Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

5:1-6 At the site of ‘Ain Dara in northern Syria, a temple has been found that dates to the thirteenth to eighth centuries b.c. It closely parallels the date, design, and size of Solomon's temple built in the tenth century b.c. This find helps corroborate the date of Solomon's temple in the early first millennium b.c. Cf. note on 7:1-12.

5:3-4 could not build a house. Solomon's response to Hiram's greeting takes Hiram back to that important moment in David's life (2 Sam. 7:1-17) when David was addressed by God, not only about the succession (which has just happened) but also about the temple (which has not yet been built). God has given Solomon the rest on every side that he had promised to David (2 Sam. 7:11), so much so that there is neither adversary nor misfortune. This picture reflects God's intended result when the people of Israel have a wise ruler and they walk in obedience to God's commandments. Given this situation, the time is right for the temple-building project, divinely ordained as the task for David's successor (2 Sam. 7:12-13).

5:5 build the house for my name. Cf. 2 Sam. 7:13.

5:6 Sidonians is a general term for the Phoenicians, famous for their expertise in timber. Sidon, like Tyre, was on the Phoenician coast, south of what is now Beirut. my servants will join your servants . . . such wages as you set. Solomon suggests to Hiram a cooperative venture and, possibly (although the Hb. is ambiguous), that Hiram should set the wages to be paid to his men.

5:7-8 Blessed be the Lord. A Gentile recognizes God's blessing on his great people, Israel.

5:9-12 My servants shall bring it down. Hiram responds with proposals of his own--that his own men alone should deal with cutting the wood and transporting it down the coast to Israel, and that Solomon's men should be involved only after this has been done. The wages, moreover, are to be paid not to his laborers, but in the form of supplies of food for his royal household. Solomon thus gets what he desires (Hb. khepets, vv. 8, 10), in the materials for the temple, but Hiram, too, has his wishes (Hb. khepets, v. 9) for provisions fulfilled. It is apparently a happy arrangement, sealed by a treaty--an arrangement that is testimony to the wisdom that God has given to Solomon. Yet nothing has been said about Hiram's first counterproposal to Solomon concerning work methods (v. 9); the narrative proceeds as if he had not spoken, as a task force from Israel is dispatched to Lebanon "in shifts" to help with the timber (v. 14). Although he is happy to negotiate with Hiram to a certain extent, Solomon is also prepared to ignore terms that do not suit him. This clearly implies that Solomon has the upper hand in the relationship, something that becomes even more apparent in 9:10-10:29.

5:13 Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel. First Kings 9:15-23 makes it clear that Solomon did not conscript Israelites to work abroad, but only workers from the Canaanite population of Israel. Two quite distinct groups are intended in 5:13-18 and 9:15-23. The first comprises 30,000 Canaanites and is supervised by 550 officials; the other comprises 150,000 Israelites and is supervised by 3,300 foremen.

5:14 at home. The Hebrew bebeto, "in his house," likely refers to Solomon's house or palace, the construction of which will be described in ch. 7. Even at this stage, the authors hint, Solomon is spending twice as much time on his palace ("house") as on the temple (cf. 6:38-7:1), while appearing to press quickly ahead with the temple.

5:17-18 Dressed stones probably describes ashlar masonry, a prominent feature of royal Israelite architecture. Fine examples of ashlar masonry may be seen at Megiddo (10th-9th centuries b.c.), Gezer (10th century), Tel Dan, Ramet Rahel, and elsewhere. The actual quarries for ashlar blocks have been found at Megiddo and Samaria.

5:18 The men of Gebal are workers from Byblos, a coastal city north of Tyre.