Commentary - 1 Kings 5:1-12

Bird's-eye view

In this chapter, we see the wisdom of Solomon put to immediate and practical use in the realm of international diplomacy and trade. The task at hand is monumental: to build a permanent house for the name of Yahweh, a task his father David, the man of war, was not permitted to undertake. This required a time of peace, which God had now granted. Solomon, the man of peace, reaches out to Hiram, king of Tyre, a long-time friend of his father. What unfolds is a model of godly statecraft. The negotiation is honorable, the terms are clear, and the goal is glorious. A gentile king not only provides the raw materials for God's house but also blesses the name of God in the process. This entire episode is a beautiful Old Testament miniature of the Great Commission, where the nations bring their glory and honor into the city of God.

The transaction is sealed with a formal covenant, grounded in the wisdom God gave Solomon. This is not a secular business deal with a prayer tacked on. Rather, it is the outworking of God's blessing, resulting in peace, prosperity, and the advancement of true worship. The cedars of Lebanon, the glory of the gentile world, are willingly offered up for the construction of God's dwelling place in Israel. This foreshadows that greater Temple, the Church of Jesus Christ, which would be built from every tribe and tongue and nation, all brought together by the greater Solomon.

Outline

Context In 1 Kings

First Kings 5 serves as the bridge between the consolidation of Solomon's kingdom and the construction of the Temple. The first four chapters establish Solomon's unrivaled wisdom, wealth, and administrative prowess. The kingdom is secure, at peace, and prosperous. The narrative has been building to this moment. David had the heart to build the Temple, but not the permission. He was a man of war, and the house of God was to be built in a time of rest. Solomon inherits the promise, the plans, and the peace necessary to see it through. This chapter is the crucial preparatory step, demonstrating that the blessings described in chapter 4 were not for Solomon's personal aggrandizement but were the resources provided by God for this central task of his reign: building a house for the Name. It is the first great project of his peaceful administration and sets the tone for his entire reign.

Key Issues

Beginning: Clause by Clause Commentary

1 Kings 5:1: Then Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been one who loved David.

The initiative comes from the outside. Hiram, a gentile king, makes the first move. This is not an accident; it is a picture of grace. The relationship is not a new one, but rather the continuation of a long-standing friendship. Hiram "had always been one who loved David." This was not a mere political alliance of convenience but a genuine affection and respect. True political stability is built on such foundations, not on treacherous maneuvering. Hiram's overture is a sign of his desire to see the friendship between Tyre and Israel continue under the new administration.

1 Kings 5:2-3: And Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, “You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of Yahweh his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until Yahweh put them under the soles of his feet.”

Solomon's response is full of wisdom. He begins by acknowledging shared history. "You know." He assumes Hiram is aware of the situation, treating him as an intelligent partner. He explains the delay in the Temple project not as a failure on David's part, but as a matter of divine timing. David was a man of war, and his God-given task was to secure the borders and subdue the enemies. The language is graphic: "until Yahweh put them under the soles of his feet." This is the language of total victory. The time of war had to be completed before the time of worshipful construction could begin.

1 Kings 5:4: But now Yahweh my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor calamity.

The contrast is sharp. "But now." The era has shifted. The reason for the shift is attributed directly to God: "Yahweh my God has given me rest." This is the foundational prerequisite for the work. The word for rest here is significant; it is the peace of a settled and secure kingdom. Solomon specifies the nature of this peace: "neither adversary nor calamity." The Hebrew is literally "no satan and no evil occurrence." The external political threats (adversary) are gone, and the internal potential for disaster (calamity) is absent. This is the shalom of God, and it is the platform on which the Temple will be built.

1 Kings 5:5: So behold, I intend to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’

Because the peace is established, the purpose can now be pursued. "So behold, I intend..." Solomon is not acting on a personal whim or an ambitious building project to make a name for himself. He is acting in direct obedience to a divine command given to his father. He quotes the Davidic covenant (2 Sam. 7:13). He is the promised son who will build the house. This project is not about Solomon; it is about fulfilling the word of Yahweh. He is building a house "for the name of Yahweh," a place where God's reputation and glorious character would dwell among His people and be known to the nations.

1 Kings 5:6: So now, command that they cut for me cedars from Lebanon, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

Here is the practical request. Solomon is humble enough to admit a deficiency. Israel had no great forests and no great lumberjacks. "There is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians." This is not self-deprecation; it is an honest assessment. He proposes a joint venture. His servants will work alongside Hiram's, and he will pay a fair wage. He doesn't try to bully or demand tribute. He proposes an honorable business transaction. This is wisdom in action: recognizing the gifts of others and being willing to pay for them fairly.

