Discovery Box2 Chronicles 1:1--9:31 
Context1:1 Solomon son of David solidified his royal authority, 1 for 2 the Lord his God was with him and magnified him greatly.
1:2 Solomon addressed all Israel, including those who commanded units of a thousand and a hundred, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel who were heads of families. 1:3 Solomon and the entire assembly went to the worship center 3 in Gibeon, for the tent where they met God 4 was located there, which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness. 1:4 (Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 1:5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, was in front of the Lord’s tabernacle. 6 Solomon and the entire assembly prayed to him 7 there.) 1:6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord which was at the meeting tent, and he offered up a thousand burnt sacrifices.
1:7 That night God appeared 8 to Solomon and said to him, “Tell me 9 what I should give you.” 1:8 Solomon replied to God, “You demonstrated 10 great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. 1:9 Now, Lord God, may your promise 11 to my father David be realized, 12 for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. 1:10 Now give me wisdom and discernment so 13 I can effectively lead this nation. 14 Otherwise 15 no one is able 16 to make judicial decisions for 17 this great nation of yours.” 18
1:11 God said to Solomon, “Because you desire this, 19 and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies, 20 and because you did not ask for long life, 21 but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king, 1:12 you are granted wisdom and discernment. 22 Furthermore I am giving you riches, wealth, and honor surpassing that of any king before or after you.” 23
1:13 Solomon left the meeting tent at the worship center in Gibeon and went to Jerusalem, where he reigned over Israel. 24
1:14 Solomon accumulated 25 chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. 26 1:15 The king made silver and gold as plentiful 27 in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was 28 as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands. 29 1:16 Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt 30 and from Que; the king’s traders purchased them from Que. 1:17 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. 31
2:1 (1:18) 32 Solomon ordered a temple to be built to honor the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself. 33 2:2 (2:1) Solomon had 34 70,000 common laborers 35 and 80,000 stonecutters 36 in the hills, in addition to 3,600 supervisors. 37
2:3 Solomon sent a message to King Huram 38 of Tyre: 39 “Help me 40 as you did my father David, when you sent him cedar logs 41 for the construction of his palace. 42 2:4 Look, I am ready to build a temple to honor 43 the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him in order to burn fragrant incense before him, to set out the bread that is regularly displayed, 44 and to offer burnt sacrifices each morning and evening, and on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other times appointed by the Lord our God. This is something Israel must do on a permanent basis. 45 2:5 I will build a great temple, for our God is greater than all gods. 2:6 Of course, who can really build a temple for him, since the sky 46 and the highest heavens cannot contain him? Who am I that I should build him a temple! It will really be only a place to offer sacrifices before him. 47
2:7 “Now send me a man who is skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as purple, crimson, and violet colored fabrics, and who knows how to engrave. He will work with my skilled craftsmen here in Jerusalem 48 and Judah, whom my father David provided. 2:8 Send me cedars, evergreens, and algum 49 trees from Lebanon, for I know your servants are adept 50 at cutting down trees in Lebanon. My servants will work with your servants 2:9 to supply me with large quantities of timber, for I am building a great, magnificent temple. 2:10 Look, I will pay your servants who cut the timber 20,000 kors 51 of ground wheat, 20,000 kors of barley, 120,000 gallons 52 of wine, and 120,000 gallons of olive oil.”
2:11 King Huram 53 of Tyre sent this letter to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.” 2:12 Huram also said, “Worthy of praise is the Lord God of Israel, who made the sky and the earth! He has given David a wise son who has discernment and insight and will build a temple for the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself. 54 2:13 Now I am sending you Huram Abi, 55 a skilled and capable man, 2:14 whose mother is a Danite and whose father is a Tyrian. 56 He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stones, and wood, as well as purple, violet, white, and crimson fabrics. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and understands any design given to him. He will work with your skilled craftsmen and the skilled craftsmen of my lord David your father. 2:15 Now let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he has promised; 2:16 we will get all the timber you need from Lebanon 57 and bring it 58 in raft-like bundles 59 by sea to Joppa. You can then haul it on up to Jerusalem.”
2:17 Solomon took a census 60 of all the male resident foreigners in the land of Israel, after the census his father David had taken. There were 153,600 in all. 2:18 He designated 61 70,000 as common laborers, 62 80,000 as stonecutters 63 in the hills, and 3,600 as supervisors to make sure the people completed the work. 64
3:1 Solomon began building the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem 65 on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David prepared at the threshing floor of Ornan 66 the Jebusite. 3:2 He began building on the second day of the second month of the fourth year of his reign. 67
3:3 Solomon laid the foundation for God’s temple; 68 its length (determined according to the old standard of measure) was 90 feet, and its width 30 feet. 69 3:4 The porch in front of the main hall was 30 feet long, corresponding to the width of the temple, 70 and its height was 30 feet. 71 He plated the inside with pure gold. 3:5 He paneled 72 the main hall 73 with boards made from evergreen trees 74 and plated it with fine gold, decorated with palm trees and chains. 75 3:6 He decorated the temple with precious stones; the gold he used came from Parvaim. 76 3:7 He overlaid the temple’s rafters, thresholds, walls and doors with gold; he carved decorative cherubim on the walls.
3:8 He made the most holy place; 77 its length was 30 feet, 78 corresponding to the width of the temple, and its width 30 feet. 79 He plated it with 600 talents 80 of fine gold. 3:9 The gold nails weighed 50 shekels; he also plated the upper areas with gold. 3:10 In the most holy place he made two images of cherubim and plated them with gold. 3:11 The combined wing span of the cherubs was 30 feet. 81 One of the first cherub’s wings was seven and one-half feet long and touched one wall of the temple; its other wing was also seven and one-half feet long and touched one of the second cherub’s wings. 82 3:12 Likewise one of the second cherub’s wings was seven and one-half feet long and touched the other wall of the temple; its other wing was also seven and one-half feet long and touched one of the first cherub’s wings. 83 3:13 The combined wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet. 84 They stood upright, facing inward. 85 3:14 He made the curtain out of violet, purple, crimson, and white fabrics, and embroidered on it decorative cherubim.
