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1 KINGS 9

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

 NASB  NKJV  NRSV  TEV   NJB
(MT versing)
God's Promise and Warning God's Second Appearance to Solomon Solomon's Vision God Appears to Solomon Again Yahweh Appears A Second Time
9:1-5 9:1-9 9:1-5 9:1-9 9:1-9
9:6-9 9:6-9
Cities Given to Hiram Solomon and Hiram Exchange Gifts An Interlude Solomon's Agreement with Hiram The Bargain with Hiram
9:10-14 9:10-14 9:10-14 9:10-14 9:10-14
Solomon's Additional Achievements The Forced Levy Further Achievements of Solomon Forced Labor for Solomon's Building Program
9:15-22 9:15-19 9:15-22 9:15-22 9:15-23
9:20-22 Miscellaneous Details
9:23 9:23 9:23 9:23
9:24 9:24 9:24 9:24 9:24
9:25 9:25 9:25 9:25 9:25
Solomon As Ship Builder
9:26-28 9:26-28 9:26-28 9:26-28 9:26-28

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

  1. First paragraph
  2. Second paragraph
  3. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:1-5
  1Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all that Solomon desired to do, 2that the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3The Lord said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 4As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, 5then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, 'You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'

9:1 See Contextual Insights in chapter 7.

9:2 "the Lord" See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.

▣ "appeared to Solomon a second time" The first time is recorded in 1 Kgs. 3:3-15 (cf. 2 Chr. 7:12-22). This appearance is similar in its promises and conditions (i.e., "if's" of vv. 4,6; 1 Kgs. 3:14). This is often referred to as "blessings and curses" (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28).

9:3 "by putting My name there" The name was an idiomatic way of asserting YHWH's personal presence (cf. Deut. 12:5,11,12; 14:23,24; 16:2,6,11; 1 Kgs. 8:16,17,19,29,43,44,48; 11:36; 2 Kgs. 21:4,7; 23:27).

In typical eastern tension, the immanence (name there) and transcendence (dwells in the highest heaven) are held together.

As YHWH dwelt above the mercy seat (i.e., His footstool), He was constantly reminded of His laws and His people. The space above the lid of the ark and between the wings of the two cherubim was the theological place where heaven and earth met!

▣ "forever" In English this word does not communicate the conditional nature of YHWH's covenant. The same is true for the parallel phrase, "will be there perpetually."

The apparent contradiction between an unconditional promise and a clearly stated condition (i.e., 1 Kgs. 2:4) with negative consequences, has always bothered western people. Eastern literature presents truth in tension-filled pairs (i.e., paradoxes).

SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam)

SPECIAL TOPIC: EASTERN LITERATURE (biblical paradoxes)

▣ The anthropomorphic imagery of "eyes" and "heart" are meant to convey YHWH's personal presence and constant attention. See Contextual Insights, B. in chapter 8. This is symbolized in YHWH putting His name there.

SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH

9:4 Notice the "if" (also v. 6). The "two ways" (i.e., Deuteronomy 30; Psalm 1) are both true. Blessings and prosperity do not come without lifestyle obedience (i.e., walk).

  1. in integrity of heart
  2. uprightness
  3. doing all that I commanded
  4. keeping YHWH's law (see SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP)

It appears that Solomon wanted an unconditional promise related to 2 Samuel 7 (i.e., 1 Kgs. 8:25-26) but YHWH would not affirm this. YHWH wanted a revelatory nation to reach the nations, not an elite favorite people only. Israel had a missionary mandate!

The temple's existence itself was conditional on Israel's obedience (cf. vv. 6-9). But note, not sinlessness (i.e., David's life and the examples of 1 Kgs. 8:31-53).

▣ "heart" See SPECIAL TOPIC: HEART.

▣ "My statutes and My ordinances" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION.

9:5 This refers again to YHWH's promise to David in 2 Samuel 7 (cf. 1 Chronicles 17).

