1 Kings 9ASV
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1 Kings9

American Standard Version · Public Domain

1And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of Jehovah, and the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do,

2that Jehovah appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.

3And Jehovah said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.

4And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and mine ordinances;

5then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel for ever, according as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

6But if ye shall turn away from following me, ye or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

7then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

8And though this house is so high, yet shall every one that passeth by it be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath Jehovah done thus unto this land, and to this house?

9and they shall answer, Because they forsook Jehovah their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath Jehovah brought all this evil upon them.

10And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the two houses, the house of Jehovah and the king’s house

11(now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar-trees and fir-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

12And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not.

13And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.

14And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.

15And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build the house of Jehovah, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

16Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a portion unto his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

17And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon the nether,

18and Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land,

19and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

20As for all the people that were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel;

21their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, of them did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants unto this day.

22But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondservants; but they were the men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.

23These were the chief officers that were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, who bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.

24But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.

25And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings upon the altar which he built unto Jehovah, burning incense therewith, upon the altar that was before Jehovah. So he finished the house.

26And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.

27And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

28And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 Kings 9.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: God's answer to Solomon. (1–9). The presents of Solomon and Hiram. (10–14). Solomon's buildings, His trade. (15–28).

vv1-9

God warned Solomon, now he had newly built and dedicated the temple, that he and his people might not be high-minded, but fear. After all the services we can perform, we stand upon the same terms with the Lord as before. Nothing can purchase for us liberty to sin, nor would the true believer desire such a licence. He would rather be chastened of the Lord, than be allowed to go on with ease and prosperity in sin.

vv10-14

Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities. Hiram did not like them. If Solomon would gratify him, let it be in his own element, by becoming his partner in trade, as he did. See how the providence of God suits this earth to the various tempers of men, and the dispositions of men to the earth, and all for the good of mankind in general.

vv15-28

Here is a further account of Solomon's greatness. He began at the right end, for he built God's house first, and finished that before he began his own; then God blessed him, and he prospered in all his other buildings. Let piety begin, and profit follow; leave pleasure to the last. Whatever pains we take for the glory of God, and to profit others, we are likely to have the advantage. Canaan, the holy land, the glory of all lands, had no gold in it; which shows that the best produce is that which is for the present support of life, our own and others; such things did Canaan produce. Solomon got much by his merchandise, and yet has directed us to a better trade, within reach of the poorest. Wisdom is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold, Pr 3:14.

Cross References

1 Kings 9
v21 Kings 3:5allusion

Refers to God's first appearance to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v31 Kings 8:29allusion

Solomon's dedication prayer requesting God's eyes be toward this temple continually.

Supported by JFB

The parallel account of God's conditional warning of destruction for disobedience.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

Mosaic warning of nations asking why God ruined His land and house.

Supported by JFB

God's original covenant promise to establish the throne of David's seed.

Supported by Matthew Poole

The Mosaic curse that Israel would become a proverb and a byword.

Supported by Matthew Poole

Parallel details of Solomon's major building projects after twenty years.

Supported by JFB

v151 Kings 11:27thematic

Mentions Solomon repairing the breaches and building the fort of Millo.

Supported by JFB

Explains why Pharaoh's daughter was moved out of David's city.

Supported by JFB

Parallel account of Solomon going to Ezion-geber to prepare his navy.

Supported by JFB

v21 Kings 11:9thematic

Notes God was angry with Solomon after appearing to him twice.

Supported by JFB

v13Joshua 19:27thematic

Locates the border town of Cabul near Hiram's Tyrian borders.

Supported by JFB

v151 Kings 5:13thematic

Details the heavy levy and forced labor Solomon raised for building.

Supported by JFB

Parallel account of Solomon's regular sacrifice offerings on the new altar.

Supported by JFB

v271 Kings 10:11thematic

Hiram's ships bringing gold and precious goods from Ophir.

Supported by Matthew Henry