3:15 In front of the temple he made two pillars which had a combined length 86 of 52½ feet, 87 with each having a plated capital seven and one-half feet high. 88 3:16 He made ornamental chains 89 and put them on top of the pillars. He also made one hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments and arranged them within the chains. 3:17 He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right side and the other on the left. 90 He named the one on the right Jachin, 91 and the one on the left Boaz. 92
4:1 He made a bronze altar, 30 feet 93 long, 30 feet 94 wide, and 15 feet 95 high. 4:2 He also made the big bronze basin called “The Sea.” 96 It measured 15 feet 97 from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood seven and one-half feet 98 high. Its circumference was 45 feet. 99 4:3 Images of bulls were under it all the way around, ten every eighteen inches 100 all the way around. The bulls were in two rows and had been cast with “The Sea.” 4:4 “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. 101 4:5 It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold 18,000 gallons. 102 4:6 He made ten washing basins; he put five on the south side and five on the north side. In them they rinsed the items used for burnt sacrifices; the priests washed in “The Sea.”
4:7 He made ten gold lampstands according to specifications and put them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left. 4:8 He made ten tables and set them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left. He also made one hundred gold bowls. 4:9 He made the courtyard of the priests and the large enclosure and its doors; 103 he plated their doors with bronze. 4:10 He put “The Sea” on the south side, in the southeast corner.
4:11 Huram Abi 104 made the pots, shovels, and bowls. He finished all the work on God’s temple he had been assigned by King Solomon. 105 4:12 He made 106 the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars, the latticework for the bowl-shaped tops of the two pillars, 4:13 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), 4:14 the ten 107 movable stands with their ten 108 basins, 4:15 the big bronze basin called “The Sea” with its twelve bulls underneath, 4:16 and the pots, shovels, and meat forks. 109 All the items King Solomon assigned Huram Abi to make for the Lord’s temple 110 were made from polished bronze. 4:17 The king had them cast in earthen foundries 111 in the region of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. 4:18 Solomon made so many of these items they did not weigh the bronze. 112
4:19 Solomon also made these items for God’s temple: the gold altar, the tables on which the Bread of the Presence 113 was kept, 4:20 the pure gold lampstands and their lamps which burned as specified at the entrance to the inner sanctuary, 4:21 the pure gold flower-shaped ornaments, lamps, and tongs, 4:22 the pure gold 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. 5:1 When Solomon had finished constructing the Lord’s temple, he put the holy items that belonged to his father David (the silver, gold, and all the other articles) in the treasuries of God’s temple.
5:2 Then Solomon convened Israel’s elders – all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families – in Jerusalem, 114 so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David 115 (that is, Zion). 116 5:3 All the men of Israel assembled before the king during the festival 117 in the seventh month. 118 5:4 When all Israel’s elders had arrived, the Levites lifted the ark. 5:5 The priests and Levites carried the ark, the tent where God appeared to his people, 119 and all the holy items in the tent. 120 5:6 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. 121
5:7 The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its assigned 122 place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the most holy place under the wings of the cherubs. 5:8 The cherubs’ wings extended over the place where the ark sat; the cherubs overshadowed the ark and its poles. 123 5:9 The poles were so long their ends extending out from the ark were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from beyond that point. 124 They have remained there to this very day. 5:10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets Moses had placed there in Horeb. 125 (It was there that 126 the Lord made an agreement with the Israelites after he brought them out of the land of Egypt.)
5:11 The priests left the holy place. 127 All the priests who participated had consecrated themselves, no matter which division they represented. 128 5:12 All the Levites who were musicians, including Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives, wore linen. They played cymbals and stringed instruments as they stood east of the altar. They were accompanied by 120 priests who blew trumpets. 5:13 The trumpeters and musicians played together, praising and giving thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they loudly praised the Lord, singing: 129 “Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!” Then a cloud filled the Lord’s temple. 130 5:14 The priests could not carry out their duties 131 because of the cloud; the Lord’s splendor filled God’s temple.
6:1 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness. 6:2 O Lord, 132 I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.” 6:3 Then the king turned around 133 and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there. 134 6:4 He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled 135 what he promised 136 my father David. 6:5 He told David, 137 ‘Since the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. 138 Nor did I choose a man as leader of my people Israel. 6:6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem as a place to live, 139 and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’ 6:7 Now my father David had a strong desire to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. 140 6:8 The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. 141 6:9 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’ 142 6:10 The Lord has kept the promise he made. 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 of the Lord God of Israel 6:11 and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with the Israelites.”
6:12 He stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 6:13 Solomon had made a bronze platform and had placed it in the middle of the enclosure. It was seven and one-half feet 143 long, seven and one-half feet 144 wide, and four and one-half feet 145 high. He stood on it and then got down on his knees in front of the entire assembly of Israel. He spread out his hands toward the sky, 6:14 and prayed: 146 “O Lord God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth! You maintain covenantal loyalty 147 to your servants who obey you with sincerity. 148 6:15 You have kept your word to your servant, my father David; 149 this very day you have fulfilled what you promised. 150 6:16 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, 151 provided that your descendants watch their step and obey my law as you have done.’ 152 6:17 Now, O Lord God of Israel, may the promise you made to your servant David be realized. 153
6:18 “God does not really live with humankind on the earth! 154 Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built! 6:19 But respond favorably to 155 your servant’s prayer and his request for help, O Lord my God. Answer 156 the desperate prayer 157 your servant is presenting to you. 158 6:20 Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. 159 May you answer your servant’s prayer for this place. 160 6:21 Respond to the requests of your servant and your people Israel for this place. 161 Hear from your heavenly dwelling place and respond favorably and forgive. 162
6:22 “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, 163 6:23 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. 164
6:24 “If your people Israel are defeated by an enemy 165 because they sinned against you, then if they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you, 166 and pray for your help 167 before you in this temple, 6:25 then listen from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors. 168
6:26 “The time will come when 169 the skies 170 are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people 171 sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, 172 and turn away from their sin because you punish 173 them, 6:27 then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly 174 you will then teach them the right way to live 175 and send rain on your land that you have given your people to possess. 176
6:28 “The time will come when the land suffers from a famine, a plague, blight, and disease, or a locust 177 invasion, or when their enemy lays siege to the cities of the land, 178 or when some other type of plague or epidemic occurs. 6:29 When all your people Israel pray and ask for help, 179 as they acknowledge their intense pain 180 and spread out their hands toward this temple, 6:30 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place, forgive their sin, 181 and act favorably toward each one based on your evaluation of their motives. 182 (Indeed you are the only one who can correctly evaluate the motives of all people.) 183 6:31 Then they will honor 184 you by obeying you 185 throughout their lifetimes as 186 they live on the land you gave to our ancestors.