However, remember that this promise was abrogated because of the Israelites' disobedience which resulted in

  1. the exile of Israel (i.e., the northern tribes) by Assyria, 722 b.c.
  2. the exile of Judah and the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by Babylon in 586 b.c.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:6-9
  6"But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 7then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 8And this house will become a heap of ruins; everyone who passes by will be astonished and hiss and say, 'Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?' 9And they will say, 'Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them, therefore the Lord has brought all this adversity on them.'"

9:6 Notice how idolatry is characterized.

  1. turn away from following Me (you or your children)
  2. not keep commandments
  3. serve other gods, v. 9
  4. worship them, v.9
  5. adopt them, v. 9

SPECIAL TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES OF IDOLATRY

▣ "indeed turn away" This is an emphatic grammatical construction of an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB of the same root (BDB 996, KB 1427). This same root is also used of turning to YHWH or repenting. This is the shocking opposite!

9:7-9 These verses obviously speak of a forced exile from the promised land (i.e., Assyrian and Babylonian).

9:7 "Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples" YHWH's judgment on His covenant people for their disobedience (cf. Deut. 29:25-28; 1 Kgs. 9:9; Jer. 2:10-13) will be a revelation to the nations. This negative revelation is characterized in several idiomatic ways.

  1. a proverb ‒ 2 Chr. 7:20; Jer. 24:9; Ezek. 14:8
  2. a byword ‒ 2 Chr. 7:20; Ps. 44:14; Joel 2:17
  3. a horror ‒ Deut. 28:37; Jer. 25:9; 29:18; 49:17; 50:13
  4. a taunt ‒ Deut. 28:37; Jer. 24:9
  5. astonished ‒ 2 Chr. 7:21; Jer. 18:16; 19:8
  6. sneer at ‒ Ps. 22:7
  7. a reproach ‒ Ps. 44:13; 79:4; Jer. 24:9; 29:18; Joel 2:17; Micah 6:16
  8. a scoffing ‒ Ps. 44:13; 79:4
  9. a derision ‒ Ps. 44:13; 79:4; Micah 6:16
  10. laughingstock (lit. "shaking of the head") ‒ Ps. 44:14; Jer. 18:16
  11. hissing ‒ Jer. 18:16; 19:8; 25:9; 29:8; 50:13; Lam. 2:15; Zeph. 2:15
  12. a terror ‒ Jer. 24:9; 29:8
  13. a curse ‒ Jer. 24:9; 29:8
  14. everlasting desolation ‒ Jer. 25:9; Micah 6:16
  15. clap their hands ‒ Lam. 2:15
  16. shake their heads ‒ Ps. 22:7; Lam. 2:15; Isa. 37:22; Jer. 18:16

Israel was meant to be a revelation of YHWH to bring the nations to Him, but their disobedience caused her to be a negative witness, showing only YHWH's judgment.

▣ The NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 273, offers a good list of the VERBS used to describe the divine removal of the covenant people from the land of Canaan because of their covenant disobedience (I have expanded below its list).

  1. be spewed out ‒ Lev. 18:28
  2. perish quickly ‒ Deut. 4:26; 7:4
  3. be destroyed ‒ Deut. 6:15; Josh. 23:15; 1 Kgs. 13:34; Amos 9:8
  4. be torn from ‒ Deut. 28:63
  5. be plucked from ‒ Deut. 28:63
  6. scatter you ‒ Deut. 28:64
  7. be uprooted ‒ Deut. 29:28; 1 Kgs. 14:15; 2 Chr. 7:20; Jer. 12:14; 45:4
  8. will perish ‒ Josh. 23:13; Deut. 8:19-20
  9. be cut off ‒ 1 Kgs. 9:7
  10. blot it out ‒ 1 Kgs. 13:34
  11. be carried away ‒ 2 Kgs. 17:6,23; 25:21; Jer. 13:19; 20:4; 39:9; 52:27
  12. has removed ‒ Isa. 6:12
9:8
NASB, NRSV  "a heap of ruins"
NKJV  "will be exalted"
TEV  "a pile of ruins"
NJB, JPSOA  "once exalted"
LXX  "exalted house"
REB, Peshitta  "in ruins"

The MT has "will become high." The UBS Text Project, p. 310, suggests "will become a ruin." The 2 Chr. 7:2 parallel has "which was exalted." The Masoretic scholars suggested this change to the MT.

