1 Kings 9:14 kjv
And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.
1 Kings 9:14 nkjv
Then Hiram sent the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold.
1 Kings 9:14 niv
Now Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold.
1 Kings 9:14 esv
Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold.
1 Kings 9:14 nlt
Nevertheless, Hiram paid Solomon 9,000 pounds of gold.
1 Kings 9 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 5:1 | Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard... | Hiram's initial outreach to Solomon. |
| 1 Ki 5:6 | "Therefore command that they cut for me cedars from Lebanon... | Solomon's request for building materials/aid. |
| 1 Ki 5:9-10 | My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea... so Hiram gave Solomon cedars and cypress logs, as much as he desired. | Hiram's supply of timber for building. |
| 1 Ki 5:11 | Solomon in return gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat... and twenty thousand kors of oil. | Solomon's annual payment to Hiram in kind. |
| 1 Ki 9:10 | At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon had built the two houses... | Establishes the timeframe of the projects. |
| 1 Ki 9:11-13 | (Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedars and cypress and gold... Then Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee... and Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities... But they did not please him. And he said, "What kind of cities are these...?") | The preceding context about Solomon giving cities to Hiram and Hiram's dissatisfaction. This verse often comes after 9:14 in some narrative order or summaries the transactions between Hiram and Solomon in relation to the work done. |
| 1 Ki 10:14 | The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was 666 talents of gold. | Shows Solomon's massive yearly income of gold. |
| 1 Ki 10:23 | So King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. | Solomon's renowned wealth and wisdom. |
| 2 Chr 2:3 | Then Solomon sent word to Huram the king of Tyre: "As you dealt with David my father... | Solomon's appeal to Huram (Hiram) for assistance. |
| 2 Chr 2:10 | "And behold, I will give to your servants, the cutters who cut timber, 20,000 kors of crushed wheat, 20,000 kors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil." | Parallel account of Solomon's payment to Hiram's men. |
| 2 Chr 8:18 | And Huram sent him by his servants ships and servants familiar with the sea, and they went with Solomon's servants to Ophir and brought from there 450 talents of gold... | Hiram aiding Solomon in obtaining gold. |
| 2 Chr 9:13 | Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold. | Parallel account of Solomon's vast gold income. |
| Ezr 3:7 | So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to the sea... | Later instance of reliance on Tyre for timber. |
| Mt 6:19 | Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy... | Caution against accumulating worldly wealth. |
| Jas 5:1 | Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. | Warning about the dangers of ill-gotten or misused wealth. |
| Ps 62:10 | If riches increase, set not your heart on them. | Admonition against coveting wealth. |
| Prov 28:22 | A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will overtake him. | Caution against an insatiable desire for riches. |
| Ecc 5:10 | He who loves money will not be satisfied with money... | The unsatisfying nature of wealth. |
| Hos 12:7 | A merchant, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress. | Contrasts fair dealings with unjust ones. |
| Is 23:8 | Who has planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes... | Describes Tyre's great wealth and mercantile power. |
1 Kings 9 verses
1 Kings 9 14 Meaning
1 Kings 9:14 states a precise financial record: King Hiram of Tyre had delivered a massive sum of one hundred and twenty talents of gold to King Solomon. This verse acts as a summary of Hiram's fulfillment of his obligations as part of the extensive twenty-year agreement for the construction of the Lord's temple and Solomon's royal palace, where Hiram provided cedars, cypress, and skilled laborers. It highlights the immense wealth involved in Solomon's building projects and the established reciprocal arrangements between the two kings.
1 Kings 9 14 Context
This verse is situated within the latter part of the narrative detailing Solomon's extensive twenty-year building projects, specifically the Temple of the Lord and his royal palace (1 Ki 9:10). Following this grand construction, King Solomon sought to compensate Hiram for the vast resources and labor provided. The immediate preceding verses (1 Ki 9:11-13) describe Solomon giving Hiram twenty cities in Galilee, which Hiram found unsatisfactory, dubbing the area "Cabul." Verse 14, by stating that "Hiram had sent... sixscore talents of gold," summarizes a critical component of Hiram's contribution or repayment. Scholarly interpretation often views this payment of gold as part of Hiram's earlier, ongoing contractual obligation over the 20 years of building, fulfilling his side of the long-standing alliance with Solomon (e.g., for cedars and services), rather than being a specific payment for the unsatisfactory cities mentioned immediately prior. It underscores the immense scale of Solomon's wealth and international trade relations during his reign, solidifying his economic dominance.
