1 Raja-raja 3:1--7:51
Konteks3:1 Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David 1 until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 3:2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, 3 because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord. 4 3:3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following 5 the practices 6 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. 7 Solomon would offer up 8 a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 3:5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared 9 to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell 10 me what I should give you.” 3:6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated 11 great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served 12 you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. 13 You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. 14 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. 15 3:8 Your servant stands 16 among your chosen people; 17 they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind 18 so he can make judicial decisions for 19 your people and distinguish right from wrong. 20 Otherwise 21 no one is able 22 to make judicial decisions for 23 this great nation of yours.” 24 3:10 The Lord 25 was pleased that Solomon made this request. 26 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, 27 3:12 I 28 grant your request, 29 and give 30 you a wise and discerning mind 31 superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. 32 3:13 Furthermore, I am giving 33 you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. 34 3:14 If you follow my instructions 35 by obeying 36 my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, 37 then I will grant you long life.” 38 3:15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream. 39 He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings, 40 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. 41 3:19 This woman’s child suffocated 42 during the night when she rolled 43 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, 44 dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.” 45 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. 46
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 47 spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused. 48 She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” 49 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 50 the king, for they realized 51 that he possessed supernatural wisdom 52 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. 53
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records.
4:4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of 54 the army.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
4:5 Azariah son of Nathan was supervisor of 55 the district governors.
Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to 56 the king.
4:6 Ahishar was supervisor of the palace. 57
Adoniram son of Abda was supervisor of 58 the work crews. 59
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, 60 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) 61 Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River 62 to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms paid tribute as Solomon’s subjects throughout his lifetime. 63 4:22 Each day Solomon’s royal court consumed 64 thirty cors 65 of finely milled flour, sixty cors of cereal, 4:23 ten calves fattened in the stall, 66 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 67 he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah 68 to Gaza; he was at peace with all his neighbors. 69 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. 70 4:26 Solomon had 4,000 71 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. 72 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. 73
4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding 74 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. 75 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. 76 4:32 He composed 77 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. 4:33 He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, 78 from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing 79 animals, birds, insects, and fish. 4:34 People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom; 80 they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.
5:1 (5:15) 81 King Hiram of Tyre 82 sent messengers 83 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 84 his God, for he was busy fighting battles on all fronts while the Lord subdued his enemies. 85 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 86 to build a temple to honor the Lord 87 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.’ 88 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 89 has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.” 5:8 Hiram then sent this message to Solomon: “I received 90 the message you sent to me. I will give you all the cedars and evergreens you need. 91 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. 92 There I will separate the logs 93 and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court.” 94
5:10 So Hiram supplied the cedars and evergreens Solomon needed, 95 5:11 and Solomon supplied Hiram annually with 20,000 cors 96 of wheat as provision for his royal court, 97 as well as 20,000 baths 98 of pure 99 olive oil. 100 5:12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. And Hiram and Solomon were at peace and made a treaty. 101
5:13 King Solomon conscripted 102 work crews 103 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 104 the work crews. 5:15 Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers 105 and 80,000 stonecutters 106 in the hills, 5:16 besides 3,300 107 officials who supervised the workers. 108 5:17 By royal order 109 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, 110 along with men from Byblos, 111 did the chiseling and prepared the wood and stones for the building of the temple. 112
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 113 (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple. 6:2 The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet 114 long, 30 feet 115 wide, and 45 feet 116 high. 6:3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet 117 long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet 118 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. 119 6:6 The bottom floor of the extension was seven and a half feet 120 wide, the middle floor nine feet 121 wide, and the third floor ten and a half 122 feet wide. He made ledges 123 on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls. 124 6:7 As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry 125 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 126 level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up 127 to the middle floor and then on up to the third 128 floor. 6:9 He finished building the temple 129 and covered it 130 with rafters 131 and boards made of cedar. 132 6:10 He built an extension all around the temple; it was seven and a half feet high 133 and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.
