1 Kings 9:10-28
Summary for 1Kgs 9:10-14: 9:10-14 a In Solomon’s business agreement with King Hiram, he exchanged wheat and olive oil for timber and gold (5:10-11 b). When Solomon became indebted to Hiram, he gave him twenty towns in ... Galilee as compensation. However, Hiram was dissatisfied with the towns, so he returned them to Solomon’s control (see 2 Chr 8:2 c). The two friends settled upon other means of compensation and remained active allies and trading partners (1 Kgs 9:26-28 d; 10:22 e).Summary for 1Kgs 9:15-24: 9:15-24 f Solomon used forced labor to complete many building projects (4:6 g; 5:13-18 h; 9:20-23 i; 12:4 j, 18-19 k; cp. 1 Sam 8:10-18 l). 9:15 m Solomon strengthened the supporting terraces, which were on a slope of the southeastern ridge in the traditional City of David area of Jerusalem (see 2 Sam 5:9 n), and the wall of Jerusalem. He also fortified the key cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. Archaeological research shows that the walls and gates of all three cities have distinctive traits attributable to Solomon’s time. Hazor, in the north, was a first line of defense against invasion. Megiddo, in the Plain of Sharon, also had strategic military importance (2 Kgs 23:29-30 o; Rev 16:12-16 p).
9:16 q Gezer, west of Jerusalem, was not previously occupied by Israelites. It was conquered by the Egyptian pharaoh and given to his daughter as a wedding gift when she married Solomon. An inscription in the Amon Temple in Tanis, apparently depicting a victory by the 21st dynasty Pharaoh Siamun (978–959 BC) against a Philistine campaign, suggests that Siamun was the pharaoh involved.
Summary for 1Kgs 9:17-18: 9:17-18 r Lower Beth-horon was an important defensive site for western Judah. Several cities in Canaan were called Baalath; the one here was probably also known as Kiriath-jearim (2 Sam 6:2 s; see Josh 15:9 t; 1 Chr 13:5 u, 6 v). Tamar was probably located in the southeastern quarter of the Holy Land (see Ezek 47:19 w; 48:28 x).
Summary for 1Kgs 9:20-23: 9:20-23 y Solomon’s conscripted slaves were made up of early Canaanite settlers; 550 chief supervisors, of whom 250 were Israelites, superintended the forced laborers (2 Chr 8:9-10 z; see 1 Kgs 5:15-16 aa with 2 Chr 2:17-18 ab).
9:21 ac completely destroyed: See thematic note for Complete Destruction at end of chapter.
9:24 ad The new palace Solomon built for ... Pharaoh’s daughter was separate from Solomon’s own residence because his palace was deemed holy, “for the Ark of the Lord has been there” (2 Chr 8:11 ae). The place where the Ark resided was considered sacred, since it embodied God’s presence and sanctified its surroundings (Exod 25:22 af; see also 2 Sam 6:7 ag; 1 Chr 15:11-13 ah).
9:25 ai Three times each year Solomon provided exemplary leadership for Israel as he presented ... offerings at the national festivals of Unleavened Bread, Harvest (or Pentecost, or Weeks), and Shelters (Deut 16:16 aj).
Summary for 1Kgs 9:26-28: 9:26-28 ak The seaport of Ezion-geber was situated on the Gulf of Aqaba, which opens onto the Red Sea. The location of Ophir is uncertain but may have been located in southwestern Arabia, eastern Africa, or India; the mention of gold and other precious commodities (see 10:11-12 al) indicates its strategic importance for trade.
Thematic note: Complete Destruction
God instructed Saul to “completely destroy” the Amalekites, who had ambushed the Israelites after the Exodus (see Exod 17:8-16 am; Deut 25:17-19 an). The Hebrew word kharam (“completely destroy”) often means dedicating something or someone completely to the Lord, either by destroying it (1 Sam 15:3 ao; Josh 6:17-18 ap) or by giving it as an offering (see Lev 27:28-29 aq; Josh 6:19 ar).
Complete destruction was called for in cases where those to be destroyed had committed a severe offense against God, such as worshiping false gods (Deut 7:1-6 as; 13:12-18 at). In 1 Samuel 15:3 au, complete destruction is prescribed as God’s judgment on a nation that mistreated his chosen people. Those who curse God’s family are, in turn, cursed (Gen 12:3 av).
God still judges the godless and impenitent. But in the new covenant, Christians are not called to be agents of such judgment. God calls us to exercise his mercy toward those who wrong us (see Luke 9:51-56 aw). We must completely destroy whatever within ourselves wars against Christ (Rom 8:12-13 ax; Col 3:5 ay). And we must overcome the enemies of Christ by our faith, by the Good News, and by our love (Eph 6:10-20 az; 1 Jn 2:9-17 ba). God will mete out judgment according to his justice and in his time (Rom 12:19 bb; 2 Thes 1:6-10 bc).
