1 Kings 5 Hiram sendeth to congratulate Solomon; who desireth of Hiram timber to build the temple, 1 Kings 5:1–6. Hiram blesseth God for Solomon; and, for food for his family, sendeth him trees, 1 Kings 5:7–12. The number of labourers and workmen employed about the temple, 1 Kings 5:13–18.

Hiram sent his servants unto Solomon, to wit, as soon as he heard of his succession in the throne, as the following words show, he sent to congratulate with him, as the manner of princes is.

Thou knowest, by common fame, and by particular information. Could not build an house unto the name of the Lord his God, i.e. either, first, For the worship and service of God, 1 Kings 3:2. Or, secondly, For the Lord himself, as that phrase is used, Deut. 28:58, Ps. 20:1, Ps. 52:9.

Command thou that they, i.e. thy servants, as appears both from the foregoing words, command, &c., and from the following opposition of my servants And this assistance which these Gentiles gave to the building of Solomon’s temple was a type of the calling of the Gentiles, and that they should be…

He rejoiced greatly; being an ingenuous prince, a lover of excellency, and a faithful friend to David and to his house. Blessed be the Lord; for though it be not probable that he was a sincere proselyte, because he did not endeavour the instruction of his people, and the extirpation of their gross…

Hiram sent a letter, 2 Chron. 2:11. Concerning timber of fir; which formerly was, and still is, very useful in most buildings. Others render the Hebrew word, pitch trees, or ash trees, or pine trees.

Unto the sea; the midland sea. In floats, or ships, or rafts. It is thought the timbers were tied together in the water, as now it is usual, and so by the help of boats or ships conveyed to the appointed place, which was at no great distance.

Twenty measures of pure oil, Heb. twenty cors of pure oil; but in 2 Chron. 2:10, it is twenty thousand baths of oil; to which is there added twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine. Either therefore, first, He speaks of several things, as was now said on 1 Kings 5:9.

The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, i.e. he increased in wisdom more and more; which is here mentioned, because he showed his wisdom in all his transactions with Hiram.

Which were to be employed in the most honourable and easy parts of the work relating to the temple, in manner expressed, 1 Kings 5:14. And these were Israelites; but those 150, 000, mentioned 1 Kings 5:15, were strangers, by comparing this with 1 Kings 9:21–22.

Either of timber, or rather of stones; for Hiram had taken care of the timber.

Whereof 3000 were set over the 150, 000, expressed 1 Kings 5:15, each of these over 50 of them, and the odd 300 were set ever these 3000, each of these to have the oversight of ten of them, to take an account of the work from them. But in 2 Chron. 2:18, these overseers are said to be 3600. Answ.

Costly stones; marble and porphyry, or other stones of great size and value. To lay the foundation of the house; where they could not afterward be seen; and therefore that this was done, is mentioned only as a point of magnificence, except it was intended for a type or mystical signification of the…

The stone-squarers, Heb. the Gibites; the inhabitants of Gebel, a place near Zidon, named Ps. 83:7, Ezek. 27:9, famous for artificers and architects, Josh. 13:5. These are here mentioned apart, as distinct from the rest of Hiram’s builders, as the most eminent of them.