Discovery Box1 Kings 1:1--11:43 
Context1:1 King David was very old; 1 even when they covered him with blankets, 2 he could not get warm. 1:2 His servants advised 3 him, “A young virgin must be found for our master, the king, 4 to take care of the king’s needs 5 and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you 6 and keep our master, the king, warm.” 7 1:3 So they looked through all Israel 8 for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 1:4 The young woman was very beautiful; she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not have sexual relations with her. 9
1:5 Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, 10 was promoting himself, 11 boasting, 12 “I will be king!” He managed to acquire 13 chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. 14 1:6 (Now his father had never corrected 15 him 16 by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom. 17 ) 1:7 He collaborated 18 with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported 19 him. 20 1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors 21 did not ally themselves 22 with Adonijah. 1:9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, 23 as well as all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 1:10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors, 24 or his brother Solomon.
1:11 Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Has it been reported to you 25 that Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king behind our master David’s back? 26 1:12 Now 27 let me give you some advice as to how 28 you can save your life and your son Solomon’s life. 1:13 Visit 29 King David and say to him, ‘My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise 30 your servant, “Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne”? So why has Adonijah become king?’ 1:14 While 31 you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive 32 and verify your report.” 33
1:15 So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters. 34 (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 1:16 Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before 35 the king. The king said, “What do you want?” 1:17 She replied to him, “My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.’ 1:18 But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you, 36 my master the king, are not even aware of it! 37 1:19 He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. 1:20 Now, 38 my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne. 39 1:21 If a decision is not made, 40 when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, 41 my son Solomon and I 42 will be considered state criminals.” 43
1:22 Just then, 44 while she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 1:23 The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor. 45 1:24 Nathan said, “My master, O king, did you announce, ‘Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne’? 1:25 For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment 46 they are having a feast 47 in his presence, and they have declared, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 48 1:26 But he did not invite me – your servant – or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon. 1:27 Has my master the king authorized this without informing your servants 49 who should succeed my master the king on his throne?” 50
1:28 King David responded, 51 “Summon Bathsheba!” 52 She came and stood before the king. 53 1:29 The king swore an oath: “As certainly as the Lord lives (he who has rescued me 54 from every danger), 1:30 I will keep 55 today the oath I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: ‘Surely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne.’” 1:31 Bathsheba bowed down to the king with her face to the floor 56 and said, “May my master, King David, live forever!”
1:32 King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, 57 and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king, 1:33 and he 58 told them, “Take your master’s 59 servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon. 60 1:34 There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint 61 him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 1:35 Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed 62 that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 1:36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada responded 63 to the king: “So be it! 64 May the Lord God of my master the king confirm it! 65 1:37 As the Lord is with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make him an even greater king than my master King David!” 66
1:38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites 67 went down, put Solomon on King David’s mule, and led him to Gihon. 1:39 Zadok the priest took a horn filled with olive oil 68 from the tent and poured it on 69 Solomon; the trumpet was blown and all the people declared, “Long live King Solomon!” 1:40 All the people followed him up, playing flutes and celebrating so loudly they made the ground shake. 70
1:41 Now Adonijah and all his guests heard the commotion just as they had finished eating. 71 When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, “Why is there such a noisy commotion in the city?” 72 1:42 As he was still speaking, Jonathan 73 son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for 74 an important man like you must be bringing good news.” 75 1:43 Jonathan replied 76 to Adonijah: “No! 77 Our master 78 King David has made Solomon king. 1:44 The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites and they put him on the king’s mule. 1:45 Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed 79 him king in Gihon. They went up from there rejoicing, and the city is in an uproar. That is the sound you hear. 1:46 Furthermore, Solomon has assumed the royal throne. 80 1:47 The king’s servants have even come to congratulate 81 our master 82 King David, saying, ‘May your God 83 make Solomon more famous than you and make him an even greater king than you!’ 84 Then the king leaned 85 on the bed 1:48 and said 86 this: ‘The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because 87 today he has placed a successor on my throne and allowed me to see it.’” 88
1:49 All of Adonijah’s guests panicked; 89 they jumped up and rushed off their separate ways. 1:50 Adonijah feared Solomon, so he got up and went and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. 90 1:51 Solomon was told, “Look, Adonijah fears you; 91 see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘May King Solomon solemnly promise 92 me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’” 1:52 Solomon said, “If he is a loyal subject, 93 not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor, 94 he will die.” 1:53 King Solomon sent men to bring him down 95 from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon told him, “Go home.” 96
2:1 When David was close to death, 97 he told 98 Solomon his son: 2:2 “I am about to die. 99 Be strong and become a man! 2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you 100 by following his instructions 101 and obeying 102 his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, 103 2:4 and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me, 104 ‘If your descendants watch their step 105 and live faithfully in my presence 106 with all their heart and being, 107 then,’ he promised, 108 ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 109
2:5 “You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. 110 During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; 111 when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet. 112 2:6 Do to him what you think is appropriate, 113 but don’t let him live long and die a peaceful death. 114
2:7 “Treat fairly 115 the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs, 116 because they helped me 117 when I had to flee from your brother Absalom.
2:8 “Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, 118 who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim. 119 He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised 120 him by the Lord, ‘I will not strike you down 121 with the sword.’ 2:9 But now 122 don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him; 123 make sure he has a bloody death.” 124
2:10 Then David passed away 125 and was buried in the city of David. 126 2:11 David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem 127 thirty-three years.
2:12 Solomon sat on his father David’s throne, and his royal authority 128 was firmly solidified.
2:13 Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.” 129 2:14 He added, 130 “I have something to say to you.” She replied, “Speak.” 2:15 He said, “You know that the kingdom 131 was mine and all Israel considered me king. 132 But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the Lord decided it should be his. 133 2:16 Now I’d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don’t refuse me.” 134 She said, “Go ahead and ask.” 135 2:17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won’t refuse you.” 136 2:18 Bathsheba replied, “That’s fine, 137 I’ll speak to the king on your behalf.”
2:19 So Bathsheba visited King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah’s behalf. The king got up to greet 138 her, bowed to her, and then sat on his throne. He ordered a throne to be brought for the king’s mother, 139 and she sat at his right hand. 2:20 She said, “I would like to ask you for just one small favor. 140 Please don’t refuse me.” 141 He said, 142 “Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.” 2:21 She said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.” 2:22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him? 143 Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”
2:23 King Solomon then swore an oath by the Lord, “May God judge me severely, 144 if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life! 145 2:24 Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty 146 for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!” 2:25 King Solomon then sent 147 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah. 148
2:26 The king then told Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your property 149 in Anathoth. You deserve to die, 150 but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the sovereign Lord before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times.” 151 2:27 Solomon dismissed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord, 152 fulfilling the decree of judgment the Lord made in Shiloh against the family of Eli. 153
2:28 When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported 154 Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he 155 ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. 156 2:29 When King Solomon heard 157 that Joab had run to the tent of the Lord and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, 158 “Go, strike him down.” 2:30 When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the Lord, he said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he replied, “No, I will die here!” So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab’s reply. 159 2:31 The king told him, “Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father’s family 160 the guilt of Joab’s murderous, bloody deeds. 161 2:32 May the Lord punish him for the blood he shed; 162 behind my father David’s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he 163 – Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 2:33 May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family, 164 and his dynasty.” 165 2:34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab; 166 he was buried at his home in the wilderness. 2:35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to take his place at the head of 167 the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest to take Abiathar’s place. 168
2:36 Next the king summoned 169 Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem 170 and live there – but you may not leave there to go anywhere! 171 2:37 If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die! You will be responsible for your own death.” 172 2:38 Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable. 173 Your servant will do as you say.” 174 So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. 175
2:39 Three years later two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your servants are in Gath.” 2:40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath. 2:41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, 2:42 the king summoned 176 Shimei and said to him, “You will recall 177 that I made you take an oath by the Lord, and I solemnly warned you, ‘If you ever leave and go anywhere, 178 know for sure that you will certainly die.’ You said to me, ‘The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.’ 179 2:43 Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?” 180 2:44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David. 181 The Lord will punish you for what you did. 182 2:45 But King Solomon will be empowered 183 and David’s dynasty 184 will endure permanently before the Lord.” 2:46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei. 185
So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom. 186
3:1 Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David 187 until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 188 3:2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, 189 because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord. 190 3:3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following 191 the practices 192 of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
3:4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places. 193 Solomon would offer up 194 a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 3:5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared 195 to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell 196 me what I should give you.” 3:6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated 197 great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served 198 you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. 199 You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. 200 3:7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced. 201 3:8 Your servant stands 202 among your chosen people; 203 they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind 204 so he can make judicial decisions for 205 your people and distinguish right from wrong. 206 Otherwise 207 no one is able 208 to make judicial decisions for 209 this great nation of yours.” 210 3:10 The Lord 211 was pleased that Solomon made this request. 212 3:11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies, 213 3:12 I 214 grant your request, 215 and give 216 you a wise and discerning mind 217 superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. 218 3:13 Furthermore, I am giving 219 you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. 220 3:14 If you follow my instructions 221 by obeying 222 my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, 223 then I will grant you long life.” 224 3:15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream. 225 He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings, 226 and held a feast for all his servants.
3:16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 3:17 One of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was with me in the house. 3:18 Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us. 227 3:19 This woman’s child suffocated 228 during the night when she rolled 229 on top of him. 3:20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms. 3:21 I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there he was, 230 dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.” 231 3:22 The other woman said, “No! My son is alive; your son is dead!” But the first woman replied, “No, your son is dead; my son is alive.” Each presented her case before the king. 232
3:23 The king said, “One says, ‘My son is alive; your son is dead,’ while the other says, ‘No, your son is dead; my son is alive.’” 3:24 The king ordered, “Get me a sword!” So they placed a sword before the king. 3:25 The king then said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” 3:26 The real mother 233 spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused. 234 She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” 235 But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!” 3:27 The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” 3:28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected 236 the king, for they realized 237 that he possessed supernatural wisdom 238 to make judicial decisions.
4:1 King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 4:2 These were his officials:
Azariah son of Zadok was the priest.
4:3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, wrote down what happened. 239
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records.
4:4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of 240 the army.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
4:5 Azariah son of Nathan was supervisor of 241 the district governors.
Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to 242 the king.
4:6 Ahishar was supervisor of the palace. 243
Adoniram son of Abda was supervisor of 244 the work crews. 245
4:7 Solomon had twelve district governors appointed throughout Israel who acquired supplies for the king and his palace. Each was responsible for one month in the year. 4:8 These were their names:
Ben-Hur was in charge of the hill country of Ephraim.
4:9 Ben-Deker was in charge of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan.
4:10 Ben-Hesed was in charge of Arubboth; he controlled Socoh and all the territory of Hepher.
4:11 Ben-Abinadab was in charge of Naphath Dor. (He was married to Solomon’s daughter Taphath.)
4:12 Baana son of Ahilud was in charge of Taanach and Megiddo, 246 as well as all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah and on past Jokmeam.
4:13 Ben-Geber was in charge of Ramoth Gilead; he controlled the tent villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan, including sixty large walled cities with bronze bars locking their gates.
4:14 Ahinadab son of Iddo was in charge of Mahanaim.
4:15 Ahimaaz was in charge of Naphtali. (He married Solomon’s daughter Basemath.)
4:16 Baana son of Hushai was in charge of Asher and Aloth.
