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 1 (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple. 6:2 The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet 2 long, 30 feet 3 wide, and 45 feet 4 high. 6:3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet 5 long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet 6 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. 7 6:6 The bottom floor of the extension was seven and a half feet 8 wide, the middle floor nine feet 9 wide, and the third floor ten and a half 10 feet wide. He made ledges 11 on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls. 12 6:7 As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry 13 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 14 level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up 15 to the middle floor and then on up to the third 16 floor. 6:9 He finished building the temple 17 and covered it 18 with rafters 19 and boards made of cedar. 20 6:10 He built an extension all around the temple; it was seven and a half feet high 21 and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.
6:11 22 The Lord said 23 to Solomon: 6:12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow 24 my rules, observe 25 my regulations, and obey all my commandments, 26 I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David. 27 6:13 I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”
6:14 So Solomon finished building the temple. 28 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 29 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. 30 He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters. 31 6:17 The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long. 32 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. 33
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 34 long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold, 35 as well as the cedar altar. 36 6:21 Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold. 37 He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary 38 with gold. 6:22 He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary. 39
6:23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubs of olive wood; each stood 15 feet 40 high. 6:24 Each of the first cherub’s wings was seven and a half feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet. 41 6:25 The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape. 42 6:26 Each cherub stood 15 feet high. 43 6:27 He put the cherubs in the inner sanctuary of the temple. 44 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. 45 6:28 He plated the cherubs with gold.
6:29 On all the walls around the temple, inside and out, 46 he carved 47 cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom. 6:30 He plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out. 48 6:31 He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided. 49 6:32 On the two doors made of olive wood he carved 50 cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them with gold. 51 He plated the cherubs and the palm trees with hammered gold. 52 6:33 In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with four-sided pillars. 53 6:34 He also made 54 two doors out of wood from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves. 55 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 56 of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign 57 the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple. 6:38 In the eleventh year, in the month Bul 58 (the eighth month) the temple was completed in accordance with all its specifications and blueprints. It took seven years to build. 59
7:1 Solomon took thirteen years to build his palace. 60 7:2 He named 61 it “The Palace of the Lebanon Forest”; 62 it was 150 feet 63 long, 75 feet 64 wide, and 45 feet 65 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. 66 7:5 All of the entrances 67 were rectangular in shape 68 and they were arranged in sets of three. 69 7:6 He made a colonnade 70 75 feet 71 long and 45 feet 72 wide. There was a porch in front of this and pillars and a roof in front of the porch. 73 7:7 He also made a throne room, called “The Hall of Judgment,” where he made judicial decisions. 74 It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters. 75 7:8 The palace where he lived was constructed in a similar way. 76 He also constructed a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married. 77 7:9 All of these were built with the best 78 stones, chiseled to the right size 79 and cut with a saw on all sides, 80 from the foundation to the edge of the roof 81 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. 82 7:11 Above the foundation 83 the best 84 stones, chiseled to the right size, 85 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. 86
7:13 King Solomon sent for Hiram 87 of Tyre. 88 7:14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, 89 and his father was a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. He had the skill and knowledge 90 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 91 high and 18 feet 92 in circumference. 7:16 He made two bronze tops for the pillars; each was seven-and-a-half feet high. 93 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. 94 7:18 When he made the pillars, there were two rows of pomegranate-shaped ornaments around the latticework covering the top of each pillar. 95 7:19 The tops of the two pillars in the porch were shaped like lilies and were six feet high. 96 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. 97 7:21 He set up the pillars on the porch in front of the main hall. He erected one pillar on the right 98 side and called it Jakin; 99 he erected the other pillar on the left 100 side and called it Boaz. 101 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.” 102 It measured 15 feet 103 from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood seven-and-a-half feet 104 high. Its circumference was 45 feet. 105 7:24 Under the rim all the way around it 106 were round ornaments 107 arranged in settings 15 feet long. 108 The ornaments were in two rows and had been cast with “The Sea.” 109 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. 110 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. 111
7:27 He also made ten bronze movable stands. Each stand was six feet 112 long, six feet 113 wide, and four-and-a-half feet 114 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. 115 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. 116 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. 117 On the edge of the opening were carvings in square frames. 118 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 119 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. 120 7:35 On top of each stand was a round opening three-quarters of a foot deep; 121 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, 122 with wreaths 123 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. 124 Each basin was six feet in diameter; 125 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 126 finished all the work on the Lord’s temple he had been assigned by King Solomon. 127 7:41 He made 128 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, 129 7:45 and the pots, shovels, and bowls. All these items King Solomon assigned Hiram to make for the Lord’s temple 130 were made from polished bronze. 7:46 The king had them cast in earth foundries 131 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. 132
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, 133 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 134 put the holy items that belonged to his father David (the silver, gold, and other articles) in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.