6:32 “Foreigners, who do not belong to your people Israel, will come from a distant land because of your great reputation 187 and your ability to accomplish mighty deeds; 188 they will come and direct their prayers toward this temple. 6:33 Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and answer all the prayers of the foreigners. 189 Then all the nations of the earth will acknowledge your reputation, 190 obey 191 you like your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you. 192
6:34 “When you direct your people to march out and fight their enemies, 193 and they direct their prayers to you toward this chosen city and this temple I built for your honor, 194 6:35 then listen from heaven to their prayers for help 195 and vindicate them. 196
6:36 “The time will come when your people 197 will sin against you (for there is no one who is sinless!) and you will be angry at them and deliver them over to their enemies, who will take them as prisoners to their land, whether far away or close by. 6:37 When your people 198 come to their senses 199 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 200 , we have done evil!’ 6:38 When they return to you with all their heart and being 201 in the land where they are held prisoner and direct their prayers toward the land you gave to their ancestors, your chosen city, and the temple I built for your honor, 202 6:39 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place to their prayers for help, 203 vindicate them, 204 and forgive your sinful people.
6:40 “Now, my God, may you be attentive and responsive to the prayers offered in this place. 205 6:41 Now ascend, O Lord God, to your resting place, you and the ark of your strength! May your priests, O Lord God, experience your deliverance! 206 May your loyal followers rejoice in the prosperity you give! 207 6:42 O Lord God, do not reject your chosen ones! 208 Remember the faithful promises you made to your servant David!”
7:1 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven 209 and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the Lord’s splendor filled the temple. 7:2 The priests were unable to enter the Lord’s temple because the Lord’s splendor filled the Lord’s temple. 7:3 When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the Lord’s splendor over the temple, they got on their knees with their faces downward toward the pavement. They worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, 210 “Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!”
7:4 The king and all the people were presenting sacrifices to the Lord. 7:5 King Solomon sacrificed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. Then the king and all the people dedicated God’s temple. 7:6 The priests stood in their assigned spots, along with the Levites who had the musical instruments used for praising the Lord. 211 (These were the ones King David made for giving thanks to the Lord and which were used by David when he offered praise, saying, “Certainly his loyal love endures.”) 212 Opposite the Levites, 213 the priests were blowing the trumpets, while all Israel stood there. 7:7 Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that is in front of the Lord’s temple. He offered burnt sacrifices, grain offerings, 214 and the fat from the peace offerings there, because the bronze altar that Solomon had made was too small to hold all these offerings. 215 7:8 At that time Solomon and all Israel with him celebrated a festival for seven days. This great assembly included people from Lebo Hamath in the north to the Brook of Egypt in the south. 216 7:9 On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had dedicated the altar for seven days and celebrated the festival for seven more days. 7:10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon 217 sent the people home. They left 218 happy and contented 219 because of the good the Lord had done for David, Solomon, and his people Israel.
7:11 After Solomon finished building the Lord’s temple and the royal palace, and accomplished all his plans for the Lord’s temple and his royal palace, 220 7:12 the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him: “I have answered 221 your prayer and chosen this place to be my temple where sacrifices are to be made. 222 7:13 When 223 I close up the sky 224 so that it doesn’t rain, or command locusts to devour the land’s vegetation, 225 or send a plague among my people, 7:14 if my people, who belong to me, 226 humble themselves, pray, seek to please me, 227 and repudiate their sinful practices, 228 then I will respond 229 from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. 230 7:15 Now I will be attentive and responsive to the prayers offered in this place. 231 7:16 Now I have chosen and consecrated this temple by making it my permanent home; 232 I will be constantly present there. 233 7:17 You must serve me as your father David did. Do everything I commanded and obey my rules and regulations. 234 7:18 Then I will establish your dynasty, 235 just as I promised your father David, ‘You will not fail to have a successor ruling over Israel.’ 236
7:19 “But if you people 237 ever turn away from me, fail to obey the regulations and rules I instructed you to keep, 238 and decide to serve and worship other gods, 239 7:20 then I will remove you 240 from my land I have given you, 241 I will abandon this temple I have consecrated with my presence, 242 and I will make you 243 an object of mockery and ridicule 244 among all the nations. 7:21 As for this temple, which was once majestic, 245 everyone who passes by it will be shocked and say, ‘Why did the Lord do this to this land and this temple?’ 7:22 Others will then answer, 246 ‘Because they abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors, 247 who led them out of Egypt. They embraced other gods whom they worshiped and served. 248 That is why he brought all this disaster down on them.’”
