Skip to content

1 Kings 5

Chapter Text

Preparations for the Temple

Summary

Hiram king of Tyre, a long-standing ally of David, sends congratulations to Solomon. Solomon negotiates a treaty whereby Hiram supplies cedar and cypress timber from Lebanon in exchange for wheat and oil. The two kings maintain peace between them.

Solomon conscripts a labor force of thirty thousand men from Israel, sending them to Lebanon in rotating shifts of ten thousand per month. Eighty thousand stonecutters and seventy thousand carriers work in the hills. Preparations for the temple construction begin in earnest.

Meaning

The international cooperation required for the temple's construction reveals that God's house was never intended for Israel alone. Gentile craftsmen and materials contributed to the dwelling place of the Lord, foreshadowing the inclusion of all nations in God's purposes.

However, the massive forced labor program carries an ominous note. Solomon's kingdom increasingly resembles the Egyptian system from which Israel was delivered. The means by which the temple is built will eventually contribute to the kingdom's fracture.

Background

Tyre was the premier maritime trading city of the ancient world, located on the coast of modern Lebanon. Its cedar forests were famous throughout the Near East, and Phoenician craftsmen were unrivaled in skill.

The labor conscription foreshadows the complaint that would be brought to Rehoboam after Solomon's death, ultimately splitting the kingdom.

Chapter Outline

  1. vv. 1-2Hiram of Tyre reaches out to Solomon
  2. vv. 3-5Solomon recalls the promise to David
  3. vv. 6The request for cedars of Lebanon
  4. vv. 7-9Hiram's joyful agreement
  5. vv. 10-12The treaty and exchange of goods
  6. vv. 13-16Solomon's labor levy organized
  7. vv. 17-18Foundation stones prepared

Key Verses

“But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.”— 5:4

Solomon's reign fulfills the Deuteronomic promise of rest in the land (Deut. 12:10), the precondition God set for establishing a central place of worship.

“And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.”— 5:5

Solomon explicitly grounds the temple project in the Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7, marking the moment that promise begins to take physical form.

“And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.”— 5:12

The narrator interprets the Hiram alliance as concrete evidence of the wisdom granted in 1 Kings 3, showing that divine wisdom yields shalom in international affairs.

People & Places

People

  • Hiram — King of Tyre and longtime ally of David who supplies cedar, fir, and skilled craftsmen for the temple.
  • Solomon — Son of David and king of Israel, now initiating preparations to build the temple in Jerusalem.
  • David — Solomon's father, remembered here as the warrior king prevented from building the temple because of his many battles.
  • Adoniram — Officer placed over the labor levy of thirty thousand Israelites sent in rotation to Lebanon.
  • Sidonians — Phoenician craftsmen of Tyre's region renowned above all for their skill in hewing timber.
  • Giblites (stonesquarers) — Skilled stonecutters from Gebal (Byblos) who worked alongside Solomon's and Hiram's builders preparing the foundation stones.

Places

  • Tyre — Phoenician coastal city-state ruled by Hiram, supplying timber and expertise for the temple.
  • Lebanon — Mountainous region north of Israel famed for its cedar forests, source of the temple's prized timber.
  • Israel — The united kingdom from which Solomon raised the labor levy of thirty thousand men.

Prophecy & Fulfillment

This chapter marks the beginning of the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7:12-13, where the LORD promised David that his son would build a house for His name. Solomon quotes that very promise in verse 5, consciously stepping into the role God assigned. The 'rest on every side' of verse 4 also fulfills Deuteronomy 12:10-11, which made such rest the prerequisite for God to choose a permanent place for His name. The temple, in turn, foreshadows Christ, the true dwelling of God with man (John 2:19-21).

Devotional

Solomon's first act as a king at peace is to honor a promise made to his father and, more importantly, to God. He does not squander the rest he has been given; he invests it in worship.

Notice too how he welcomes outside help. Hiram is a foreign king, the Sidonians and Giblites are foreign craftsmen, yet Solomon recognizes the gifts God has placed in others and gladly partners with them. Wisdom is humble enough to ask, generous enough to pay fairly, and grateful enough to credit the LORD when the work goes well.

Literary Style

Royal court narrative with embedded diplomatic correspondence. The chapter alternates between direct speech (Solomon's and Hiram's letters) and third-person reportage, closing with administrative lists of laborers and materials characteristic of the Deuteronomistic History's archival style.