← All Chapters The Book of 1 Kings · Chapter 5

1 Kings 5: Preparing to Build

With rest on every side, Solomon allies with Hiram of Tyre to gather timber and stone, and conscripts laborers to build a house for God's name.

Coming soon

1 Kings 5 (WEB)

1 Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.

2 Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,

3 “You know how that David my father could not build a house for the name of Yahweh his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until Yahweh put them under the soles of his feet.

4 But now Yahweh my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary, nor evil occurrence.

5 Behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for my name.’

6 Now therefore command that they cut me cedar trees out of Lebanon. My servants shall be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you shall say. For you know that there is not among us any who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

7 When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and said, “Blessed is Yahweh this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.”

8 Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent to me. I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir.

9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you shall appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and you shall receive them. You shall accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.”

10 So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire.

11 Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.

12 Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a treaty together.

13 King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

14 He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses; a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor.

15 Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains;

16 besides Solomon’s chief officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people who labored in the work.

17 The king commanded, and they cut out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone.

18 Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.

Summary

Now that God has given rest on every side, Solomon turns to the great work his father David could not do because of constant war: building a house for the name of Yahweh. He writes to Hiram, king of Tyre, who had loved David, recalling God's promise that David's son would build the temple, and requesting cedar from Lebanon, since the Sidonians were unmatched at cutting timber. Hiram rejoices greatly at Solomon's words, blessing the Lord for giving David such a wise son, and agrees to supply cedar and fir, floated by sea to a place Solomon appoints, in exchange for wheat and oil for his household. The two kings make a treaty of peace, and the wisdom God promised Solomon is again evident. Solomon then raises a great labor force: thirty thousand men sent to Lebanon in monthly shifts, seventy thousand burden-bearers, eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountains, and thousands of supervisors. Great, costly stones are quarried and shaped, and the builders of Solomon and Hiram prepare the timber and the stones to build the house. The chapter shows that even the worship of God involves careful planning, cooperation, and labor, all flowing from the rest and wisdom God provides.

Main Characters

  • Solomon — The king who, given rest by God, undertakes to build the temple, securing materials and labor while crediting the work to the Lord's promise.
  • Hiram, king of Tyre — The friendly neighboring king who had loved David, who praises Yahweh for Solomon's wisdom and supplies cedar and fir for the temple by treaty.
  • The laborers — The vast workforce of timber-cutters, burden-bearers, and stonecutters who quarry and prepare the materials for the house of God.

Key Verse

1 Kings 5:5 (WEB)

Behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for my name.’

Lessons Learned

  • God-given rest frees his people to take up the work he has prepared for them.
  • Great works for God are built on his promises, not merely human ambition.
  • Wise leaders gather others into common purpose, even across boundaries of nation and faith.
  • Worship rightly costs us careful planning, cooperation, and diligent labor.
  • Rest precedes the work of worship. Solomon notes, “Yahweh my God has given me rest on every side” (1 Kings 5:4, WEB), and only then turns to building. God's gift of peace makes room for his people's service.
  • We build on God's promise. Solomon acts because God said of David's son, “he shall build the house for my name” (1 Kings 5:5, WEB). Faithful work flows from what God has spoken, not mere human plans.
  • God's reputation can draw others to help. Hiram blesses “Yahweh this day, who has given to David a wise son” (1 Kings 5:7, WEB). The Lord's work in his people can move even outsiders to join the cause.
  • Holy purposes require honest labor. Solomon raises a great levy and commands that they “cut out great stones, costly stones” (1 Kings 5:17, WEB). Building for God involves real planning, sacrifice, and work.
  1. Why was David unable to build the temple, and why is Solomon now able to?
  2. How does Solomon ground his building project in God's promise rather than his own wishes?
  3. What moves Hiram to rejoice and cooperate, and what does his response say about Solomon's reputation?
  4. What does the scale of the labor force tell us about the cost of this work?
  5. Solomon prepared carefully before building. What good work has God prepared for you, and how can you plan and labor faithfully for it?
  1. David was occupied with the wars around him and could not build, but God has now given Solomon rest on every side (5:3-4). The peace God grants becomes the opportunity for the long-awaited temple, showing that God's timing, not human eagerness, governs his work.
  2. Solomon explicitly recalls God's word that David's son would build the house for his name (5:5). He is not pursuing a personal monument but obeying and fulfilling a divine promise, anchoring the whole enterprise in what God has said.
  3. Hiram rejoices and blesses Yahweh for giving David a wise son, then gladly supplies materials (5:7-9). His response shows that Solomon's God-given wisdom and the Lord's evident favor commanded respect even beyond Israel's borders.
  4. Tens of thousands labored in Lebanon and the quarries, with thousands of supervisors (5:13-16). The sheer scale underscores that honoring God with a fitting house required enormous cooperation, cost, and effort, not a casual undertaking.
  5. This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name a work God has set before them and to consider how thoughtful preparation and steady effort, resting in his promises, can serve it. As leader, encourage diligence held together with trust in the Lord's provision.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.