Hiram’s Building Materials
5 King Hiram of Tyre sent his emissaries to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in his father’s place, for Hiram had always been friends with David.
2 Solomon sent this message to Hiram: 3 “You know my father David was not able to build a temple for the name of the Lord his God. This was because of the warfare all around him until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. 4 The Lord my God has now given me rest on every side; there is no enemy or misfortune. 5 So I plan to build a temple for the name of the Lord my God, according to what the Lord promised my father David: ‘I will put your son on your throne in your place, and he will build the temple for my name.’
6 “Therefore, command that cedars from Lebanon be cut down for me. My servants will be with your servants, and I will pay your servants’ wages according to whatever you say, for you know that not a man among us knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s words, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today! He has given David a wise son to be over this great people!” 8 Then Hiram sent a reply to Solomon, saying, “I have heard your message; I will do everything you want regarding the cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants will bring the logs down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place you indicate. I will break them apart there, and you can take them away. You then can meet my needs by providing my household with food.”
10 So Hiram provided Solomon with all the cedar and cypress timber he wanted, 11 and Solomon provided Hiram with one hundred twenty thousand bushels[a] of wheat as food for his household and one hundred twenty thousand gallons[b] of oil from crushed olives. Solomon did this for Hiram year after year.
12 The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.
Solomon’s Workforce
13 Then King Solomon drafted forced laborers from all Israel; the labor force numbered thirty thousand men. 14 He sent ten thousand to Lebanon each month in shifts; one month they were in Lebanon, two months they were at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand porters and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountains, 16 not including his thirty-three hundred[c] deputies in charge of the work. They supervised the people doing the work. 17 The king commanded them to quarry large, costly stones to lay the foundation of the temple with dressed stones. 18 So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders, along with the Gebalites, quarried the stone and prepared the timber and stone for the temple’s construction.
Building the Temple
6 Solomon began to build the temple for the Lord in the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of his reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month.[d] 2 The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was ninety feet[e] long, thirty feet[f] wide, and forty-five feet[g] high. 3 The portico in front of the temple sanctuary was thirty feet long extending across the temple’s width, and fifteen feet deep[h] in front of the temple. 4 He also made windows with beveled frames[i] for the temple.
5 He then built a chambered structure[j] along the temple wall, encircling the walls of the temple, that is, the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary. And he made side chambers[k] all around. 6 The lowest chamber was 7½ feet[l] wide, the middle was 9 feet[m] wide, and the third was 10½ feet[n] wide. He also provided offset ledges for the temple all around the outside so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. 7 The temple’s construction used finished stones cut at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.
8 The door for the lowest[o] side chamber was on the right side of the temple. They[p] went up a stairway[q] to the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third. 9 When he finished building the temple, he paneled it with boards and planks of cedar. 10 He built the chambers along the entire temple, joined to the temple with cedar beams; each story was 7½ feet high.
11 The word of the Lord came to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building—if you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep all my commands by walking in them, I will fulfill my promise to you, which I made to your father David. 13 I will dwell among the Israelites and not abandon my people Israel.”
14 When Solomon finished building the temple,[r] 15 he paneled the interior temple walls with cedar boards; from the temple floor to the surface of the ceiling he overlaid the interior with wood. He also overlaid the floor with cypress boards. 16 Then he lined thirty feet of the rear of the temple with cedar boards from the floor to the surface of the ceiling,[s] and he built the interior as an inner sanctuary, the most holy place. 17 The temple, that is, the sanctuary in front of the most holy place,[t] was sixty feet[u] long. 18 The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with ornamental gourds and flower blossoms. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen.
19 He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple to put the ark of the Lord’s covenant there. 20 The interior of the sanctuary was thirty feet long, thirty feet wide, and thirty feet high; he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the cedar altar. 21 Next, Solomon overlaid the interior of the temple with pure gold, and he hung[v] gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary and overlaid it with gold. 22 So he added the gold overlay to the entire temple until everything was completely finished, including the entire altar that belongs to the inner sanctuary.
