9<\/strong>. from Lebanon unto the sea<\/em> ] Providing for the shortest land passage down the side of the mountain and to the coast of the Mediterranean. Probably Sidon itself would be as convenient a place as any to which to bring the timber down. We learn from Josephus (c. Apion i. 18) that Hiram was quite experienced in this work. On his accession he had done much for the adornment of Tyre, especially in its sacred buildings and it is said of him , , ( sic<\/em>) .<\/p>\n in flotes<\/em> ] There is no preposition in the original. The idea probably would be more nearly expressed by ‘as<\/em> flotes.’ R.V. I will make them into rafts to go by sea<\/strong>. The flotes would be made of the trees fastened side by side, and formed into long raftlike structures, somewhat like those which may be seen often on the Rhine, sent down from Switzerland. Such flotes would keep close to the shore and be anchored at night. In this way they might easily be brought along the coasts of Phnicia and the Holy Land.<\/p>\n unto the place<\/em> ] The Chronicler (2Ch 2:16<\/span>) makes mention of the name, Joppa. This would be the most convenient port for Jerusalem, and at that point the wood was to be delivered to Solomon’s officers. The compiler of the Kings of course knew where the timber had been delivered, but as it was not recorded in his authority he made no mention of it.<\/p>\n thou shalt appoint<\/em> ] The word is not the same as that so rendered in 1Ki 5:6<\/span>. The literal sense is ‘to send’ but it is often used of ‘sending a message’ without the addition of any object. Thus in 1Ki 21:11<\/span>, ‘They did as Jezebel had sent unto them.’ Cf. 2Ki 16:11<\/span>.<\/p>\n thou shalt accomplish my desire<\/em> ] Josephus explains why a supply of such provisions as Solomon proposed to give would be most acceptable to the Tyrian monarch, making him say in his letter, , , . The Tyrians were a maritime people, living on an island near a mountainous shore, and so with no chance of getting food supplies from their own land.<\/p>\n 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 Ezr 3:7<\/span>.<\/P> Food for my household – <\/B>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 1Ki 5:6<\/span> 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).<\/P> <\/p>\n Verse 9<\/span>. Shall bring<\/B><\/I> them <\/B>down from Lebanon unto the sea<\/B><\/I>] As the river Adonis<\/I> was in the vicinity of the forest of Lebanon, and emptied itself into the Mediterranean sea, near Biblos<\/I>, 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<\/I>, or Jamnia, just opposite to Jerusalem, at the distance of about twenty-five<\/I> miles. See 2Ch 2:16<\/span>. 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 1Kg 6:7<\/span>.<\/P> <\/p>\n Unto the sea; <\/B>the midland sea. <\/P> In floats, <\/B>or ships<\/I>, or rafts<\/I>. It is thought the timbers were tied together in the water, as now it is usual, and so by the help of boats or ships conveyed to the appointed place, which was at no great distance. <\/P> Unto the place that thou shalt appoint me; <\/B>which was Joppa, 2Ch 2:16<\/span>, a town upon the sea, Jos 19:46<\/span>; Act 9:43<\/span>. <\/P> Discharged, <\/B>Heb. dispersed<\/I>, or dissolved<\/I>; which implies that they were tied together. <\/P> Food for my household, <\/B>i.e. either, first, My kingdom or people; for the word house<\/I> or family<\/I> is sometimes used for a nation or people, as Jdg 13:2<\/span>; 18:11<\/span>; Zec 12:13<\/span>; 14:18<\/span>. The reason of this desire is, because the country belonging to Tyre and Sidon was very barren, and the people there being very numerous, depended upon Solomons country for relief, as is manifest from Act 12:20<\/span>; compare Ezr 3:7<\/span>; Eze 27:17<\/span>. And this relief or provisions Hiram doth not desire to be freely given to him, but to be sold to him and his people at a reasonable rate, as Josephus reports it. Or, secondly, My servants<\/I> employed in the work, as it is expressed, 2Ch 2:15<\/span>; though divers, both Jewish and Christian, interpreters conceive that this and that are differing accounts; and that here he speaks of the recompence which was given to Hiram himself, and to his house, for the materials which were taken out of his territories; and in 2Ch 2<\/span> of what was given to his servants for their labour. Or, thirdly, My royal family and court, which most properly is called his house. <\/P> <\/p>\n My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon unto the sea<\/strong>,…. The Mediterranean sea, on which Tyre stood:<\/p>\n and I will convey them by sea in floats<\/strong>; 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:<\/p>\n unto the place that thou shalt appoint me<\/strong>; which was Joppa, as appears from 2Ch 2:16<\/span>; belonging to the land of Israel, in the same sea:<\/p>\n and will cause them to be discharged there<\/strong>; either to be unloaded from the vessels, or to be unloosed and taken up separately:<\/p>\n and thou shalt receive [them]<\/strong>; by his servants appointed there to bring them to Jerusalem, which was forty miles from Joppa:<\/p>\n and thou shalt accomplish my desire in giving food for my household<\/strong>; 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 Ezr 3:7<\/span><\/p>\n Ac 12:20<\/span>.<\/p>\n d Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 8. c. 2. sect. 8.)<\/p>\n (9) Shall bring them.