8:1 After twenty years, during which Solomon built the Lord’s temple and his royal palace, 8:2 Solomon rebuilt the cities that Huram 249 had given him and settled Israelites there. 8:3 Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and seized it. 8:4 He built up Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities he had built in Hamath. 8:5 He made upper Beth Horon and lower Beth Horon fortified cities with walls and barred gates, 250 8:6 and built up Baalath, all the storage cities that belonged to him, 251 and all the cities where chariots and horses were kept. 252 He built whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, 253 Lebanon, and throughout his entire kingdom. 254
8:7 Now several non-Israelite peoples were left in the land after the conquest of Joshua, including the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 255 8:8 Their descendants remained in the land (the Israelites were unable to wipe them out). Solomon conscripted them for his work crews and they continue in that role to this very day. 256 8:9 Solomon did not assign Israelites to these work crews; 257 the Israelites served as his soldiers, officers, charioteers, and commanders of his chariot forces. 258 8:10 These men worked for Solomon as supervisors; there were a total of 250 of them who were in charge of the people. 259
8:11 Solomon moved Pharaoh’s daughter up from the City of David 260 to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of King David of Israel, for the places where the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”
8:12 Then Solomon offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built in front of the temple’s porch. 261 8:13 He observed the daily requirements for sacrifices that Moses had specified for Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and the three annual celebrations – the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Temporary Shelters. 262 8:14 As his father David had decreed, Solomon 263 appointed the divisions of the priests to do their assigned tasks, the Levitical orders to lead worship and help the priests with their daily tasks, 264 and the divisions of the gatekeepers to serve at their assigned gates. 265 This was what David the man of God had ordered. 266 8:15 They did not neglect any detail of the king’s orders pertaining to the priests, Levites, and treasuries. 267
8:16 All the work ordered by Solomon was completed, from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid until it was finished; the Lord’s temple was completed.
8:17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and to Elat on the coast in the land of Edom. 8:18 Huram sent him ships and some of his sailors, men who were well acquainted with the sea. They sailed with Solomon’s men to Ophir, 268 and took from there 450 talents 269 of gold, which they brought back to King Solomon.
9:1 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, 270 she came to challenge 271 him 272 with difficult questions. 273 She arrived in Jerusalem 274 with a great display of pomp, 275 bringing with her camels carrying spices, 276 a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. 9:2 Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king. 277 9:3 When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon’s extensive wisdom, 278 the palace 279 he had built, 9:4 the food in his banquet hall, 280 his servants and attendants 281 in their robes, his cupbearers in their robes, and his burnt sacrifices which he presented in the Lord’s temple, 282 she was amazed. 283 9:5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight 284 was true! 9:6 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! 285 Your wisdom surpasses what was reported to me. 9:7 Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy! 286 9:8 May the Lord your God be praised because he favored 287 you by placing you on his throne as the one ruling on his behalf! 288 Because of your God’s love for Israel and his lasting commitment to them, 289 he made you king over them so you could make just and right decisions.” 290 9:9 She gave the king 120 talents 291 of gold and a very large quantity of spices and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched. 292 9:10 (Huram’s 293 servants, aided by Solomon’s servants, brought gold from Ophir, as well as 294 fine 295 timber and precious gems. 9:11 With the timber the king made steps 296 for the Lord’s temple and royal palace as well as stringed instruments 297 for the musicians. No one had seen anything like them in the land of Judah prior to that. 298 ) 9:12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, more than what she had brought him. 299 Then she left and returned 300 to her homeland with her attendants.
9:13 Solomon received 666 talents 301 of gold per year, 302 9:14 besides what he collected from the merchants 303 and traders. All the Arabian kings and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. 9:15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures 304 of hammered gold were used for each shield. 9:16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; 300 measures 305 of gold were used for each of those shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest. 306
9:17 The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 9:18 There were six steps leading up to the throne, and a gold footstool was attached to the throne. 307 The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side. 308 9:19 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. 309
9:20 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. 310 9:21 The king had a fleet of large merchant ships 311 manned by Huram’s men 312 that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet 313 came into port with cargoes of 314 gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 315
9:22 King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth. 316 9:23 All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom. 317 9:24 Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules. 318
9:25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses 319 and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. 320 9:26 He ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River 321 to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt. 9:27 The king made silver as plentiful 322 in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was 323 as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands 324 . 9:28 Solomon acquired horses from Egypt and from all the lands.
9:29 The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded 325 in the Annals of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Vision of Iddo the Seer pertaining to Jeroboam son of Nebat. 9:30 Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem 326 for forty years. 9:31 Then Solomon passed away 327 and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam replaced him as king.
1 tn Heb “and Solomon son of David strengthened himself over his kingdom.”
2 tn The disjunctive clause (note the vav [ו] + subject pattern) probably has a causal nuance here.
3 tn Or “high place.”
4 tn Heb “the tent of meeting of God.”
5 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
6 sn The tabernacle was located in Gibeon; see 1 Chr 21:29.
7 tn Heb “sought [or “inquired of”] him.”
8 tn Or “revealed himself.”
9 tn Heb “ask.”
10 tn Heb “did.”
11 tn Heb “you word.”
12 tn Or “be firm, established.”
13 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) following the imperative here indicates purpose/result.
14 tn Heb “so I may go out before this nation and come in.” The expression “go out…and come in” here means “to lead” (see HALOT 425 s.v. יצא qal.4).
15 tn Heb “for.” The word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
16 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
17 tn Heb “to judge.”
18 tn Heb “these numerous people of yours.”
19 tn Heb “because this was in your heart.”
20 tn Heb “the life of those who hate you.”
21 tn Heb “many days.”
22 tn Heb “wisdom and discernment are given to you.”
23 tn Heb “which was not so for the kings who were before you, and after you there will not be so.”
24 tn Heb “and Solomon came from the high place which was in Gibeon [to] Jerusalem, from before the tent of meeting, and he reigned over Israel.”
25 tn Or “gathered.”
26 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.
27 tn The words “as plentiful” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
28 tn Heb “he made.”
29 tn Heb “as the sycamore fig trees which are in the Shephelah.”
30 sn Because Que is also mentioned, some prefer to see 1 Kgs 10:28-29 as a reference to Mutsur. Que and Mutsur were located in Cilicia or Cappadocia (in modern southern Turkey). See HALOT 625 s.v. מִצְרַיִם.
31 tn Heb “and they brought up and brought out from Egypt a chariot for 600 silver (pieces), and a horse for 150, and in the same way to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram by their hand they brought out.”
32 sn Beginning with 2:1, the verse numbers through 2:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 2:1 ET = 1:18 HT, 2:2 ET = 2:1 HT, 2:3 ET = 2:2 HT, etc., through 2:18 ET = 2:17 HT. Beginning with 3:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
33 tn Heb “and Solomon said to build a house for the name of the
34 tn Heb “counted,” perhaps “conscripted” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
35 tn Heb “carriers of loads.”