4:17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was in charge of Issachar.
4:18 Shimei son of Ela was in charge of Benjamin.
4:19 Geber son of Uri was in charge of the land of Gilead (the territory which had once belonged to King Sihon of the Amorites and to King Og of Bashan). He was sole governor of the area.
4:20 The people of Judah and Israel were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore; they had plenty to eat and drink and were happy. 4:21 (5:1) 247 Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River 248 to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms paid tribute as Solomon’s subjects throughout his lifetime. 249 4:22 Each day Solomon’s royal court consumed 250 thirty cors 251 of finely milled flour, sixty cors of cereal, 4:23 ten calves fattened in the stall, 252 twenty calves from the pasture, and a hundred sheep, not to mention rams, gazelles, deer, and well-fed birds. 4:24 His royal court was so large because 253 he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah 254 to Gaza; he was at peace with all his neighbors. 255 4:25 All the people of Judah and Israel had security; everyone from Dan to Beer Sheba enjoyed the produce of their vines and fig trees throughout Solomon’s lifetime. 256 4:26 Solomon had 4,000 257 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. 4:27 The district governors acquired supplies for King Solomon and all who ate in his royal palace. 258 Each was responsible for one month in the year; they made sure nothing was lacking. 4:28 Each one also brought to the assigned location his quota of barley and straw for the various horses. 259
4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding 260 was as infinite as the sand on the seashore. 4:30 Solomon was wiser than all the men of the east and all the sages of Egypt. 261 4:31 He was wiser than any man, including Ethan the Ezrahite or Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. He was famous in all the neighboring nations. 262 4:32 He composed 263 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. 4:33 He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, 264 from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing 265 animals, birds, insects, and fish. 4:34 People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom; 266 they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.
5:1 (5:15) 267 King Hiram of Tyre 268 sent messengers 269 to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in his father’s place. (Hiram had always been an ally of David.) 5:2 Solomon then sent this message to Hiram: 5:3 “You know that my father David was unable to build a temple to honor the Lord 270 his God, for he was busy fighting battles on all fronts while the Lord subdued his enemies. 271 5:4 But now the Lord my God has made me secure on all fronts; there is no adversary or dangerous threat. 5:5 So I have decided 272 to build a temple to honor the Lord 273 my God, as the Lord instructed my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, is the one who will build a temple to honor me.’ 274 5:6 So now order some cedars of Lebanon to be cut for me. My servants will work with your servants. I will pay your servants whatever you say is appropriate, for you know that we have no one among us who knows how to cut down trees like the Sidonians.”
5:7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was very happy. He said, “The Lord is worthy of praise today because he 275 has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.” 5:8 Hiram then sent this message to Solomon: “I received 276 the message you sent to me. I will give you all the cedars and evergreens you need. 277 5:9 My servants will bring the timber down from Lebanon to the sea. I will send it by sea in raft-like bundles to the place you designate. 278 There I will separate the logs 279 and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court.” 280
5:10 So Hiram supplied the cedars and evergreens Solomon needed, 281 5:11 and Solomon supplied Hiram annually with 20,000 cors 282 of wheat as provision for his royal court, 283 as well as 20,000 baths 284 of pure 285 olive oil. 286 5:12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. And Hiram and Solomon were at peace and made a treaty. 287
5:13 King Solomon conscripted 288 work crews 289 from throughout Israel, 30,000 men in all. 5:14 He sent them to Lebanon in shifts of 10,000 men per month. They worked in Lebanon for one month, and then spent two months at home. Adoniram was supervisor of 290 the work crews. 5:15 Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers 291 and 80,000 stonecutters 292 in the hills, 5:16 besides 3,300 293 officials who supervised the workers. 294 5:17 By royal order 295 they supplied large valuable stones in order to build the temple’s foundation with chiseled stone. 5:18 Solomon’s and Hiram’s construction workers, 296 along with men from Byblos, 297 did the chiseling and prepared the wood and stones for the building of the temple. 298
6:1 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, during the month Ziv 299 (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple. 6:2 The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet 300 long, 30 feet 301 wide, and 45 feet 302 high. 6:3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet 303 long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet 304 wide, extending out from the front of the temple. 6:4 He made framed windows for the temple. 6:5 He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and holy place and constructed side rooms in it. 305 6:6 The bottom floor of the extension was seven and a half feet 306 wide, the middle floor nine feet 307 wide, and the third floor ten and a half 308 feet wide. He made ledges 309 on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls. 310 6:7 As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry 311 were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built. 6:8 The entrance to the bottom 312 level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up 313 to the middle floor and then on up to the third 314 floor. 6:9 He finished building the temple 315 and covered it 316 with rafters 317 and boards made of cedar. 318 6:10 He built an extension all around the temple; it was seven and a half feet high 319 and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.
6:11 320 The Lord said 321 to Solomon: 6:12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow 322 my rules, observe 323 my regulations, and obey all my commandments, 324 I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David. 325 6:13 I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”
6:14 So Solomon finished building the temple. 326 6:15 He constructed the walls inside the temple with cedar planks; he paneled the inside with wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters 327 of the ceiling. He covered the temple floor with boards made from the wood of evergreens. 6:16 He built a wall 30 feet in from the rear of the temple as a partition for an inner sanctuary that would be the most holy place. 328 He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters. 329 6:17 The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long. 330 6:18 The inside of the temple was all cedar and was adorned with carvings of round ornaments and of flowers in bloom. Everything was cedar; no stones were visible. 331
6:19 He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there. 6:20 The inner sanctuary was 30 feet 332 long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold, 333 as well as the cedar altar. 334 6:21 Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold. 335 He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary 336 with gold. 6:22 He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary. 337
6:23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubs of olive wood; each stood 15 feet 338 high. 6:24 Each of the first cherub’s wings was seven and a half feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet. 339 6:25 The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape. 340 6:26 Each cherub stood 15 feet high. 341 6:27 He put the cherubs in the inner sanctuary of the temple. 342 Their wings were spread out. One of the first cherub’s wings touched one wall and one of the other cherub’s wings touched the opposite wall. The first cherub’s other wing touched the second cherub’s other wing in the middle of the room. 343 6:28 He plated the cherubs with gold.
6:29 On all the walls around the temple, inside and out, 344 he carved 345 cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom. 6:30 He plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out. 346 6:31 He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided. 347 6:32 On the two doors made of olive wood he carved 348 cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them with gold. 349 He plated the cherubs and the palm trees with hammered gold. 350 6:33 In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with four-sided pillars. 351 6:34 He also made 352 two doors out of wood from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves. 353 6:35 He carved cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom and plated them with gold, leveled out over the carvings. 6:36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of chiseled stones and a row of cedar beams.
6:37 In the month Ziv 354 of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign 355 the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple. 6:38 In the eleventh year, in the month Bul 356 (the eighth month) the temple was completed in accordance with all its specifications and blueprints. It took seven years to build. 357
7:1 Solomon took thirteen years to build his palace. 358 7:2 He named 359 it “The Palace of the Lebanon Forest”; 360 it was 150 feet 361 long, 75 feet 362 wide, and 45 feet 363 high. It had four rows of cedar pillars and cedar beams above the pillars. 7:3 The roof above the beams supported by the pillars was also made of cedar; there were forty-five beams, fifteen per row. 7:4 There were three rows of windows arranged in sets of three. 364 7:5 All of the entrances 365 were rectangular in shape 366 and they were arranged in sets of three. 367 7:6 He made a colonnade 368 75 feet 369 long and 45 feet 370 wide. There was a porch in front of this and pillars and a roof in front of the porch. 371 7:7 He also made a throne room, called “The Hall of Judgment,” where he made judicial decisions. 372 It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters. 373 7:8 The palace where he lived was constructed in a similar way. 374 He also constructed a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married. 375 7:9 All of these were built with the best 376 stones, chiseled to the right size 377 and cut with a saw on all sides, 378 from the foundation to the edge of the roof 379 and from the outside to the great courtyard. 7:10 The foundation was made of large valuable stones, measuring either 15 feet or 12 feet. 380 7:11 Above the foundation 381 the best 382 stones, chiseled to the right size, 383 were used along with cedar. 7:12 Around the great courtyard were three rows of chiseled stones and one row of cedar beams, like the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and the hall of the palace. 384
7:13 King Solomon sent for Hiram 385 of Tyre. 386 7:14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, 387 and his father was a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. He had the skill and knowledge 388 to make all kinds of works of bronze. He reported to King Solomon and did all the work he was assigned.
7:15 He fashioned two bronze pillars; each pillar was 27 feet 389 high and 18 feet 390 in circumference. 7:16 He made two bronze tops for the pillars; each was seven-and-a-half feet high. 391 7:17 The latticework on the tops of the pillars was adorned with ornamental wreaths and chains; the top of each pillar had seven groupings of ornaments. 392 7:18 When he made the pillars, there were two rows of pomegranate-shaped ornaments around the latticework covering the top of each pillar. 393 7:19 The tops of the two pillars in the porch were shaped like lilies and were six feet high. 394 7:20 On the top of each pillar, right above the bulge beside the latticework, there were two hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments arranged in rows all the way around. 395 7:21 He set up the pillars on the porch in front of the main hall. He erected one pillar on the right 396 side and called it Jakin; 397 he erected the other pillar on the left 398 side and called it Boaz. 399 7:22 The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. So the construction of the pillars was completed.
7:23 He also made the large bronze basin called “The Sea.” 400 It measured 15 feet 401 from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood seven-and-a-half feet 402 high. Its circumference was 45 feet. 403 7:24 Under the rim all the way around it 404 were round ornaments 405 arranged in settings 15 feet long. 406 The ornaments were in two rows and had been cast with “The Sea.” 407 7:25 “The Sea” stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward. “The Sea” was placed on top of them, and they all faced outward. 408 7:26 It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold about 12,000 gallons. 409
7:27 He also made ten bronze movable stands. Each stand was six feet 410 long, six feet 411 wide, and four-and-a-half feet 412 high. 7:28 The stands were constructed with frames between the joints. 7:29 On these frames and joints were ornamental lions, bulls, and cherubs. Under the lions and bulls were decorative wreaths. 413 7:30 Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles and four supports. Under the basin the supports were fashioned on each side with wreaths. 414 7:31 Inside the stand was a round opening that was a foot-and-a-half deep; it had a support that was two and one-quarter feet long. 415 On the edge of the opening were carvings in square frames. 416 7:32 The four wheels were under the frames and the crossbars of the axles were connected to the stand. Each wheel was two and one-quarter feet 417 high. 7:33 The wheels were constructed like chariot wheels; their crossbars, rims, spokes, and hubs were made of cast metal. 7:34 Each stand had four supports, one per side projecting out from the stand. 418 7:35 On top of each stand was a round opening three-quarters of a foot deep; 419 there were also supports and frames on top of the stands. 7:36 He engraved ornamental cherubs, lions, and palm trees on the plates of the supports and frames wherever there was room, 420 with wreaths 421 all around. 7:37 He made the ten stands in this way. All of them were cast in one mold and were identical in measurements and shape.
7:38 He also made ten bronze basins, each of which could hold about 240 gallons. 422 Each basin was six feet in diameter; 423 there was one basin for each stand. 7:39 He put five basins on the south side of the temple and five on the north side. He put “The Sea” on the south side, in the southeast corner.
