What help did Solomon ask Hiram to supply for the Lord’s house?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He asked for a skilled workman and abundant timber from Libanus. He promised food and drink for the woodcutters, while Hiram arranged sea delivery to Joppe and left the journey from there to Jerusalem to Solomon.

Chapter breakdown

Solomon sends to Hiram for a workman and timber for the building.

Solomon determined to build a house to the name of the Lord and a palace for himself. He numbered 70,000 men to carry burdens, 80,000 to hew stones in the mountains and 3,600 overseers.

Solomon sent to Hiram king of Tyre, recalling how Hiram had sent cedars to David for the house in which David lived. He asked for the same help to build and dedicate a house to the Lord’s name: to burn incense and aromatic spices, set out continual bread and offer holocausts morning and evening, on sabbaths, new moons and the Lord’s solemnities, as commanded to Israel for ever. The house would be great because their God was above all gods. Yet heaven and the heavens of heavens could not contain him. Solomon asked who could build him a worthy house, and who Solomon was to do so. He stated the purpose as a place where incense might be burnt before God.

Solomon asked for a skilful man to work in gold, silver, brass and iron, in purple, scarlet and blue, and in engraving, alongside the artificers in Judea and Jerusalem whom David had provided. He also asked for cedars, firs and pines from Libanus, knowing Hiram’s servants were skilled at cutting its timber. Solomon’s servants would work with them. Much timber was needed because the house would be exceedingly great and glorious. For the servants cutting wood he would give 20,000 cores of wheat, 20,000 cores of barley, 20,000 measures of wine and 20,000 measures of oil.

Hiram answered by letter that the Lord had made Solomon king because he loved his people. He blessed the Lord God of Israel, maker of heaven and earth, who had given David a wise son with knowledge, understanding and prudence to build the Lord’s house and a palace for himself. Hiram wrote that he had sent “my father Hiram,” a wise and most skilful man. This workman was the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; his father was a Tyrian. He knew how to work in gold, silver, brass, iron, marble, timber, purple, violet, silk and scarlet, and in every sort of engraving, and to devise ingeniously whatever the work needed. He would work with Solomon’s artificers and those of David, whom the king of Tyre called his lord and Solomon’s father.

Hiram asked Solomon to send his servants the wheat, barley, oil and wine he had promised. They would cut as many trees in Libanus as Solomon needed and bring them in floats by sea to Joppe. Solomon’s part would be to bring them from there to Jerusalem.

Solomon numbered all the proselytes in Israel’s land after the numbering David his father had made. There were 153,600. He appointed 70,000 to carry burdens on their shoulders, 80,000 to hew stones in the mountains and 3,600 overseers to direct the people’s work.

The story inside

The decision to build the Lord’s house and Solomon’s palace leads to a count of workers and an exchange with Hiram king of Tyre. Solomon recalls the cedars supplied to David, explains the house’s stated worship uses and its greatness, and admits that even the heavens cannot contain God. He then names the skills, timber and quantities of provisions he requests or promises. Hiram answers with a blessing, describes the workman’s parentage and skills and specifies how the timber will reach Joppe. The final count identifies the numbered people as proselytes and gives their total and three work assignments. The exchange records particular requests and arrangements without saying that every material has already been secured.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Solomon explains both the greatness and the limit of the building. God is above all gods, but heaven and the heavens of heavens cannot contain him. The house has named worship uses, including continual bread, morning and evening holocausts, sabbaths, new moons and solemnities. Those details keep the explanation tied to what Solomon actually says.
2
The two descriptions of skills have their own lists. Solomon asks for work in metals, purple, scarlet, blue and engraving; Hiram’s answer adds marble, timber, violet, silk and the ability to devise the needed work. The answer also names the workman’s mother as a woman of Dan and his father as a Tyrian, while retaining the letter’s wording “my father Hiram” without deciding its meaning from another source.
3
The building arrangements divide responsibilities. Solomon promises each of the four provisions in its stated quantity and unit. Hiram’s servants will cut the needed trees and float them to Joppe; Solomon must bring them onward to Jerusalem. The final total of 153,600 is divided into 70,000 burden bearers, 80,000 stone hewers and 3,600 overseers, preserving the source’s name for the numbered people: proselytes.

Test your recall

Solomon determines to build the Lord’s house and his own palace → he numbers workers and asks Hiram for help. The great house requires timber and skilled work → Solomon names the supplies and offers provisions for woodcutters. Hiram answers the request → he describes the workman and promises floats to Joppe. That delivery reaches Joppe → Solomon is responsible for bringing the timber to Jerusalem. The numbering of proselytes totals 153,600 → the account assigns them to carrying, stone cutting and oversight.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 44462–44465
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 2 Solomon’s embassy to Hiram, who sends him a skilful workman and timber.
Lines 44466–44471
2:1. And Solomon determined to build a house to the name of the Lord, and a palace for himself. 2:2. And he numbered out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.
Lines 44473–44490
2:3. He sent also to Hiram king of Tyre, saying: As thou didst with David my father, and didst send him cedars, to build him a house, in which he dwelt: 2:4. So do with me that I may build a house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to burn incense before him, and to perfume with aromatical spices, and for the continual setting forth of bread, and for the holocausts, morning and evening, and on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and the solemnities of the Lord our God for ever, which are commanded for Israel. 2:5. For the house which I desire to build, is great: for our God is great above all gods. 2:6. Who then can be able to build him a worthy house? if heaven, and the heavens of heavens cannot contain him: who am I that I should be able to build him a house? but to this end only, that incense may be burnt before him.
Lines 44492–44507
2:7. Send me therefore a skilful man, that knoweth how to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, and in iron, in purple, in scarlet and in blue, and that hath skill in engraving, with the artificers, which I have with me in Judea and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. 2:8. Send me also cedars, and fir trees, and pine trees from Libanus: for I know that thy servants are skilful in cutting timber in Libanus, and my servants shall be with thy servants, 2:9. To provide me timber in abundance. For the house which I desire to build, is to be exceeding great, and glorious. 2:10. And I will give thy servants the workmen that are to cut down the trees, for their food twenty thousand cores of wheat, and as many cores of barley, and twenty thousand measures of wine, and twenty thousand measures of oil.
Lines 44509–44526
2:11. And Hiram king of Tyre sent a letter to Solomon, saying: Because the Lord hath loved his people, therefore he hath made thee king over them. 2:12. And he added, saying: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who hath given to king David a wise and knowing son, endued with understanding and prudence, to build a house to the Lord, and a palace for himself. 2:13. I therefore have sent thee my father Hiram, a wise and most skilful man, 2:14. The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, whose father was a Tyrian, who knoweth how to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, and in iron, and in marble, and in timber, in purple also, and violet, and silk and scarlet: and who knoweth to grave all sort of graving, and to devise ingeniously all that there may be need of in the work with thy artificers, and with the artificers of my lord David thy father.
Lines 44528–44533
2:15. The wheat therefore, and the barley and the oil, and the wine, which thou, my lord, hast promised, send to thy servants. 2:16. And we will cut down as many trees out of Libanus, as thou shalt want, and will convey them in floats by sea to Joppe: and it will be thy part to bring them thence to Jerusalem.
Lines 44535–44544
2:17. And Solomon numbered all the proselytes in the land of Israel, after the numbering which David his father had made, and they were found a hundred and fifty-three thousand and six hundred. 2:18. And he set seventy thousand of them to carry burdens on their shoulders, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountains: and three thousand and six hundred to be overseers of the work of the people.