1 Kings 5:3 kjv
Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.
1 Kings 5:3 nkjv
You know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the LORD put his foes under the soles of his feet.
1 Kings 5:3 niv
"You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet.
1 Kings 5:3 esv
"You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.
1 Kings 5:3 nlt
"You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the LORD gave him victory over all his enemies.
1 Kings 5 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:1 | Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,... | David had some rest, but God's full promise of rest comes later. |
| 2 Sam 7:11-13 | ...the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house... your son... shall build a house for My name. | God's promise to David about his son building the temple. |
| 1 Chr 22:7-8 | David said to Solomon, "My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and waged great wars...'" | David's desire and God's reason for prohibiting him from building. |
| 1 Chr 28:2-3 | David... "I had planned to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant... but God said to me, 'You may not build a house for my name, because you are a man of war and have shed blood.'" | Reiterates the reason for David's inability to build. |
| 1 Chr 28:6 | He said to me, 'Solomon your son is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his father.' | God explicitly choosing Solomon as the builder. |
| 1 Kgs 8:17 | Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. | David's desire to build for God's Name is confirmed. |
| 1 Kgs 8:18 | But the Lord said to David my father, "Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well..." | God acknowledges David's good intention. |
| 1 Kgs 8:19 | "...only you shall not build the house, but your son who shall come out of your loins, he shall build the house for my name." | God's promise about the son (Solomon) building the temple. |
| Deut 12:10-11 | But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit... then you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose... to make his name dwell there. | God's instruction for a future central place of worship after rest. |
| Josh 21:44 | The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their fathers. | Theme of divine rest as a prerequisite for dwelling. |
| Isa 2:4 | He shall judge between the nations... neither shall they learn war anymore. | Prophecy of ultimate peace, often associated with divine kingdom. |
| Ps 110:1 | The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." | Metaphor of putting enemies "under the soles of his feet" connects to royal subjugation. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | ...For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace... on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it... with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. | Messianic prophecy, contrasting David's warring reign with the "Prince of Peace." |
| Heb 4:1-11 | Let us therefore strive to enter that rest... | The concept of 'rest' finds a deeper, spiritual fulfillment in Christ. |
| Acts 7:46-47 | David found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. | Stephen's sermon affirming David's desire and Solomon's building. |
| Matt 1:7 | and Solomon the father of Rehoboam... | Solomon as David's son in Jesus' lineage, inheriting his father's role. |
| Zech 6:12-13 | ...a man whose name is the Branch: for he shall grow up... and he shall build the temple of the Lord... and he shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne... | Prophecy of a future King/Priest (Branch) who will build a spiritual temple. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house... | NT understanding of the spiritual temple, built by God's people. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | ...built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. | The church as God's spiritual temple in the NT. |
| Rev 21:22-23 | And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. | The ultimate dwelling place of God, no physical temple needed. |
1 Kings 5 verses
1 Kings 5 3 Meaning
King Solomon informs King Hiram of Tyre that his father David could not build a temple for the Lord his God because David was constantly engaged in wars with surrounding nations. The construction of a house for God's Name had to await a time when the Lord had granted peace by subjecting David's enemies completely under his authority, a state of affairs now fulfilled during Solomon's reign. This verse establishes the divine reason for the delay and sets the stage for Solomon, the king of peace, to undertake the temple project.
1 Kings 5 3 Context
1 Kings Chapter 5 describes the cooperative preparations for the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Following David's death and Solomon's ascension to the throne, Solomon sends a message to Hiram, King of Tyre, acknowledging their fathers' friendship and proposing a renewed alliance. Solomon requests skilled craftsmen (like Sidonian loggers and builders) and materials (cedar and cypress timber from Lebanon), offering to pay with food for Hiram's household and labor. Verse 3 serves as a diplomatic and theological justification from Solomon for why he, and not David, is building the temple. It signals that the conditions (peace and rest from enemies) required for such a sacred and momentous undertaking have finally been met during Solomon's peaceful reign, setting the stage for the building project described in the subsequent chapters. Historically, this alliance with Phoenicia was crucial, as Israel lacked the advanced woodworking and maritime skills for such an immense construction project, while Phoenicia was renowned for both.
1 Kings 5 3 Word analysis
- "You know" (אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ - attah yada'ta): Indicates Solomon is appealing to Hiram's existing knowledge and understanding, perhaps from the long-standing friendly relationship between Tyre and Israel under David. It establishes common ground and underscores the truthfulness of the statement.
- "David my father": Establishes Solomon's authority and legitimate claim to the throne, as the rightful successor who embodies the legacy and intentions of the beloved King David. This reinforces continuity in the royal line.
- "could not build" (לֹא יָכֹל לִבְנוֹת - lo yakhol livnot): Emphasizes David's inability, not for lack of desire or resources, but due to divine constraint and ongoing warfare. It highlights that the choice of builder was God's, not David's.