  1. "high" ‒ עליון (BDB 751)
  2. "ruin" ‒ עליין (BDB 730)

It is possible that "high" (MT) is imagery for "a prominent ruin." The Aramaic Targums seem to combine these by "and this house that was high will be a ruin."

9:9 "therefore the Lord has brought all this adversity on them" YHWH judges in order to restore His people to faith and obedience. Even His acts of judgment are acts of love. He is a hurt parent!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:10-14
  10It came about at the end of twenty years in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king's house 11(Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold according to all his desire), then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12So Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they did not please him. 13He said, "What are these cities which you have given me, my brother?" So they were called the land of Cabul to this day. 14And Hiram sent to the king 120 talents of gold.

9:10-13 Hiram, King of Tyre, supplied lumber, precious metals, and artisans for this. Solomon paid him with twenty cities but Hiram did not like the cities (v. 12).

▣ "twenty years" It took seven years to build the temple (1 Kgs. 6:38) and thirteen years for the king's palace (1 Kgs. 7:1).

9:11 "in the land of Galilee" Josephus (Antiq. 8.5.3.) Says they were in western Galilee close to Tyre.

As a matter of fact, Josephus (Antiq. 8.5.3.) gives an elaborate explanation about a bet between Solomon and Hiram concerning riddles. These cities and Hiram's gold were part of the wager.

9:13 "my brother" This term (BDB 26) normally refers to kin, but here it could imply

  1. covenant partner ‒ like Num. 20:14; Deut. 2:4,8; Lam. 1:11; Obad. v. 10
  2. a fellow believer ‒ possibly here; Hiram was very friendly to David

▣ "Cabul" This word (BDB 459) has an uncertain etymology. In context the cities are not accepted by Hiram. There may be an intended word play.

  1. Solomon thought they were glorious (BDB 458 II)
  2. Hiram thought they were not good
    1. from Arabic root for "binding" or "fetters" (BDB 459)
    2. these Hebrew letters are similar to "good as nothing" or "like nothing"
    3. Josephus, Antiq. 8.5.3., says it is of Phoenician origin and means "what does not please"
    4. it is possible the term means "border town"

▣ "to this day" This is a literary marker of a later editor (cf. v. 21; 1 Kgs. 8:61).

Some have speculated that Hiram wanted land suitable for farming, not a mountainous region.

9:14 "talents" Possibly a round shape (NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 636). See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES.

The Jewish Study Bible, p. 694, suggests that this extra payment of gold was the difference between the value of these cities and what Solomon owed Hiram for his materials and artisans.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:15-22
  15Now this is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon levied to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire, and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife. 17So Solomon rebuilt Gezer and the lower Beth-horon 18and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah, 19and all the storage cities which Solomon had, even the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and all that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule. 20As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of the sons of Israel, 21their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel were unable to destroy utterly, from them Solomon levied forced laborers, even to this day. 22But Solomon did not make slaves of the sons of Israel; for they were men of war, his servants, his princes, his captains, his chariot commanders, and his horsemen.

9:15-22 "forced labor" Verse 21 asserts that the forced laborers used to build Solomon's projects were Canaanites left in the land after the Conquest. Verse 22 specifically asserts that Solomon did not use Israelites (see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 199-200 and Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 141-142). The problem comes when Solomon's son, Rehoboam, is rejected because a labor supervisor from Ephraim, Jeroboam, caused a revolt based partly on Israelite forced labor (cf. 1 Kgs. 5:13-18; 11:23-40; 12:4; also note 1 Kgs. 9:23). This occurred in 922 b.c. The United Monarchy split into Judah and Israel.

Some have tried to solve the seeming contradiction by asserting that

  1. Canaanites were the forced laborers (i.e., slaves), but the Israelites from the tribes rotated as their supervisors.
  2. Israelites were used only for limited periods and the load was divided among the tribes.

9:15 There are several building projects listed.

  1. the temple
  2. the king's palace (see Josephus, Antiq. 8.5.1-3)
  3. the Millo (see note below)
  4. parts of the wall of Jerusalem
  5. military cities that guarded Israel from invasion (v. 19)
    1. Hazor
    2. Megeddo
    3. Gezer

Also note vv. 17-19 for more projects.

