Historical

Solomon’s Request for Wisdom

1 Solomon son of David strengthened his hold on his kingdom.^(A) The Lord his God was with him and highly exalted him.^{(B) 2} Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel – the family heads.^{(C) 3} Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was in Gibeon^(D) because God’s tent of meeting, which the Lord’s servant Moses had made^(E) in the wilderness, was there. ⁴ Now David had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place^[a] he had set up for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem,^{(F) 5} but he put^[b] the bronze altar, which Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made,^(G) in front of the Lord’s tabernacle. Solomon and the assembly enquired of him^[c] there. ⁶ Solomon offered sacrifices there in the Lord’s presence on the bronze altar at the tent of meeting; he offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.^(H)

⁷ That night^(I) God appeared to Solomon and said to him, ‘Ask. What should I give you? ’

⁸ And Solomon said to God, ‘You have shown great and faithful love to my father David, and you have made me king in his place.^{(J) 9} Lord God, let your promise to my father David now come true.^(K) For you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.^{(L) 10} Now grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people,^(M) for who can judge this great people of yours? ’

¹¹ God said to Solomon, ‘Since this was in your heart, and you have not requested riches, wealth, or glory, or for the life of those who hate you, and you have not even requested long life, but you have requested for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may judge my people over whom I have made you king, ¹² wisdom and knowledge are given to you. I will also give you riches, wealth, and glory, unlike what was given to the kings who were before you, or will be given to those after you.’^{(N) 13} So Solomon went to Jerusalem from^[d] the high place that was in Gibeon in front of the tent of meeting, and he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Horses and Wealth

¹⁴ Solomon^(O) accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen,^(P) which he stationed in the chariot cities^(Q) and with the king in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. ¹⁶ Solomon’s horses came from Egypt and Kue.^[e] The king’s traders would get them from Kue at the going price. ¹⁷ A chariot could be imported from Egypt for seven kilograms^[f] of silver and a horse for nearly two kilograms.^[g] In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents.

Solomon’s Letter to Hiram

2 Solomon decided to build a temple for the name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself,^{(R) 2} so he assigned 70,000 men as porters, 80,000 men as stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 as supervisors over them.^(S)

³ Then Solomon sent word to King Hiram^[h](T) of Tyre:^(U)

Do for me what you did for my father David. You sent him cedars to build him a house to live in.^{(V) 4} Now I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God in order to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him,^(W) for displaying the rows of the Bread of the Presence continuously,^(X) and for sacrificing burnt offerings for the morning and the evening,^(Y) the Sabbaths^(Z) and the New Moons, and the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is ordained for Israel permanently. ⁵ The temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than any of the gods.^{(AA) 6} But who is able to build a temple for him, since even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain him?^(AB) Who am I then that I should build a temple for him except as a place to burn incense before him? ⁷ Therefore, send me a craftsman who is skilled in engraving to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with the craftsmen who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem,^(AC) appointed by my father David.^{(AD) 8} Also, send me cedar, cypress, and algum^[i](AE) logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut the trees of Lebanon. Note that my servants will be with your servants^{(AF) 9} to prepare logs for me in abundance because the temple I am building will be great and wondrous. ¹⁰ I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the trees, four million four hundred thousand litres^[j] of wheat flour, four million four hundred thousand litres of barley, four hundred and forty thousand litres^[k] of wine, and four hundred and forty thousand litres of oil.

Hiram’s Reply

¹¹ Then King Hiram of Tyre wrote a letter^[l] and sent it to Solomon:

Because the Lord loves his people, he set you over them as king.^(AG)

¹² Hiram also said:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth!^(AH) He gave King David a wise son with insight and understanding,^(AI) who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.^{(AJ) 13} I have now sent Huram-abi,^[m] a skilful man who has understanding.^{(AK) 14} He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan. His father is a man of Tyre. He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, with purple, blue, crimson yarn, and fine linen. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and to execute any design that may be given him. I have sent him to be with your craftsmen and the craftsmen of my lord, your father David. ¹⁵ Now, let my lord send the wheat, barley, oil, and wine to his servants as promised.^{(AL) 16} We will cut logs from Lebanon, as many as you need, and bring them to you as rafts by sea to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.^(AM)

Solomon’s Workforce

¹⁷ Solomon took a census of all the male resident foreigners in the land of Israel, after the census that his father David had conducted,^(AN) and the total was 153,600. ¹⁸ Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.^(AO)