- "a house" (בַּיִת - bayit): Here, specifically refers to the Temple, God's dwelling place on earth. It's more than a physical structure; it represents a dedicated sacred space for God's presence among His people, the center of worship.
- "for the name of the Lord his God" (לְשֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו - l'shem Yahweh Elohav): "Name of the Lord" is a crucial theological concept, signifying God's revealed character, His presence, and His authority. The temple was not for God to live in as humans do, but as a place where His Name (His essence, power, and glory) would reside and be honored, making Him accessible to His people for worship and fellowship. It signifies a point of connection between heaven and earth.
- "because of the wars" (מִפְּנֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה - mippenei hammilchamah): This is the direct, divinely stated reason. Warfare, bloodshed, and instability were incompatible with the sacred purity and peace required for building the holy sanctuary of YHWH. This highlights God's particular standards for His dwelling.
- "that were all around him": Signifies the constant and pervasive nature of the military conflicts David faced, from all directions (Philistines, Syrians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites). This portrays a reign constantly occupied with establishing and securing the kingdom's borders.
- "until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet" (עַד נָתַן יְהוָה אֹתָם תַּחַת כַּפּוֹת רַגְלָיו - ‘ad natan Yahweh otam tachat kappot raglav): This is a powerful metaphor for complete and decisive victory, total subjugation, and pacification. It signifies not merely a cessation of war but a divinely ordained state of comprehensive peace, allowing for the peaceful conditions necessary for the Temple's construction. This imagery is rooted in ancient Near Eastern royal rituals where kings literally stepped on vanquished enemies.
Word-Group/Phrase Analysis:
- "David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God": This phrase encapsulates a fundamental theological principle: God's sovereignty over His own dwelling. David, despite his righteous desire, was providentially excluded due to his role as a warrior. It subtly implies a contrast between David's divinely-appointed role in establishing the kingdom through warfare and Solomon's divinely-appointed role in consolidating it through peace and temple construction.
- "because of the wars that were all around him": This explains the immediate human circumstances, which aligned with God's ultimate plan. The constant strife of David's reign made an atmosphere of sustained devotion and pure worship, signified by temple building, unsuitable.
- "until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet": This emphasizes that the ensuing peace was not simply a result of David's military prowess, but a divine bestowal. God, not David, was the ultimate victor, bringing about the necessary tranquility for His "house" to be built. It points to a culmination of God's covenant promises of rest for Israel, and specifically implies that David's military campaigns were instrumental, even if he couldn't personally build. The "feet" metaphor is also applied to Messiah in Ps 110:1, signifying ultimate dominion.
1 Kings 5 3 Bonus section
The distinction between David, the man of war, and Solomon, the man of peace, and their respective roles concerning the Temple building, points to a crucial aspect of God's character and plan. It signifies that divine dwelling and ultimate peace (shalom) are not primarily established through human conflict but through God's own active presence. David’s military conquests were a necessary stage in God's redemptive plan, establishing the physical boundaries and security of the kingdom, making it possible for the future period of rest. Solomon’s reign represents the flourishing of this kingdom under a divinely granted peace, allowing for the construction of a spiritual symbol of God's restful presence. This pattern foreshadows the two comings of Messiah: the first, the "Son of David," overcoming sin and spiritual enemies, and the second, the "Prince of Peace," establishing His eternal reign and new heavens and new earth, where war and sin are no more, and God truly dwells among His people without the need for a physical temple (Rev 21:3, 22).
1 Kings 5 3 Commentary
1 Kings 5:3 lays the foundational theological and historical rationale for the Temple's construction. It elucidates why the revered King David, who intensely desired to build a permanent dwelling for God, was unable to do so, while his son Solomon was destined for this task. The primary reason given is "wars." David's reign was characterized by relentless conflict necessary to establish and expand Israel's kingdom and secure its borders against various enemies. God had specifically deemed a "man of war and bloodshed" unsuitable for building the holy Temple (1 Chr 22:8; 28:3). This wasn't a condemnation of David, but an assertion of the unique purity and sanctity required for the place where God's Name would dwell. The Temple symbolized peace, holiness, and the stable presence of God among His people; an environment of constant warfare was incongruous with its nature.
Solomon's ascension brought about a period of remarkable peace, precisely the "rest" from enemies that David had sought, as promised by God (2 Sam 7:1, 11). This peace was divinely orchestrated, symbolized by the phrase "until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet," signifying complete subjugation and victory over all adversaries. This tranquil environment under Solomon ("peace" in Hebrew, Shlomo, echoing shalom) made him the divinely chosen vessel for constructing the House of the Lord. The Temple was not merely a royal project, but a covenantal one, requiring God's specific timing and choosing of the builder. Thus, 1 Kings 5:3 is not just an historical account; it is a theological statement affirming God's sovereignty over time, destiny, and the instruments of His will, ultimately preparing a fitting, peaceful space for His manifest presence among His people.