36 tn Or “quarry workers”; Heb “cutters” (probably referring to stonecutters).
37 tc The parallel text of MT in 1 Kgs 5:16 has “thirty-six hundred,” but some Greek
tn Heb “and 3,600 supervisors over them.”
38 tn Heb “Huram.” Some medieval Hebrew
39 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
40 tn The words “help me” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
41 tn Heb “cedars.” The word “logs” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
42 tn Heb “to build for him a house to live in it.”
43 tn Heb “for the name of.”
44 tn Heb “and the regular display.”
45 tn Heb “permanently [is] this upon Israel.”
46 tn Or “heavens” (also in v. 12). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
47 tn Heb “Who retains strength to build for him a house, for the heavens and the heavens of heavens do not contain him? And who am I that I should build for him a house, except to sacrifice before him?”
48 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
49 tn This is probably a variant name for almug trees; see 9:10-11 and the parallel passage in 1 Kgs 10:11-12; cf. NLT. One or the other probably arose through metathesis of letters.
50 tn Heb “know.”
51 sn As a unit of dry measure a kor was roughly equivalent to six bushels (about 220 liters).
52 tn Heb “20,000 baths” (also a second time later in this verse). A bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons (about 22 liters), so this was a quantity of about 120,000 gallons (440,000 liters).
53 tn Heb “Huram” (also in v. 12). Some medieval Hebrew
54 tn Heb “who has given to David a wise son [who] knows discernment and insight, who will build a house for the
55 sn The name Huram Abi means “Huram [is] my father.”
56 tn Heb “a son of a woman from the daughters of Dan, and his father a man of Tyre.”
57 tn Heb “and we will cut down trees from Lebanon according to all your need.”
58 tn Heb “to you,” but this phrase has not been translated for stylistic reasons – it is somewhat redundant.
59 tn Or “on rafts.” See the note at 1 Kgs 5:9.
60 tn Heb “counted.”
61 tn Heb “made.”
62 tn Heb “carriers of loads.”
63 tn Or “quarry workers”; Heb “cutters” (probably referring to stonecutters).
64 tn Heb “and thirty-six hundred [as] supervisors to compel the people to work.”
65 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
66 tn In 2 Sam 24:16 this individual is called אֲרַוְנָא (“Aravna”; traditionally “Araunah”). The form of the name found here also occurs in 1 Chr 21:15; 18-28.
67 sn This would be April-May, 966
68 tn Heb “and these are the founding of Solomon to build the house of God.”
69 tn Heb “the length [in] cubits by the former measure was sixty cubits, and a width of twenty cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches (45 cm) for the standard cubit, the length of the foundation would be 90 feet (27 m) and its width 30 feet (9 m).
70 tc Heb “and the porch which was in front of the length corresponding to the width of the house, twenty cubits.” The phrase הֵיכַל הַבַּיִת (heykhal habbayit, “the main hall of the temple,” which appears in the parallel account in 1 Kgs 6:3) has been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton after עַל־פְּנֵי (’al-pÿney, “in front of”). Note that the following form, הָאֹרֶךְ (ha’orekh, “the length”), also begins with the Hebrew letter he (ה). A scribe’s eye probably jumped from the initial he on הֵיכַל to the initial he on הָאֹרֶךְ, leaving out the intervening letters in the process.
71 tc The Hebrew text has “one hundred and twenty cubits,” i.e. (assuming a cubit of 18 inches) 180 feet (54 m). An ancient Greek witness and the Syriac version read “twenty cubits,” i.e., 30 feet (9 m). It is likely that מֵאָה (me’ah, “a hundred”), is a corruption of an original אַמּוֹת (’ammot, “cubits”).
72 tn Heb “covered.”
73 tn Heb “the large house.”
74 tn Heb “wood of evergreens.”
75 tn Heb “and he put up on it palm trees and chains.”
76 tn Heb “and he plated the house [with] precious stone for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim.”
sn The location of Parvaim, the source of the gold for Solomon’s temple, is uncertain. Some have identified it with modern Farwa in Yemen; others relate it to the Sanskrit parvam and understand it to be a general term for the regions east of Palestine.
77 tn Heb “the house of the holy place of holy places.”
78 tn Heb “twenty cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), this would give a length of 30 feet (9 m).
79 tc Heb “twenty cubits.” Some suggest adding, “and its height twenty cubits” (see 1 Kgs 6:20). The phrase could have been omitted by homoioteleuton.
80 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “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, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold plating was 40,380 lbs. (18,360 kg).
81 tn Heb “and the wings of the cherubs, their length was twenty cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the wingspan of the cherubs would have been 30 feet (9 m).
82 tn Heb “the wing of the one was five cubits from the touching of the wall of the house, and the other wing was five cubits from the touching of the wing of the other cherub.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), each wing would have been 7.5 feet (2.25 m) long.
83 tn Heb “and the wing of the one (הָאֶחָד, ha’ekhad, “the one”; this should probably be emended to הָאַחֵר, ha’akher, “the other”) cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the house, and the other wing was five cubits, clinging to the wing of the other cherub.”
84 tn Heb “the wings of these cherubs were spreading twenty cubits.”
85 tn Heb “and they were standing on their feet, with their faces to the house.” An alternative translation of the last clause would be, “with their faces to the main hall.”
86 sn The figure given here appears to refer to the combined length of both pillars (perhaps when laid end-to-end on the ground prior to being set up; cf. v. 17); the figure given for the height of the pillars in 1 Kgs 7:15, 2 Kgs 25:17, and Jer 52:21 is half this (i.e., eighteen cubits).
87 tc The Syriac reads “eighteen cubits” (twenty-seven feet). This apparently reflects an attempt at harmonization with 1 Kgs 7:15, 2 Kgs 25:17, and Jer 52:21.