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 140 until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 141 3:2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, 142 because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord. 143 3:3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following 144 the practices 145 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. 146 Solomon would offer up 147 a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 3:5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared 148 to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell 149 me what I should give you.” 3:6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated 150 great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served 151 you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. 152 You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. 153 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. 154 3:8 Your servant stands 155 among your chosen people; 156 they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind 157 so he can make judicial decisions for 158 your people and distinguish right from wrong. 159 Otherwise 160 no one is able 161 to make judicial decisions for 162 this great nation of yours.” 163 3:10 The Lord 164 was pleased that Solomon made this request. 165 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, 166 3:12 I 167 grant your request, 168 and give 169 you a wise and discerning mind 170 superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. 171 3:13 Furthermore, I am giving 172 you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. 173 3:14 If you follow my instructions 174 by obeying 175 my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, 176 then I will grant you long life.” 177 3:15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream. 178 He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings, 179 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. 180 3:19 This woman’s child suffocated 181 during the night when she rolled 182 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, 183 dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.” 184 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. 185
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 186 spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused. 187 She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” 188 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 189 the king, for they realized 190 that he possessed supernatural wisdom 191 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. 192
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records.
4:4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of 193 the army.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
4:5 Azariah son of Nathan was supervisor of 194 the district governors.
Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to 195 the king.
4:6 Ahishar was supervisor of the palace. 196
Adoniram son of Abda was supervisor of 197 the work crews. 198
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, 199 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) 200 Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River 201 to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms paid tribute as Solomon’s subjects throughout his lifetime. 202 4:22 Each day Solomon’s royal court consumed 203 thirty cors 204 of finely milled flour, sixty cors of cereal, 4:23 ten calves fattened in the stall, 205 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 206 he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah 207 to Gaza; he was at peace with all his neighbors. 208 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. 209 4:26 Solomon had 4,000 210 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. 211 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. 212
4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding 213 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. 214 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. 215 4:32 He composed 216 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. 4:33 He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, 217 from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing 218 animals, birds, insects, and fish. 4:34 People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom; 219 they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.
5:1 (5:15) 220 King Hiram of Tyre 221 sent messengers 222 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 223 his God, for he was busy fighting battles on all fronts while the Lord subdued his enemies. 224 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 225 to build a temple to honor the Lord 226 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.’ 227 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 228 has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.” 5:8 Hiram then sent this message to Solomon: “I received 229 the message you sent to me. I will give you all the cedars and evergreens you need. 230 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. 231 There I will separate the logs 232 and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court.” 233
5:10 So Hiram supplied the cedars and evergreens Solomon needed, 234 5:11 and Solomon supplied Hiram annually with 20,000 cors 235 of wheat as provision for his royal court, 236 as well as 20,000 baths 237 of pure 238 olive oil. 239 5:12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. And Hiram and Solomon were at peace and made a treaty. 240
5:13 King Solomon conscripted 241 work crews 242 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 243 the work crews.
1 sn During the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966
2 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.
3 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
4 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
5 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
6 tn Heb “ten cubits.”
7 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.”
8 tn Heb “five cubits.”
9 tn Heb “six cubits.”
10 tn Heb “seven cubits.”
11 tn Or “offsets” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “offset ledges.”
12 tn Heb “so that [the beams] would not have a hold in the walls of the temple.”
13 tn Heb “finished stone of the quarry,” i.e., stones chiseled and shaped at the time they were taken out of the quarry.
14 tc The Hebrew text has “middle,” but the remainder of the verse suggests this is an error.
15 tn Heb “by stairs they went up.” The word translated “stairs” occurs only here. Other options are “trapdoors” or “ladders.”
16 tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew
17 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
18 tn Heb “the house.”
19 tn The word occurs only here; the precise meaning is uncertain.
20 tn Heb “and rows with cedar wood.”
21 tn Heb “five cubits.” This must refer to the height of each floor or room.
22 tc The LXX lacks vv. 11-14.
23 tn Heb “the word of the
24 tn Heb “walk in.”
25 tn Heb “do.”
26 tn Heb “and keep all my commandments by walking in them.”