It does not mention the house for Pharaoh's daughter, but she is talked about in v. 16 and it is mentioned specifically in v. 24.

▣ "Millo" The Hebrew root (BDB 571) has several possible meanings.

  1. fill dirt (cf. 1 Kgs. 11:27; 1 Chr. 11:8; 2 Chr. 32:5)
    1. for a terrace (Akkadian root)
    2. for a wall
    3. for a foundation
  2. a citadel (it has a DEFINITE ARTICLE, LXX, JPSOA)

9:16 "the Canaanites" This is a collective term for all the tribes living in Canaan.

  1. Amorites, v. 20
  2. Hittites
  3. Perizzites
  4. Hivites
  5. Jebusites

SPECIAL TOPIC: PRE-ISRAELITE INHABITANTS OF PALESTINE

9:18
NASB, NRSV, TEV, NJB, REB, JPSOA  "Tamar"
NKJV, Peshitta  "Tadmor"

The MT has "Tamar" ("palm," BDB 1071) but the Masoretic scholars suggest "Tadmor," following 2 Chr. 8:4. There is a city called Tamar mentioned in Ezek. 47:19; 48:28, which was near the Dead Sea, possibly another name for En-gedi.

9:21 "destroy utterly" See SPECIAL TOPIC: CURSE (OT).

▣ "even to this day" See note at 1 Kgs. 9:13.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:23
  23These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people doing the work.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:24
  24As soon as Pharaoh's daughter came up from the city of David to her house which Solomon had built for her, then he built the Millo.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:25
  25Now three times in a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to the Lord, burning incense with them on the altar which was before the Lord. So he finished the house.

9:25 "three times in a year" There were three major required annual feasts.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL, D.

▣ "burnt offerings" See SPECIAL TOPIC: BURNT OFFERINGS.

▣ "peace offerings" SPECIAL TOPIC: PEACE OFFERINGS

▣ "burning incense with them on the altar which was before the Lord" This altar in the holy place is also called

  1. unnamed in Exod. 30:1-10
  2. altar of incense ‒ Exod. 37:25-29; 2 Chr. 26:19
  3. altar of cedar ‒ 1 Kgs. 6:20
  4. altar of gold ‒ 1 Kgs. 7:48

Number 1 tells its purpose and describes its use.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ALTAR OF INCENSE

▣ "So he finished the house" This phrase is a little strange at this point. It seems the temple was finished and consecrated in chapter 8 (cf. 1 Kgs. 9:3). The timing of this is confused because

  1. The temple was said to be finished in the eighth month (cf. 1 Kgs. 6:38), but not dedicated until the seventh month (cf. 1 Kgs. 8:2; 2 Chr. 7:10), eleven months later.
  2. The temple was built in seven years but this verse implies it was not dedicated until the twentieth year (1 Kgs. 9:10). Possibly there were two dedications or an annual dedication or covenant renewal ceremony.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:26-28
  26King Solomon also built a fleet of ships in Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 27And Hiram sent his servants with the fleet, sailors who knew the sea, along with the servants of Solomon. 28They went to Ophir and took four hundred and twenty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.

9:26 "built a fleet of ships" See 1 Kgs. 10:22; 22:48. Josephus, Antiq. 8.6.4., tells about this fleet.

▣ "Edom" See SPECIAL TOPIC: EDOM AND ISRAEL.

▣ "Red Sea" See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE RED SEA.

▣ "Ophir" Ophir's location is uncertain, possibly

  1. India (near Mumbai)
  2. Africa (Ethiopia or Somalia)
  3. Arabia (a tribe, i.e., Gen. 10:29; 1 Chr. 1:23)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

  1. Why did YHWH appear to Solomon a second time? How was the content of the revelation the same?
  2. What is the theological significance of the "if" of vv. 4,6?
  3. Explain the difference between an unconditional covenant and a conditional. How does YHWH's covenant with David encompass both?
  4. Did Solomon use Israelites as forced laborers?
  5. What does the phrase, "So he finished the house" (v. 25) mean?

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