5:17 By royal order 1 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, 2 along with men from Byblos, 3 did the chiseling and prepared the wood and stones for the building of the temple. 4
1 tnHeb “and the king commanded.”
2 tnHeb “builders.”
3 tnHeb “the Gebalites.” The reading is problematic and some emend to a verb form meaning, “set the borders.”
4 tc The LXX includes the words “for three years.”