Verses 3-6 consist of the message that Solomon sent to Hiram. These words are treated as a direct quotation in virtually all versions.

You know: Neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation retains the force of the emphatic second person singular pronoun You here. Use of this pronoun in Hebrew gives slightly more focus or prominence than does the use of the pronoun in English. Compare Chouraqui with “You have known, you yourself” and La Bible du Semeur with “You yourself knew.”

In most languages it is possible to say David my father or “my father David,” but one form may be somewhat more natural than the other in many languages.

A house for the name of the LORD his God: House refers to the Temple in Jerusalem. Many common language translations say “temple” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

The words for the name of are a literal translation of the Hebrew, which also occurred in 1 Kgs 3.2. To speak of a person’s name often included the idea of speaking about a person’s character, reputation, or being. To build a house for the name of the LORD means to build a temple where people will be able to honor (New American Bible) or worship (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) God. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “to build a temple consecrated to the Lord his God” and Peregrino has “… in honor of the Lord, his God.” If a literal translation of the words the LORD his God would imply that Solomon’s God was a different God from the one whom David worshiped, then the receptor language will need to state this in a way that does not give such an incorrect meaning. In some cases this may mean translating it as “the LORD our God,” so that Solomon includes himself with those who worship Yahweh like his father. There is a danger in using a possessive pronoun such as his or “our” in this phrase since it may be misunderstood as indicating that God was considered the personal possession or exclusive property of the people involved. Since this is clearly not the intention of the writer, some translators may have to omit the possessive pronoun or replace his God with “God of Israel.”

Because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him is literally “because of the warfare which they surrounded him.” Revised Standard Version identifies the subject of the verb “surrounded” as his enemies. But the reference is not to enemies within David’s own country but rather to those from surrounding nations. For this reason the following renderings may be more suitable models for his enemies surrounded him: “the enemy countries all around him” (Good News Translation), “the neighboring people” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), and “the armed nations surrounding him” (Revised English Bible).

Until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet: One major manuscript of the Septuagint omits the LORD, saying “until they should be put under the soles of his feet.” This reading is followed by De Vries. However, the Masoretic Text is rightly followed by nearly all modern translations here.

The expression put them under the soles of his feet is a common biblical idiom, which is found with minor differences in such passages as Josh 10.24; Psa 8.6; 1 Cor 15.25; Eph 1.22; Heb 2.8. This action symbolizes complete victory over one’s enemies. The reading in the margin of the Masoretic Text is “my feet” (so Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Jewish Publication Version) rather than his feet. According to this corrected reading, the pronoun “my” would refer to Solomon, while the pronoun his in the text refers to David. Most modern translations, however, follow the reading in the Hebrew text instead of the corrected reading in the margin.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The cedar within the house refers to the cedar panels mentioned in verse 15.

Was carved in the form of gourds renders two Hebrew nouns, which most likely mean “wood-carvings of gourd-shaped ornaments.” The passive verb was carved may be translated actively as “some workers had carved.” Gourds in Israel come from vines like melons and pumpkins. They are a round fruit with a neck. When they were split lengthwise, they were used for dipping liquids. It is the form of the fruit that is important in this context. In Africa a type of small calabash may be used here. If a specific word for gourds does not exist in the receptor language, a general word such as “plants” (New Century Version) may be used.

Open flowers translates two Hebrew words. The first word is a participle that comes from the root meaning “to break forth” or “to open” and refers to an early stage of flowering. The second word is a noun meaning “flower.” In New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh these two words are rendered “calyxes,” which is a technical English term for the external leafy part of a flower. New Jerusalem Bible uses the term “rosettes,” which is a technical term for a floral design used in artwork as a decorating motif. If such a technical term exists in the receptor language and is well known, it may be used here. If not, a more general expression such as “open flowers” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible) may be used.

The decorations of gourds and open flowers probably had religious significance, but whatever the meanings were is no longer known.

No stone was seen: The Temple was built from stone prepared at a quarry (verse 7), but all of these stones were covered inside the building with wood panels so that the stones were not visible. In situations where the passive is not an option, translators may say simply “people could not see any stone” or “no one could see the stones.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

As the footnote in Good News Translation states, verse 17 in Hebrew is unclear and the text is uncertain. New Jerusalem Bible has a footnote on this verse which states “The text of vv. 17-20 is disordered and in places corrupt. Restoration conjectural.” This means that the translators of New Jerusalem Bible have found the Masoretic Text to be too difficult to understand and they have concluded that the text must contain errors. They have, therefore, attempted to correct the text to what they think it most likely read originally.