23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim 15 feet[w] high out of olive wood. 24 One wing of the first cherub was 7½ feet long, and the other wing was 7½ feet long. The wingspan was 15 feet from tip to tip. 25 The second cherub also was 15 feet; both cherubim had the same size and shape. 26 The first cherub’s height was 15 feet and so was the second cherub’s. 27 Then he put the cherubim inside the inner temple. Since their wings were spread out, the first one’s wing touched one wall while the second cherub’s wing touched the other[x] wall, and in the middle of the temple their wings were touching wing to wing. 28 He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.
29 He carved all the surrounding temple walls with carved engravings—cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms—in the inner and outer sanctuaries. 30 He overlaid the temple floor with gold in both the inner and the outer sanctuaries.
31 For the entrance of the inner sanctuary, he made olive wood doors. The pillars of the doorposts were five-sided.[y] 32 The two doors were made of olive wood. He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold, hammering gold over the cherubim and palm trees. 33 In the same way, he made four-sided[z] olive wood doorposts for the sanctuary entrance. 34 The two doors were made of cypress wood; the first door had two folding sides, and the second door had two folding panels. 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold applied evenly over the carving. 36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams.
37 The foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid in Solomon’s fourth year in the month of Ziv. 38 In his eleventh year in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month,[aa] the temple was completed in every detail and according to every specification. So he built it in seven years.
Israel’s Sons
2 These were Israel’s sons:
Reuben, Simeon, Levi,
Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin,
Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
Judah’s Descendants
3 Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite woman. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so he put him to death. 4 Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to him. Judah had five sons in all.
5 Perez’s sons: Hezron and Hamul.
6 Zerah’s sons: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara[a]—five in all.
7 Carmi’s son: Achar,[b] who brought trouble on Israel when he was unfaithful by taking the things set apart for destruction.
8 Ethan’s son: Azariah.
9 Hezron’s sons, who were born to him: Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.[c]
10 Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, a leader of Judah’s descendants.
11 Nahshon fathered Salma, and Salma fathered Boaz.
12 Boaz fathered Obed, and Obed fathered Jesse.
13 Jesse fathered Eliab, his firstborn; Abinadab was born second, Shimea third, 14 Nethanel fourth, Raddai fifth, 15 Ozem sixth, and David seventh. 16 Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel. 17 Amasa’s mother was Abigail, and his father was Jether the Ishmaelite.
18 Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and by Jerioth. These were Azubah’s sons: Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. 19 When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, and she bore Hur to him. 20 Hur fathered Uri, and Uri fathered Bezalel. 21 After this, Hezron slept with the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead. Hezron had married her when he was sixty years old, and she bore Segub to him. 22 Segub fathered Jair, who possessed twenty-three towns in the land of Gilead. 23 But Geshur and Aram captured[d] Jair’s Villages[e] along with Kenath and its surrounding villages—sixty towns. All these were the descendants of Machir father of Gilead. 24 After Hezron’s death in Caleb-ephrathah, his wife Abijah bore[f] Ashhur to him. He was the father of Tekoa.
25 The sons of Jerahmeel, Hezron’s firstborn: Ram, his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. 26 Jerahmeel had another wife named Atarah, who was the mother of Onam.
27 The sons of Ram, Jerahmeel’s firstborn: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.
28 Onam’s sons: Shammai and Jada.
Shammai’s sons: Nadab and Abishur. 29 Abishur’s wife was named Abihail, who bore Ahban and Molid to him.
30 Nadab’s sons: Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.
31 Appaim’s son: Ishi.
Ishi’s son: Sheshan.
Sheshan’s descendant: Ahlai.
32 The sons of Jada, brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children.
33 Jonathan’s sons: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.
34 Sheshan had no sons, only daughters, but he did have an Egyptian servant whose name was Jarha. 35 Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore Attai to him.
36 Attai fathered Nathan, and Nathan fathered Zabad.
37 Zabad fathered Ephlal, and Ephlal fathered Obed.
38 Obed fathered Jehu, and Jehu fathered Azariah.
39 Azariah fathered Helez, and Helez fathered Elasah.
40 Elasah fathered Sismai, and Sismai fathered Shallum.
41 Shallum fathered Jekamiah, and Jekamiah fathered Elishama.
42 The sons of Caleb brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha, his firstborn, fathered Ziph, and Mareshah, his second son,[g] fathered Hebron.