27 tn Heb “I will establish my word with you which I spoke to David your father.”
28 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
29 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
30 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.”
31 tc The MT has קְלָעִים (qÿla’im, “curtains”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
32 tn Heb “and the house was forty cubits, that is, the main hall before it.”
33 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.”
34 tn Heb “twenty cubits” (this measurement occurs three times in this verse).
35 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
36 tn Heb “he plated [the] altar of cedar.”
37 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
38 tn Heb “it.”
39 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.”
40 tn Heb “ten cubits” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
41 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.”
42 tn Heb “and the second cherub was ten cubits, the two cherubs had one measurement and one shape.”
43 tn Heb “the height of the first cherub was ten cubits; and so was the second cherub.”
44 tn Heb “in the midst of the inner house,” i.e., in the inner sanctuary.
45 tn Heb “and their wings were in the middle of the room, touching wing to wing.”
46 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
47 tn Heb “carved engravings of carvings.”
48 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
49 tn Heb “the pillar, doorposts, a fifth part” (the precise meaning of this description is uncertain).
50 tn Heb “carved carvings of.”
51 tn Heb “he plated [with] gold” (the precise object is not stated).
52 tn Heb “and he hammered out the gold on the cherubs and the palm trees.”
53 tn Heb “and so he did at the entrance of the main hall, doorposts of olive wood, from a fourth.”
54 tn The words “he also made” are added for stylistic reasons.
55 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.
56 sn In the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966
57 tn The words “of Solomon’s reign” are added for clarification. See v. 1.
58 sn In the month Bul. This would be October-November 959
59 tn Heb “he built it in seven years.”
60 tn Heb “His house Solomon built in thirteen years and he completed all his house.”
61 tn Heb “he built.”
62 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.
63 tn Heb “one hundred cubits.”
64 tn Heb “fifty cubits.”
65 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
66 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.
67 tn Heb “all of the doors and doorposts.”
68 sn Rectangular in shape. That is, rather than arched.
69 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).
70 tn Heb “a porch of pillars.”
71 tn Heb “fifty cubits.”
72 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
73 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.
74 tn Heb “and a porch for the throne, where he was making judicial decisions, the Porch of Judgment, he made.”
75 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.
76 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].”
77 tn Heb “and a house he was making for the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Solomon had taken, like this porch.”
78 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
79 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
80 tn Heb “inside and out.”
81 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.
82 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.
83 tn Heb “on top,” or “above.”
84 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
85 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
86 tn Or “the porch of the temple.”
87 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.”
88 map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
89 tn 2 Chr 2:14 (13 HT) says “from the daughters of Dan.”
90 tn Heb “he was filled with the skill, understanding, and knowledge.”
91 tn Heb “eighteen cubits.”
92 tn Heb “twelve cubits.”
93 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.”
94 tn Heb “there were seven for the first capital, and seven for the second capital.”
95 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
96 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.
97 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.
98 tn Or “south.”
99 sn The name Jakin appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”
100 tn Or “north.”
101 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.”
102 tn Heb “He made the sea, cast.”
103 tn Heb “ten cubits.”
104 tn Heb “five cubits.”
105 tn Heb “and a measuring line went around it thirty cubits all around.”
106 tn Heb “The Sea.” The proper noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“it”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
107 tn Or “gourd-shaped ornaments.”
108 tn Heb “ten cubits surrounding the sea all around.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain.
109 tn Heb “the gourd-shaped ornaments were in two rows, cast in its casting.”
110 tn Heb “all their hindquarters were toward the inside.”
111 tn Heb “two thousand baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
112 tn Heb “four cubits.”
113 tn Heb “four cubits.”
114 tn Heb “three cubits.”
115 tn The precise meaning of these final words is uncertain. A possible literal translation would be, “wreaths, the work of descent.”
116 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
117 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.
118 tn Heb “also over its opening were carvings and their frames [were] squared, not round.”
119 tn Heb “a cubit-and-a-half” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
120 tn Heb “four shoulders to the four sides of each stand, from the stand its shoulders.” The precise meaning of the description is uncertain.
121 tn Heb “and on top of the stand, a half cubit [in] height, round all around” (the meaning of this description is uncertain).
122 tn Heb “according to the space of each.”
123 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
124 tn Heb “forty baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
125 tn Heb “four cubits, each basin.” It is unclear which dimension is being measured.
126 tn Heb “Hiram.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
127 tn Heb “Hiram finished doing all the work which he did for King Solomon [on] the house of the
128 tn The words “he made” are added for stylistic reasons.
