Solomon gets things moving in relation to having the temple built and a royal palace for himself, 1 Kings 5:1-18 / 2 Chronicles 2:1 / 1 Kings 7:1-12. Hiram, king of Tyre sent envoys to Solomon because he heard Solomon had become king, and we are told that he had always been on friendly terms with David, 1 Kings 5:1 / 1 Kings 7:13.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It must have been at the beginning of Solomon’s reign that these ambassadors were sent; and some suppose that the Hiram mentioned here is different from him who was the friend of David but there seems no very solid reason for this supposition. As Hiram had intimate alliance with David, and built his palace, 2 Samuel 5:11, he wished to maintain the same good understanding with his son, of whose wisdom he had no doubt heard the most advantageous accounts; and he loved the son because he always loved the father, for Hiram was ever a lover of David.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the numbers mentioned in 2 Chronicles 2:2.
‘The 153,600 men mentioned here were slaves, composed of, ‘Descendants of those Canaanites whom the children of Israel did not drive out.’ From Kings it is clear that Israelites were also conscripted by Solomon for such slave labour and required to devote one month of every three to his service.’
Solomon then sends a message back to him, informing him of his intentions to build a temple, 1 Kings 5:3-5 / 2 Chronicles 2:3 / 1 Chronicles 22:4 / 1 Chronicles 22:10.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning 1 Kings 5:5 / 2 Chronicles 2:4.
‘The name of God is God himself. I purpose to build a house to that infinite and eternal Being called Jehovah.’
Remember this idea of a temple being built came from David because he felt guilty about living in a lavish house, 2 Samuel 7:2, and Nathan the prophet told him to do what his heart’s desire was. We must understand that his statement to David wasn’t from God, it was his own thoughts on the matter.
That same night, God spoke to David and asks him, ‘are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?’ 2 Samuel 7:5. God then proceeds to rebuke David for his suggestion to build a physical structure for the ark, God says, ‘I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling,’ 2 Samuel 7:6.
Even though the tabernacle moved around among the twelve tribes of Israel for over four hundred years, never once did God ask for a permanent house for the ark of the covenant to reside in, 2 Samuel 7:7. Yes, God allowed the temple to be built, and yes, God allowed His people to worship Him within it, but we mustn’t lose sight of the fact, that God never desired or commanded for a temple to be built in the first place, 2 Samuel 7:4-7.
God never commanded David or Solomon to build him a house. If the temple was God’s desire, then why would He allow it to be destroyed twice, once by the Babylonian and again in AD 70 by the Romans? The problem with a temple is that God doesn’t dwell in any temple made by human hands, Acts 7:39. The temple of Solomon became the centre of pagan worship, Ezekiel 8, and that prophet recorded the departure of God’s Spirit from it, Ezekiel 10-11.
When we read the Book of Malachi, we read that God is urging them to build the temple, so what made the temple so important during the time of Malachi? I guess all the proper sacrifices and rituals could be carried out on a makeshift altar. But could it be that God’s reputation was at stake? Could it be that God could not be properly honoured so long as the house he called home lay in ruins?
Could it be that the temple symbolised God’s presence and Israel’s priorities? Could it be that God rebuked them so sternly, to make them think about the situation? Could it be that God is so upset and then punished them, to get their attention?
Solomon sent a message to Hiram king of Tyre asking for cedar logs as he did when David asked for them, 2 Chronicles 2:2. Solomon tells him that he is about to build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals of the LORD our God, 2 Chronicles 2:3-4. He says this is a lasting ordinance for Israel, 2 Chronicles 2:4.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning 1 Kings 5:5 / 2 Chronicles 2:4.
‘The name of God is God himself. I purpose to build a house to that infinite and eternal Being called Jehovah.’
It appears that Solomon wanted to build the temple as a nationwide display of how great God was above all other gods, 2 Chronicles 2:5. In other words, the stronger, bigger and more grandeur the temple was, the stronger and bigger God was, 1 Kings 6:2.
When the tabernacle was built at Mount Sinai, it was to be only a symbol of the presence of God among His people. Solomon here, was right when he said that no building could ever contain the one true and living God, 2 Chronicles 2:5-6.
The temple was to be built, not to contain God, but to be an indicator of His presence among His people. Notice also, that the temple was built, not as a place for assembly, but only as a place where sacrifices were brought and offered, 2 Chronicles 2:6.
Solomon requests Hiram to send him a skilled worker if various metals, precious stones, yarn, and engraving, who can work with the skilled workers already in Judah and Jerusalem, 1 Kings 5:6 / 2 Chronicles 2:7.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning 2 Chronicles 2:7.
