1 Kings 5:15-18

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 5:15

And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens ,.... Seventy thousand to carry the stones from the mountains out of which they were dug, and which were near Jerusalem, to the city; these were strangers in Israel, as were those that follow: and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains : eighty thousand that dug the stones out of the quarries, and squared them; these, with the others, made 150,000, see 2 Chronicles 2:17 ; according to Jacob Leon F7 Relation of... 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 5:15

Threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens - These were all strangers, or proselytes, dwelling among the Israelites; as we learn from the parallel place, 2 Chronicles 2:17 , 2 Chronicles 2:18 . 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 5:15

And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains. [These 150,000, destined for the more laborious and menial works, were not Israelites, but Canaanites. We learn from 2 Chronicles 2:17 , 2 Chronicles 2:18 that "all the strangers that were in the land of Israel" were subjected to forced labour by Solomon—there were, that is to say, but 150,000 of them remaining. They occupied a very different position from that of the 30,000... read more

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