He made two nets of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals upon the tops of the pillars; a net for the one capital, and a net for the other capital: The following New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translation of this verse is based entirely on the Masoretic Text: “also nets of meshwork with festoons of chainwork for the capitals that were on the top of the columns, seven for each of the two capitals.” “Festoons” are decorative garlands. Commentators are not agreed on whether these wreaths were decorative or merely functional. A more common language rendering of the Masoretic Text for this verse would be “He also made something like a net out of chains for the heads of the columns, seven chains for the head of each column.” The nets were made of bronze.

Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint, which makes clear sense of the verse. He made two is based on the Septuagint; the Masoretic Text does not have these words. A net … a net is also based on the Septuagint, and agrees with the information in verses 41-42. The Masoretic Text reads “seven … seven,” that is, “seven for the one capital and seven for the second capital” (so Anchor Bible). The Hebrew word for “seven” (shibʿah) is similar to the Hebrew word for net (sebakah).

Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text but acknowledges that it is a difficult text. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament argues that the translators of the Septuagint may have used the information in verses 41-42 to clarify the content of verse 17. Despite the recommendation of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament to translate the Masoretic Text here, translators are encouraged to follow the example of those versions that adopt the Septuagint here (so Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The ark of the covenant of the LORD: See the comments on 1 Kgs 2.26 and 3.15.

The words in the inner sanctuary of the house (see 1 Kgs 6.5, 16) are in apposition to to its place. And the words in the most holy place (see 1 Kgs 6.16) are in apposition to in the inner sanctuary of the house. Here, of course, the house refers to “the Temple.” The most holy place is a reference to what is traditionally called “the holy of holies” (New American Bible).

Cherubim: See the comments on 1 Kgs 6.23.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Verse 40 expresses the purpose for which God should act and deal with each person as he deserves. Given the length of the sentence, which begins in verse 37, it may be advisable to begin a new sentence at this point. New Century Version begins with “Do this so….”

The Hebrew verb rendered fear covers a range of meanings, including “to be afraid,” “to tremble,” “to stand in awe,” and “to have reverence for.” The context here suggests that the sense is not so much “be afraid of” as “revere” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “reverence” (New Jerusalem Bible), “worship and obey” (Contemporary English Version), or “stand in awe” (Moffatt). New Century Version says “respect,” but this seems rather weak in English. A number of modern versions continue to use the verb “fear” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible).

The land which thou gavest to our fathers: See the comments on verse 34.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This house will become a heap of ruins: This house is the Temple. For the whole clause the Masoretic Text says “this house will be high/exalted,” but this makes no sense in the context. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh attempts to make sense of the Hebrew by treating the words here as indicating a concession with the meaning “even though the Temple was exalted.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “as for this House, once so exalted, everyone passing by it shall…” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Nouvelle Bible Segond). But it is very doubtful that the Hebrew can be forced to have this meaning. A footnote in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh gives the reading found in several ancient versions (those followed by Revised Standard Version), which implies that the New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translators themselves do not think the Masoretic Text is correct here.

New International Version also attempts to translate the Masoretic Text. New International Version reads “And though this temple is now imposing, all who pass by…” (similarly New Living Translation); but it is doubtful that the Hebrew grammar can be forced to give this meaning either. These translations that attempt to translate the Masoretic Text here do not say that the Temple will be destroyed, since the Masoretic Text does not have the word “ruin.”

New Jerusalem Bible follows one part of the Septuagint tradition in reading the two Hebrew words for “will be high” as the single adjective “high.” New Jerusalem Bible says “As for this once-exalted Temple, everyone who passes by…,” but this translation, which is similar to that in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, is not recommended.

The Hebrew word for “high” may be the result of a scribe having accidentally or deliberately reversed the order of the first two letters in the Hebrew noun for “ruin.” Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation are corrections of the Hebrew text based on the reading of ancient translations in Syriac and Latin (also Revised English Bible). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating to this correction based on the ancient versions. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament argues that before the Masoretic Text was fixed in its present form, a pious scribe changed the word “ruin” to “high” in order to eliminate the prophecy about the destruction of the Temple. Translators should follow the meaning found in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Compare also Contemporary English Version, which says “This temple will become a pile of rocks!” The destruction of the Temple in the sixth century B.C. by the army of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia is reported in 2 Kgs 25.9 and 2 Chr 36.19.