6:11 134 The Lord said 135 to Solomon: 6:12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow 136 my rules, observe 137 my regulations, and obey all my commandments, 138 I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David. 139 6:13 I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”
6:14 So Solomon finished building the temple. 140 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 141 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. 142 He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters. 143 6:17 The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long. 144 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. 145
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 146 long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold, 147 as well as the cedar altar. 148 6:21 Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold. 149 He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary 150 with gold. 6:22 He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary. 151
6:23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubs of olive wood; each stood 15 feet 152 high. 6:24 Each of the first cherub’s wings was seven and a half feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet. 153 6:25 The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape. 154 6:26 Each cherub stood 15 feet high. 155 6:27 He put the cherubs in the inner sanctuary of the temple. 156 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. 157 6:28 He plated the cherubs with gold.
6:29 On all the walls around the temple, inside and out, 158 he carved 159 cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom. 6:30 He plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out. 160 6:31 He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided. 161 6:32 On the two doors made of olive wood he carved 162 cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them with gold. 163 He plated the cherubs and the palm trees with hammered gold. 164 6:33 In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with four-sided pillars. 165 6:34 He also made 166 two doors out of wood from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves. 167 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 168 of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign 169 the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple. 6:38 In the eleventh year, in the month Bul 170 (the eighth month) the temple was completed in accordance with all its specifications and blueprints. It took seven years to build. 171
7:1 Solomon took thirteen years to build his palace. 172 7:2 He named 173 it “The Palace of the Lebanon Forest”; 174 it was 150 feet 175 long, 75 feet 176 wide, and 45 feet 177 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. 178 7:5 All of the entrances 179 were rectangular in shape 180 and they were arranged in sets of three. 181 7:6 He made a colonnade 182 75 feet 183 long and 45 feet 184 wide. There was a porch in front of this and pillars and a roof in front of the porch. 185 7:7 He also made a throne room, called “The Hall of Judgment,” where he made judicial decisions. 186 It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters. 187 7:8 The palace where he lived was constructed in a similar way. 188 He also constructed a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married. 189 7:9 All of these were built with the best 190 stones, chiseled to the right size 191 and cut with a saw on all sides, 192 from the foundation to the edge of the roof 193 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. 194 7:11 Above the foundation 195 the best 196 stones, chiseled to the right size, 197 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. 198
7:13 King Solomon sent for Hiram 199 of Tyre. 200 7:14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, 201 and his father was a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. He had the skill and knowledge 202 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 203 high and 18 feet 204 in circumference. 7:16 He made two bronze tops for the pillars; each was seven-and-a-half feet high. 205 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. 206 7:18 When he made the pillars, there were two rows of pomegranate-shaped ornaments around the latticework covering the top of each pillar. 207 7:19 The tops of the two pillars in the porch were shaped like lilies and were six feet high. 208 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. 209 7:21 He set up the pillars on the porch in front of the main hall. He erected one pillar on the right 210 side and called it Jakin; 211 he erected the other pillar on the left 212 side and called it Boaz. 213 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.” 214 It measured 15 feet 215 from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood seven-and-a-half feet 216 high. Its circumference was 45 feet. 217 7:24 Under the rim all the way around it 218 were round ornaments 219 arranged in settings 15 feet long. 220 The ornaments were in two rows and had been cast with “The Sea.” 221 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. 222 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. 223
7:27 He also made ten bronze movable stands. Each stand was six feet 224 long, six feet 225 wide, and four-and-a-half feet 226 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. 227 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. 228 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. 229 On the edge of the opening were carvings in square frames. 230 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 231 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. 232 7:35 On top of each stand was a round opening three-quarters of a foot deep; 233 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, 234 with wreaths 235 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. 236 Each basin was six feet in diameter; 237 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 238 finished all the work on the Lord’s temple he had been assigned by King Solomon. 239 7:41 He made 240 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, 241 7:45 and the pots, shovels, and bowls. All these items King Solomon assigned Hiram to make for the Lord’s temple 242 were made from polished bronze. 7:46 The king had them cast in earth foundries 243 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. 244
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, 245 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 246 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] 1 sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[3:1] 2 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:2] 3 sn Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated.
[3:2] 4 tn Heb “for the name of the
[3:3] 5 tn Heb “Solomon loved the
[3:3] 6 tn Or “policies, rules.”
[3:4] 7 tn Heb “for it was the great high place.”
[3:4] 8 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.
[3:5] 9 tn Or “revealed himself.”
[3:6] 12 tn Heb “walked before.”
[3:6] 13 tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
[3:6] 14 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.”
