A very wise King Solomon, in times of peace and prosperity for Israel, built a Temple to the Lord in Jerusalem per his father David’s wishes. He teamed up with King Hiram of what is now Lebanon who supplied the cedar trees used in the construction of the Temple:
And Solomon had under him all the kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt: and they brought him presents, and served him, all the days of his life.
And the provision of Solomon for each day… and he had peace on every side round about. And Juda and Israel dwelt without any fear, every one under his vine, and under his fig tree, from Dan to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon.
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses, and twelve thousand for the saddle…
And God gave to Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart as the sand that is on the sea shore. And the wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the Orientals, and of the Egyptians, and he was wiser than all men… and he was renowned in all nations round about. Solomon also spoke three thousand parables: and his poems were a thousand and five… And they came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from the kings of the earth, who heard of his wisdom.
And Hiram, king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon… for Hiram had always been David’s friend.
Solomon to Hiram: Thou knowest the will of David my father, and that he could not build a house to the name of the Lord his God, because of them that were round about him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God hath given me rest round about: and there is no adversary nor evil occurrence. Wherefore I purpose to build a temple to the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying: Thy son, whom I will set upon the throne in thy place, he shall build a house to my name. Give orders therefore that thy servants cut me down cedar trees out of Libanus, and let my servants be with thy servants: and I will give thee the hire of thy servants whatsoever thou wilt ask, for thou knowest how there is not among my people a man that has skill to hew wood like to the Sidonians.
And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they made a league together.
And King Solomon chose workmen out of all Israel, and the levy was of thirty thousand men… And he sent them to Libanus, ten thousand every month by turns, so that two months they were home… And Solomon had seventy thousand to carry burdens, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountain… And the king commanded, that they should bring great stones, costly stones, for the foundation of the temple, and should square them, and the masons of Solomon, and the masons of Hiram hewed them; and the Giblians prepared timber and stones to build the house.
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel came out of the land if Egypt, in the fourth year of the reign of Solomon over Israel…he began to build a house to the Lord.
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stones hewed and made ready: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house when it was in building.
And the Lord was obviously very pleased with King Solomon:
And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: This house which thou buildest, if thou will walk in my statues, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments, walking in them, I will fulfill my word to thee which I spoke to David thy father. And I will dwell in the midst of the children if Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
And he made the oracle in the midst of the house, in the inner part, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord… And he covered it and overlaid it with most pure gold… and fastened on the plates with nails of gold. And there was nothing in the temple that was not covered with gold: the whole altar of the oracle he covered also with gold.
And he made in the oracle two cherubims of olive tree, of ten cubits in height. And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
And the floor of the house he also overlaid with gold within and without… And he built the inner court with three rows of polished stones, and one row of beams of cedar.
And King Solomon sent, and brought Hiran from Tyre… an artificer in brass, and full of wisdom, and understanding, and skill to work all work in brass.
And he cast two pillars in brass (for the Temple)… And Hiram made caldrons, and shovels, and basins, and finished all the work of King Solomon in the temple of the Lord… All the vessels that Hiram made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord were of fine brass.
No cost was spared in terms of materials—cedar—stones—brass—gold!
And Solomon finished all the work that he made in the house of the Lord, and brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver and the gold, and the vessels, and laid them up in the treasures of the house of the Lord.
In the fourth year was the house of the Lord founded… in the eleventh year… the house was finished in all works thereof, and in all appurtenances thereof: and he was seven years in building it.
And Solomon built his own house in thirteen years, and brought it to perfection. He built also the house of the forest Libanus… He made also the porch of the throne, wherein is the seat of judgment… And in the midst of the porch, was a small house where he sat in judgment, of the like work.
He made also a house for the daughter of Pharao (Whom Solomon had taken to wife).
Wise King Solomon build a Temple to the name of the Lord His God… and his house and one for his wife too! Peace and prosperity in Israel under the wise King Solomon!
Day 115: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Wise King Solomon Builds a Temple to the Name of the Lord His God…
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The Third Book of Kings Chapters 4-7
Bible Notes:
This Book opens with the death of King David. Solomon, his son, succeeded him. King Solomon ruled wisely, beautified Jerusalem, and built the Temple. But later he encouraged idolatry. After his death his kingdom split into two hostile sections, Israel in the North and Juda in the South.
3 Kings Chapter 4: Solomon’s princes; Solomon’s governors; Extent of Solomon’s kingdom; Solomon’s daily provision; Solomon’s stables; Solomon’s wisdom.
And King Solomon reigned over all of Israel, and these were the princes which he had: Azarias; Alihoreph, and Ahia… the scribes; Josaphat… the recorder; Banaias over the army; Sadoc and Abiathat priests; Azarias, over them that were about the king; Zabud, the king’s friend; Abisar, governor of the house; Adoniram, over the tribute…
And Solomon had twelve governors over all of Israel, who provided victuals for the king and for his household: for every one provided necessaries, each man his month in the year… Benhur, Bendecar, Benhesed, Benabinadah, Hana, Bengaber, Abinadab, Achimaas, Baana, Josaphat, Semei, Gaber, over all that were in the land.
And Solomon had under him all the kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines, even to the border pf Egypt: and they brought him presents, and served him, all the days of his life.
And the provision of Solomon for each day… and he had peace on every side round about. And Juda and Israel dwelt without any fear, every one under his vine, and under his fig tree, from Dan to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon.
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses, and twelve thousand for the saddle…
And God gave to Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart as the sand that is on the sea shore. And the wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the Orientals, and of the Egyptians, and he was wiser than all men… and he was renowned in all nations round about. Solomon also spoke three thousand parables: and his poems were a thousand and five… And they came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from the kings of the earth, who heard of his wisdom.
3 Kings Chapter 5: Solomon asks King Hiram for help; Hiram supplies timber for the Temple; Solomon’s payment to Hiram; Numbers of Solomon’s workmen.
And Hiram, king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon… for Hiram had always been David’s friend.
Solomon to Hiram: Thou knowest the will of David my father, and that he could not build a house to the name of the Lord his God, because of them that were round about him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God hath given me rest round about: and there is no adversary nor evil occurrence. Wherefore I purpose to build a temple to the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying: Thy son, whom I will set upon the throne in thy place, he shall build a house to my name. Give orders therefore that thy servants cut me down cedar trees out of Libanus, and let my servants be with thy servants: and I will give thee the hire of thy servants whatsoever thou wilt ask, for thou knowest how there is not among my people a man that has skill to hew wood like to the Sidonians.
Now when Hiram had heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced exceedingly, and said: Blessed be the Lord God this day, who hath given to David a very wise son over this numerous people… I have heard all thou hast desired of me: and I will do all thy desire concerning cedar trees and fir trees… So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees, and fir trees, according to all his desire.
And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they made a league together.
And King Solomon chose workmen out of all Israel, and the levy was of thirty thousand men… And he sent them to Libanus, ten thousand every month by turns, so that two months they were home… And Solomon had seventy thousand to carry burdens, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountain… And the king commanded, that they should bring great stones, costly stones, for the foundation of the temple, and should square them, and the masons of Solomon, and the masons of Hiram hewed them; and the Giblians prepared timber and stones to build the house.
3 Kings Chapter 6: Dimensions of the Temple; The Lord approves the Temple; Interior of the Temple; The oracle of the Temple; The cherubims; Carvings on the walls; The doors of the Temple; The inner court of the Temple; The time of building the Temple.
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel came out of the land if Egypt, in the fourth year of the reign of Solomon over Israel…he began to build a house to the Lord.
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stones hewed and made ready: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house when it was in building.
And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: This house which thou buildest, if thou will walk in my statues, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments, walking in them, I will fulfill my word to thee which I spoke to David thy father. And I will dwell in the midst of the children if Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
And he made the oracle in the midst of the house, in the inner part, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord… And he covered it and overlaid it with most pure gold… and fastened on the plates with nails of gold. And there was nothing in the temple that was not covered with gold: the whole altar of the oracle he covered also with gold.
Oracle—(especially in ancient Greece) an utterance, often ambiguous or obscure, given by a priest or priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry; a shrine or place at which such responses were given: the oracle of Apollo at Delphi.
And he made in the oracle two cherubims of olive tree, of ten cubits in height. And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
Cubit—an ancient linear unit based on the length of the forearm, from elbow to the tip of the middle finger, usually from 17 to 21 inches (43 to 53 cm).
And the floor of the house he also overlaid with gold within and without… And he built the inner court with three rows of polished stones, and one row of beams of cedar.
In the fourth year was the house of the Lord founded… in the eleventh year… the house was finished in all works thereof, and in all appurtenances thereof: and he was seven years in building it.
Appurtenance– something subordinate to another, more important thing; adjunct; accessory; apparatus; instruments.
3 Kings Chapter 7: Solomon’s palace; The house for Pharao’s daughter; Hiram, the workman; Pillars for the Temple; The molten sea or laver; Ten stands for the lavers; Ten lavers of brass; Other equipment for the Temple; David’s treasures brought into the Temple.
And Solomon built his own house in thirteen years, and brought it to perfection. He built also the house of the forest Libanus… He made also the porch of the throne, wherein is the seat of judgment… And in the midst of the porch, was a small house where he sat in judgment, of the like work.
He made also a house for the daughter of Pharao (Whom Solomon had taken to wife).
And King Solomon sent, and brought Hiran from Tyre… an artificer in brass, and full of wisdom, and understanding, and skill to work all work in brass.
And he cast two pillars in brass (for the Temple)… And Hiram made caldrons, and shovels, and basins, and finished all the work of King Solomon in the temple of the Lord… All the vessels that Hiram made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord were of fine brass.
And Solomon finished all the work that he made in the house of the Lord, and brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver and the gold, and the vessels, and laid them up in the treasures of the house of the Lord.
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