 And Hiram H2438 came out H3318 from Tyre H6865 to see H7200 the cities H5892 which Solomon H8010 had given H5414 him; and they pleased H3474 H5869 him not.
13 And he said, H559 What cities H5892 are these which thou hast given H5414 me, my brother? H251 And he called H7121 them the land H776 of Cabul H3521 unto this day. H3117
14 And Hiram H2438 sent H7971 to the king H4428 sixscore H3967 H6242 talents H3603 of gold. H2091
15 And this is the reason H1697 of the levy H4522 which king H4428 Solomon H8010 raised; H5927 for to build H1129 the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and his own house, H1004 and Millo, H4407 and the wall H2346 of Jerusalem, H3389 and Hazor, H2674 and Megiddo, H4023 and Gezer. H1507
16 For Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt H4714 had gone up, H5927 and taken H3920 Gezer, H1507 and burnt H8313 it with fire, H784 and slain H2026 the Canaanites H3669 that dwelt H3427 in the city, H5892 and given H5414 it for a present H7964 unto his daughter, H1323 Solomon's H8010 wife. H802
17 And Solomon H8010 built H1129 Gezer, H1507 and Bethhoron H1032 the nether, H8481
18 And Baalath, H1191 and Tadmor H8412 in the wilderness, H4057 in the land, H776
19 And all the cities H5892 of store H4543 that Solomon H8010 had, and cities H5892 for his chariots, H7393 and cities H5892 for his horsemen, H6571 and that H2837 which Solomon H8010 desired H2836 to build H1129 in Jerusalem, H3389 and in Lebanon, H3844 and in all the land H776 of his dominion. H4475
20 And all the people H5971 that were left H3498 of the Amorites, H567 Hittites, H2850 Perizzites, H6522 Hivites, H2340 and Jebusites, H2983 which were not of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478
21 Their children H1121 that were left H3498 after H310 them in the land, H776 whom the children H1121 of Israel H3478 also were not able H3201 utterly to destroy, H2763 upon those did Solomon H8010 levy H5927 a tribute H4522 of bondservice H5647 unto this day. H3117
22 But of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did Solomon H8010 make H5414 no bondmen: H5650 but they were men H582 of war, H4421 and his servants, H5650 and his princes, H8269 and his captains, H7991 and rulers H8269 of his chariots, H7393 and his horsemen. H6571
23 These were the chief H8269 of the officers H5324 that were over Solomon's H8010 work, H4399 five H2568 hundred H3967 and fifty, H2572 which bare rule H7287 over the people H5971 that wrought H6213 in the work. H4399
24 But Pharaoh's H6547 daughter H1323 came up H5927 out of the city H5892 of David H1732 unto her house H1004 which Solomon had built H1129 for her: then did he build H1129 Millo. H4407
25 And three H7969 times H6471 in a year H8141 did Solomon H8010 offer H5927 burnt offerings H5930 and peace offerings H8002 upon the altar H4196 which he built H1129 unto the LORD, H3068 and he burnt incense H6999 upon the altar H4196 that was before H6440 the LORD. H3068 So he finished H7999 the house. H1004
26 And king H4428 Solomon H8010 made H6213 a navy of ships H590 in Eziongeber, H6100 which is beside Eloth, H359 on the shore H8193 of the Red H5488 sea, H3220 in the land H776 of Edom. H123
27 And Hiram H2438 sent H7971 in the navy H590 his servants, H5650 shipmen H582 H591 that had knowledge H3045 of the sea, H3220 with the servants H5650 of Solomon. H8010
28 And they came H935 to Ophir, H211 and fetched H3947 from thence gold, H2091 four H702 hundred H3967 and twenty H6242 talents, H3603 and brought H935 it to king H4428 Solomon. H8010
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Kings 9
Commentary on 1 Kings 9 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 9
1Ki 9:1-9. God's Covenant in a Second Vision with Solomon.
1. And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house—This first verse is connected with 1Ki 9:11, all that is contained between 1Ki 9:2-10 being parenthetical.
2. That—rather, "For."
the Lord appeared—This appearance was, like the former one at Gibeon, most probably made in a supernatural vision, and on the night immediately following the dedication of the temple (2Ch 7:12). The strain of it corresponds to this view, for it consists of direct answers to his solemn inaugural prayer (1Ki 9:3 is in answer to 1Ki 8:29; 1Ki 9:4, 5 is in answer to 1Ki 8:25, 26; 1Ki 9:6-9 to 1Ki 8:33-46; see also De 29:22-24).