[3:7] 15 tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
[3:8] 16 tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[3:8] 17 tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
[3:9] 18 tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
[3:9] 20 tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
[3:9] 21 tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
[3:9] 22 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
[3:9] 24 tn Heb “your numerous people.”
[3:10] 25 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[3:10] 26 tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
[3:11] 27 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.”
[3:12] 28 tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
[3:12] 29 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.
[3:12] 30 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”).
[3:12] 31 tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
[3:12] 32 tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
[3:13] 33 tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
[3:13] 34 tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
[3:14] 35 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
[3:14] 38 tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
[3:15] 39 tn Heb “and look, a dream.”
[3:15] 40 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
[3:18] 41 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.
[3:19] 43 tn Heb “lay, slept.”
[3:21] 45 tn Heb “look, it was not my son to whom I had given birth.”
[3:22] 46 tn Heb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.”
[3:26] 47 tn Heb “the woman whose son was alive.”
[3:26] 48 tn Heb “for her compassions grew warm for her son.”
[3:26] 49 tn The infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the main verb.
[3:28] 50 tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.”
[3:28] 52 tn Heb “the wisdom of God within him.”
[4:3] 53 tn Heb “were scribes”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “secretaries”; TEV, NLT “court secretaries.”
[4:5] 56 tn Heb “close associate of”; KJV, ASV, NASB “the king’s friend” (a title for an adviser, not just an acquaintance).
[4:6] 57 tn Heb “over the house.”
[4:6] 59 sn The work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
[4:12] 60 map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.
[4:21] 61 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.
[4:21] 62 tn Heb “the River” (also in v. 24). This is the standard designation for the Euphrates River in biblical Hebrew.
[4:21] 63 tn Heb “[They] were bringing tribute and were serving Solomon all the days of his life.”
[4:22] 64 tn Heb “the food of Solomon for each day was.”
[4:22] 65 tn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
[4:23] 66 tn The words “in the stall” are added for clarification; note the immediately following reference to cattle from the pasture.
[4:24] 67 tn Heb “because.” The words “his royal court was so large” are added to facilitate the logical connection with the preceding verse.
[4:24] 68 sn Tiphsah. This was located on the Euphrates River.
[4:24] 69 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.”
[4:25] 70 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.”
[4:26] 71 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
[4:27] 72 tn Heb “everyone who drew near to the table of King Solomon.”
[4:28] 73 tn Heb “barley and straw for the horses and the steeds they brought to the place which was there, each according to his measure.”
[4:29] 74 tn Heb “heart,” i.e., mind. (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
[4:30] 75 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon was greater than the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.”
[4:31] 76 tn Heb “his name was in all the surrounding nations.”
[4:33] 78 tn Heb “he spoke about plants.”
[4:33] 79 tn Heb “he spoke about.”
[4:34] 80 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon.”
[5:1] 81 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.
[5:1] 82 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[5:1] 83 tn Heb “his servants.”
[5:3] 84 tn Heb “a house for the name of the
[5:3] 85 tn Heb “because of the battles which surrounded him until the
[5:5] 86 tn Heb “Look, I am saying.”
[5:5] 87 tn Heb “a house for the name of the
[5:5] 88 tn Heb “a house for my name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the
[5:7] 89 tn Or “Blessed be the
[5:8] 91 tn Heb “I will satisfy all your desire with respect to cedar wood and with respect to the wood of evergreens.”
[5:9] 92 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.
[5:9] 93 tn Heb “smash them,” i.e., untie the bundles.
[5:9] 94 tn Heb “as for you, you will satisfy my desire by giving food for my house.”
[5:10] 95 tn Heb “and Hiram gave to Solomon cedar wood and the wood of evergreens, all his desire.”
[5:11] 96 sn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
[5:11] 98 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.”
[5:11] sn A bath was a liquid measure equivalent to almost six gallons.
[5:11] 100 tn Heb “and Solomon supplied Hiram with twenty thousand cors of wheat…pure olive oil. So Solomon would give to Hiram year by year.”
[5:12] 101 tn Heb “a covenant,” referring to a formal peace treaty or alliance.
[5:13] 102 tn Heb “raised up.”
[5:13] 103 sn Work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
[5:15] 105 tn Heb “carriers of loads.”