Passages for Further Study
Exod 22:20 bd; Lev 27:28-29 be; Num 21:2-3 bf; Deut 7:1-6 bg, 26 bh; 13:12-18 bi; Josh 6:17-19 bj; 7:11-26 bk; 1 Sam 15:3 bl; 1 Kgs 20:42 bm; Isa 43:26-28 bn
1 Kings 10
Summary for 1Kgs 10:1-13: 10:1-13 bo The queen of Sheba visited to test the accuracy of accounts concerning Solomon’s wisdom (10:1 bp, 3 bq, 6-7 br). She may also have sought commercial partnership (10:2 bs, 10 bt, 13 bu). All of Solomon’s accomplishments resulted from his God-given wisdom, as the queen of Sheba testifies in the central speech of the narrative (10:6-9 bv). 10:1 bw The queen likely heard tales of Solomon’s wisdom and wealth because of his trading ventures to Ophir (10:11 bx; see 9:26-28 by). Sheba, located in southwestern Arabia (modern Yemen), was a notably fertile commercial center. The trading enterprises of the ancient Sabeans encompassed great swaths of territory, including Syria, Africa, and India.• test ... with hard questions (literally riddles): Arabian literature is famous for its riddles and proverbs. The queen tested Solomon’s wisdom and explored perplexities of her own.
10:2 bz The queen of Sheba arrived as royalty, with a large entourage and camels loaded with precious commodities. This was a high-level meeting, as demonstrated by Solomon’s generous gifts to her (10:13 ca).
Summary for 1Kgs 10:3-5: 10:3-5 cb The queen was satisfied with Solomon’s wisdom. He answered all of her questions well, and she was overwhelmed by the applied wisdom in his building activities, well-organized administration and staff, and commitment to his God. Jesus commended the queen’s search for truth while condemning the Pharisees and teachers of religious law who failed to recognize him—the one who was greater than Solomon (Matt 12:42 cc).
Summary for 1Kgs 10:6-9: 10:6-9 cd The queen’s testimony confirmed her amazement. Not only was everything she had heard true, but now that she had seen it with her own eyes, she realized that Solomon’s accomplishments had been understated. She recognized that the Lord was Solomon’s benefactor and that Solomon should steward his God-given wisdom with justice and righteousness.
Summary for 1Kgs 10:10-12: 10:10-12 ce Solomon possessed and used abundant gold during his reign. What the queen provided supplemented what Solomon already possessed through his trading partnership with Hiram of Tyre. The precious metal was put to good use (see 6:20-22 cf, 28 cg, 30 ch, 32 ci, 35 cj; 7:49-51 ck; 10:18 cl, 21 cm).
• Arabian traders dealt in spices such as frankincense and myrrh. Both were used for medicinal purposes; frankincense was also used in the sacred incense (Exod 30:34-38 cn; Lev 2:2 co), and myrrh was used both for perfume and for embalming the dead. These spices and gold were presented to Jesus by wise men from eastern lands (Matt 2:1-11 cp).
10:11 cq Sandalwood is a reddish-brown wood native to India and valued for its aromatic essential oil. Cuneiform tablets found at Ras Shamra and Alalakh also indicate its value for making fine furniture and musical instruments.
10:13 cr whatever she asked for: As befitting a royal host, Solomon reciprocated with gifts. The amicable relationship between Solomon and the queen of Sheba may have culminated in a commercial agreement. Subsequent Jewish, Arabian, and Ethiopian tales of a romantic relationship between them have no foundation in fact.
Summary for 1Kgs 10:14-29: 10:14-29 cs To further describe Solomon’s splendor, the writer builds upon the details of the queen’s visit (10:1-13 ct), describing Solomon’s wise use of wealth in his palace complex (10:14-21 cu) and concluding with the far-reaching effects of Solomon’s wisdom in commercial arrangements (10:22-29 cv).
Summary for 1Kgs 10:14-15: 10:14-15 cw about 25 tons: The large amount of gold came from Solomon’s various enterprises and taxes; he also levied tolls upon merchants and traders who passed through his kingdom.
Summary for 1Kgs 10:16-17: 10:16-17 cx Although such shields were typically designed to accommodate infantry (large shields) or archers (smaller shields), these shields probably had ceremonial uses.
Summary for 1Kgs 10:18-21: 10:18-21 cy Solomon obtained ivory through commercial ventures with Hiram. Ancient Near Eastern kings often used lion figures as symbols of royal power and divine protection of the throne.
10:22 cz fleet of trading ships of Tarshish: The Hebrew term designates a type of merchant ship.
• Phoenician sailors manned Solomon’s fleet, which put out to sea from Ezion-geber (9:26-28 da; see Isa 23:1 db).
• apes, and peacocks: Archaeology provides ample evidence that kings imported such creatures. Apparently these animals were desired for their novelty and exotic nature and because they reflected conquest of distant lands.
10:26 dc 1,400 chariots: Prior to Solomon, chariots were not a significant part of Israel’s army. In fact, Deut 17:16 dd condemns kings for accumulating horses rather than relying on God. Although archaeological confirmation of the presence of chariots in Solomon’s day is debated, his chariot cities are commonly identified as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer (1 Kgs 9:15 de, 19 df). The Assyrian king Shalmaneser III reported facing a heavy contingent of enemy chariots at the Battle of Qarqar (853 BC), 2,000 of which were supplied by King Ahab of Israel.
Summary for 1Kgs 10:28-29: 10:28-29 dg In addition to his own accumulation, Solomon apparently served as a middleman, exchanging horses and chariots between the Egyptians to the south and the Syrians and Anatolians to the north.
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