129 tn Heb “underneath ‘The Sea.’”
130 tn Heb “which Hiram made for King Solomon [for] the house of the
131 tn Or perhaps, “molds.”
132 tn Heb “Solomon left all the items, due to their very great abundance; the weight of the bronze was not sought.”
133 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.
134 tn Heb “Solomon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
135 tn Heb “he built.”
136 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.
137 tn Heb “one hundred cubits.”
138 tn Heb “fifty cubits.”
139 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
140 sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
141 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
142 sn Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated.
143 tn Heb “for the name of the
144 tn Heb “Solomon loved the
145 tn Or “policies, rules.”
146 tn Heb “for it was the great high place.”
147 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.
148 tn Or “revealed himself.”
149 tn Heb “ask.”
150 tn Heb “did.”
151 tn Heb “walked before.”
152 tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
153 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.”
154 tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
155 tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
156 tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
157 tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
158 tn Heb “to judge.”
159 tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
160 tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
161 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
162 tn Heb “to judge.”
163 tn Heb “your numerous people.”
164 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
165 tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
166 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.”
167 tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
168 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.
169 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”).
170 tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
171 tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
172 tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
173 tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
174 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
175 tn Or “keeping.”
176 tn Heb “walked.”
177 tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
178 tn Heb “and look, a dream.”
179 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
180 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.
181 tn Heb “died.”
182 tn Heb “lay, slept.”
183 tn Heb “look.”
184 tn Heb “look, it was not my son to whom I had given birth.”
185 tn Heb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.”
186 tn Heb “the woman whose son was alive.”
187 tn Heb “for her compassions grew warm for her son.”
188 tn The infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the main verb.
189 tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.”
190 tn Heb “saw.”
191 tn Heb “the wisdom of God within him.”
192 tn Heb “were scribes”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “secretaries”; TEV, NLT “court secretaries.”
193 tn Heb “was over.”
194 tn Heb “was over.”
195 tn Heb “close associate of”; KJV, ASV, NASB “the king’s friend” (a title for an adviser, not just an acquaintance).
196 tn Heb “over the house.”
197 tn Heb “was over.”
198 sn The work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
199 map For location see Map1-D4; Map2-C1; Map4-C2; Map5-F2; Map7-B1.
200 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.
201 tn Heb “the River” (also in v. 24). This is the standard designation for the Euphrates River in biblical Hebrew.
202 tn Heb “[They] were bringing tribute and were serving Solomon all the days of his life.”
203 tn Heb “the food of Solomon for each day was.”
204 tn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
205 tn The words “in the stall” are added for clarification; note the immediately following reference to cattle from the pasture.
206 tn Heb “because.” The words “his royal court was so large” are added to facilitate the logical connection with the preceding verse.
207 sn Tiphsah. This was located on the Euphrates River.
208 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.”
209 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.”
210 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
211 tn Heb “everyone who drew near to the table of King Solomon.”
212 tn Heb “barley and straw for the horses and the steeds they brought to the place which was there, each according to his measure.”
213 tn Heb “heart,” i.e., mind. (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
214 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon was greater than the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.”
215 tn Heb “his name was in all the surrounding nations.”
216 tn Heb “spoke.”
217 tn Heb “he spoke about plants.”
218 tn Heb “he spoke about.”
219 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon.”
220 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.
221 map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
222 tn Heb “his servants.”
223 tn Heb “a house for the name of the
224 tn Heb “because of the battles which surrounded him until the
225 tn Heb “Look, I am saying.”
226 tn Heb “a house for the name of the
227 tn Heb “a house for my name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the
228 tn Or “Blessed be the
229 tn Heb “heard.”
230 tn Heb “I will satisfy all your desire with respect to cedar wood and with respect to the wood of evergreens.”
231 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.
232 tn Heb “smash them,” i.e., untie the bundles.
233 tn Heb “as for you, you will satisfy my desire by giving food for my house.”
234 tn Heb “and Hiram gave to Solomon cedar wood and the wood of evergreens, all his desire.”
235 sn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
236 tn Heb “his house.”
237 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.”
238 tn Or “pressed.”
239 tn Heb “and Solomon supplied Hiram with twenty thousand cors of wheat…pure olive oil. So Solomon would give to Hiram year by year.”
240 tn Heb “a covenant,” referring to a formal peace treaty or alliance.
241 tn Heb “raised up.”
242 sn Work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
243 tn Heb “was over.”