[5:15] 106 tn Heb “cutters” (probably of stones).
[5:16] 107 tc Some Greek
[5:16] 108 tn Heb “besides thirty-three hundred from the officials of Solomon’s governors who were over the work, the ones ruling over the people, the ones doing the work.”
[5:17] 109 tn Heb “and the king commanded.”
[5:18] 111 tn Heb “the Gebalites.” The reading is problematic and some emend to a verb form meaning, “set the borders.”
[5:18] 112 tc The LXX includes the words “for three years.”
[6:1] 113 sn During the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966
[6:2] 114 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.
[6:2] 115 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
[6:2] 116 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
[6:3] 117 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
[6:3] 118 tn Heb “ten cubits.”
[6:5] 119 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.”
[6:6] 120 tn Heb “five cubits.”
[6:6] 121 tn Heb “six cubits.”
[6:6] 122 tn Heb “seven cubits.”
[6:6] 123 tn Or “offsets” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “offset ledges.”
[6:6] 124 tn Heb “so that [the beams] would not have a hold in the walls of the temple.”
[6:7] 125 tn Heb “finished stone of the quarry,” i.e., stones chiseled and shaped at the time they were taken out of the quarry.
[6:8] 126 tc The Hebrew text has “middle,” but the remainder of the verse suggests this is an error.
[6:8] 127 tn Heb “by stairs they went up.” The word translated “stairs” occurs only here. Other options are “trapdoors” or “ladders.”
[6:8] 128 tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew
[6:9] 129 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
[6:9] 131 tn The word occurs only here; the precise meaning is uncertain.
[6:9] 132 tn Heb “and rows with cedar wood.”
[6:10] 133 tn Heb “five cubits.” This must refer to the height of each floor or room.
[6:11] 134 tc The LXX lacks vv. 11-14.
[6:11] 135 tn Heb “the word of the
[6:12] 138 tn Heb “and keep all my commandments by walking in them.”
[6:12] 139 tn Heb “I will establish my word with you which I spoke to David your father.”
[6:14] 140 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
[6:15] 141 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
[6:16] 142 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.”
[6:16] 143 tc The MT has קְלָעִים (qÿla’im, “curtains”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
[6:17] 144 tn Heb “and the house was forty cubits, that is, the main hall before it.”
[6:18] 145 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.”
[6:20] 146 tn Heb “twenty cubits” (this measurement occurs three times in this verse).
[6:20] 147 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
[6:20] 148 tn Heb “he plated [the] altar of cedar.”
[6:21] 149 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
[6:22] 151 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.”
[6:23] 152 tn Heb “ten cubits” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
[6:24] 153 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.”
[6:25] 154 tn Heb “and the second cherub was ten cubits, the two cherubs had one measurement and one shape.”
[6:26] 155 tn Heb “the height of the first cherub was ten cubits; and so was the second cherub.”
[6:27] 156 tn Heb “in the midst of the inner house,” i.e., in the inner sanctuary.
[6:27] 157 tn Heb “and their wings were in the middle of the room, touching wing to wing.”
[6:29] 158 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
[6:29] 159 tn Heb “carved engravings of carvings.”
[6:30] 160 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
[6:31] 161 tn Heb “the pillar, doorposts, a fifth part” (the precise meaning of this description is uncertain).
[6:32] 162 tn Heb “carved carvings of.”
[6:32] 163 tn Heb “he plated [with] gold” (the precise object is not stated).
[6:32] 164 tn Heb “and he hammered out the gold on the cherubs and the palm trees.”
[6:33] 165 tn Heb “and so he did at the entrance of the main hall, doorposts of olive wood, from a fourth.”
[6:34] 166 tn The words “he also made” are added for stylistic reasons.
[6:34] 167 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.
[6:37] 168 sn In the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966
[6:37] 169 tn The words “of Solomon’s reign” are added for clarification. See v. 1.
[6:38] 170 sn In the month Bul. This would be October-November 959
[6:38] 171 tn Heb “he built it in seven years.”
[7:1] 172 tn Heb “His house Solomon built in thirteen years and he completed all his house.”
[7:2] 174 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.
[7:2] 175 tn Heb “one hundred cubits.”
[7:2] 176 tn Heb “fifty cubits.”