<\/strong>The timber was to be carried down, or, perhaps, let down on slides along the face of the mountain towards the sea, and brought round by rafts to Joppa (2Ch. 2:16<\/span>), to save the enormous cost and difficulty of land carriage. The grant of food for his household in return (instead of hire) brings out that which is recorded so many ages afterwards in Act. 12:20<\/span>that the country of the Tyrians was nourished by Palestine. The commerce and wealth of the Tyrians collected a large population; the narrow slip of land along the coast, backed by Lebanon, must have been, in any case, insufficient to maintain them; and, moreover, all their energies were turned, not to agriculture, but to seamanship. In the grand description in Ezekiel 27<\/span> of the imports of Tyre from all parts of the world, Judah and Israel are named as supplying wheat, and honey, and oil, and balm.<\/p>\n 9<\/strong>. <\/strong> By sea in floats <\/strong> The timber was cut on the western sides of Lebanon, and thence conveyed, probably by beasts of burden, to the Mediterranean Sea; there it was bound together in rafts, and floated along the coast to Joppa, and thence conveyed again overland to Jerusalem. 2Ch 2:16<\/span>. The timber was probably hewn out and prepared for use in the mountain, thus facilitating transportation. <\/p>\n Food for my household <\/strong> Provisions for the royal court of Tyre. Compare Solomon’s provision, 1Ki 4:22-23<\/span>.<\/p>\n “<\/strong> My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you shall appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and you will receive them, and you will accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.” <\/p>\n Hiram’s ‘servants’ (in this case his timber experts, in combination with bearers, and with his seamen) would bring the timber from the mountains of Lebanon to the sea, and would then make them into rafts and tow them along the coast to the place that Solomon appointed, and would break up the rafts of timber and deliver the timber to Solomon and his workmen so that they could do what they liked with them. And in return Solomon would provide payment in the form of large amounts of food for Hiram’s whole court, his ‘household’. This did not simply mean that he would expect food for his workers. It was a requirement for large quantities of grain and pure beaten olive oil (a staple Israelite luxury export) which would be paid to Hiram in exchange for what he had provided (possibly along with an agreement allowing Hiram to purchase a number of Israelite cities and their environs as we shall see later – 1Ki 9:11-12<\/span>). <\/p>\n 1Ki 5:10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of pine according to all his desire.’ <\/p>\n The contract having been agreed Hiram then supplied Solomon with all his timber requirements, providing him with as much cedar and pine as he desired. <\/p>\n 1Ki 5:11<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food for his household, and twenty measures of pure oil. Thus did Solomon give to Hiram year by year.’ <\/p>\n And in return Solomon gave Hiram ‘twenty thousand measures (cors) of wheat for food for his household, and twenty measures (cors) of pure oil’ each year over a number of years. The number of years was possibly determined by the number of years in which Solomon required assistance, that is, for the length of time that it took to build the Temple, and possibly the palace. A ‘cor’ is 220 litres. <\/p>\n We should not confuse these figures with the figures in 2Ch 2:10<\/span> which were given once for all and were specifically for the workforce, ‘the hewers who cut timber’. <\/p>\n 1Ki 5:12<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> And YHWH gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him, and there was peace (or ‘concord’) between Hiram and Solomon, and they two made a league together.’ <\/p>\n But the greatest gift was seen by the writer as coming from YHWH. He it was who gave Solomon wisdom as He had promised him, and part of that wisdom consisted in his political and negotiating ability which resulted in peace and concord between the two great countries and a firm treaty between them. By this time Tyre and Sidon were becoming even more important because they were beginning to rule the waves and trade far and wide by sea (see for example Isa 23:8<\/span>). ‘Peace’ might be better translated as ‘concord’. <\/p>\n 1Ki 5:13<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men.’ <\/p>\n For the purpose of building the Temple Solomon raised a compulsory levy from Israel itself. This levy on Israel was probably seen as necessary in order that the work might not be done by ‘profane’ Canaanite hands, the Sidonian contribution being seen as not quite in the same category because it could be looked at as part of the purchase of the timber and they would not be seen as ‘Canaanites’. Canaanites were seen as off limits (Deu 23:1-2<\/span>; Exo 23:23<\/span> and often). The levy consisted of thirty large work units. <\/p>\n Alternately it may have been due to the fear that Canaanite bondsmen sent to Tyre and Sidon may not have chosen to return to Israel, and may have found it easy to escape from there. <\/p>\n 1Ki 5:14<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> 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 men subject to taskwork.’ <\/p>\n Each group of ten work units would spend one month working in the Lebanon, and two months back at their homes. They were thus very much not seen as slave labour, which would have been required to work permanently, and Solomon (like any politician who did not have to get his hands dirty) probably thought that they should feel privileged to be doing such work. They were, however, under Adoniram’s control and, as we know from what happened later, he was not very much admired as a result of the way in which he treated them. In those days under such circumstances being whipped was normal (1Ki 12:4<\/span>; 1Ki 12:11<\/span>; 1Ki 12:18<\/span>), even though it is very possible that they were working as paid labourers. <\/p>\n 1Ki 5:15-16<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand who bore burdens, and fourscore thousand who were hewers in the mountains, besides Solomon’s chief officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people who wrought in the work.’ <\/p>\n As well as these thirty work units working in Lebanon there were seventy work units who ‘bore burdens’ (were shifters and carriers), and eighty work units of quarrymen. These were Canaanite bond-slaves (compare 2Ch 2:17-18<\/span>). Over all these were the general Canaanite overseers who were directly supervising the work, who numbered three thousand three hundred, a figure which seemingly excluded three hundred senior Canaanite overseers who were included in the figure of three thousand six hundred in 2Ch 2:2<\/span>. In Kings these were rather included in the figure of five hundred and fifty chief overseers mentioned in 1Ki 9:23<\/span>, which was made up of three hundred chief Canaanite overseers plus two hundred and fifty chief Israelite overseers (2Ch 8:10<\/span>). The numbers all tie in once we recognise that each writer was selecting different statistics and referring to different levels. <\/p>\n Alternately we may see three levels of ‘chief officers’, the three thousand three hundred who directly supervised the workers, the three hundred who supervised the supervisors, and the two hundred and fifty who were the overall supervisors. <\/p>\n Note that all the ‘numbers’ are round numbers, and are significant numbers, ‘three’ indicating completeness, ‘seven’ indicating divine perfection, and ‘eight’ signifying the new springing out of the old (compare the eight people in the Ark and the circumcision on the eighth day). They were intended to give the impression of the completely satisfactory nature of the work force at work on the Temple rather than as indicating the exact actual size of the workforce. <\/p>\n 1Ki 5:17<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> And the king commanded, and they hewed out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with wrought stone.’ <\/p>\n At the king’s command the Canaanite levies hewed out, from the quarries in the hills, stones which were especially valued, being of a type which could be easily dressed and shaped, and then became hardened, in order for them to be delivered to the Israelite workers at the quarry (1Ki 6:7<\/span>). Presumably as this was simply seen as the extraction of rough unshaped stones the use of Canaanites was not seen as profaning them. But they would not be allowed to dress or shape them. <\/p>\n 1Ki 5:18<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites fashioned them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.’ <\/p>\n Solomon’s builders then worked alongside Hiram’s builders, and with specialists brought in from Gebal (Greek – Byblos) further up the coast, in order to fashion and shape the stones, and prepare the stones and timber for building the Temple. <\/p>\n All this is a reminder to us that if a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well. As Paul reminds us, whatever we do, we should do it heartily to the Lord and not to men (Col 3:21<\/span>). Nevertheless it was unnecessary effort which could have been better put into building up the spiritual life of Israel, and preventing their worship at syncretistic high places. <\/p>\n 1Ki 5:9 My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive [them]: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.<\/p>\n Ver. 9. Unto the place that thou shalt appoint me.<\/strong> ] To Joppa, 2Ch 2:16 which had a harbour. Act 9:43 <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And thou shalt receive them.<\/strong> ] David had, before his death, prepared abundantly both workmen and cedar trees, &c., 1Ch 22:2-4<\/span> ; <\/em> 1Ch 29:3 but yet nothing near enough for so great a work. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In giving food<\/strong> ] Which in that country was a scarce commodity. They were supplied from other countries, and especially from Jewry; Act 12:20 <\/em> Eze 27:17 for their own was such as wherein they could neither sow nor reap, saith A. Lapide.<\/p>\n bring them down. Note the illustration in the conversion of sinners. Cut down from nature’s standing; down through the waters of death (Rom 6:11), before finding their place in the temple of God (Eph 2:20-22). Same with the stones. See note on 1Ki 5:17. <\/p>\n Lebanon: Deu 3:25 <\/p>\n and I will: 2Ch 2:16 <\/p>\n appoint: Heb. send <\/p>\n in giving food: 2Ch 1:15, Ezr 3:7, Eze 27:17, Act 12:20 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: 2Sa 5:11 – Hiram 1Ki 9:27 – his servants 1Ch 14:1 – and timber<\/p>\n 1Ki 5:9. From Lebanon unto the sea The Mediterranean sea, on which his city stood. I will convey them in floats Or rafts. It is thought the pieces of timber were tied together in the water, as now is usual, and so, by the help of boats or ships, conveyed to the appointed place, which was at no great distance. Unto the place thou shalt appoint me Which was Joppa, a famous seaport in the country of Israel, 2Ch 2:16. Will cause them to be discharged there Hebrew, dispersed, or dissolved; which implies that they were tied together. In giving food for my household My family and court; which, most properly, is called his household. Though they had plenty of money, being great merchants, yet they wanted corn and other provisions: and in after times, it appears, they were supported by provisions from Judea, Act 12:20.<\/p>\n 5:9 My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive [them]: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for {d} my household.<\/p>\n (d) While my servants are occupied with your business.<\/p>\n My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive [them]: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household. 9. from … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 5:9”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8899\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"