43 Hebron’s sons: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema.
44 Shema fathered Raham, who fathered Jorkeam, and Rekem fathered Shammai.
45 Shammai’s son was Maon, and Maon fathered Beth-zur.
46 Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran fathered Gazez.
47 Jahdai’s sons: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.
48 Caleb’s concubine Maacah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. 49 She was also the mother of Shaaph, Madmannah’s father, and of Sheva, the father of Machbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Achsah.
50 These were Caleb’s descendants.
The sons of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn:
Shobal fathered Kiriath-jearim;
51 Salma fathered Bethlehem,
and Hareph fathered Beth-gader.
52 These were the descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim: Haroeh, half of the Manahathites,[h] 53 and the families of Kiriath-jearim—the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites, and Mishraites. The Zorathites and Eshtaolites descended from these.
54 Salma’s descendants: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth-beth-joab, and half of the Manahathites, the Zorites, 55 and the families of scribes who lived in Jabez—the Tirathites, Shimeathites, and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of Rechab’s family.
David’s Descendants
3 These were David’s sons who were born to him in Hebron:
Amnon was the firstborn, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
Daniel was born second, by Abigail of Carmel;
2 Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur, was third;
Adonijah son of Haggith was fourth;
3 Shephatiah, by Abital, was fifth;
and Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah, was sixth.
4 Six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years.
5 These sons were born to him in Jerusalem:
Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. These four were born to him by Bath-shua daughter of Ammiel.
6 David’s other sons: Ibhar, Elishua,[i] Eliphelet, 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet—nine sons.
9 These were all David’s sons, with their sister Tamar, in addition to the sons by his concubines.
Judah’s Kings
10 Solomon’s son was Rehoboam;
his son was Abijah, his son Asa,
his son Jehoshaphat, 11 his son Jehoram,[j][k]
his son Ahaziah, his son Joash,
12 his son Amaziah, his son Azariah,
his son Jotham, 13 his son Ahaz,
his son Hezekiah, his son Manasseh,
14 his son Amon, and his son Josiah.
15 Josiah’s sons:
Johanan was the firstborn, Jehoiakim second,
Zedekiah third, and Shallum fourth.
16 Jehoiakim’s sons:
his sons Jeconiah and Zedekiah.
David’s Line after the Exile
17 The sons of Jeconiah the captive:
his sons Shealtiel, 18 Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.
19 Pedaiah’s sons: Zerubbabel and Shimei.
Zerubbabel’s sons: Meshullam and Hananiah, with their sister Shelomith; 20 and five others—Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed.
21 Hananiah’s descendants: Pelatiah, Jeshaiah, and the sons of Rephaiah, Arnan, Obadiah, and Shecaniah.[l]
22 The son[m] of Shecaniah: Shemaiah.
Shemaiah’s sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six.
23 Neariah’s sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam—three.
24 Elioenai’s sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven.
Look at these verses from 1 Kings 5: 11 The word of the Lord came to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building—if you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep all my commands by walking in them, I will fulfill my promise to you, which I made to your father David. 13 I will dwell among the Israelites and not abandon my people Israel.” God was concerned with Solomon not only working with his hands to build the temple, but was more concerned about Solomon following God’s commands and ordinances. It is a good thing for us to look at these verses and remember. God is much more concerned with our obedience than our sacrifice and labor.
The other thing I saw in this passage you may be asking yourself…Why do we take so much time writing out genealogies? Why do we have to find out about David’s descendants? One important thing to remember is God throughout the Old Testament had shown the Messiah would come through David’s family line. So it is important for the Bible to trace that lineage of the Messiah. It is not so important that he came from David’s line because David is special or something like that. It is important simply because the prophecy that was given was that the Messiah would come from the line of David. Jesus met that prophecy and every other prophecy in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah.