1 Kings 5:10 - Meaning and Application

Here we see, first, the agreement between Solomon and Hiram carried out on both sides. Hiram delivered the timber to Solomon, just as he had promised (1 Kings 5:10). The trees belonged to Solomon, but the work done on them made the gift more valuable than the raw wood itself, so Hiram is said to have delivered the trees. Solomon, in turn, gave Hiram the grain he had promised him (1 Kings 5:11). In every deal, justice should be kept on both sides, as Deuteronomy 16:20 says.

We also see the friendship between them strengthened by this exchange. God gave Solomon wisdom (1 Kings 5:12), and that was better than anything Hiram could give him. Yet this wisdom helped Solomon use Hiram’s kindness well, and it made Hiram love Solomon all the more. In this way, their mutual affection grew into a lasting alliance. It is wise to strengthen friendships with people who show themselves honest and fair, because new friends may not always prove as steady or kind as old ones.

Next comes the laborers Solomon used to prepare materials for the temple. Some were Israelites, and they did the lighter and more honorable work, such as cutting down trees and helping square them, along with Hiram’s servants. Solomon set apart 30,000 men for this work, but only 10,000 served at a time, so each group worked one month and then had two months of rest, both to recover and to take care of their own homes (1 Kings 5:13-14). Even in temple work, Solomon made sure they were not overworked. Those in authority should remember that their servants need rest too.

Others were captives from other nations, and they were assigned the harder labor of carrying burdens and cutting stones (1 Kings 5:15). We are not told that these workers had the same rest periods, because they were kept in service as captives. There were also overseers and directors, 3,300 men who ruled over the workers (1 Kings 5:16). They were as necessary in their place as the laborers were in theirs. Many hands and many eyes were needed, because this was preparation not only for the temple, but also for Solomon’s other buildings in Jerusalem, in the forest of Lebanon, and elsewhere in his kingdom, as 1 Kings 9:17-19 later shows. Solomon himself speaks of these great projects in Ecclesiastes 2:4, where he says, “I made me great works.”

Finally, the foundation of the temple was laid, and this was the work Solomon cared about most, so he begins with it (1 Kings 5:17-18). It seems Solomon was present and in charge when the temple began, and the first stone was laid with special care, as is common in famous buildings. He gave orders for costly stones to be brought for the foundation. He wanted the work to be done generously and well, so he put some of the finest stones where they would not even be seen, though cheaper stones might have served there. Christ, who is laid as the foundation, is called an elect and precious stone (Isaiah 28:16), and the church’s foundations are said to be laid with sapphires (Isaiah 54:11; Revelation 21:19). The truth and sincerity that belong to gospel perfection teach us to lay a firm foundation and to spend our greatest care on the part of our religion that others cannot see.