[7:2] 177 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
[7:4] 178 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.
[7:5] 179 tn Heb “all of the doors and doorposts.”
[7:5] 180 sn Rectangular in shape. That is, rather than arched.
[7:5] 181 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).
[7:6] 182 tn Heb “a porch of pillars.”
[7:6] 183 tn Heb “fifty cubits.”
[7:6] 184 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
[7:6] 185 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.
[7:7] 186 tn Heb “and a porch for the throne, where he was making judicial decisions, the Porch of Judgment, he made.”
[7:7] 187 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.
[7:8] 188 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].”
[7:8] 189 tn Heb “and a house he was making for the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Solomon had taken, like this porch.”
[7:9] 190 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
[7:9] 191 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
[7:9] 192 tn Heb “inside and out.”
[7:9] 193 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.
[7:10] 194 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.
[7:11] 195 tn Heb “on top,” or “above.”
[7:11] 196 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
[7:11] 197 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
[7:12] 198 tn Or “the porch of the temple.”
[7:13] 199 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.”
[7:13] 200 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[7:14] 201 tn 2 Chr 2:14 (13 HT) says “from the daughters of Dan.”
[7:14] 202 tn Heb “he was filled with the skill, understanding, and knowledge.”
[7:15] 203 tn Heb “eighteen cubits.”
[7:15] 204 tn Heb “twelve cubits.”
[7:16] 205 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.”
[7:17] 206 tn Heb “there were seven for the first capital, and seven for the second capital.”
[7:18] 207 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
[7:19] 208 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.
[7:20] 209 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.
[7:21] 211 sn The name Jakin appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”
[7:21] 213 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.”
[7:23] 214 tn Heb “He made the sea, cast.”
[7:23] sn This large basin that was mounted on twelve bronze bulls and contained water for the priests to bathe themselves (2 Chr 4:6; cf. Exod 30:17-21).
[7:23] 215 tn Heb “ten cubits.”
[7:23] 216 tn Heb “five cubits.”
[7:23] 217 tn Heb “and a measuring line went around it thirty cubits all around.”
[7:24] 218 tn Heb “The Sea.” The proper noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“it”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:24] 219 tn Or “gourd-shaped ornaments.”
[7:24] 220 tn Heb “ten cubits surrounding the sea all around.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain.
[7:24] 221 tn Heb “the gourd-shaped ornaments were in two rows, cast in its casting.”
[7:25] 222 tn Heb “all their hindquarters were toward the inside.”
[7:26] 223 tn Heb “two thousand baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
[7:27] 224 tn Heb “four cubits.”
[7:27] 225 tn Heb “four cubits.”
[7:27] 226 tn Heb “three cubits.”
[7:29] 227 tn The precise meaning of these final words is uncertain. A possible literal translation would be, “wreaths, the work of descent.”
[7:30] 228 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
[7:31] 229 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.
[7:31] 230 tn Heb “also over its opening were carvings and their frames [were] squared, not round.”
[7:32] 231 tn Heb “a cubit-and-a-half” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
[7:34] 232 tn Heb “four shoulders to the four sides of each stand, from the stand its shoulders.” The precise meaning of the description is uncertain.
[7:35] 233 tn Heb “and on top of the stand, a half cubit [in] height, round all around” (the meaning of this description is uncertain).
[7:36] 234 tn Heb “according to the space of each.”
[7:36] 235 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
[7:38] 236 tn Heb “forty baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
[7:38] 237 tn Heb “four cubits, each basin.” It is unclear which dimension is being measured.
[7:40] 238 tn Heb “Hiram.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[7:40] 239 tn Heb “Hiram finished doing all the work which he did for King Solomon [on] the house of the
[7:41] 240 tn The words “he made” are added for stylistic reasons.
[7:44] 241 tn Heb “underneath ‘The Sea.’”
[7:45] 242 tn Heb “which Hiram made for King Solomon [for] the house of the
[7:46] 243 tn Or perhaps, “molds.”
[7:47] 244 tn Heb “Solomon left all the items, due to their very great abundance; the weight of the bronze was not sought.”
[7:48] 245 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.
[7:48] sn This bread was viewed as a perpetual offering to God and was regarded as holy. See Lev 24:5-9.
[7:51] 246 tn Heb “Solomon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
