1 Kings9
World English Bible · Public Domain
1When Solomon had finished the building of Yahweh’s house, the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do,
2Yahweh appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.
3Yahweh said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before me. I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.
4As for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances,
5then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised to David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail from you a man on the throne of Israel.’
6But if you turn away from following me, you or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them,
7then I will cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and I will cast this house, which I have made holy for my name, out of my sight; and Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
8Though this house is so high, yet everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss; and they will say, ‘Why has Yahweh done this to this land and to this house?’
9and they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned Yahweh their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them, and served them. Therefore Yahweh has brought all this evil on them.’”
10At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, Yahweh’s house and the king’s house
11(now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and cypress trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
12Hiram came out of Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they didn’t please him.
13He said, “What cities are these which you have given me, my brother?” He called them the land of Cabul to this day.
14Hiram sent to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold.
15This is the reason of the forced labor which King Solomon conscripted: to build Yahweh’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
16Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, taken Gezer, burned it with fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it for a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.
17Solomon built in the land Gezer, Beth Horon the lower,
18Baalath, Tamar in the wilderness,
19all the storage cities that Solomon had, the cities for his chariots, 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 who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel—
21their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy—of them Solomon raised a levy of bondservants to this day.
22But of the children of Israel Solomon made no bondservants; but they were the men of war, his servants, his princes, his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.
23These were the five hundred fifty chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, who ruled over the people who labored in the work.
24But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of David’s city to her house which Solomon had built for her. Then he built Millo.
25Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to Yahweh three times per year, burning incense with them on the altar that was before Yahweh. So he finished the house.
26King Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.
27Hiram sent in the fleet his servants, sailors who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
28They came to Ophir, and fetched from there 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.
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.
Key Words
שְׁלֹמֹה: Shelomah, David's successor
כָּלָה: to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume)
בָּנָה: to build (literally and figuratively)
בַּיִת: a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
מֶלֶךְ: a king
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
רָאָה: to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
שֵׁנִי: properly, double, i.e. second; also adverbially, again
גִּבְעוֹן: Gibon, a place in Palestine
Cross References
1 Kings 9Refers to God's first appearance to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
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
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
Notes God was angry with Solomon after appearing to him twice.
Supported by JFB
Locates the border town of Cabul near Hiram's Tyrian borders.
Supported by JFB
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
Hiram's ships bringing gold and precious goods from Ophir.
Supported by Matthew Henry