1 Kings 5:7: Now it happened, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he was very glad and said, “Blessed be Yahweh today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.”

Hiram's response is extraordinary. He doesn't just agree to the deal; he rejoices. And his joy leads him to worship. A pagan king blesses the name of Yahweh. He recognizes that Solomon's wisdom is not a native human trait but a gift from God. "Blessed be Yahweh...who has given to David a wise son." He sees the continuity of God's blessing from father to son. This is a missional triumph. Solomon's wise and gracious diplomacy has resulted in a gentile praising the God of Israel. This is a foretaste of the gospel's effect on the nations.

1 Kings 5:8-11: So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent me; I will do what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber. My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place where you direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall carry them away. Then you shall accomplish my desire by giving food to my household.” So Hiram gave Solomon as much as he desired of the cedar and cypress timber. Solomon then gave Hiram 20,000 kors of wheat as food for his household, and 20 kors of beaten oil; thus Solomon would give Hiram year by year.

The agreement is detailed and specific. Hiram lays out the logistics of felling the timber, getting it to the sea, rafting it down the coast, and breaking it up for Solomon's men to transport inland. He then states his price: "food to my household." Tyre was a coastal commercial power, but it lacked agricultural land. Israel was the breadbasket. The exchange was perfectly complementary. Solomon provided food; Hiram provided timber. The quantities are immense, highlighting the scale of the project and the wealth of both kingdoms. This was a long term deal, renewed "year by year."

1 Kings 5:12: Now Yahweh gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them cut a covenant.

The narrator bookends the account by reminding us of the ultimate source of this success. "Yahweh gave wisdom to Solomon." This entire peaceful, prosperous, and pious transaction was the fruit of God's gift. And the result was peace, a formal, lasting peace between the two nations. They "cut a covenant." This was not a handshake deal. It was a solemn, binding treaty, establishing a formal relationship of shalom between them. Godly wisdom leads to godly order, which leads to godly peace.

The Nations Bringing Their Glory

One of the central themes of Scripture is that God's redemptive plan was never for Israel alone. From the promise to Abraham that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed, the trajectory has always been global. Here in 1 Kings 5, we have a beautiful, tangible illustration of this principle. The finest materials for God's house, the glorious cedars of Lebanon, are not found in Israel. They must be brought in from a gentile nation. And they are not taken by conquest, but are given willingly, joyfully, by a gentile king who blesses the God of Israel in the process.

This is a preview of what the prophet Isaiah would later declare: "The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary" (Isa. 60:13). It is a picture of the New Jerusalem, into which "they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations" (Rev. 21:26). The kingdom of God is not about erasing cultural distinctives, but about consecrating them. The best of what the nations have to offer, their unique glories, are to be brought and laid at the feet of the King for the beautification of His house. Hiram's willing participation is a model for how the world is to relate to the Church.

Key Words

Berith, "Covenant"

The phrase "the two of them cut a covenant" is deeply significant. The Hebrew word is berith. This is not a modern business contract that can be litigated and dissolved. A covenant is a solemn bond, sealed with an oath, that creates a relationship. The language of "cutting" a covenant likely comes from the ancient practice of cutting an animal in two and having the parties pass between the pieces, invoking a self-maledictory oath: "May it be done to me as was done to this animal if I break this vow." This treaty between Solomon and Hiram was a formal, binding alliance that established a state of peace and mutual obligation. It was the political outworking of the wisdom and rest that God had given to Israel.

Application

The wisdom of Solomon displayed here is a type of the wisdom of Christ, the greater Solomon. Christ is the one who builds His house, the Church, in a time of gospel peace that He secured through His victory on the cross. He builds His church not just from the sons of Israel, but from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

This passage provides a model for Christian engagement with the broader world. Our dealings in business, politics, and personal relationships ought to be characterized by the same integrity, clarity, and fairness Solomon showed. We should be honest about what we need and willing to pay a fair price for it. We should conduct ourselves with such wisdom that others, even unbelievers, might be brought to bless the name of our God.

Finally, we are reminded that all our work is to be done "for the name of Yahweh." Whether we are building a business, raising a family, or governing a nation, the ultimate goal is not our own glory but His. We are to build in such a way that the reputation of our God is magnified in the world. We build upon the foundation of the rest He has given us in Christ, using the gifts He has supplied, all for the beautification of His dwelling place.