“And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.”
Which is to be understood of all sorts of officers and overseers: for else the chief officers were but 3300, as in 1 Kings 5:16 .
“And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me. Huram: or, Hiram”
Cross references: : 2 Sam. 5:11 Or, Hiram.
“But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him? is able: Heb. hath retained, or, obtained strength”
That is, to do the service which he hath commanded, signifying that none is able to honor and serve God in that perfection as his majesty deserveth.
“Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, algum: or, Almuggim, I.Kin.10.11.”
Or, Almuggim. Some take it for Brasil, or the wood called Ebenum, others for coral.
“And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”
Of Bath read 1 Kings 7:26 , it is called also Ephah, but Ephah is to measure dry things, as Bath is a measure for liquors. Hebrew, Corins.
“Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom. endued: Heb. knowing prudence and understanding”
The very heavens confessed that it was a singular gift of God, when he gave to any nation a King that was wise and of understanding, albeit it appeareth that this Hiram had the true knowledge of God.
“The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.”
It is also written that she was of the tribe of Naphtali, 1 Kings 7:14 , which may be understood that by reason of the confusion of tribes, which then began to be, they married in divers tribes, so that by her father she might be of Dan, and by her mother of Naphtali.