88 tn Heb “and he made before the house two pillars, thirty-five cubits [in] length, and the plated capital which was on its top [was] five cubits.” The significance of the measure “thirty-five cubits” (52.5 feet or 15.75 m, assuming a cubit of 18 inches) for the “length” of the pillars is uncertain. According to 1 Kgs 7:15, each pillar was eighteen cubits (27 feet or 8.1 m) high. Perhaps the measurement given here was taken with the pillars lying end-to-end on the ground before they were set up.
89 tn The Hebrew text adds here, “in the inner sanctuary,” but the description at this point is of the pillars, not the inner sanctuary.
90 tn Or “one on the south and the other on the north.”
91 tn The name “Jachin” appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”
92 tn The meaning of the name “Boaz” is uncertain. For various proposals, see BDB 126-27 s.v. בֹּעַז. One attractive option is to revocalize the name asבְּעֹז (bÿ’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.”
93 tn Heb “twenty cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the length would have been 30 feet (9 m).
94 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
95 tn Heb “ten cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the height would have been 15 feet (4.5 m).
96 tn Heb “He made the sea, cast.”
sn The large bronze basin known as “The Sea” was mounted on twelve bronze bulls and contained water for the priests to bathe themselves (see v. 6; cf. Exod 30:17-21).
97 tn Heb “ten cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the diameter would have been 15 feet (4.5 m).
98 tn Heb “five cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the height would have been 7.5 feet (2.25 m).
99 tn Heb “and a measuring line went around it thirty cubits all around.”
100 tn Heb “ten every cubit.”
101 tn Heb “all their hindquarters were toward the inside.”
102 tn Heb “3,000 baths” (note that the capacity is given in 1 Kings 7:26 as “2,000 baths”). A bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons (about 22 liters), so 3,000 baths was a quantity of about 18,000 gallons (66,000 liters).
103 tn Heb “and the doors for the enclosure.”
104 tn Heb “Huram,” but here this refers to Huram Abi (2 Chr 2:13). The complete name has been used in the translation to avoid possible confusion with King Huram of Tyre.
105 tn Heb “Huram finished doing all the work which he did for King Solomon [on] the house of God.”
106 tn The words “he made” are added for stylistic reasons.
107 tc The Hebrew text has עָשָׂה (’asah, “he made”), which is probably a corruption of עֶשֶׂר (’eser, “ten”; see 1 Kgs 7:43).
108 tc The Hebrew text has עָשָׂה (’asah, “he made”), which is probably a corruption of עֲשָׂרָה (’asarah, “ten”; see 1 Kgs 7:43).
109 tc Some prefer to read here “bowls,” see v. 11 and 1 Kgs 7:45.
110 tn Heb “Huram Abi made for King Solomon [for] the house of the
111 tn Or perhaps, “molds.”
112 tn Heb “Solomon made all these items in great abundance; the weight of the bronze was not sought.”
113 tn Heb “the bread of the face/presence.”
sn This bread offered to God was viewed as a perpetual offering to God. See Lev 24:5-9.
114 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
115 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
116 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 Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the
117 sn This festival in the seventh month was the Feast of Tabernacles, see Lev 23:34.
118 sn The seventh month would be September-October in modern reckoning.
119 tn Heb “the tent of assembly.”
sn See Exod 33:7-11.
120 tn Heb “and they carried the ark of the
121 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.”
122 tn The word “assigned” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
123 sn These poles were used to carry the ark. The Levites were to carry it with the poles on their shoulders. See Exod 25:13-15; 1 Chr 15:15.
124 tn Heb “they could not be seen outside.”
125 sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai (cf. Exod 3:1).
126 tn Heb “in Horeb where.”
127 tn Heb “and when the priests went from the holy place.” The syntactical relationship of this temporal clause to the following context is unclear. Perhaps the thought is completed in v. 14 after a lengthy digression.
128 tn Heb “Indeed [or “for”] all the priests who were found consecrated themselves without guarding divisions.”
129 tn Heb “like one were the trumpeters and the musicians, causing one voice to be heard, praising and giving thanks to the
130 tn Heb “and the house was filled with a cloud, the house of the
131 tn Heb “were not able to stand to serve.”
132 tn The words “O
133 tn Heb “turned his face.”
134 tn Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”
135 tn The Hebrew text reads, “fulfilled by his hand,” but the phrase “by his hand” is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
136 tn The Hebrew text reads, “promised by his mouth,” but the phrase “by his mouth” is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
137 tn Heb “saying.”
138 tn Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.” Here “name” is used by metonymy for the
139 tn Heb for my name to be there.” See also the note on the word “live” in v. 5.
140 tn Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the
sn On the significance of the
141 tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”
142 tn Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”
143 tn Heb “five cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the length would have been 7.5 feet (2.25 m).
144 tn Heb “five cubits.”
145 tn Heb “three cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the height would have been 4.5 feet (1.35 m).
146 tn Heb “said.”
147 tn Heb “one who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.”
148 tn Heb “who walk before you with all their heart.”
149 tn Heb “[you] who kept to your servant David my father that which you spoke to him.”
150 tn Heb “you spoke by your mouth and by your hand you fulfilled, as this day.”
151 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from before me sitting on the throne of Israel.”
152 tn Heb “guard their way by walking in my law as you have walked before me.”
153 tn Or “prove to be reliable.”
154 tn Heb “Indeed, can God really live with mankind on the earth?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not,” the force of which is reflected in the translation “God does not really live with mankind on the earth.”
155 tn Heb “turn to.”
156 tn Heb “by listening to.”
157 tn Heb “the loud cry and the prayer.”
158 tn Heb “praying before you.”
159 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.’”
160 tn Heb “by listening to the prayer which your servant is praying concerning this place.”
161 tn Heb “listen to the requests of your servant and your people Israel which they are praying concerning this place.”
162 tn Heb “hear and forgive.”
163 tn Heb “and if 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.”
164 tn Heb “and you, hear [from] heaven and act and judge your servants by repaying the guilty, to give his way on his head, and to declare the innocent to be innocent, to give to him according to his innocence.”
165 tn Or “are struck down before an enemy.”
166 tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”
167 tn Heb “and they pray and ask for help.”
168 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 31, 38).