‘Purple, crimson, and blue, would be needed for the hangings of the temple, which, in this respect, as in others, was conformed to the pattern of the tabernacle, Exodus 25:4 / Exodus 26:1, etc. Hiram’s power of ‘working in purple, crimson,’ etc., was probably a knowledge of the best modes of dyeing cloth these colours. The Phoenicians, off whose coast the murex was commonly taken, were famous as purple dyers from a very remote period.’
Notice what Solomon says to Hiram, king of Tyre in order to make an alliance with him, He says, ‘my men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set,’ 1 Kings 5:6.
Later in 1 Kings 5:11 / 2 Chronicles 2:10, we read that Solomon gave him, twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, that is roughly three-thousand six-hundred tons, and twenty thousand baths of pressed olive oil, that is, roughly one-hundred and twenty-thousand gallons. It’s not surprising to find out later that Solomon apparently went bankrupt and had to give up part of his territory to settle the debt.
Because most of the men of Israel were basically farmers, Solomon assessed how many skilful men he had in Israel, who could do the job of building the temple. Bezalel and his helper Oholiab, were also really skilled when it came to constructing the tabernacle, Exodus 31:1-6 / Exodus 35:30-36:2.
Solomon wanted Hiram to produce enough timber from the cedars of Lebanon, so he could build the temple, 1 Kings 5:10 / 2 Chronicles 2:8. In the days of Solomon, the Phoenicians kept corn in large storerooms in north Palestine, Acts 12:20, and Solomon controlled the trade routes both from the East and from Egypt.
Gill, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the cedar trees, juniper trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon, 2 Chronicles 2:8.
‘Of the two first of these, and which Hiram sent, 1 Kings 5:10. The algum trees are the same as the algum trees, 1 Kings 10:11, by a transposition of letters. these could not be coral, as some Jewish writers think, which grows in the sea, for these were in Lebanon, nor Brazil, as Kimchi, so-called from a place of this name, which at this time was not known, though there were trees of algum afterwards brought from Ophir in India, as appears from the above-quoted place, as well as from Arabia.’
The Israelite servants worked together with the Gentile servants, that is, those of Hiram’s kingdom, so that the temple could be built, 2 Chronicles 2:7-9. Solomon is more than happy to pay for Hiram’s workers to help in the building of the temple, 1 Kings 5:11 / 2 Chronicles 2:10 / 1 Kings 4:22.
The barley and the wine are omitted in Kings, 2 Chronicles 2:10. The author of Chronicles probably filled out the statement that the writer of Kings has given in brief, the barley, wine, and ordinary oil would be applied to the sustenance of the foreign labourers.
Hiram had a reputation for being a great leader who conquered many nations, and even before he became king, the cedars of Lebanon were famous for being a great building material. When word got back to Hiram, there’s no doubt that Hiram was more than happy with Solomon’s request for trees, 1 Kings 5:7-8, because the alliance which Solomon made with Hiram had advantages for both nations. Notice in Hiram’s reply to Solomon, he acknowledges the Lord’s love for His people, 2 Chronicles 2:11, and as a Gentile king, he recognises Solomon’s kingship, 2 Chronicles 2:12.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning Hiram’s praising of God.
‘This appears to have been a formula designating the Supreme God with several of the Asiatic nations. In the Persian inscriptions, Ormazd is constantly called ‘the great god, who gave’ (or made) ‘heaven and earth’.’
Huram-Abi, 2 Chronicles 2:13, could be translated as ‘Hiram, my Father’s’, or ‘Hiram, my master craftsman’, or ‘Hiram, my trusted counsellor’. Huram is the workman sent by the king of Tyre and not the king of Tyre’s father, 1 Kings 5:1. Huram-Abi was a highly skilled man, and his mother was from Dan and his father was from Tyre, 2 Chronicles 2:13-14 / 1 Kings 7:13-14.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Huram-Abi.
‘Critics love to cite this as a discrepancy with 1 Kings 7:14, which refers to her as a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, some even calling it a contradiction. Of course, the two passages teach that Huram-Abi’s mother was, by birth, of the tribe of Dan, and by the residence of the tribe of Naphtali.’
Huram-Abi will work alongside Judah and Jerusalem’s skilled workers, 2 Chronicles 2:14. It’s worth noting that most of the labourers who built the temple were made up of Israelites and some Canaanites who came from king Hiram.
Haram could have asked for a lot more for his skilled workers but he didn’t, 2 Chronicles 2:15-16. Hiram agreed to bring the timber down by the river, 1 Kings 5:9, and bring it to the harbour at Joppa, 2 Chronicles 2:16 / 1 Kings 6:7.