7:40 Hiram also made basins, shovels, and bowls. He 424 finished all the work on the Lord’s temple he had been assigned by King Solomon. 425 7:41 He made 426 the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars, the latticework for the bowl-shaped tops of the two pillars, 7:42 the four hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments for the latticework of the two pillars (each latticework had two rows of these ornaments at the bowl-shaped top of the pillar), 7:43 the ten movable stands with their ten basins, 7:44 the big bronze basin called “The Sea” with its twelve bulls underneath, 427 7:45 and the pots, shovels, and bowls. All these items King Solomon assigned Hiram to make for the Lord’s temple 428 were made from polished bronze. 7:46 The king had them cast in earth foundries 429 in the region of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. 7:47 Solomon left all these items unweighed; there were so many of them they did not weigh the bronze. 430
7:48 Solomon also made all these items for the Lord’s temple: the gold altar, the gold table on which was kept the Bread of the Presence, 431 7:49 the pure gold lampstands at the entrance to the inner sanctuary (five on the right and five on the left), the gold flower-shaped ornaments, lamps, and tongs, 7:50 the pure gold bowls, trimming shears, basins, pans, and censers, and the gold door sockets for the inner sanctuary (the most holy place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple. 7:51 When King Solomon finished constructing the Lord’s temple, he 432 put the holy items that belonged to his father David (the silver, gold, and other articles) in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.
8:1 433 Then Solomon convened in Jerusalem 434 Israel’s elders, all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families, so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the city of David (that is, Zion). 435 8:2 All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon during the festival 436 in the month Ethanim 437 (the seventh month). 8:3 When all Israel’s elders had arrived, the priests lifted the ark. 8:4 The priests and Levites carried the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, 438 and all the holy items in the tent. 439 8:5 Now King Solomon and all the Israelites who had assembled with him went on ahead of the ark and sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted or numbered. 440
8:6 The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its assigned 441 place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubs. 8:7 The cherubs’ wings extended over the place where the ark sat; the cherubs overshadowed the ark and its poles. 442 8:8 The poles were so long their ends were visible from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from beyond that point. 443 They have remained there to this very day. 8:9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets Moses had placed there in Horeb. 444 It was there that 445 the Lord made an agreement with the Israelites after he brought them out of the land of Egypt. 8:10 Once the priests left the holy place, a cloud filled the Lord’s temple. 8:11 The priests could not carry out their duties 446 because of the cloud; the Lord’s glory filled his temple. 447
8:12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness. 8:13 O Lord, 448 truly I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.” 8:14 Then the king turned around 449 and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there. 450 8:15 He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled 451 what he promised 452 my father David. 8:16 He told David, 453 ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. 454 But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’ 8:17 Now my father David had a strong desire 455 to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. 456 8:18 The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. 457 8:19 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’ 458 8:20 The Lord has kept the promise he made. 459 I have taken my father David’s place and have occupied the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for the honor 460 of the Lord God of Israel 8:21 and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with our ancestors 461 when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”
8:22 Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward the sky. 462 8:23 He prayed: 463 “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below! You maintain covenantal loyalty 464 to your servants who obey you with sincerity. 465 8:24 You have kept your word to your servant, my father David; 466 this very day you have fulfilled what you promised. 467 8:25 Now, O Lord, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David, when you said, ‘You will never fail to have a successor ruling before me on the throne of Israel, 468 provided that your descendants watch their step and serve me as you have done.’ 469 8:26 Now, O God of Israel, may the promise you made 470 to your servant, my father David, be realized. 471
8:27 “God does not really live on the earth! 472 Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built! 8:28 But respond favorably to 473 your servant’s prayer and his request for help, O Lord my God. Answer 474 the desperate prayer 475 your servant is presenting to you 476 today. 8:29 Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. 477 May you answer your servant’s prayer for this place. 478 8:30 Respond to the request of your servant and your people Israel for this place. 479 Hear from inside your heavenly dwelling place 480 and respond favorably. 481
8:31 “When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbor and the latter pronounces a curse on the alleged offender before your altar in this temple, be willing to forgive the accused if the accusation is false. 482 8:32 Listen from heaven and make a just decision about your servants’ claims. Condemn the guilty party, declare the other innocent, and give both of them what they deserve. 483
8:33 “The time will come when 484 your people Israel are defeated by an enemy 485 because they sinned against you. If they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you, 486 and pray for your help 487 in this temple, 8:34 then listen from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.
8:35 “The time will come when 488 the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people 489 sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, 490 and turn away from their sin because you punish 491 them, 8:36 then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly 492 you will then teach them the right way to live 493 and send rain on your land that you have given your people to possess. 494
8:37 “The time will come when the land suffers from a famine, a plague, blight and disease, or a locust 495 invasion, or when their enemy lays siege to the cities of the land, 496 or when some other type of plague or epidemic occurs. 8:38 When all your people Israel pray and ask for help, 497 as they acknowledge their pain 498 and spread out their hands toward this temple, 8:39 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place, forgive their sin, 499 and act favorably toward each one based on your evaluation of his motives. 500 (Indeed you are the only one who can correctly evaluate the motives of all people.) 501 8:40 Then they will obey 502 you throughout their lifetimes as 503 they live on the land you gave to our ancestors.
8:41 “Foreigners, who do not belong to your people Israel, will come from a distant land because of your reputation. 504 8:42 When they hear about your great reputation 505 and your ability to accomplish mighty deeds, 506 they will come and direct their prayers toward this temple. 8:43 Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and answer all the prayers of the foreigners. 507 Then all the nations of the earth will acknowledge your reputation, 508 obey 509 you like your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you. 510
8:44 “When you direct your people to march out and fight their enemies, 511 and they direct their prayers to the Lord 512 toward his chosen city and this temple I built for your honor, 513 8:45 then listen from heaven to their prayers for help 514 and vindicate them. 515
8:46 “The time will come when your people 516 will sin against you (for there is no one who is sinless!) and you will be angry with them and deliver them over to their enemies, who will take them as prisoners to their own land, 517 whether far away or close by. 8:47 When your people 518 come to their senses 519 in the land where they are held prisoner, they will repent and beg for your mercy in the land of their imprisonment, admitting, ‘We have sinned and gone astray; 520 we have done evil.’ 8:48 When they return to you with all their heart and being 521 in the land where they are held prisoner, 522 and direct their prayers to you toward the land you gave to their ancestors, your chosen city, and the temple I built for your honor, 523 8:49 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place to their prayers for help 524 and vindicate them. 525 8:50 Forgive all the rebellious acts of your sinful people and cause their captors to have mercy on them. 526 8:51 After all, 527 they are your people and your special possession 528 whom you brought out of Egypt, from the middle of the iron-smelting furnace. 529
8:52 “May you be attentive 530 to your servant’s and your people Israel’s requests for help and may you respond to all their prayers to you. 531 8:53 After all, 532 you picked them out of all the nations of the earth to be your special possession, 533 just as you, O sovereign Lord, announced through your servant Moses when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”
8:54 When Solomon finished presenting all these prayers and requests to the Lord, he got up from before the altar of the Lord where he had kneeled and spread out his hands toward the sky. 534 8:55 When he stood up, he pronounced a blessing over the entire assembly of Israel, saying in a loud voice: 8:56 “The Lord is worthy of praise because he has made Israel his people secure 535 just as he promised! Not one of all the faithful promises he made through his servant Moses is left unfulfilled! 536 8:57 May the Lord our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors. May he not abandon us or leave us. 8:58 May he make us submissive, 537 so we can follow all his instructions 538 and obey 539 the commandments, rules, and regulations he commanded our ancestors. 8:59 May the Lord our God be constantly aware of these requests of mine I have presented to him, 540 so that he might vindicate 541 his servant and his people Israel as the need arises. 8:60 Then 542 all the nations of the earth will recognize that the Lord is the only genuine God. 543 8:61 May you demonstrate wholehearted devotion to the Lord our God 544 by following 545 his rules and obeying 546 his commandments, as you are presently doing.” 547
8:62 The king and all Israel with him were presenting sacrifices to the Lord. 8:63 Solomon offered as peace offerings 548 to the Lord 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. Then the king and all the Israelites dedicated the Lord’s temple. 8:64 That day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that is in front of the Lord’s temple. He offered there burnt sacrifices, grain offerings, and the fat from the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that stood before the Lord was too small to hold all these offerings. 549 8:65 At that time Solomon and all Israel with him celebrated a festival before the Lord our God for two entire weeks. This great assembly included people from all over the land, from Lebo Hamath in the north to the Brook of Egypt 550 in the south. 551 8:66 On the fifteenth day after the festival started, 552 he dismissed the people. They asked God to empower the king 553 and then went to their homes, happy and content 554 because of all the good the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.
9:1 After Solomon finished building the Lord’s temple, the royal palace, and all the other construction projects he had planned, 555 9:2 the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, in the same way he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 556 9:3 The Lord said to him, “I have answered 557 your prayer and your request for help that you made to me. I have consecrated this temple you built by making it my permanent home; 558 I will be constantly present there. 559 9:4 You must serve me with integrity and sincerity, just as your father David did. Do everything I commanded and obey my rules and regulations. 560 9:5 Then I will allow your dynasty to rule over Israel permanently, 561 just as I promised your father David, ‘You will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 562
9:6 “But if you or your sons ever turn away from me, fail to obey the regulations and rules I instructed you to keep, 563 and decide to serve and worship other gods, 564 9:7 then I will remove Israel from the land 565 I have given them, I will abandon this temple I have consecrated with my presence, 566 and Israel will be mocked and ridiculed 567 among all the nations. 9:8 This temple will become a heap of ruins; 568 everyone who passes by it will be shocked and will hiss out their scorn, 569 saying, ‘Why did the Lord do this to this land and this temple?’ 9:9 Others will then answer, 570 ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God, who led their ancestors 571 out of Egypt. They embraced other gods whom they worshiped and served. 572 That is why the Lord has brought all this disaster down on them.’”
9:10 After twenty years, during which Solomon built the Lord’s temple and the royal palace, 573 9:11 King Solomon gave King Hiram of Tyre 574 twenty cities in the region of Galilee, because Hiram had supplied Solomon with cedars, evergreens, and all the gold he wanted. 9:12 When Hiram went out from Tyre to inspect the cities Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them. 575 9:13 Hiram asked, 576 “Why did you give me these cities, my friend 577 ?” He called that area the region of Cabul, a name which it has retained to this day. 578 9:14 Hiram had sent to the king one hundred twenty talents 579 of gold.
9:15 Here are the details concerning the work crews 580 King Solomon conscripted 581 to build the Lord’s temple, his palace, the terrace, the wall of Jerusalem, 582 and the cities of 583 Hazor, 584 Megiddo, 585 and Gezer. 9:16 (Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had attacked and captured Gezer. He burned it and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city. He gave it as a wedding present to his daughter, who had married Solomon.) 9:17 Solomon built up Gezer, lower Beth Horon, 9:18 Baalath, Tadmor in the wilderness, 586 9:19 all the storage cities that belonged to him, 587 and the cities where chariots and horses were kept. 588 He built whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout his entire kingdom. 589 9:20 Now several non-Israelite peoples were left in the land after the conquest of Joshua, including the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 590 9:21 Their descendants remained in the land (the Israelites were unable to wipe them out completely). Solomon conscripted them for his work crews, and they continue in that role to this very day. 591 9:22 Solomon did not assign Israelites to these work crews; 592 the Israelites served as his soldiers, attendants, officers, charioteers, and commanders of his chariot forces. 593 9:23 These men were also in charge of Solomon’s work projects; there were a total of 550 men who supervised the workers. 594 9:24 Solomon built the terrace as soon as Pharaoh’s daughter moved up from the city of David 595 to the palace Solomon built for her. 596
9:25 Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings 597 on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense along with them before the Lord. He made the temple his official worship place. 598
9:26 King Solomon also built ships 599 in Ezion Geber, which is located near Elat in the land of Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. 9:27 Hiram sent his fleet and some of his sailors, who were well acquainted with the sea, to serve with Solomon’s men. 600 9:28 They sailed 601 to Ophir, took from there four hundred twenty talents 602 of gold, and then brought them to King Solomon.