169 tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 26-27a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
170 tn Or “heavens” (also in v. 12). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
171 tn Heb “they.”
172 tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”
173 tn The Hebrew text reads “because you answer them,” as if the verb is from עָנָה (’anah, “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 (“afflict”).
174 tn The present translation understands כִּי (ki) in an emphatic or asseverative sense (“Certainly”). Other translation have “indeed” (NASB), “when” (NRSV), “so” (NEB), or leave the word untranslated (NIV).
175 tn Heb “the good way in which they should walk.”
176 tn Or “for an inheritance.”
177 tn Actually two Hebrew words appear here, both of which are usually (but not always) taken as referring to locusts. Perhaps different stages of growth or different varieties are in view, but this is uncertain. NEB has “locusts new-sloughed or fully grown”; NASB has “locust or grasshopper”; NIV has “locusts or grasshoppers”; NRSV has “locust, or caterpillar.”
178 tn Heb “in the land, his gates.”
179 tn Heb “every prayer, every request for help which will be to all the people, to all your people Israel.”
180 tn Heb “which they know, each his pain and his affliction.”
181 tn The words “their sin” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarification.
182 tn Heb “and act and give to each one according to all his ways because you know his heart.” In the Hebrew text vv. 28-30a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided up for stylistic reasons.
183 tn Heb “Indeed you know, you alone, the heart of all the sons of mankind.”
184 tn Heb “fear.”
185 tn Heb “by walking in your ways.”
186 tn Heb “all the days [in] which.”
187 tn Heb “your great name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “your great reputation
188 tn Heb “and your strong hand and your outstretched arm.”
189 tn Heb “and do all which the foreigner calls to [i.e., “requests of”] you.”
190 tn Heb “name.” See the note on “reputation” in v. 32.
191 tn Heb “fear.”
192 tn Heb “that your name is called over this house which I built.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28.
193 tn Heb “When your people go out for battle against their enemies in the way which you send them.”
194 tn Heb “toward this city which you have chosen and the house which I built for your name.”
195 tn Heb “their prayer and their request for help.”
196 tn Heb “and accomplish their justice.”
197 tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
198 tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
199 tn Or “stop and reflect”; Heb “bring back to their heart.”
200 tn Or “done wrong.”
201 tn Or “soul.”
202 tn Heb “your name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “your honor
203 tn Heb “their prayer and their requests for help.”
204 tn Heb “and accomplish their justice.”
205 tn Heb “May your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.”
206 tn Heb “be clothed with deliverance.”
207 tn Heb “and may your loyal ones rejoice in good.”
208 tc Heb “do not turn away the face of your anointed ones.” Many medieval Hebrew
209 tn Or “the sky.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
210 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
211 tn Heb “and the priests were standing at their posts, and the Levites with the instruments of music of the
212 tn Heb “which David the king made to give thanks to the
213 tn Heb “opposite them”; the referent (the Levites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
214 tc The Hebrew text omits reference to the grain offerings at this point, but note that they are included both in the list in the second half of the verse (see note on “offerings” at the end of this verse) and in the parallel account in 1 Kgs 8:64. The construction וְאֶת־הַמִּנְחָה (vÿ’et-hamminkhah; vav [ו] + accusative sign + noun with article; “grain offerings”) was probably omitted accidentally by homoioarcton. Note the וְאֶת (vÿ’et) that immediately follows.
215 tn Heb “to hold the burnt sacrifices, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.” Because this is redundant, the translation employs a summary phrase: “all these offerings.”
216 tn Heb “Solomon held the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel was with him, a very great assembly from Lebo Hamath to the wadi of Egypt.”
217 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Solomon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
218 tn The words “they left” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
219 tn Heb “good of heart.”
220 tn Heb “and all that entered the heart of Solomon to do in the house of the
221 tn Heb “I have heard.”
222 tn Heb “temple of sacrifice.” This means the
223 tn Or “if.”
224 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
225 tn Heb “the land,” which stands here by metonymy for the vegetation growing in it.
226 tn Heb “over whom my name is called.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28.
227 tn Heb “seek my face,” where “my face” is figurative for God’s presence and acceptance.
228 tn Heb “and turn from their sinful ways.”
229 tn Heb “hear.”
230 sn Here the phrase heal their land means restore the damage done by the drought, locusts and plague mentioned in v. 13.
231 tn Heb “my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer of this place.” Note Solomon’s request in 6:40.
232 tn Heb “for my name to be there perpetually [or perhaps, “forever”].”
233 tn Heb “and my eyes and my heart will be there all the days.”
234 tn Heb “As for you, if you walk before me, as David your father walked, by doing all which I commanded you, [and] you keep my rules and my regulations.”
sn Verse 17 is actually a lengthy protasis (“if” section) of a conditional sentence, the apodosis (“then” section) of which appears in v. 18.
235 tn Heb “I will establish the throne of your kingdom.”
236 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man ruling over Israel.”
237 tn The Hebrew pronoun is plural, suggesting that Solomon and all Israel (or perhaps Solomon and his successors) are in view. To convey this to the English reader, the translation “you people” has been employed.
238 tn Heb “which I placed before you.”
239 tn Heb “and walk and serve other gods and bow down to them.”
240 tn Heb “them.” The switch from the second to the third person pronoun is rhetorically effective, for it mirrors God’s rejection of his people – he has stopped addressing them as “you” and begun addressing them as “them.” However, the switch is awkward and confusing in English, so the translation maintains the direct address style.
241 tn Heb “them.” See the note on “you” earlier in this verse.
242 tc Instead of “I will throw away,” the parallel text in 1 Kgs 9:7 has “I will send away.” The two verbs sound very similar in Hebrew, so the discrepancy is likely due to an oral transmissional error.
tn Heb “and this temple which I consecrated for my name I will throw away from before my face.”
243 tn Heb “him,” which appears in context to refer to Israel (i.e., “you” in direct address). Many translations understand the direct object of the verb “make” to be the temple (NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “it”).
244 tn Heb “and I will make him [i.e., Israel] a proverb and a taunt,” that is, a proverbial example of destruction and an object of reproach.