1 Kings 9 14 Word analysis
- And Hiram: Refers to King Hiram of Tyre, a major Phoenician city-state known for its maritime power and trade. Hiram was an ally and contemporary of both King David and King Solomon, instrumental in providing timber and skilled craftsmen for the building of the Temple and the royal palace in Jerusalem. His role highlights the diplomatic and economic interdependence between Israel and its powerful neighbor.
- had sent: The Hebrew verb is shalach (שָׁלַח), often translated as "to send" or "to dispatch." The grammatical form (perfect tense, with "And" often indicating a sequence) here can suggest a completed action, even a pluperfect sense in some translations ("had sent"), meaning this act of sending occurred prior to or as part of the total accounting mentioned. This implies a past, ongoing contribution or a summarizing statement of a major transaction already concluded.
- to the king: Specifically identifies King Solomon, son of David, the monarch of Israel renowned for his wisdom and unparalleled wealth. This emphasizes the royal nature of the transaction and the high status of the recipient.
- sixscore talents: This phrase specifies the precise amount of gold.
- sixscore: An archaic term meaning six times twenty, totaling 120. This indicates a precise, substantial quantity.
- talents: The Hebrew word is kikkār (כִּכָּר), which refers to a weight measure. A talent was a very large unit, commonly estimated at about 75 pounds (or approximately 34 kilograms) of a given material, in this case, gold. Therefore, 120 talents of gold represents an astonishing weight of approximately 9,000 pounds (over 4,000 kilograms) of gold. This staggering amount signifies immense wealth and underscores the grandeur of the projects and the richness of the ancient world's most prominent king. This quantity would be enough to significantly influence ancient economies.
- of gold: Specifies the highly valuable material. Gold in the ancient Near East was the primary standard of wealth and a symbol of royal power, prestige, and divine favor. Its mention highlights the richness of the payment and the value placed on the alliance.
1 Kings 9 14 Bonus section
The positioning of 1 Kings 9:14 immediately after Hiram's negative assessment of the cities (1 Ki 9:11-13) has led to some scholarly discussion regarding narrative flow. Some biblical scholars and ancient versions (like the Septuagint in certain manuscripts) transpose verses 10-14 to different orders. However, in the standard Hebrew Masoretic Text, the placement emphasizes that even if Hiram was unhappy with the territorial compensation, his prior substantial golden contributions were already delivered. The "had sent" (w'Ḥîrām shālekh) in the Hebrew implies a past, completed action, functioning as a summarizing statement about the total amount of gold given over time by Hiram for the immense services and resources rendered by Solomon during the decades of the building projects. This payment demonstrates that the foundation of their economic cooperation remained strong despite the minor land dispute, painting a vivid picture of Solomon's unprecedented wealth acquired through trade and international agreements. This gold, alongside tribute and other ventures, positioned Solomon as the richest monarch of his time (1 Ki 10:23).
1 Kings 9 14 Commentary
1 Kings 9:14 is a succinct yet powerful verse that provides crucial insight into the economic landscape of King Solomon's reign. It summarizes a significant payment of 120 talents of gold from King Hiram to Solomon. This record underscores the colossal scale of wealth involved in Solomon's kingdom and the ambitious projects he undertook. This payment likely represents the cumulative or final payment from Hiram as part of the extensive twenty-year agreement for the cedars, cypress, and skilled labor provided for the Temple and palace. It confirms Hiram's fulfilled obligation, often interpreted as compensation for the immense aid and resources Solomon supplied in the early stages of their alliance, particularly the provisions for Hiram's household and servants as stipulated in 1 Kings 5:11. Although the preceding verses highlight Hiram's dissatisfaction with the cities given by Solomon, verse 14 appears to assert that despite any displeasure with those particular land assets, Hiram had unequivocally delivered on his major financial commitments regarding the core building contracts. This showcases the intricate, well-documented, and often costly nature of ancient royal alliances and trade.