10:1 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, 603 she came to challenge 604 him with difficult questions. 605 10:2 She arrived in Jerusalem 606 with a great display of pomp, 607 bringing with her camels carrying spices, 608 a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. 10:3 Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. 609 10:4 When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon’s extensive wisdom, 610 the palace 611 he had built, 10:5 the food in his banquet hall, 612 his servants and attendants, 613 their robes, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he presented in the Lord’s temple, she was amazed. 614 10:6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight 615 was true! 10:7 I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn’t hear even half the story! 616 Your wisdom and wealth 617 surpass what was reported to me. 10:8 Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy! 618 10:9 May the Lord your God be praised because he favored 619 you by placing you on the throne of Israel! Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he made you king so you could make just and right decisions.” 620 10:10 She gave the king 120 talents 621 of gold, a very large quantity of spices, and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched. 622 10:11 (Hiram’s fleet, which carried gold from Ophir, also brought from Ophir a very large quantity of fine timber and precious gems. 10:12 With the timber the king made supports 623 for the Lord’s temple and for the royal palace and stringed instruments 624 for the musicians. No one has seen so much of this fine timber to this very day. 625 ) 10:13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, besides what he had freely offered her. 626 Then she left and returned 627 to her homeland with her attendants.
10:14 Solomon received 666 talents 628 of gold per year, 629 10:15 besides what he collected from the merchants, 630 traders, Arabian kings, and governors of the land. 10:16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures 631 of gold were used for each shield. 10:17 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas 632 of gold were used for each of these shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest. 633
10:18 The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 10:19 There were six steps leading up to the throne, and the back of it was rounded on top. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side. 634 10:20 There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom. 635
10:21 All of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon’s time. 636 10:22 Along with Hiram’s fleet, the king had a fleet of large merchant ships 637 that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet 638 came into port with cargoes of 639 gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 640
10:23 King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth. 641 10:24 Everyone 642 in the world wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom. 643 10:25 Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules. 644
10:26 Solomon accumulated 645 chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. 646 10:27 The king made silver as plentiful 647 in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was 648 as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands. 649 10:28 Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt 650 and from Que; the king’s traders purchased them from Que. 10:29 They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria. 651
11:1 King Solomon fell in love with many foreign women (besides Pharaoh’s daughter), including Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. 11:2 They came from nations about which the Lord had warned the Israelites, “You must not establish friendly relations with them! 652 If you do, they will surely shift your allegiance to their gods.” 653 But Solomon was irresistibly attracted to them. 654
11:3 He had 700 royal wives 655 and 300 concubines; 656 his wives had a powerful influence over him. 657 11:4 When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to 658 other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his father David had been. 659 11:5 Solomon worshiped 660 the Sidonian goddess Astarte and the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. 661 11:6 Solomon did evil in the Lord’s sight; 662 he did not remain loyal to 663 the Lord, like his father David had. 11:7 Furthermore, 664 on the hill east of Jerusalem 665 Solomon built a high place 666 for the detestable Moabite god Chemosh 667 and for the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. 668 11:8 He built high places for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense and make sacrifices to their gods. 669
11:9 The Lord was angry with Solomon because he had shifted his allegiance 670 away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him on two occasions 671 11:10 and had warned him about this very thing, so that he would not follow other gods. 672 But he did not obey 673 the Lord’s command. 11:11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you insist on doing these things and have not kept the covenantal rules I gave you, 674 I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 11:12 However, for your father David’s sake I will not do this while you are alive. I will tear it away from your son’s hand instead. 11:13 But I will not tear away the entire kingdom; I will leave 675 your son one tribe for my servant David’s sake and for the sake of my chosen city Jerusalem.”
11:14 The Lord brought 676 against Solomon an enemy, Hadad the Edomite, a descendant of the Edomite king. 11:15 During David’s campaign against Edom, 677 Joab, the commander of the army, while on a mission to bury the dead, killed every male in Edom. 11:16 For six months Joab and the entire Israelite army 678 stayed there until they had exterminated every male in Edom. 679 11:17 Hadad, 680 who was only a small boy at the time, escaped with some of his father’s Edomite servants and headed for Egypt. 681 11:18 They went from Midian to Paran; they took some men from Paran and went to Egypt. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, supplied him with a house and food and even assigned him some land. 682 11:19 Pharaoh liked Hadad so well 683 he gave him his sister-in-law (Queen Tahpenes’ sister) as a wife. 684 11:20 Tahpenes’ sister gave birth to his son, 685 named Genubath. Tahpenes raised 686 him in Pharaoh’s palace; Genubath grew up in Pharaoh’s palace among Pharaoh’s sons. 11:21 While in Egypt Hadad heard that David had passed away 687 and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead. So Hadad asked Pharaoh, “Give me permission to leave 688 so I can return to my homeland.” 11:22 Pharaoh said to him, “What do you lack here that makes you want to go to your homeland?” 689 Hadad replied, 690 “Nothing, but please give me permission to leave.” 691
11:23 God also brought against Solomon 692 another enemy, Rezon son of Eliada who had run away from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah. 11:24 He gathered some men and organized a raiding band. 693 When David tried to kill them, 694 they went to Damascus, where they settled down and gained control of the city. 11:25 He was Israel’s enemy throughout Solomon’s reign and, like Hadad, caused trouble. He loathed 695 Israel and ruled over Syria.
11:26 Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon’s servants, rebelled against 696 the king. He was an Ephraimite 697 from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. 11:27 This is what prompted him to rebel against the king: 698 Solomon built a terrace and he closed up a gap in the wall of the city of his father David. 699 11:28 Jeroboam was a talented man; 700 when Solomon saw that the young man was an accomplished worker, he made him the leader of the work crew from the tribe 701 of Joseph. 11:29 At that time, when Jeroboam had left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road; the two of them were alone in the open country. Ahijah 702 was wearing a brand new robe, 11:30 and he grabbed the robe 703 and tore it into twelve pieces. 11:31 Then he told Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces, for this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Look, I am about to tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and I will give ten tribes to you. 11:32 He will retain one tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. 11:33 I am taking the kingdom from him 704 because they have 705 abandoned me and worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom. They have not followed my instructions 706 by doing what I approve and obeying my rules and regulations, like Solomon’s father David did. 707 11:34 I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand. I will allow him to be ruler for the rest of his life for the sake of my chosen servant David who kept my commandments and rules. 11:35 I will take the kingdom from the hand of his son and give ten tribes to you. 708 11:36 I will leave 709 his son one tribe so my servant David’s dynasty may continue to serve me 710 in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen as my home. 711 11:37 I will select 712 you; you will rule over all you desire to have and you will be king over Israel. 11:38 You must obey 713 all I command you to do, follow my instructions, 714 do what I approve, 715 and keep my rules and commandments, like my servant David did. Then I will be with you and establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for David; 716 I will give you Israel. 11:39 I will humiliate David’s descendants because of this, 717 but not forever.” 718 11:40 Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam escaped to Egypt and found refuge with King Shishak of Egypt. 719 He stayed in Egypt until Solomon died.
11:41 The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, including all his accomplishments and his wise decisions, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of Solomon. 720 11:42 Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem 721 for forty years. 11:43 Then Solomon passed away 722 and was buried in the city of his father David. 723 His son Rehoboam replaced him as king. 724
1 tn Heb “was old, coming into the days” (i.e., advancing in years).
2 tn Or “garments.”
3 tn Heb “said to.”
4 tn Heb “let them seek for my master, the king, a young girl, a virgin.” The third person plural subject of the verb is indefinite (see GKC 460 §144.f). The appositional expression, “a young girl, a virgin,” is idiomatic; the second term specifically defines the more general first term (see IBHS 230 §12.3b).
5 tn Heb “and she will stand before the king.” The Hebrew phrase “stand before” can mean “to attend; to serve” (BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד).
6 tn Heb “and she will lie down in your bosom.” The expression might imply sexual intimacy (see 2 Sam 12:3 [where the lamb symbolizes Bathsheba] and Mic 7:5), though v. 4b indicates that David did not actually have sex with the young woman.
7 tn Heb “and my master, the king, will be warm.”
8 tn Heb “through all the territory of Israel.”
9 tn Heb “did not know her.”
10 tn Heb “son of Haggith,” but since this formula usually designates the father (who in this case was David), the translation specifies that David was Adonijah’s father.
sn Haggith was one of David’s wives (2 Sam 3:4; 2 Chr 3:2).
11 tn Heb “lifting himself up.”
12 tn Heb “saying.”
13 tn Or “he acquired for himself.”
14 tn Heb “to run ahead of him.”
15 tn Or “disciplined.”
16 tn Heb “did not correct him from his days.” The phrase “from his days” means “from his earliest days,” or “ever in his life.” See GKC 382 §119.w, n. 2.
17 tn Heb “and she gave birth to him after Absalom.” This does not imply they had the same mother; Absalom’s mother was Maacah, not Haggith (2 Sam 3:4).
18 tn Heb “his words were.”
19 tn Heb “helped after” (i.e., stood by).
20 tn Heb “Adonijah.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
21 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
22 tn Heb “were not.”
23 tc The ancient Greek version omits this appositional phrase.
24 tn Or “bodyguard” (Heb “mighty men”).
25 tn Heb “Have you not heard?”
26 tn Heb “and our master David does not know.”
27 tn Heb “now, come.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.
28 tn Or “so that.”
29 tn Heb “come, go to.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.
30 tn Or “swear an oath to.”
31 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which here draws attention to Nathan’s concluding word of assurance and support. For this use of the word, see HALOT 252 s.v. הִנֵּה.
32 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will come after you.”
33 tn Heb “fill up [i.e., confirm] your words.”
34 tn Or “bedroom.”
35 tn Heb “bowed low and bowed down to.”
36 tc Instead of עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) many Hebrew
37 tn Heb “you do not know [about it].”
38 tc Many Hebrew
39 tn Heb “the eyes of all Israel are upon you to declare to them who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.”
40 tn The words “if a decision is not made” are added for clarification.
41 tn Heb “lies down with his fathers.”
42 tn Heb “I and my son Solomon.” The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
43 tn Heb “will be guilty”; NASB “considered offenders”; TEV “treated as traitors.”
44 tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) here draws attention to Nathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.
45 tn Heb “ground.” Since this was indoors, “floor” is more appropriate than “ground.”
46 tn Heb “look.”
47 tn Heb “eating and drinking.”
48 tn Heb “let the king, Adonijah, live!”
49 tc Many Hebrew
50 tn Heb “From my master the king is this thing done, and you did not make known to your servants who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him?”
51 tn Heb “answered and said.”