Joppa, 2 Chronicles 2:16 / 1 Kings 5:9, was the nearest seaport to Jerusalem, located about thirty-five miles east of Joppa, with rugged territory in between.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Solomon’s message to Hiram and Hiram’s answer, 1 Kings 5:8-9, are given much more fully in 2 Chronicles 2:3-16.’
Solomon wanted Hiram to produce enough timber from the cedars of Lebanon, so he could build the temple, 1 Kings 5:10. In the days of Solomon, the Phoenicians kept corn in large storerooms in north Palestine, Acts 12:20, and Solomon controlled the trade routes both from the East and from Egypt.
We read that Solomon gave him, twenty-thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, 1 Kings 5:11 / 1 Kings 4:22, that is roughly three-thousand six-hundred tons, and twenty thousand baths of pressed olive oil, 1 Kings 5:11, that is roughly one-hundred and twenty-thousand gallons. This is a huge annual payment and it doesn’t even include the huge expenses for the slaves and those who have forced labourers who were sent to Lebanon, 2 Chronicles 2:10.
After agreeing on the terms and conditions, Solomon and Hiram entered into a treaty, 1 Kings 5:12. This treaty would involve marrying a foreign woman, which as we know was the beginning of Solomon’s downfall as king, 1 Kings 11:1 / 1 Kings 11:4-5.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It seems to be implied that Solomon’s divine gift of wisdom enabled him to make such favourable arrangements with Hiram.’
Solomon recruited thirty-thousand labourers from Israel, 1 Kings 5:13. These were men who were able to work and were forced to work one month in Lebanon and two months at home throughout the year, 1 Kings 5:14. This type of forced labour was first introduced in Israel by David, 2 Samuel 20:24 / 1 Chronicles 22:2.
Notice that ‘Adoniram was in charge of the forced labour’, 1 Kings 5:14 / 1 Kings 4:6. His name was Adoram, when David reigned, 2 Samuel 20:24, and he was in charge of the tax, and as a result, everyone in Israel hated him, 1 Kings 12:18.
Notice that Solomon took a census, 2 Chronicles 2:17. This means that Solomon sinned in taking the census, just as his father, David did before him, 1 Chronicles 21:1-17.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There is no device by which this paragraph could be construed as the Chronicler’s compliment to king Solomon. In fact, right here we have the clue to what was wrong with David’s ‘numbering Israel’, 1 Chronicles 21. Both he and Solomon were actually in the business of enslaving all of the aliens and sojourners in Israel, descendants of the original Canaanites whom Israel did not drive out, for one purpose only, that of forcing them to labour in the building of the temple. Here is also the explanation of the total number given at the head of this chapter, namely, 150,000 workers and 3,600 overseers. The census came first, and Solomon compelled all those numbered to enter his forced labour gangs.’
It was the brutal and heartless wickedness of Solomon in this very particular that precipitated the rebellion of the ten northern tribes in the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. It happened when Rehoboam sent the hated slave-driver Adoram to negotiate with the dissatisfied northern tribes, 1 Kings 12:18.
There were ‘seventy-thousand carriers and eighty-thousand stonecutters’ and ‘thirty-three hundred foremen’, 1 Kings 5:15 / 2 Chronicles 2:18 / 1 Chronicles 22:2.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘These were all strangers, or proselytes, dwelling among the Israelites, as we learn from the parallel place, 1 Kings 2:17-18.’
There were thirty-three hundred foremen who supervised the project and directed the workers, 1 Kings 5:16 / 2 Chronicles 2:18.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning 1 Kings 5:16 / 2 Chronicles 2:18.
‘Comparing this verse and 1 Kings 9:23, with 2 Chronicles 2:18 / 2 Chronicles 8:10, the entire number of the overseers will be seen to be stated by both writers at 3,850, but in the one case nationality, in the other degree of authority, is made the principle of the division.’
Gill, in his commentary, says the following, concerning 2 Chronicles 2:17-18.
‘2 Chronicles 2:2, shows us how the above number of strangers were disposed of, 70,000 of them bearers of burdens, 80,000 of them hewers of wood, and 3,600 overseers of the workmen, in all 153,600, an emblem of the Gentiles employed in building the spiritual temple, the church, Zechariah 6:15.’
Solomon’s men and Hiram’s men worked together to cut and prepare the timber and cut and prepared the stones for the building of the temple, 1 Kings 5:17-18. It’s worth noting that Hiram’s men were Canaanites, whom Israel was supposed to drive out from the land, but failed to do so, Joshua 1:29 / Joshua 13:13.
Now the Canaanites are helping Israel build this temple and I’m sure that good relationships would have been made during this time of preparation. Sadly, the Canaanites would influence Israel not only with their culture but also with their religion. Even Solomon himself would fall into the hands of worshipping false gods because the nations around him were doing so, along with his many wives.