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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 5:10-18

Here is, I. The performance of the agreement between Solomon and Hiram. Each of the parties made good his engagement. 1. Hiram delivered Solomon the timber, according to his bargain, 1 Kgs. 5:10. The trees were Solomon?s, but perhaps?Materiam superabat opus?The workmanship was of more value than the article. Hiram is therefore said to deliver the trees. 2. Solomon conveyed to Hiram the corn which he had promised him, 1 Kgs. 5:11. Thus let justice be followed (as the expression is, Deut.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 5:16

Besides the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work ,.... Over the whole work, preparatory for the building of the temple; though it seems chiefly to have respect to that of hewing the stones, and bringing them to the city: three thousand and three hundred which ruled over the people that wrought in the work ; to keep them to their work, and to see that they performed it well: in 2 Chronicles 2:18 ; they are said to be 3600, which is three hundred more than here; those... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 5:17

And the king commanded, and they brought great stones ,.... Not in quality, but in quantity, large stones, fit to lay in the foundation; strong, and durable against all the injuries of time, as Josephus says F9 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 3. sect. 2. : costly stones ; not what are commonly called precious stones, as gems, pearls, &c.; but stones of value, as marble, porphyry, &c.; and hewed stones ; not rough as they were taken out of the quarry, but hewed, and made smooth: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 5:18

And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them ,.... The stones; for it seems Solomon had not only hewers of wood, but of stone, from Hiram: and the stonesquarers ; or rather the Giblites, the men of Gebal, which were under the jurisdiction of Tyre, and were skilful in this sort of work, as some of them were in others, see Ezekiel 27:9 ; so they prepared timber and stones to build the house ; both Solomon's and Hiram's builders, and the large number of workmen, both... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Kings 5:16

Besides - three thousand and three hundred which ruled over the people - In the parallel place, 2 Chronicles 2:18 , it is three thousand six hundred. The Septuagint has here the same number. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Kings 5:17

Great stones - Stones of very large dimensions. Costly stones - Stones that cost much labor and time to cut them out of the rock. Hewed stones - Everywhere squared and polished. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Kings 5:18

And the stone-squarers - Instead of stone-squarers the margin very properly reads Giblites, הגבלים haggiblim ; and refers to Ezekiel 27:9 , where we find the inhabitants of Gebal celebrated for their knowledge in ship-building. Some suppose that these Giblites were the inhabitants of Biblos, at the foot of Mount Libanus, northward of Sidon, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea; famous for its wines; and now called Gaeta. Both Ptolemy and Stephanus Byzantinus speak of a town called... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 5:16

Beside [without counting] the chief of Solomon's officers [Heb. the princes of the overseers, i.e; the princes who acted as overseers, principes qui praefecti erant (Vatabl.)] which were over the work three thousand and three hundred [This large number proves that the "chiefs of the overseers" cannot be meant. Were all the 3,300 superior officers, there must have been quite an army of subalterns. But we read of none. In 1 Kings 9:23 , an additional number of 550 "princes of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 5:17

And the king commanded and they brought [or cut out, quarried (Gesen.), as in Ecclesiastes 10:9 ; see also Ecclesiastes 6:7 (Heb.) ] great stones, costly [precious, not heavy, as Thenius. Cf. Psalms 36:8 ; Psalms 45:9 ; Esther 1:4 in the Heb.], stones and [omit and. The hewed stones were the great and costly stones] hewed stones [or squared ( Isaiah 9:10 ; cf. 1 Kings 6:36 ; 1 Kings 7:9 ; 1 Kings 11:12 ). We learn from 1 Kings 7:10 that the stones of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 5:17

Sure Foundations. No city in the world has experienced so many vicissitudes as "the city of the Great King." The place of the "vision of peace" (or , "foundation of peace") has known no peace. It has been sixteen times taken by siege since our blessed Lord's day, and conqueror after conqueror has cried, "Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof" ( Psalms 137:7 ). It has been the carcase round which the Roman "eagles" have repeatedly gathered; it has been the battlefield of... read more

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