Building the Temple

3 Then Solomon began^(AP) to build the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah^(AQ) where the Lord^[n] had appeared to his father David, at the site David had prepared on the threshing-floor of Ornan^[o] the Jebusite. ² He began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. ³ These are Solomon’s foundations^[p] for building God’s temple: the length^[q] was twenty-seven metres,^[r] and the width nine metres.^{[s] 4} The portico, which was across the front extending across the width of the temple, was nine metres wide; its height was nine metres;^[t] he overlaid its inner surface with pure gold. ⁵ The larger room^[u] he panelled with cypress wood, overlaid with fine gold, and decorated with palm trees and chains. ⁶ He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim. ⁷ He overlaid the temple – the beams, the thresholds, its walls and doors – with gold,^(AR) and he carved cherubim on the walls.^(AS)

The Most Holy Place

⁸ Then he made the most holy place; its length corresponded to the width of the temple, nine metres, and its width was nine metres.^(AT) He overlaid it with twenty tonnes^[v] of fine gold. ⁹ The weight of the nails was 575 grams^[w] of gold, and he overlaid the ceiling with gold.

¹⁰ He made^(AU) two cherubim of sculptured work, for the most holy place, and he overlaid them with gold. ¹¹ The overall length of the wings of the cherubim was 9 metres: the wing of one was 2.25 metres,^[x] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 2.25 metres, touching the wing of the other cherub. ¹² The wing of the other^[y] cherub was 2.25 metres, touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 2.25 metres, reaching the wing of the other cherub. ¹³ The wingspan of these cherubim was 9 metres. They stood on their feet and faced the larger room.^[z]

¹⁴ He made the curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen, and he wove cherubim into it.^(AV)

The Bronze Pillars

¹⁵ In front of the temple^(AW) he made two pillars, each 8 metres^[aa] high. The capital on top of each was 2.25 metres high. ¹⁶ He had made chainwork in the inner sanctuary and also put it on top of the pillars.^(AX) He made a hundred pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork. ¹⁷ Then he set up the pillars in front of the sanctuary, one on the right and one on the left. He named the one on the right Jachin^[ab] and the one on the left Boaz.^[ac]

The Altar and Basins

4 He made a bronze altar^(AY) nine metres^[ad] long, nine metres wide, and four and a half metres^[ae] high.

² Then he made the cast metal basin,^[af](AZ) 4.5 metres from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 2.25 metres^[ag] high and 13.5 metres^[ah] in circumference. ³ The likeness of oxen^[ai] was below it, completely encircling it, ten every 45 centimetres,^[aj] completely surrounding the basin. The oxen were cast in two rows when the basin was cast. ⁴ It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The basin was on top of them and all their hindquarters were towards the centre. ⁵ The basin was eight centimetres^[ak] thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or a lily blossom. It could hold forty-four thousand litres.^[al]

⁶ He made ten basins for washing and he put five on the right and five on the left.^(BA) The parts of the burnt offering were rinsed in them,^(BB) but the basin was used by the priests for washing.

The Lampstands, Tables, and Courts

⁷ He made the ten gold lampstands according to their specifications and put them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left.^{(BC) 8} He made ten tables and placed them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left.^(BD) He also made a hundred gold bowls.

⁹ He made the courtyard^(BE) of the priests and the large court, and doors for the court. He overlaid the doors with bronze. ¹⁰ He put the basin on the right side, towards the southeast.^{(BF) 11} Then Huram^[am](BG) made^(BH) the pots, the shovels, and the bowls.

Completion of the Bronze Furnishings

So Huram finished doing the work that he was doing for King Solomon in God’s temple: ¹² two pillars; the bowls and the capitals on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars; ¹³ the four hundred pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals’ bowls on top of the pillars^(BI)). ¹⁴ He also made the water carts^[an](BJ) and the basins on the water carts. ¹⁵ The one basin and the twelve oxen underneath it, ¹⁶ the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all their utensils – Huram-abi^[ao](BK) made them for King Solomon for the Lord’s temple. All these were made of polished bronze. ¹⁷ The king had them cast in clay moulds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zeredah. ¹⁸ Solomon made all these utensils in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

Completion of the Gold Furnishings

¹⁹ Solomon also made all the equipment in God’s temple: the gold altar; the tables on which to put the Bread of the Presence;^{(BL) 20} the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn in front of the inner sanctuary according to specifications;^{(BM) 21} the flowers, lamps, and gold tongs – of purest gold; ²² the wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles,^[ap] and firepans – of purest gold; and the entrance to the temple, its inner doors to the most holy place, and the doors of the temple sanctuary – of gold.