This verse, 1 Kings 5:9, is part of a letter from King Hiram of Tyre to King Solomon of Israel. It outlines Hiram's contribution to Solomon's temple-building project. Here's a breakdown of the verse's meaning:
"My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea." This refers to the cedars of Lebanon. Hiram's servants, skilled lumberjacks and sailors, would cut down the cedar trees in the mountains of Lebanon and transport them down to the Mediterranean Sea.
"I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you specify to me..." Once at the coast, the logs would be bound together into rafts, which would then be floated down the coast to a port designated by Solomon.
"...and will cause them to be broken up there, and you will receive them." At the designated port, the rafts would be dismantled, and Solomon's men would receive the logs for use in the temple construction.
"You will accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household." This is the agreement's reciprocal part. In exchange for providing the timber, Hiram desires that Solomon provide food for his household and workers. This was likely a significant amount of food, as Tyre was a trading city-state and may not have had enough agricultural land to support its population and workforce.
In summary, the verse describes a trade agreement:
Hiram will supply cedar logs from Lebanon, transport them by sea to Solomon's specified location, and deliver them there.
In return, Solomon will provide food for Hiram's household and workers.
Significance:
Temple Construction: This verse highlights the essential role of foreign nations, like Tyre, in providing resources and expertise for the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.
Political and Economic Ties: It demonstrates the strong political and economic relationship between Israel and Tyre during the reigns of Solomon and Hiram. They benefited from mutual cooperation.
Fulfillment of Prophecy: Some interpretations see this as a partial fulfillment of God's promise to David about building a temple, as Solomon, David's son, is carrying out the project with the assistance of foreign nations.
The verse is a small but important piece of the larger narrative surrounding the construction of the temple, showing the complex arrangements necessary to accomplish such a grand and important project.
This verse, 1 Kings 5:9, is part of a letter from King Hiram of Tyre to King Solomon of Israel. It outlines Hiram's contribution to Solomon's temple-building project. Here's a breakdown of the verse's meaning:
"My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea." This refers to the cedars of Lebanon. Hiram's servants, skilled lumberjacks and sailors, would cut down the cedar trees in the mountains of Lebanon and transport them down to the Mediterranean Sea.
"I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you specify to me..." Once at the coast, the logs would be bound together into rafts, which would then be floated down the coast to a port designated by Solomon.
"...and will cause them to be broken up there, and you will receive them." At the designated port, the rafts would be dismantled, and Solomon's men would receive the logs for use in the temple construction.
"You will accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household." This is the agreement's reciprocal part. In exchange for providing the timber, Hiram desires that Solomon provide food for his household and workers. This was likely a significant amount of food, as Tyre was a trading city-state and may not have had enough agricultural land to support its population and workforce.
In summary, the verse describes a trade agreement:
Hiram will supply cedar logs from Lebanon, transport them by sea to Solomon's specified location, and deliver them there.
In return, Solomon will provide food for Hiram's household and workers.
Significance:
Temple Construction: This verse highlights the essential role of foreign nations, like Tyre, in providing resources and expertise for the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.
Political and Economic Ties: It demonstrates the strong political and economic relationship between Israel and Tyre during the reigns of Solomon and Hiram. They benefited from mutual cooperation.
Fulfillment of Prophecy: Some interpretations see this as a partial fulfillment of God's promise to David about building a temple, as Solomon, David's son, is carrying out the project with the assistance of foreign nations.
The verse is a small but important piece of the larger narrative surrounding the construction of the temple, showing the complex arrangements necessary to accomplish such a grand and important project.