Will hiss: The Hebrew verb here and related nouns usually refer to the sound made by someone when passing by ruins and deserted areas where there was once a great city or power. It refers to the action of whistling (so New Jerusalem Bible) or hissing. The significance of this action is usually understood as an expression of shock (Contemporary English Version “will be shocked”), amazement, or derision (making negative comments). New American Bible, for example, combines the verbs astonished and hiss to read “shall catch his breath in amazement.” Some interpreters, however, understand the significance of the whistling to be that of keeping demons away from the person whistling.

Why has the LORD done thus to this land…?: This is the same question that Moses said people from other nations would ask (Deut 29.24). But the writer here goes on to add and to this house. Not only would the land of Israel be treated badly by the LORD, but also the Temple in which the Israelites worship him would suffer disgrace.

This question is a quotation within a quotation. Here Good News Translation maintains the form of the Hebrew, but in some languages it may be better to restate this in the form of an indirect quotation. One may say, for example, “they will ask why the LORD has done such a thing….”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold: In certain languages it will be more fitting to say that Solomon had these shields made (as in Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie) or that he caused workmen to make them. The verb made is not to be taken in its most literal sense.

The Hebrew noun rendered large shields refers to rectangular shields that protected the whole body. It differs from the Hebrew noun for “shields” in verse 17, which Good News Translation renders “smaller shields” (also La Bible Pléiade). The Jerusalem Bible (Jerusalem Bible) follows the Septuagint in reading “three hundred” shields, but New Jerusalem Bible reads “two hundred,” as do most modern versions.

It is possible that the shields were made of gold, but more likely they were made of wood or some kind of metal and “overlaid” with gold (so Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The adjective beaten translates a Hebrew participle from the verb usually meaning “to slaughter.” In this context it is usually understood to mean “to beat”; that is, the gold was beaten or hammered into very thin sheets that covered the shields made of wood. Most modern versions are based on this understanding of the Hebrew verb and say beaten gold (for example, Revised Standard Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) or “overlaid with gold.”

However, according to Holladay, the Hebrew verb should be understood in light of a similar verb in Arabic which means to mix wine with water. In this case the Hebrew verb will mean “mixed” or “alloyed,” that is, the gold was mixed with some other kind of metal. This understanding is followed in Bible en français courant, which says “gold alloy.”

Six hundred shekels of gold is literally “six hundred gold,” but the noun shekels is understood and is supplied in the Revised Standard Version translation. The modern equivalent of a shekel is 11.4 grams or 0.4 ounces. In pounds the equivalent of six hundred shekels is “almost fifteen pounds” (Good News Translation). In kilograms the equivalent is about “six kilos” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) or “seven kilos” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). A recently discovered bronze weight in the shape of a dome has the word “shekel” written in Hebrew on it. The weight comes from the early eighth century B.C. and weighs 0.57 ounces, which is considerably more than the average shekel, which weighed 0.4 ounces.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

God also raised up as an adversary to him: Also is a translation of the common Hebrew conjunction, but the context requires something that shows that this is the second time that God had caused someone to oppose Solomon. In other languages it will be more natural to speak of “another enemy” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Nouvelle Bible Segond, La Bible du Semeur, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

For raised up, see the comments at verse 14, and for adversary refer to the comments on 1 Kgs 5.4.

Since the pronoun him could be misunderstood as referring to Hadad, many modern versions substitute the name “Solomon” for the pronoun (Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

Rezon the son of Eliada became an enemy on Solomon’s northern border. Rezon should not confused with the similar name of Rezin, another Syrian king, who is mentioned in 2 Kgs 15–16. Apart from these few verses in 1 Kings, nothing more is known about Rezon.

His master is rendered “his lord” by New American Bible and Jewish Publication Version. The Hebrew term (ʾadonai) used here is the same one that is sometimes used of God, but in this context it clearly refers to the king to whom Rezon was supposed to be subject. This does not mean that Rezon was his slave, but that he would normally have submitted to him as a loyal subject.

Hadadezer king of Zobah: Zobah was an independent Syrian city-state north of Damascus. The record of David’s troubles with the king of this territory is found in 2 Sam 8.3-12 and 1 Chr 18.3-11.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .