T A 3:2-15. First appearance of Yehovah to Solomon. B C 3:16-4:24. Wisdom and riches. Two women. D E 5:1-12. Contact with Hiram. F 5:13-18. Levy. G 6:1-8:66. Temple (part). A 9:1-9. Second appearance of Yehovah to Solomon. B D E 9:10-14. Contract with Hiram. F 9:15-24. Levy. C 9:36-10:29. Riches and wisdom. One woman (Queen of Sheba).
A v 2-4. Solomon's worship at Gibeon. w 5-. Dream. x y -5. Yehovah. Offer. z 6-9. Solomon. Choise. x y 10. Yehovah. Approbation. z 11-14. Solomon. Gifts. w 15-. Dream. v -15. Solomon's worship at Jerusalem.
2: Only (may imply regret rather than censure. Cp.15:14, &c.) the people sacrificed in high places (Deut.12:11,14,26,27, not obeyed since Yehovah had forsaken Shiloh. Cp. Ps.78:60,67-69. Jer.7:12-14), because there was no house built to the name of the Lord (Yehovah), until those days.
3: And Solomon loved the Lord (Yehovah), walking in the statutes of David his father (contrast "the statutes of Omri" [Mic.6:16], and "statutes of the heathen" [2 Kings 17:8]): only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places (not necessarily idolatrous [see v.2. and cp. 1 Chron.16:39; 21:29. 2 Chron.1:3,13], though perhaps coppied from Canaanites. Practice too deeply rooted for even Asa and Hezekiah to remove. Josiah it was who finally desecrated them. Anglo-Saxon = Hoes).
4: And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there (= a high place, where the Tabernacle was. Cp. Josh.9:3. 2 Sam.2:12,13); for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer up upon that altar.
5: In Gibeon the Lord (Yehovah) appeared to Solomon in a dream by night (1 of the 20 in Scripture. See Gen.20:3):
and God (Elohim) said, “Ask what I shall give you.”
6: And Solomon said (i.e. in his sleep. Cp. v.15. See Ps.127:2), “You have showed to Your servant David my father great grace (or lovingkindness), according as he walked before You in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; and You have kept for him this great kindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7: And now, O Lord (Yehovah) my God (Elohim), You have made Your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child (in his father's eyes a "wise man" [2:6,9]): I shall not know how to go out or come in (Fig., put for whole manner of life).
8: And Your servant is in the midst of Your People which You have chosen, a great People, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9: Give therefore Your servant (cp. 2 Chron.1:10) an understanding mind (= hearing. Solomon began by asking wisdom from God. Rehoboam [his son] began by asking counsel from man [12:6,8]) to judge Your People, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”
10: And the speech pleased the Lord (Yehovah), that Solomon had asked this thing.
11: And God (Elohim) said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life; neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the soul of your enemies; but have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment;
12: Behold, I have done according to your words: lo, I have given you a wise and an understanding mind; so that there was none like you among the kings before you (see v.13 and 10:23), neither after you shall any arise like unto you.
13: And I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be a man among the kings like unto you all your days.
14: And if thou will walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David did walk, then I will lengthen your days.”
15: And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream.
And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the Ark of the covenant of the Lord (Yehovah), and offered up burnt offerings, and prepared peace offerings (showing that the Ceremonial Law was in writing before the days of Solomon, and not a later production, as assered and assumed by some), and made a feast to all his servants.
C H 3:16-28. Wisdom. J 4:1-28. Dominion and riches. H 4:29-34. Wisdom.
H a 16-22. Case propounded. b 23-25. Sentence propounded. a 26. Case withdrawn. b 27,28. Judgment executed.
16: Then came there two women, that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him.
17: And the one woman said, “O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18: And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; and there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
19: And this woman's son died in the night; because she overlaid it (1 of the 10 deaths occasioned by women. See Judg.4:21).
20: And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom.
21: And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.”
22: And the other woman said, “No; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son.” And this said, “No; but the dead is your son, and the living is my son.” Thus they talked very much before the king.
23: Then said the king, “The one says, ‘This is my son that lives, and your son is the dead:’ and the other says, ‘No; but your son is the dead, and my son is the living.’ ”
24: And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” And they brought a sword before the king.
25: And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”
26: Then spoke the woman whose the living child was to the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it.” But the other kep on saying, “Let it be neither mine nor yours, but divide it.”
27: Then the king answered and said, “Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.”
28: And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared (or revered) the king: for they saw that the wisdom of Elohim (= Divine wisdom. See v.9) was in him, to do judgment.
J c¹ 1-19. Solomon. Riches (officers). d¹ 20. People. Prosperity. c² 21. Solomon. Dominion (foreign). d² 22-23. People. Provision. c³ 24. Solomon. Dominion (foreign). d³ 25. People. Security. c4 26-28. Solomon. Riches (officers).
