11 Hiram king of Tyre hath assisted Solomon with cedar-trees, and with fir-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire; then doth king Solomon give to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
As to the cities that Huram hath given to Solomon, Solomon hath built them, and there he causeth the sons of Israel to dwell.
And they sanctify Kedesh in Galilee, in the hill-country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and Kirjath-Arba (it `is' Hebron), in the hill-country of Judah;
`And now, command, and they cut down for me cedars out of Lebanon, and my servants are with thy servants, and the hire of thy servants I give to thee according to all that thou sayest, for thou hast known that there is not among us a man acquainted with cutting wood, like the Sidonians.' And it cometh to pass at Hiram's hearing the words of Solomon, that he rejoiceth exceedingly, and saith, `Blessed `is' Jehovah to-day, who hath given to David a wise son over this numerous people.' And Hiram sendeth unto Solomon, saying, I have heard that which thou hast sent unto me, I do all thy desire concerning cedar-wood, and fir-wood, my servants bring down from Lebanon to the sea, and I make them floats in the sea unto the place that thou sendest unto me, and I have spread them out there; and thou dost take `them' up, and thou dost execute my desire, to give the food of my house.' And Hiram is giving to Solomon cedar-trees, and fir-trees, all his desire,
and send to me cedar-trees, firs, and algums from Lebanon, for I have known that thy servants know to cut down trees of Lebanon, and lo, my servants `are' with thy servants, even to prepare for me trees in abundance, for the house that I am building `is' great and wonderful. `And lo, to hewers, to those cutting the trees, I have given beaten wheat to thy servants, cors twenty thousand, and barley, cors twenty thousand, and wine, baths twenty thousand, and oil, baths twenty thousand.'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 9
Commentary on 1 Kings 9 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 9
In this chapter we have,
1Ki 9:1-9
God had given a real answer to Solomon's prayer, and tokens of his acceptance of it, immediately, by the fire from heaven which consumed the sacrifices (as we find 2 Chr. 7:1); but here we have a more express and distinct answer to it. Observe,
1Ki 9:10-14
What agreement was made between Solomon and Hiram, when the building-work was to be begun, we read before, ch. 5. Here we have an account of their fair and friendly parting when the work was done.
1Ki 9:15-28
We have here a further account of Solomon's greatness.