52 sn Summon Bathsheba. Bathsheba must have left the room when Nathan arrived (see 1:22).
53 tn Heb “she came before the king and stood before the king.”
54 tn Or “ransomed my life.”
55 tn Or “carry out, perform.”
56 tn Heb “bowed low, face [to] the ground, and bowed down to the king.”
57 sn Summon…Nathan. Nathan must have left the room when Bathsheba reentered.
58 tn Heb “the king.”
59 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
60 tn Heb “mount Solomon my son on the mule that belongs to me and take him down to Gihon.”
61 tn Or “designate” (i.e., by anointing with oil).
62 tn Or “commanded.”
63 tn Heb “answered and said.”
64 tn Or “Amen.”
65 tn Heb “So may the
66 tn Heb “and may he make his throne greater than the throne of my master King David.”
67 sn The Kerethites and Pelethites were members of David’s royal guard (see 2 Sam 8:18). The Kerethites may have been descendants of an ethnic group originating in Crete.
68 tn Heb “the horn of oil.” This has been specified as olive oil in the translation for clarity.
sn A horn filled with oil. An animal’s horn was used as an oil flask in the anointing ceremony.
69 tn Or “anointed.”
70 tn Heb “and all the people went up after him, and the people were playing flutes and rejoicing with great joy and the ground split open at the sound of them.” The verb בָּקַע (baqa’, “to split open”), which elsewhere describes the effects of an earthquake, is obviously here an exaggeration for the sake of emphasis.
71 tn Heb “And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard, now they had finished eating.”
72 tn Heb “Why is the city’s sound noisy?”
73 tn The Hebrew text has “look” at this point. The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), “look draws attention to Jonathan’s arrival and invites the audience to view the scene through the eyes of the participants.
74 tn Or “surely.”
75 tn Heb “you are a man of strength [or “ability”] and you bring a message [that is] good.” Another option is to understand the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (’ish khayil) in the sense of “a worthy man,” that is “loyal.” See also 1 Kgs 1:52 and HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל.
76 tn Heb “answered and said.”
77 tn For a similar use of אֲבָל (’aval), see Gen 17:19, where God rejects Abraham’s proposal and offers an alternative.
78 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
79 tn I.e., designated by anointing with oil.
80 tn Heb “And also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.”
81 tn Heb “to bless.”
82 tn The plural form is used in the Hebrew text to indicate honor and authority.
83 tc Many Hebrew
84 tn Heb “make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.” The term שֵׁם (shem, “name”) is used here of one’s fame and reputation.
85 tn Or “bowed down; worshiped.”
86 tn The Hebrew text reads, “and the king said.”
87 tn Or “Blessed be the
88 tn Heb “and my eyes are seeing.”
89 tn Or “were afraid, trembled.”
90 sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Adonijah was seeking asylum from Solomon.
91 tn Heb “King Solomon.” The name and title have been replaced by the pronoun (“you”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
92 tn Or “swear an oath to.”
93 tn Heb “if he is a man of strength [or ability].” In this context, where Adonijah calls himself a “servant,” implying allegiance to the new king, the phrase אִישׁ חַיִל (’ish khayil) probably carries the sense of “a worthy man,” that is, “loyal” (see HALOT 311 s.v. חַיִל).
94 tn Heb “but if evil is found in him.”
95 tn Heb “sent and they brought him down.”
96 tn Heb “Go to your house.”
97 tn Heb “and the days of David approached to die.”
98 tn Or “commanded.”
99 tn Heb “going the way of all the earth.”
100 tn Heb “keep the charge of the
101 tn Heb “by walking in his ways.”
102 tn Or “keeping.”
103 tn Heb “then you will cause to succeed all which you do and all which you turn there.”
104 tn Heb “then the
105 tn Heb “guard their way.”
106 tn Heb “by walking before me in faithfulness.”
107 tn Or “soul.”
108 tn Heb “saying.”
109 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from upon the throne of Israel.”
110 tn Heb “what he did to the two commanders…and he killed them.”
111 tn Heb “he shed the blood of battle in peace.”
112 tn Heb “and he shed the blood of battle when he killed which is on his waist and on his sandal[s] which are on his feet.” That is, he covered himself with guilt and his guilt was obvious to all who saw him.
113 tn Heb “according to your wisdom.”
114 tn Heb “and do not bring down his grey hair in peace [to] Sheol.”
115 tn Heb “do loyalty with”; or “act faithfully toward.”
116 tn Heb “and let them be among the ones who eat [at] your table.”
117 tn Heb “drew near to.”
118 tn Heb “Look, with you is Shimei….”
119 tn Heb “and he cursed me with a horrible curse on the day I went to Mahanaim.”
120 tn Or “swore an oath to.”
121 tn Heb “kill you.”
122 tc The Lucianic recension of the Old Greek and the Vulgate have here “you” rather than “now.” The two words are homonyms in Hebrew.
123 tn Heb “what you should do to him.”
124 tn Heb “bring his grey hair down in blood [to] Sheol.”
125 tn Heb “and David lay down with his fathers.”
126 sn The phrase the city of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
127 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
128 tn Or “kingship.”
129 tn Heb “[in] peace.”
130 tn Heb “and he said.”
131 tn Or “kingship.”
132 tn Heb “set their face to me to be king.”
133 tn Heb “and the kingdom turned about and became my brother’s, for from the
134 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
135 tn Heb “She said, ‘Speak!’”
136 tn Heb “Say to Solomon the king, for he will not turn back your face, that he might give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.”
137 tn Heb “[It is] good!”
138 tn Or “meet.”
139 tn Heb “he set up a throne for the mother of the king.”
140 tn Or “I’d like to make just one request of you.”
141 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
142 tn Heb “and the king said to her.”
143 tn Heb “for Adonijah.”
144 tn Heb “So may God do to me, and so may he add.”
145 tn Heb “if with his life Adonijah has not spoken this word.”
146 tn Heb “house.”
147 tn The Hebrew text adds, “by the hand of.”
148 tn Heb “and he struck him and he died.”
149 tn Or “field.”
150 tn Heb “you are a man of death.”
151 tn Heb “and because you suffered through all which my father suffered.”
152 tn Heb “Solomon drove out Abiathar from being a priest to the
153 tn Heb “fulfilling the word of the
154 tn Heb “turned after” (also later in this verse).
155 tn Heb “Joab.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
156 sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Joab was seeking asylum from Solomon.
157 tn Heb “and it was related to King Solomon.”
158 tn Heb “so Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying.”
159 tn Heb “saying, “In this way Joab spoke and in this way he answered me.”
160 tn Heb “house.”
161 tn Heb “take away the undeserved bloodshed which Joab spilled from upon me and from upon the house of my father.”
162 tn Heb “The
163 tn Heb “because he struck down two men more innocent and better than he and he killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know.”
164 tn Heb “house.”
165 tn Heb “his throne.”
166 tn Heb “struck him and killed him.” The referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
167 tn Heb “over.”
168 tc The Old Greek translation includes after v. 35 some fourteen verses that are absent from the MT.
169 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
170 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
171 tn Heb “and you may not go out from there here or there.”
172 tn Heb “your blood will be upon your head.”
173 tn Heb “Good is the word, as my master the king has spoken.”
174 tn Heb “so your servant will do.”
175 tn Heb “many days.”
176 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
177 tn Heb “Is it not [true]…?” In the Hebrew text the statement is interrogative; the rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course it is.”
178 tn Heb “here or there.”
179 tn Heb “good is the word; I have heard.”
180 tn Heb “Why have you not kept the oath [to] the
181 tn Heb “You know all the evil, for your heart knows, which you did to David my father.”
182 tn Heb “The
183 tn Or “blessed.”
184 tn Heb “throne.”
185 tn “The king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada and he went out and struck him down and he died.”
186 tn “And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.”
187 sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
188 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
189 sn Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated.
190 tn Heb “for the name of the
191 tn Heb “Solomon loved the
192 tn Or “policies, rules.”
193 tn Heb “for it was the great high place.”
194 tn The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See GKC 314 §107.b.
195 tn Or “revealed himself.”
196 tn Heb “ask.”
197 tn Heb “did.”
198 tn Heb “walked before.”
199 tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
200 tn Heb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.”
201 tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
202 tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
203 tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
204 tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
205 tn Heb “to judge.”
206 tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
207 tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
208 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
209 tn Heb “to judge.”
210 tn Heb “your numerous people.”
211 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
212 tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
213 tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”
214 tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
215 tn Heb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made.
216 tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”).
217 tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
218 tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
219 tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
220 tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
221 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
222 tn Or “keeping.”
223 tn Heb “walked.”
224 tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
225 tn Heb “and look, a dream.”
226 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
227 sn There was no one else in the house except the two of us. In other words, there were no other witnesses to the births who could identify which child belonged to which mother.
228 tn Heb “died.”
229 tn Heb “lay, slept.”
230 tn Heb “look.”
231 tn Heb “look, it was not my son to whom I had given birth.”
232 tn Heb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.”
233 tn Heb “the woman whose son was alive.”
234 tn Heb “for her compassions grew warm for her son.”
235 tn The infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the main verb.
236 tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.”
237 tn Heb “saw.”
238 tn Heb “the wisdom of God within him.”
239 tn Heb “were scribes”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “secretaries”; TEV, NLT “court secretaries.”
240 tn Heb “was over.”
241 tn Heb “was over.”
242 tn Heb “close associate of”; KJV, ASV, NASB “the king’s friend” (a title for an adviser, not just an acquaintance).
243 tn Heb “over the house.”
244 tn Heb “was over.”
245 sn The work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
246 map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.
247 sn Beginning with 4:21, the verse numbers through 5:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 4:21 ET = 5:1 HT, 4:22 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:18 ET = 5:32 HT. Beginning with 6:1 the numbering of verses in the English Bible and the Hebrew text is again the same.
248 tn Heb “the River” (also in v. 24). This is the standard designation for the Euphrates River in biblical Hebrew.
249 tn Heb “[They] were bringing tribute and were serving Solomon all the days of his life.”
250 tn Heb “the food of Solomon for each day was.”
251 tn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
252 tn The words “in the stall” are added for clarification; note the immediately following reference to cattle from the pasture.
253 tn Heb “because.” The words “his royal court was so large” are added to facilitate the logical connection with the preceding verse.
254 sn Tiphsah. This was located on the Euphrates River.
255 tn Heb “for he was ruling over all [the region] beyond the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kingdoms beyond the River, and he had peace on every side all around.”
256 tn Heb “Judah and Israel lived securely, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan to Beer Sheba, all the days of Solomon.”
257 tn The Hebrew text has “40,000,” but this is probably an inflated number (nevertheless it is followed by KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, CEV). Some Greek
258 tn Heb “everyone who drew near to the table of King Solomon.”
259 tn Heb “barley and straw for the horses and the steeds they brought to the place which was there, each according to his measure.”
260 tn Heb “heart,” i.e., mind. (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
261 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon was greater than the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.”
262 tn Heb “his name was in all the surrounding nations.”
263 tn Heb “spoke.”
264 tn Heb “he spoke about plants.”
265 tn Heb “he spoke about.”
266 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon.”
267 sn The verse numbers in the English Bible differ from those in the Hebrew text (BHS) here; 5:1-18 in the English Bible corresponds to 5:15-32 in the Hebrew text. See the note at 4:21.
268 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
269 tn Heb “his servants.”
270 tn Heb “a house for the name of the
271 tn Heb “because of the battles which surrounded him until the
272 tn Heb “Look, I am saying.”
273 tn Heb “a house for the name of the
274 tn Heb “a house for my name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the
275 tn Or “Blessed be the
276 tn Heb “heard.”
277 tn Heb “I will satisfy all your desire with respect to cedar wood and with respect to the wood of evergreens.”
278 tn Heb “I will place them [on? as?] rafts in the sea to the place where you designate to me.” This may mean he would send them by raft, or that he would tie them in raft-like bundles, and have ships tow them down to an Israelite port.
279 tn Heb “smash them,” i.e., untie the bundles.
280 tn Heb “as for you, you will satisfy my desire by giving food for my house.”
281 tn Heb “and Hiram gave to Solomon cedar wood and the wood of evergreens, all his desire.”
282 sn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
283 tn Heb “his house.”
284 tc The Hebrew text has “twenty cors,” but the ancient Greek version and the parallel text in 2 Chr 2:10 read “twenty thousand baths.”
sn A bath was a liquid measure equivalent to almost six gallons.
285 tn Or “pressed.”
286 tn Heb “and Solomon supplied Hiram with twenty thousand cors of wheat…pure olive oil. So Solomon would give to Hiram year by year.”
287 tn Heb “a covenant,” referring to a formal peace treaty or alliance.
288 tn Heb “raised up.”
289 sn Work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
290 tn Heb “was over.”
291 tn Heb “carriers of loads.”
292 tn Heb “cutters” (probably of stones).
293 tc Some Greek
294 tn Heb “besides thirty-three hundred from the officials of Solomon’s governors who were over the work, the ones ruling over the people, the ones doing the work.”
295 tn Heb “and the king commanded.”
296 tn Heb “builders.”
297 tn Heb “the Gebalites.” The reading is problematic and some emend to a verb form meaning, “set the borders.”
298 tc The LXX includes the words “for three years.”
299 sn During the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966
300 tn Heb “sixty cubits.” A cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm. Measurements in vv. 2-10 have been converted to feet in the translation for clarity.
301 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
302 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
303 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
304 tn Heb “ten cubits.”
305 tn Heb “and he built on the wall of the temple an extension all around, the walls of the temple all around, for the main hall and for the holy place, and he made side rooms all around.”
306 tn Heb “five cubits.”
307 tn Heb “six cubits.”
308 tn Heb “seven cubits.”
309 tn Or “offsets” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “offset ledges.”
310 tn Heb “so that [the beams] would not have a hold in the walls of the temple.”
311 tn Heb “finished stone of the quarry,” i.e., stones chiseled and shaped at the time they were taken out of the quarry.
312 tc The Hebrew text has “middle,” but the remainder of the verse suggests this is an error.
313 tn Heb “by stairs they went up.” The word translated “stairs” occurs only here. Other options are “trapdoors” or “ladders.”
314 tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew
315 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
316 tn Heb “the house.”
317 tn The word occurs only here; the precise meaning is uncertain.
318 tn Heb “and rows with cedar wood.”
319 tn Heb “five cubits.” This must refer to the height of each floor or room.
320 tc The LXX lacks vv. 11-14.
321 tn Heb “the word of the
322 tn Heb “walk in.”
323 tn Heb “do.”
324 tn Heb “and keep all my commandments by walking in them.”
325 tn Heb “I will establish my word with you which I spoke to David your father.”
326 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
327 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
328 tn Heb “He built twenty cubits from the rear areas of the temple with cedar planks from the floor to the walls, and he built it on the inside for an inner sanctuary, for a holy place of holy places.”
329 tc The MT has קְלָעִים (qÿla’im, “curtains”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
330 tn Heb “and the house was forty cubits, that is, the main hall before it.”
331 tn Heb “Cedar was inside the temple, carvings of gourds (i.e., gourd-shaped ornaments) and opened flowers; the whole was cedar, no stone was seen.”
332 tn Heb “twenty cubits” (this measurement occurs three times in this verse).
333 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
334 tn Heb “he plated [the] altar of cedar.”
335 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
336 tn Heb “it.”
337 tn Heb “all the temple he plated with gold until all the temple was finished; and the whole altar which was in the inner sanctuary he plated with gold.”
338 tn Heb “ten cubits” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
339 tn Heb “The first wing of the [one] cherub was five cubits, and the second wing of the cherub was five cubits, ten cubits from the tips of his wings to the tips of his wings.”
340 tn Heb “and the second cherub was ten cubits, the two cherubs had one measurement and one shape.”
341 tn Heb “the height of the first cherub was ten cubits; and so was the second cherub.”
342 tn Heb “in the midst of the inner house,” i.e., in the inner sanctuary.
343 tn Heb “and their wings were in the middle of the room, touching wing to wing.”
344 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
345 tn Heb “carved engravings of carvings.”
346 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
347 tn Heb “the pillar, doorposts, a fifth part” (the precise meaning of this description is uncertain).
348 tn Heb “carved carvings of.”
349 tn Heb “he plated [with] gold” (the precise object is not stated).
350 tn Heb “and he hammered out the gold on the cherubs and the palm trees.”
351 tn Heb “and so he did at the entrance of the main hall, doorposts of olive wood, from a fourth.”
352 tn The words “he also made” are added for stylistic reasons.
353 tc Heb “two of the leaves of the first door were folding, and two of the leaves of the second door were folding.” In the second half of the description, the MT has קְלָעִים (qÿla’im, “curtains”), but this is surely a corruption of צְלָעִים (tsÿla’im, “leaves”) which appears in the first half of the statement.
354 sn In the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966
355 tn The words “of Solomon’s reign” are added for clarification. See v. 1.
356 sn In the month Bul. This would be October-November 959
357 tn Heb “he built it in seven years.”
358 tn Heb “His house Solomon built in thirteen years and he completed all his house.”
359 tn Heb “he built.”
360 sn The Palace of the Lebanon Forest. This name was appropriate because of the large amount of cedar, undoubtedly brought from Lebanon, used in its construction. The cedar pillars in the palace must have given it the appearance of a forest.
361 tn Heb “one hundred cubits.”
362 tn Heb “fifty cubits.”
363 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
364 tn Heb “and framed [windows in] three rows, and opening to opening three times.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain. Another option might be, “overhung [in] three rows.” This might mean they were positioned high on the walls.
365 tn Heb “all of the doors and doorposts.”
366 sn Rectangular in shape. That is, rather than arched.
367 tn Heb “and all the entrances and the doorposts [had] four frames, and in front of opening to opening three times” (the precise meaning of the description is uncertain).
368 tn Heb “a porch of pillars.”
369 tn Heb “fifty cubits.”
370 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
371 tn Heb “and a porch was in front of them (i.e., the aforementioned pillars) and pillars and a roof in front of them (i.e., the aforementioned pillars and porch).” The precise meaning of the term translated “roof” is uncertain; it occurs only here and in Ezek 41:25-26.
372 tn Heb “and a porch for the throne, where he was making judicial decisions, the Porch of Judgment, he made.”
373 tc The Hebrew text reads, “from the floor to the floor.” The second occurrence of the term הַקַּרְקָע (haqqarqa’, “the floor”) is probably an error; one should emend to הַקּוֹרוֹת (haqqorot, “the rafters”). See 6:16.
374 tn Heb “and his house where he lived, the other court [i.e., as opposed to the great court], separated from the house belonging to the hall, was like this work [i.e., this style of architecture].”
375 tn Heb “and a house he was making for the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Solomon had taken, like this porch.”
376 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
377 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
378 tn Heb “inside and out.”
379 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word טְפָחוֹת (tÿfakhot) is uncertain, but it is clear that the referent stands in opposition to the foundation.
380 tn Heb “stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits” (it is unclear exactly what dimension is being measured). If both numbers refer to the length of the stones (cf. NCV, CEV, NLT), then perhaps stones of two different sizes were used in some alternating pattern.
381 tn Heb “on top,” or “above.”
382 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
383 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
384 tn Or “the porch of the temple.”
385 tn Heb “King Solomon sent and took Hiram from Tyre.” In 2 Chr 2:13 (MT v. 12) and 4:11, 16 his name is spelled “Huram.”
386 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
387 tn 2 Chr 2:14 (13 HT) says “from the daughters of Dan.”
388 tn Heb “he was filled with the skill, understanding, and knowledge.”
389 tn Heb “eighteen cubits.”
390 tn Heb “twelve cubits.”
391 tn Heb “two capitals he made to place on the tops of the pillars, cast in bronze; five cubits was the height of the first capital, and five cubits was the height of the second capital.”
392 tn Heb “there were seven for the first capital, and seven for the second capital.”
393 tn Heb “he made the pillars, and two rows surrounding one latticework to cover the capitals which were on top of the pomegranates, and so he did for the second latticework.” The translation supplies “pomegranates” after “two rows,” and understands “pillars,” rather than “pomegranates,” to be the correct reading after “on top of.” The latter change finds support from many Hebrew
394 tn Heb “the capitals which were on the top of the pillars were the work of lilies, in the porch, four cubits.” It is unclear exactly what dimension is being measured.
395 tn Heb “and the capitals on the two pillars, also above, close beside the bulge which was beside the latticework, two hundred pomegranates in rows around, on the second capital.” The precise meaning of the word translated “bulge” is uncertain.
396 tn Or “south.”
397 sn The name Jakin appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”
398 tn Or “north.”
399 sn The meaning of the name Boaz is uncertain. For various proposals, see BDB 126-27 s.v. בעז. One attractive option is to revocalize the name as בְּעֹז (be’oz, “in strength”) and to understand it as completing the verbal form on the first pillar. Taking the words together and reading from right to left, one can translate the sentence, “he establishes [it] in strength.”
400 tn Heb “He made the sea, cast.”
sn This large basin that was mounted on twelve bronze bulls and contained water for the priests to bathe themselves (2 Chr 4:6; cf. Exod 30:17-21).
401 tn Heb “ten cubits.”
402 tn Heb “five cubits.”
403 tn Heb “and a measuring line went around it thirty cubits all around.”
404 tn Heb “The Sea.” The proper noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“it”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
405 tn Or “gourd-shaped ornaments.”
406 tn Heb “ten cubits surrounding the sea all around.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain.
407 tn Heb “the gourd-shaped ornaments were in two rows, cast in its casting.”
408 tn Heb “all their hindquarters were toward the inside.”
409 tn Heb “two thousand baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
410 tn Heb “four cubits.”
411 tn Heb “four cubits.”
412 tn Heb “three cubits.”
413 tn The precise meaning of these final words is uncertain. A possible literal translation would be, “wreaths, the work of descent.”
414 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
415 tn Heb “And its opening from the inside to the top and upwards [was] a cubit, and its opening was round, the work of a stand, a cubit-and-a-half.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain.
416 tn Heb “also over its opening were carvings and their frames [were] squared, not round.”
417 tn Heb “a cubit-and-a-half” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
418 tn Heb “four shoulders to the four sides of each stand, from the stand its shoulders.” The precise meaning of the description is uncertain.
419 tn Heb “and on top of the stand, a half cubit [in] height, round all around” (the meaning of this description is uncertain).
420 tn Heb “according to the space of each.”
421 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
422 tn Heb “forty baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
423 tn Heb “four cubits, each basin.” It is unclear which dimension is being measured.
424 tn Heb “Hiram.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
425 tn Heb “Hiram finished doing all the work which he did for King Solomon [on] the house of the
426 tn The words “he made” are added for stylistic reasons.
427 tn Heb “underneath ‘The Sea.’”
428 tn Heb “which Hiram made for King Solomon [for] the house of the
429 tn Or perhaps, “molds.”
430 tn Heb “Solomon left all the items, due to their very great abundance; the weight of the bronze was not sought.”
431 tn Heb “the bread of the face [or presence].” Many recent English versions employ “the bread of the Presence,” although this does not convey much to the modern reader.
sn This bread was viewed as a perpetual offering to God and was regarded as holy. See Lev 24:5-9.
432 tn Heb “Solomon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
433 tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words at the beginning of ch. 8: “It so happened that when Solomon finished building the Lord’s temple and his own house, after twenty years.”
434 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
435 tn Heb “Then Solomon convened the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers belonging to the sons of Israel to King Solomon [in] Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the
436 sn The festival. This was the Feast of Tabernacles, see Lev 23:34.
437 sn The month Ethanim. This would be September-October in modern reckoning.
438 tn Heb “the tent of assembly.”
sn The tent of meeting. See Exod 33:7-11.
439 tn Heb “and they carried the ark of the
440 tn Heb “And King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel, those who had been gathered to him, [were] before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle which could not be counted or numbered because of the abundance.”
441 tn The word “assigned” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
442 sn And its poles. These poles were used to carry the ark. See Exod 25:13-15.
443 tn Heb “they could not be seen outside.”
444 sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.
445 tn Heb “in Horeb where.”
446 tn Heb “were not able to stand to serve.”
447 tn Heb “the house of the
448 tn The words “O
449 tn Heb “turned his face.”
450 tn Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”
451 tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his hand.”
452 tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his mouth.”
453 tn Heb “saying.”
454 tn Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.”
sn To build a temple in which to live (Heb “to build a house for my name to be there”). In the OT, the word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the
455 tn Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father.”
456 tn Heb “to build a house for the name of the
457 tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”
458 tn Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”
459 tn Heb “his word that he spoke.”
460 tn Heb “name.”
461 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 34, 40, 48, 53, 57, 58).
462 tn Or “heaven.”
463 tn Heb “said.”
464 tn Heb “one who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys.
465 tn Heb “who walk before you with all their heart.”
466 tn Heb “[you] who kept to your servant David my father that which you spoke to him.”
467 tn Heb “you spoke by your mouth and by your hand you fulfilled, as this day.”
468 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from before me sitting on the throne of Israel.”
469 tn Heb “guard their way by walking before me as you have walked before me.”
470 tn Heb “the words that you spoke.”
471 tn Or “prove to be reliable.”
472 tn Heb “Indeed, can God really live on the earth?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not,” the force of which the translation above seeks to reflect.
473 tn Heb “turn to.”
474 tn Heb “by listening to.”
475 tn Heb “the loud cry and the prayer.”
476 tn Heb “praying before you.”
477 tn Heb “so your eyes might be open toward this house night and day, toward the place about which you said, ‘My name will be there.’”
478 tn Heb “by listening to the prayer which your servant is praying concerning this place.”
479 tn Heb “listen to the request of your servant and your people Israel which they are praying concerning this place.”
480 tn Heb “and you, hear inside your dwelling place, inside heaven.” The precise nuance of the preposition אֶל (’el), used here with the verb “hear,” is unclear. One expects the preposition “from,” which appears in the parallel text in 2 Chr 6:21. The nuance “inside; among” is attested for אֶל (see Gen 23:19; 1 Sam 10:22; Jer 4:3), but in each case a verb of motion is employed with the preposition, unlike 1 Kgs 8:30. The translation above (“from inside”) is based on the demands of the immediate context rather than attested usage elsewhere.
481 tn Heb “hear and forgive.”
482 tn Heb “and forgive the man who sins against his neighbor when one takes up against him a curse to curse him and the curse comes before your altar in this house.” In the Hebrew text the words “and forgive” conclude v. 30, but the accusative sign at the beginning of v. 31 suggests the verb actually goes with what follows in v. 31. The parallel text in 2 Chr 6:22 begins with “and if,” rather than the accusative sign. In this case “forgive” must be taken with what precedes, and v. 31 must be taken as the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, with v. 32 being the apodosis (“then” clause) that completes the sentence.
sn Be willing to forgive the accused if the accusation is false. At first it appears that Solomon is asking God to forgive the guilty party. But in v. 32 Solomon asks the
483 tn Heb “and you, hear [from] heaven and act and judge your servants by declaring the guilty to be guilty, to give his way on his head, and to declare the innocent to be innocent, to give to him according to his innocence.”
484 tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 33-34 actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
485 tn Or “are struck down before an enemy.”
486 tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”
487 tn Heb “and they pray and ask for help.”
488 tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 35-36a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
489 tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
490 tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”
491 tn The Hebrew text has “because you answer them,” as if the verb is from עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”). However, this reference to a divine answer is premature, since the next verse asks for God to intervene in mercy. It is better to revocalize the consonantal text as תְעַנֵּם (tÿ’annem, “you afflict them”), a Piel verb form from the homonym עָנָה (“to afflict”).
492 tn The translation understands כִּי (ki) in an emphatic or asseverative sense.
493 tn Heb “the good way in which they should walk.”
494 tn Or “for an inheritance.”
495 tn Actually two Hebrew terms appear here, both of which are usually taken as referring to locusts. Perhaps different stages of growth or different varieties are in view.
496 tn Heb “in the land, his gates.”
497 tn Heb “every prayer, every request for help which will be to all the people, to all your people Israel.”
498 tn Heb “which they know, each the pain of his heart.”
499 tn The words “their sin” are added for clarification.
500 tn Heb “and act and give to each one according to all his ways because you know his heart.” In the Hebrew text vv. 37-39a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided up for stylistic reasons.
501 tn Heb “Indeed you know, you alone, the heart of all the sons of mankind.”
502 tn Heb “fear.”
503 tn Heb “all the days [in] which.”
504 tn Heb “your name.” In the OT the word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the
505 tn Heb “your great name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in the previous verse.
506 tn Heb “and your strong hand and your outstretched arm.”
507 tn Heb “and do all which the foreigner calls to [i.e., “requests of”] you.”
508 tn Heb “your name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in v. 41.
509 tn Heb “fear.”
510 tn Heb “that your name is called over this house which I built.” The Hebrew idiom “to call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28.
511 tn Heb “When your people go out for battle against their enemies in the way which you send them.”
512 tn Or perhaps “to you, O
513 tn Heb “your name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in v. 41.
514 tn Heb “their prayer and their request for help.”
515 tn Heb “and accomplish their justice.”
516 tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
517 tn Heb “the land of the enemy.”
518 tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
519 tn Or “stop and reflect”; Heb “bring back to their heart.”
520 tn Or “done wrong.”
521 tn Or “soul.”
522 tn Heb “in the land of their enemies.”
523 tn Heb “your name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in v. 41.
524 tn Heb “their prayer and their request for help.”
525 tn Heb “and accomplish their justice.”
526 tn Heb “and forgive your people who have sinned against you, [forgive] all their rebellious acts by which they rebelled against you, and grant them mercy before their captors so they will show them mercy.”
527 tn Or “for.”
528 tn Heb “inheritance.”
529 tn The Hebrew term כּוּר (kur, “furnace,” cf. Akkadian ku„ru) is a metaphor for the intense heat of purification. A כּוּר was not a source of heat but a crucible (“iron-smelting furnace”) in which precious metals were melted down and their impurities burned away (see I. Cornelius, NIDOTTE 2:618-19). Thus Egypt served not as a place of punishment for the Israelites, but as a place of refinement to bring Israel to a place of submission to divine sovereignty.
sn From the middle of the iron-smelting furnace. The metaphor of a furnace suggests fire and heat and is an apt image to remind the people of the suffering they endured while slaves in Egypt.
530 tn Heb “May your eyes be open.”
531 tn Heb “to listen to them in all their calling out to you.”
532 tn Or “For.”
533 tn Heb “your inheritance.”
534 tn Or “toward heaven.”
535 tn Heb “he has given a resting place to his people Israel.”
536 tn Heb “not one word from his entire good word he spoke by Moses his servant has fallen.”
537 tn Heb “to bend our hearts toward him.” The infinitive is subordinate to the initial prayer, “may the
538 tn Heb “to walk in all his ways.”
539 tn Heb “keep.”
540 tn Heb “May these words of mine, which I have requested before the
541 tn Heb “accomplish the justice of.”
542 tn Heb “so that.”
543 tn Heb “the
544 tn Heb “may your hearts be complete with the
545 tn Heb “walking in.”
546 tn Heb “keeping.”
547 tn Heb “as this day.”
548 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
549 tn Heb “to hold the burnt sacrifices, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.”
550 tn Or “the Wadi of Egypt” (NAB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “the Egyptian Gorge.”
551 tn Heb “Solomon held at that time the festival, and all Israel was with him, a great assembly from Lebo Hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the
552 tn Heb “on the eighth day” (that is, the day after the second seven-day sequence).
553 tn Heb “they blessed the king.”
554 tn Heb “good of heart.”
555 tn Heb “and all the desire of Solomon which he wanted to do.”
556 sn In the same way he had appeared to him at Gibeon. See 1 Kgs 3:5.
557 tn Heb “I have heard.”
558 tn Heb “by placing my name there perpetually” (or perhaps, “forever”).
559 tn Heb “and my eyes and my heart will be there all the days.”
560 tn Heb “As for you, if you walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, by doing all which I commanded you, [and] you keep my rules and my regulations.” Verse 4 is actually a lengthy protasis (“if” section) of a conditional sentence, the apodosis (“then” section) of which appears in v. 5.
561 tn Heb “I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever.”
562 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from upon the throne of Israel.”
563 tn Heb “which I placed before you.”
564 tn Heb “and walk and serve other gods and bow down to them.”
565 tn Heb “I will cut off Israel from upon the surface of the land.”
566 tn Heb “and the temple which I consecrated for my name I will send away from before my face.”
sn Instead of “I will send away,” the parallel text in 2 Chr 7:20 has “I will throw away.” The two verbs sound very similar in Hebrew, so the discrepancy is likely due to an oral transmissional error.
567 tn Heb “will become a proverb and a taunt,” that is, a proverbial example of destruction and an object of reproach.
568 tn Heb “and this house will be high [or elevated].” The statement makes little sense in this context, which predicts the desolation that judgment will bring. Some treat the clause as concessive, “Even though this temple is lofty [now].” Others, following the lead of several ancient versions, emend the text to, “this temple will become a heap of ruins.”
569 tn Heb “hiss,” or perhaps “whistle.” This refers to a derisive sound one would make when taunting an object of ridicule.
570 tn Heb “and they will say.”
571 tn Heb “fathers.”
572 tn Heb “and they took hold of other gods and bowed down to them and served them.”
573 tn Heb “the two houses, the house of the
574 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
575 tn Heb “they were not agreeable in his eyes.”
576 tn Heb “and he said.”
577 tn Heb “my brother.” Kings allied through a parity treaty would sometimes address each other as “my brother.” See 1 Kgs 20:32-33.
578 tn Heb “he called them the land of Cabul to this day.” The significance of the name is unclear, though it appears to be disparaging. The name may be derived from a root, attested in Akkadian and Arabic, meaning “bound” or “restricted.” Some propose a wordplay, pointing out that the name “Cabul” sounds like a Hebrew phrase meaning, “like not,” or “as good as nothing.”