920 to 917 B.C.
4)
1 So king Solomon was king over all Israel (Expression not peculiar to any writer or period).
2 And these [were] the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,
3 Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the remembrancer (cp. 1 Chron.18:15).
4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar [were] the priests:
5 And Azariah the son of Nathan [was] over the officers (Probably David's son. Cp. Luke 3:31): and Zabud the son of Nathan [was] priest (see Heb. [2 Sam.8:19]), [and] the king's friend (as Hushai had been David's [2 Sam.15:37]):
6 And Ahishar [was] over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda [was] over the tribute.
7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel (Cp. David's 12 captains [1 Chron.27:2-15]), which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.
8 And these [are] their names: The son of Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim:
9 The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan (= oak of the house of grace. Some codices read "Elon and Beth-hanan". Sept. reads "Elon as far as Beth-hanan"):
10 The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him [pertained] Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:
11 The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor (cp. Josh.11:2; 12:23; 17:11); which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
12 Baana the son of Ahilud; [to him pertained] Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which [is] by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah (the country of Elisha [19:16,21]. Cp. Judg.7:22), [even] to [the place that is] beyond Jokneam:
13 The son of Geber, in Ramoth-gilead (in the tribe of Gad. Famous for Ahab's last battle[22:20]. Cp. Josh.20:8. Judg.11:29 ); to him [pertained] the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which [are] in Gilead; to him [also pertained] the region (a sharpley defined border, defining the rocky rampart encircling the "Lejah" as it is called today.) of Argob (= Edrei, one of "the giant cities of Bashan". See Gen:6:2,4), which [is] in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:
14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo [had] Mahanaim (cp. Gen.32:2 Josh.13:26):
15 Ahimaaz [was] in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
16 Baanah the son of Hushai (see v.5) [was] in Asher and in Aloth:
17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:
18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:
19 Geber the son of Uri [was] in the country of Gilead, [in] the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and [Gibor was] the only officer (not the same word as in v.7) which [was] in the land [of Bashan].
20 Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea shore in multitude (cp. Gen.13:16; 22:17, &c.), eating and drinking, and making merry.
21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from Euphrates (cp. Gen.15:18. Josh.1:4) even to the land of the Philistines (cp. 2 Chron.9:26), and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents (cp. Ps.72:10,11), and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 And Solomon's provision (Heb. bread, put for all kind of food) for one day was thirty measures (about 240 bushels) of fine flour, and sixty measures (about 480 bushels) of meal,
23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.
24 For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side (or beyond) Euphrates, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.
25 And Judah and Israel dwelt confidently, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba (the two extremities. Cp. Judg.20:1. and 1 Sam.3:20, &c.), all the days of Solomon.
26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls (in 2 Chron. it is 4,000, which is more likely to be correct. The 12,000 are the same in both places. The ancient Hebrew characters were Phoenician, and may be seen on the Moabite stone. These were in current use till about 140 B.C., and were gradually replaced by the modern Hebrew "square" characters. Mistakes in copying occurred through the similarity of certain letters. See 2 Sam.24:10. Jer. 3:8. Ezek.6:4; 22:20) of horses for his chariots (a breach of Deut.17:16. It began by breeding mules [1:33,38,44], which was a breach of Lev.19:19), and twelve thousand horsemen.
27 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came to king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.
28 Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they to the place where [the officers] were, every man according to his charge.
H e 29. Extent. f 30,31. Others. Pre-eminece over. e 32,33. Extent. f 34. Others. Resort by.
920 to 917 B.C.
29 And God (Elohim) gave Solomon wisdom and understanding very great (Syr. reads this in connection with "largeness of heart", instead of with "understanding"), and largeness of heart, even as the sand that [is] on the sea shore.
30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the sons of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 For he was wiser than any human being; than Ethan the Ezrahite (the same 4 names occur among the sons of Zera the son of Judah [1 Chron.2:6], except Dara for Darda; but cp. 1 Cron.6:44 and 33), and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his name was in all nations round about.
32 And he spoke three thousand proverbs (Some included in the Book of that name): and his songs (cp. Ps.72 and 127) were a thousand and five.
33 And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that [is] in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall: he spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
34 And there came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon (cp. Chapter 10), from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.
E h 1. Hiram and Solomon. Congradulations. i k 2-6-. Timber required. l -6. Payment. i k 7-10. Timber required. l 11. Payment. h 12. Hiram and Solomon. Covenant.
5)
1 And Hiram (= noble. Born of a Jewish mother [7:14. 2 Chron.2:14]) king of Tyre (= rock) sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever an ally of David (Hebrews always at amity with the Phoenicians. Never with Canaanites).
2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
3 “You know (cp. 2 Sam.5:11. 1 Chron.14:1; 22:4) how that David my father could not build a house to the name of the Lord (Yehovah) his God (Elohim) for the wars which were about him on every side, until the Lord (Yehovah) put them under the soles of his feet (there were 3 reasons altogether: (1) not the time [2 Sam.7]; (2) not the opportunity [here]; (3) not the man [1 Chron.22:8; 23:3, &c.]).
4 But now the Lord (Yehovah) my God (Elohim) has given me rest on every side, [so that there is] neither adversary (Heb. sãtãn) nor evil occurrent.
5 And, behold, I purpose to build an house to the name of the Lord (Yehovah) my God (Elohim), according as the Lord (Yehovah) spoke to David my father (cp. 2 Sam.7:12,13. 1 Chron.17:11,12), saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set upon your throne in your room, he shall build an house to My name.’
6 Now therefore command you that they hew Me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with your servants:
and to you will I give hire for your servants according to all that you shall appoint: for you know that [there is] not among us a man that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.”
7 And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, “Blessed [be] the Lord (Yehovah) this day, which has given to David a wise son over this great People.”
8 And Hiram sent to Solomon (i.e. wrote. Cp. 2 Chron.2:11. See Ex.17:14), saying, “I have considered the things which you sent to me for: [and] I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir (or cyprus).
9 My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon to the sea (note the illustration in the conversion of sinners. Cut down from nature' standing; down throught the waters of death [Rom.6:11]. before finding their place in the Temple of God [Eph.2:20-22]. Same with stones. See v.17): and I will convey them by sea in floats to the place that you shall appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and you shall receive [them]: and you shall accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.”
10 So Hiram continued to give Solomon cedar trees and fir trees [according to] all his desire (cp. Ps.45:12).
11 And Solomon gave Hiram (not the same as 2 Chron.2:10. That was for Hiram's workmen in Lebanon. This was for his royal household at Tyre) twenty thousand measures of wheat (about 160,000 bushels) [for] food to his household, and twenty measures (about 160 bushels) of pure oil (= bruised [as in mortar], not crushed in a press): thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. <> 12 And the Lord (Yehovah) gave Solomon wisdom, according as He promised him (cp. 3:12): and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a covenant together (for breaking which Tyre was judged later. See Amos 1:9).
13 And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel (= tribute of men for free labor, not the bondservice of 9:21,22. Cp. 4:6. 2 Sam.20:24. Foretold in 1 Sam.8:16. David eployed forced service of resident aliens [1 Chron.22:2; and 2 Sam.12:31]); and the levy was thirty thousand men.
14 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, [and] two months at home: and Adoniram [was] over the levy.
15 And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains;
16 Beside the chief of Solomon's officers which [were] over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work.
17 And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones (these stones illustrate the work of conversion in the sinner. Hewed out of Nature's dark quarry [Isa.51:1,2], cut and carved for a place in the temple of glory [Eph.2:20-22]), costly stones, [and] hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.
18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew [them], and the stonesquarers (= men of Gebal, or Giblites, as Ezek.27:9, now Jubeil, 40 miles north of Sidon. Cp. Ps.83:7. Phoenician mason's marks still visible on them): and they prepared timber and stones to build the house.
G K 6:1-38. The Temple. L 7:1-12. Other buildings. K 7:13-8:66. The Temple.
K M 1. Date of commencement. N 2-8. Exterior of House. O 9,10. Completion. P 11-13. Word of Yehovah. O 14. Completion. N 15-36. Interior of house. M 37,38. Date of completion.
April-May 917 B.C.
6)
1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt (note that the number is Ordinal [not Cardinal] = the 480th year of some longer and larger period, namely, the 490 years from the Exodus to the Declaration of the Temple; the difference of 10 years being made up of 7 years in building [v.38] and 3 years in furnishing. Dedicated not in the 7th year, for Complition took place in the 8th month of one year [v.38], and the Dedication in the 7th month of another year [8:2]. The chronological periosd was 40 years in the wilderness + 450 years under rulers + 40 years of Saul + 40 years of David + 3 years of Solomon [v.1] = 573 [from 1490-917]. The mystical period of 480 years is obtained by deducting the period of 93 years, when Israel's national position was in abeyance. Thus: 8 [Judg.3;8] + 18 [Judg.3:24] + 20 [Judg.4:2] + 7 [Judg.6:1] + 40 [Judg.13:1] = 93. [N.B. the 18 years of Judg.1:7,9, was local and beyond Jordan. It did not affect the national position]. Hence. 573-93 = 480 [from 873-93].), in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif (our April-May), which [is] the second month, that he began to build the house of Yehovah (= the Temple. Similar in plan to the Tabernacle, but double the size).