245 tn Heb “and this house which was high/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.”
246 tn Heb “and they will say.”
247 tn Heb “fathers.”
248 tn Heb “and they took hold of other gods and bowed down to them and served them.”
249 tn Heb “Huram” (also in v. 18). Some medieval Hebrew
250 tn Heb “and he built…[as] cities of fortification, [with] walls, doors, and a bar.”
251 tn Heb “Solomon.” The recurrence of the proper name is unexpected in terms of contemporary English style, so the pronoun has been used in the translation instead.
252 tn Heb “the cities of the chariots and the cities of the horses.”
253 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
254 tn Heb “and all the desire of Solomon which he desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and in all the land of his kingdom.”
255 tn Heb “all the people who were left from the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not from Israel.”
256 tn Heb “from their sons who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel did not wipe out, and Solomon raised them up for a work crew to this day.”
257 tn Heb “and from the sons of Israel which Solomon did not assign to the laborers for his work.”
258 tn Heb “officers of his chariots and his horses.”
259 tn Heb “these [were] the officials of the governors who belonged to the king, Solomon, 250, the ones ruling over the people.”
260 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
261 tn Heb “the porch.”
262 tn The Hebrew phrase הַסֻּכּוֹת[חַג] (khag hassukot, “[festival of] huts” [or “shelters”]) is traditionally known as the Feast of Tabernacles. The rendering “booths” (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV) is probably better than the traditional “tabernacles” in light of the meaning of the term סֻכָּה (sukkah, “hut; booth”), but “booths” are frequently associated with trade shows and craft fairs in contemporary American English. The nature of the celebration during this feast as a commemoration of the wanderings of the Israelites after they left Egypt suggests that a translation like “temporary shelters” is more appropriate.
263 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Solomon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
264 tn Heb “and the Levites, according to their posts, to praise and to serve opposite the priests according to the matter of a day in its day.”
265 tn Heb “and the gatekeepers by their divisions for a gate and a gate.”
266 tn Heb “for so [was] the command of David the man of God.”
267 tn Heb “and they did not turn aside from the command of the king concerning the priests and the Levites with regard to any matter and with regard to the treasuries.”
268 tn Heb “and Huram sent to him by the hand of his servants, ships, and servants [who] know the sea, and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir.”
269 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “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, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold was 30,285 lbs. (13,770 kg).
270 tn Heb “the report about Solomon.”
271 tn Or “test.”
272 tn Heb “Solomon.” The recurrence of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style, so the pronoun has been used in the translation instead.
273 tn Or “riddles.”
274 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
275 tn Heb “with very great strength.” The Hebrew word חַיִל (khayil, “strength”) may refer here to the size of her retinue or to the great wealth she brought with her.
276 tn Or “balsam oil.”
277 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.”
278 tn Heb “all the wisdom of Solomon.”
279 tn Heb “house.”
280 tn Heb “the food on his table.”
281 tn Heb “the seating of his servants and the standing of his attendants.”
282 tc The Hebrew text has here, “and his upper room [by] which he was going up to the house of the
283 tn Or “it took her breath away”; Heb “there was no breath still in her.”
284 tn Heb “about your words [or perhaps, “deeds”] and your wisdom.”
285 tn Heb “the half was not told to me.”
286 tn Heb “How happy are your men! How happy are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually, who hear your wisdom!”
287 tn Or “delighted in.”
288 tn Heb “as king for the
289 tn Heb “to make him stand permanently.”
290 tn Heb “to do justice and righteousness.”
291 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “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, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold was 8,076 lbs. (3,672 kg).
292 tn Heb “there has not been like those spices which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.”
293 tn Heb “Huram’s” (also in v. 21). Some medieval Hebrew
294 tn Heb “who brought gold from Ophir, brought.”
295 tn Heb “algum.”
296 tn Heb “tracks.” The parallel text in 1 Kgs 10:12 has a different term whose meaning is uncertain: “supports,” perhaps “banisters” or “parapets.”
297 tn Two types of stringed instruments are specifically mentioned in the Hebrew text, the כִּנּוֹר (kinnor, “zither”) and נֶבֶל (nevel, “harp”).
298 tn Heb “there was not seen like these formerly in the land of Judah.”
299 tn Heb “besides what she brought to the king.”
300 tn Heb “turned and went.”
301 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “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, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold Solomon received annually was 44,822 lbs. (20,380 kg).
302 tn Heb “the weight of the gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 units of gold.”
303 tn Heb “traveling men.”
304 tn The Hebrew text has simply “600,” with no unit of measure given.
305 tn The Hebrew text has simply “300,” with no unit of measure given.
306 sn 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. See 1 Kgs 7:2.
307 tc The parallel text of 1 Kgs 10:19 has instead “and the back of it was rounded on top.”
308 tn Heb “[There were] armrests on each side of the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.”
309 tn Heb “nothing like it had been made for any kingdom.”
310 tn Heb “there was no silver, it was not regarded as anything in the days of Solomon.”
311 tn Heb “for ships belonging to the king were going [to] Tarshish with the servants of Huram.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.
312 tn Heb “servants.”
313 tn Heb “the fleet of Tarshish [ships].”
314 tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish came carrying.”
315 tn The meaning of this word is unclear; some suggest it refers to “baboons.” NEB has “monkeys,” NASB, NRSV “peacocks,” and NIV “baboons.”
316 tn Heb “King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth with respect to wealth and wisdom.”
317 tn Heb “and all the kings of the earth were seeking the face of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had placed in his heart.”
318 tn Heb “and they were bringing each one his gift, items of silver…and mules, the matter of a year in a year.”
319 tc The parallel text of 1 Kgs 10:26 reads “fourteen hundred chariots.”
320 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.
321 tn Heb “the River.” In biblical Hebrew the Euphrates River was typically referred to simply as “the River.”
322 tn The words “as plentiful” are supplied for clarification.
323 tn Heb “he made cedar.”
324 tn Heb “as the sycamore fig trees which are in the Shephelah.”
325 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Solomon, the former and the latter, are they not written?”
326 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
327 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