579 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 9,000 pounds of gold (cf. NCV, NLT); CEV “five tons”; TEV “4,000 kilogrammes.”
580 sn The work crews. This Hebrew word מַס (mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
581 tn Heb “raised up.”
582 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
583 tn The words “the cities of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
584 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.
585 map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.
586 tn The Hebrew text has “in the wilderness, in the land.”
587 tn Heb “to Solomon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
588 tn Heb “the cities of the chariots and the cities of the horses.”
589 tn Heb “and the desire of Solomon which he desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and in all the land of his kingdom.”
590 tn Heb “all the people who were left from the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not from the sons of Israel.”
591 tn Heb “their sons who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel were unable to wipe out, and Solomon raised them up for a crew of labor to this day.”
592 sn These work crews. The work crews referred to here must be different than the temporary crews described in 5:13-16.
593 tn Heb “officers of his chariots and his horses.”
594 tn Heb “these [were] the officials of the governors who were over the work belonging to Solomon, five hundred fifty, the ones ruling over the people, the ones doing the work.”
595 sn The phrase city of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
596 tn Heb “As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter went up from the city of David to her house which he built for her, then he built the terrace.”
597 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
598 tn Heb “and he made complete the house.”
599 tn Or “a fleet” (in which case “ships” would be implied).
600 tn Heb “and Hiram sent with the fleet his servants, men of ships, [who] know the sea, [to be] with the servants of Solomon.”
601 tn Heb “went.”
602 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 31,500 pounds of gold (cf. NCV); CEV, NLT “sixteen tons”; TEV “more than 14,000 kilogrammes.”
603 tn Heb “the report about Solomon.” The Hebrew text also has, “to the name of the
604 tn Or “test.”
605 tn Or “riddles.”
606 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
607 tn Heb “with very great strength.” The Hebrew term חַיִל (khayil, “strength”) may refer here to the size of her retinue (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or to the great wealth she brought with her.
608 tn Or “balsam oil.”
609 tn Heb “Solomon declared to her all her words; there was not a word hidden from the king which he did not declare to her.” If riddles are specifically in view (see v. 1), then one might translate, “Solomon explained to her all her riddles; there was no riddle too complex for the king.”
610 tn Heb “all the wisdom of Solomon.”
611 tn Heb “house.”
612 tn Heb “the food on his table.”
613 tn Heb “the seating of his servants and the standing of his attendants.”
614 tn Heb “there was no breath still in her.”
615 tn Heb “about your words [or perhaps, “deeds”] and your wisdom.”
616 tn Heb “the half was not told to me.”
617 tn Heb “good.”
618 tn Heb “How happy are your men! How happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually, who hear your wisdom!”
619 tn Or “delighted in.”
620 tn Heb “to do justice and righteousness.”
621 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 9,000 pounds of gold (cf. NCV, NLT); CEV “five tons”; TEV “4,000 kilogrammes.”
622 tn Heb “there has not come like those spices yet for quantity which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”
623 tn This Hebrew architectural term occurs only here. The meaning is uncertain; some have suggested “banisters” or “parapets”; cf. TEV, NLT “railings.” The parallel passage in 2 Chr 9:11 has a different word, meaning “tracks,” or perhaps “steps.”
624 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither” [?]), and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
625 tn Heb “there has not come thus, the fine timber, and there has not been seen to this day.”
626 tn Heb “besides what he had given her according to the hand of King Solomon.”
627 tn Heb “turned and went.”
628 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 50,000 pounds of gold (cf. NCV); CEV, NLT “twenty-five tons”; TEV “almost 23,000 kilogrammes.”
629 tn Heb “the weight of the gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold.”
630 tn Heb “traveling men.”
631 tn The Hebrew text has simply “six hundred,” with no unit of measure given.
632 sn Three minas. The mina was a unit of measure for weight.
633 sn The Palace of the Lebanon Forest. This name was appropriate because of the large amount of cedar, undoubtedly brought from Lebanon, used in its construction. The cedar pillars in the palace must have given it the appearance of a forest.
634 tn Heb “[There were] armrests on each side of the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.”
635 tn Heb “nothing like it had been made for all the kingdoms.”
636 tn Heb “there was no silver, it was not regarded as anything in the days of Solomon.”
637 tn Heb “a fleet of Tarshish [ships].” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
638 tn Heb “the fleet of Tarshish [ships].”
639 tn Heb “came carrying.”
640 tn The meaning of this word is unclear. Some suggest “baboons.”
641 tn Heb “King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth with respect to wealth and with respect to wisdom.”
642 tc The Old Greek translation and Syriac Peshitta have “all the kings of the earth.” See 2 Chr 9:23.
643 tn Heb “and all the earth was seeking the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had placed in his heart.”
644 tn Heb “and they were bringing each one his gift, items of silver…and mules, the matter of a year in a year.”
645 tn Or “gathered.”
646 tn Heb “he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.”
map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
647 tn The words “as plentiful” are added for clarification.
648 tn Heb “he made.”
649 tn Heb “as the sycamore fig trees which are in the Shephelah.”
650 sn From Egypt. Because Que is also mentioned, some prefer to see in vv. 28-29 a reference to Mutsur. Que and Mutsur were located in Cilicia/Cappadocia (in modern southern Turkey). See HALOT 625 s.v. מִצְרַיִם.
651 tn Heb “and a chariot went up and came out of Egypt for six hundred silver [pieces], and a horse for one hundred fifty, and in the same way to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram by their hand they brought out.”
652 tn Heb “you must not go into them, and they must not go into you.”
653 tn Heb “Surely they will bend your heart after their gods.” The words “if you do” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
654 tn Heb “Solomon clung to them for love.” The pronominal suffix, translated “them,” is masculine here, even though it appears the foreign women are in view. Perhaps this is due to attraction to the masculine forms used of the nations earlier in the verse.
655 tn Heb “wives, princesses.”
656 sn Concubines were slave women in ancient Near Eastern societies who were the legal property of their master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with their master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. The usage in the present passage suggests that after the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (cf. also 2 Sam 21:10-14).
657 tn Heb “his wives bent his heart.”
658 tn Heb “bent his heart after.”
659 tn Heb “his heart was not complete with the
660 tn Heb “walked after.”
661 tn Heb “Milcom, the detestable thing of the Ammonites.”
662 tn Heb “in the eyes of the
663 tn The idiomatic statement reads in Hebrew, “he did not fill up after.”
664 tn Heb “then.”
665 sn The hill east of Jerusalem refers to the Mount of Olives.
map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
666 sn A high place. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated (see 1 Kgs 3:2).
667 tn Heb “Chemosh, the detestable thing of Moab.”
668 tc The MT reads “Molech,” but Milcom must be intended (see vv. 5, 33).
669 tn Heb “and the same thing he did for all his foreign wives, [who] were burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.”
670 tn Heb “bent his heart.”
671 sn These two occasions are mentioned in 1 Kgs 3:5 and 9:2.
672 tn Heb “and had commanded him concerning this thing not to walk after other gods.”
673 tn Or “keep.”
674 tn Heb “Because this is with you, and you have not kept my covenant and my rules which I commanded you.”
675 tn Heb “give.”
676 tn Or “raised up.”
677 tn Heb “when David was [fighting (?)] with Edom.”
678 tn Heb “and all Israel.”
679 tn Heb “until he had cut off every male in Edom.”
680 tn The MT reads “Adad,” an alternate form of the name Hadad.
681 tn Heb “and Adad fled, he and Edomite men from the servants of his father, to go to Egypt, and Hadad was a small boy.”
682 tn Heb “and they arose from Midian and went to Paran and they took men with them from Paran and went to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt and he gave to him a house and food and he said to him, and a land he gave to him.” Something seems to be accidentally omitted after “and he said to him.”
683 tn Heb “and Hadad found great favor in the eyes of Pharaoh.”
684 tn Heb “and he gave to him a wife, the sister of his wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.”
685 tn Heb “bore him Genubath his son.”
686 tc The Hebrew text reads וַתִּגְמְלֵהוּ (vattigmÿlehu, “weaned him”) but a slight alteration of the consonantal text yields וַתִּגְדְלֵהוּ (vattigdÿlehu, “raised him”), which seems to make better sense.
687 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
688 tn Heb “send me away.”
689 tn Heb “Indeed what do you lack with me, that now you are seeking to go to your land?”
690 tn Heb “and he said.”
691 sn So Hadad asked Pharaoh… This lengthy description of Hadad’s exile in Egypt explains why Hadad wanted to oppose Solomon and supports the author’s thesis that his hostility to Solomon found its ultimate source in divine providence. Though Hadad enjoyed a comfortable life in Egypt, when the
692 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Solomon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
693 tn Heb “and he was the officer of a raiding band.”
694 tn The Hebrew text reads “when David killed them.” This phrase is traditionally joined with what precedes. The ancient Greek version does not reflect the phrase and some suggest that it has been misplaced from the end of v. 23.
695 tn The construction (Qal of קוּץ + בְּ [quts + bet] preposition) is rare, but not without parallel (see Lev 20:23).
696 tn Heb “raised a hand against.”
697 tn Heb “Ephrathite,” which here refers to an Ephraimite (see HALOT 81 s.v. אֶפְרַיִם).
698 tn Heb “this is the matter concerning which he raised a hand against the king.”
699 sn The city of his father David. The phrase refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
700 tn Heb “man of strength.”
701 tn Heb “house.”
702 tn The Hebrew text has simply “he,” making it a bit unclear whether Jeroboam or Ahijah is the subject, but in the Hebrew word order Ahijah is the nearer antecedent, and this is followed by the present translation.
703 tn Heb “and Ahijah grabbed the new robe that was on him.”
704 tn The words “I am taking the kingdom from him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
705 tc This is the reading of the MT; the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate read “he has.”
706 tn Heb “walked in my ways.”
707 tn Heb “by doing what is right in my eyes, my rules and my regulations, like David his father.”
708 tn Heb “and I will give it to you, ten tribes.”
709 tn Heb “give.”
710 tn Heb “so there might be a lamp for David my servant all the days before me in Jerusalem.” The metaphorical “lamp” symbolizes the Davidic dynasty. Because this imagery is unfamiliar to the modern reader, the translation “so my servant David’s dynasty may continue to serve me” has been used.
711 tn Heb “so there might be a lamp for David my servant all the days before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for myself to put my name there.”
712 tn Heb “take.”
713 tn Heb “If you obey.” In the Hebrew text v. 38 is actually one long conditional sentence, which has been broken into two parts in the translation for stylistic purposes.
714 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
715 tn Heb “do what is right in my eyes.”
716 tn Heb “I will build for you a permanent house, like I built for David.”
717 sn Because of this. Reference is made to the idolatry mentioned earlier.
718 tn Heb “but not all the days.”
719 tn Heb “but Jeroboam arose and ran away to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt.”
720 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Solomon, and all which he did, and his wisdom, are they not written on the scroll of the events of Solomon?”
721 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
722 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
723 sn The city of his father David. The phrase refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
724 tc Before this sentence the Old Greek translation includes the following words: “And it so happened that when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard – now he was in Egypt where he had fled from before Solomon and was residing in Egypt – he came straight to his city in the land of Sarira which is on mount Ephraim. And king Solomon slept with his fathers.”