N m 2. House. Dimensions. n 3-6. Accessories. Porch, &c. m 7. House. Materials. n 8. Accessories. Door, &c.
2 And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord (Yehovah), the length thereof [was] threescore cubits (*aprox. 95 feet), and the breadth thereof twenty [cubits] (*aprox. 31 1/2 feet), and the height thereof thirty cubits (*aprox. 47 1/2 feet).
3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits (*31 1/2') [was] the length thereof, according to (or, in front of) the breadth of the house; [and] ten cubits (*15 3/4') [was] the breadth thereof before the house.
4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.
5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, [against] the walls of the house round about, [both] of the temple and of the oracle (= word. See 2 Sam.16:23): and he made chambers round about:
6 The nethermost chamber [was] five cubits broad (*7 3/4'+), and the middle [was] six cubits broad (*9 1/2'), and the third [was] seven cubits broad (*11'+): for without [in the wall] of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that [the beams] should not be fastened in the walls of the house.
7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made perfect before it was brought to that place (i.e. in the quarries afar off, or beneath the city): so that there was neither hammer nor axe [nor] any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building (so also in the spiritual house. Eph.2:20-22).
8 The door for the middle chamber [was] in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle [chamber], and out of the middle into the third.
9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.
10 And [then] he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high(*7 3/4'+): and they rested on the house [with] timber of cedar.
11 And the word of the Lord (Yehovah) came to Solomon, saying,
12 “[Concerning] this house which you are in building, if you will walk in My statutes, and execute My judgments, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I perform My word with you, which I spoke to David your father (cp. 2 Sam.7:13. 1 Chron.22:10):
13 And I will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My People Israel.”
14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
N o¹ 15. Covering. Walls, within, covered, cedar. p¹ 16,17. Oracle. Dimensions. o² 18. Covering. Walls, within, carve, cedar. p² 19, 20. Oracle. Ark, &c. o³ 21,22. Covering. Wall, within, gold. p³ 23-29. Oracle. Cherubim. o4 30. Covering. Floor, covered, gold. p4 31-38. Oracle. Entrances.
15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the cieling: [and] he covered [them] on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir (note that all the stonework was covered with cedar wood; and the cedar wood covered with gold. Even so the saved sinner is covered with Christ's human and Divine righteousness inputed to him. Cp. Luke 15:32. Phil.3:9).
16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built [them] for it within, [even] for the oracle, [even] for the most holy [place].
17 And the house, that [is], the temple before it, was forty cubits [long] (*63 1/3').
18 And the cedar of the house within [was] carved with knops and open flowers: all [was] cedar; there was no stone seen (Fig. Words not necessary for grammer, or sense; but used to emphasise the completeness of our covering by Christ's merits. Cp. Eph.1:6. Col.1:28; 2:10; 4:12).
19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the Ark of the covenant of the Lord (Yehovah).
20 And the oracle in the forepart [was] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and [so] covered the altar [which was of] cedar (same as covered. See vv.15,18).
21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.
22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold (put for every part of it), until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that [was] by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims (see Deut.4:15,16) [of] olive tree (= oil tree, as in Isa.41:19; rendered pine [Neh.8:15]; but, Oleaster according to Tritram), [each] ten cubits high.
24 And five cubits [was] the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing to the uttermost part of the other [were] ten cubits.
25 And the other cherub [was] ten cubits: both the cherubims [were] of one measure and one size.
26 The height of the one cherub [was] ten cubits, and so [was it] of the other cherub.
27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the [one] wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
30 And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.
31 for the entering of the oracle he made doors [of] olive tree: the lintel [and] side posts [were] a fifth part [of the wall].
32 The two doors (= two-leaved [or double] dors) also [were of] olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid [them] with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.
33 So also made he for the entrance of the temple posts [of] olive tree, a fourth part [of the wall].
34 And the two doors [were of] fir tree: the two leaves of the one door [were] folding, and the two leaves of the other door [were] folding.
35 And he carved [thereon] cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered [them] with gold fitted upon the carved work.
36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the Temple laid, in the month Zif:
917 to 910 B.C.
38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul (our Oct-Nov.), which [is] the eighth month (see v.1, and cp. Dedication later, in "seventh monhth" [8:2]; so that more than one, and probably three, years in completing the appointment), was the house finished throughout all the appointments thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it (see v.1. 7 years for the building itself, and probably 3 years for the "appointments". Contrast these 7 with the 13 of 7:1. #7 = spiritual completeness. #3 = Divine completeness. #13 = rebellion, apostacy).