8. this house, which is high—"high," either in point of situation, for it was built on a hill, and therefore conspicuous to every beholder; or "high" in respect to privilege, honor, and renown; or this "house of the Most High," notwithstanding all its beauty and magnificence, shall be destroyed, and remain in such a state of ruin and degradation as to be a striking monument of the just judgment of God. The record of this second vision, in which were rehearsed the conditions of God's covenant with Solomon and the consequences of breaking them, is inserted here as a proper introduction to the narrative about to be given of this king's commercial enterprises and ambitious desire for worldly glory; for this king, by encouraging an influx of foreign people and a taste for foreign luxuries, rapidly corrupted his own mind and that of this subjects, so that they turned from following God, they and their children (1Ki 9:6).
1Ki 9:10-23. The Mutual Presents of Solomon and Hiram.
10. at the end of twenty years—Seven and a half years were spent in building the temple, and twelve and a half or thirteen in the erection of his palace (1Ki 7:1; 2Ch 8:1). This verse is only a recapitulation of 1Ki 9:1, necessary to recover the thread of connection in the narrative.
11. Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee—According to Josephus, they were situated on the northwest of it, adjacent to Tyre. Though lying within the boundaries of the promised land (Ge 15:18; Jos 1:4), they had never been conquered till then, and were inhabited by Canaanite heathens (Jud 4:2-13; 2Ki 15:29). They were probably given to Hiram, whose dominions were small, as a remuneration for his important services in furnishing workmen, materials, and an immense quantity of wrought gold (1Ki 9:14) for the temple and other buildings [Michaelis]. The gold, however, as others think, may have been the amount of forfeits paid to Solomon by Hiram for not being able to answer the riddles and apothegms, with which, according to Josephus, in their private correspondence, the two sovereigns amused themselves. Hiram having refused these cities, probably on account of their inland situation making them unsuitable to his maritime and commercial people, Solomon satisfied his ally in some other way; and, taking these cities into his own hands, he first repaired their shattered walls, then filled them with a colony of Hebrews (2Ch 8:2).
15-24. this is the reason of the levy—A levy refers both to men and money, and the necessity for Solomon making it arose from the many gigantic works he undertook to erect.
Millo—part of the fort of Jerusalem on Mount Zion (2Sa 5:9; 1Ch 11:8), or a row of stone bastions around Mount Zion, Millo being the great corner tower of that fortified wall (1Ki 11:27; 2Ch 32:5).
the wall of Jerusalem—either repairing some breaches in it (1Ki 11:27), or extending it so as to enclose Mount Zion.
Hazor—fortified on account of its importance as a town in the northern boundary of the country.
Megiddo—(now Leijun)—Lying in the great caravan road between Egypt and Damascus, it was the key to the north of Palestine by the western lowlands, and therefore fortified.
Gezer—on the western confines of Ephraim, and, though a Levitical city, occupied by the Canaanites. Having fallen by right of conquest to the king of Egypt, who for some cause attacked it, it was given by him as a dowry to his daughter, and fortified by Solomon.
17. Beth-horon the nether—situated on the way from Joppa to Jerusalem and Gibeon; it required, from so public a road, to be strongly garrisoned.
18. Baalath—Baal-bek.
Tadmor—Palmyra, between Damascus and the Euphrates, was rebuilt and fortified as a security against invasion from northern Asia. In accomplishing these and various other works which were carried on throughout the kingdom, especially in the north, where Rezon of Damascus, his enemy, might prove dangerous, he employed vast numbers of the Canaanites as galley slaves (2Ch 2:18), treating them as prisoners of war, who were compelled to do the drudgery and hard labor, while the Israelites were only engaged in honorable employment.
23. These were the chief of the officers—(See on 2Ch 8:10).
1Ki 9:24-28. Solomon's Yearly Sacrifices.
24, 25. three times in a year—namely, at the passover, pentecost, and feast of tabernacles (2Ch 8:13; 31:3). The circumstances mentioned in these two verses form a proper conclusion to the record of his buildings and show that his design in erecting those at Jerusalem was to remedy defects existing at the commencement of his reign (see 1Ki 3:1-4).
26. Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth—These were neighboring ports at the head of the eastern or Elanitic branch of the Red Sea. Tyrian ship carpenters and sailors were sent there for Solomon's vessels (see on 2Ch 8:17, 18).
Ezion-geber—that is, "the giant's backbone"; so called from a reef of rocks at the entrance of the harbor.
Eloth—Elim or Elath; that is, "the trees"; a grove of terebinths still exists at the head of the gulf.
28. Ophir—a general name, like the East or West Indies with us, for all the southern regions lying on the African, Arabian, or Indian seas, in so far as at that time known [Heeren].
gold, four hundred and twenty talents—(See on 2Ch 8:18). At 125 pounds Troy, or 1500 ounces to the talent, and about £4 to the ounce, this would make £2,604,000.