Solomon Plans the Temple
Study note
Solomon made the decision to build a grand temple for the Lord and a palace for himself. He organized a massive workforce of 153,600 foreign workers living in Israel. 70,000 would carry heavy loads, 80,000 would cut stone in the mountains, and 3,600 would serve as supervisors.
1 Solomon made plans to build a temple for the Lord's name and a royal palace for himself. And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.
2 He set up 70,000 men as carriers, 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills, and 3,600 as bosses over them. And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
Solomon's Message to King Huram
Study note
Solomon wrote to King Huram of Tyre, the same king who had supplied cedar wood to his father David. Tyre was a wealthy city on the coast of modern-day Lebanon, famous for its cedar forests and skilled craftsmen. Solomon asked for a master craftsman and for cedar, pine, and algum wood. In return, Solomon promised to pay Huram's workers with large amounts of wheat, barley, wine, and olive oil.
3 Solomon sent a message to King Huram of Tyre: 'You supplied cedar wood to my father David for building his palace. Please do the same for me.' And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.
4 'I am building a temple to honor the name of the Lord my God. It will be a sanctuary. It will be set apart for burning sweet incense before him, for showing the sacred bread, and for giving burnt offerings every morning and evening. Offerings will also be given on the Sabbaths, at the new moon feasts, and at the yearly feasts of the Lord our God. Israel must do this forever.' Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.
5 'The temple I plan to build will be grand, because our God is greater than every other so-called god.' And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.
6 'But honestly, who can build a house big enough for God? Even the highest heavens are too small for him! I am truly building a place to burn offerings in his presence.' But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?
7 'Please send me a skilled worker who can work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. He should know how to use purple, red, and blue cloth. He should be able to do fine carving. He will work with the skilled workers I already have here in Judah and Jerusalem — the ones my father David brought together.' Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
8 'Also send me cedar, pine, and algum logs from Lebanon. I know your workers are experts at cutting timber there. My workers will team up with yours.' Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,
9 'I will need many wood. The temple I am building is going to be very large and impressive.' Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
10 'As payment for your workers who cut the timber, I will provide 20,000 measures of ground wheat, 20,000 measures of barley, 20,000 containers of wine, and 20,000 containers of olive oil.' And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
Huram's Reply
Study note
King Huram agreed to help Solomon. He praised the God of Israel and sent a skilled craftsman — a man whose mother was from the tribe of Dan and whose father was from Tyre. This craftsman was an expert in working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, wood, and fine fabrics. Huram also agreed to cut timber in Lebanon and float it down the coast to the port of Joppa, from where it could be carried up to Jerusalem.
11 King Huram of Tyre wrote back to Solomon: 'Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.' Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.
12 Huram continued, 'Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son with good sense and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.' Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.
13 'I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man with amazing skill.' And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,
14 The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skillful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to engrave any manner of engraving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with your skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David your father. The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.
15 'Now please send the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine that my lord has offered to his workers.' Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:
16 'We will cut as much timber from Lebanon as you need. We will tie the logs into rafts and float them down the coast to the port of Joppa. From there, you can transport them up to Jerusalem.' And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.
The Foreign Workforce
Study note
Solomon counted all the foreigners living in Israel, just as his father David had done. He found 153,600 people. He assigned 70,000 to carry heavy loads, 80,000 to cut stone in the mountains, and 3,600 to supervise the workers. These foreigners were descendants of nations that Israel had not completely driven out of the land.
17 Solomon counted all the foreigners living in Israel, using the same census his father David had taken. The total was 153,600. And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.
18 He gave 70,000 of them the job of carrying loads. He made 80,000 of them stonecutters in the hills. And 3,600 served as bosses to keep the workers on task. And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.