9:1–9 God responds to the completion of Solomon’s building projects (chs. 6–8) by appearing to him a second time, presumably in a dream (3:5; 9:2; 11:9). God affirms He has heard Solomon’s prayer (8:22–53; 9:3), reiterates the Davidic covenant and its conditions (vv. 4–5), and warns Israel of the risk of disobedience using vocabulary reminiscent of the book of Deuteronomy (vv. 4–9). The covenant faithfulness of the king and his people determines the fate of both the throne and the nation.

9:1 as Solomon finished the building of Twenty years after Solomon’s coronation (v. 10).

the house of Yahweh The temple took seven years to complete (6:1–38; 7:13–8:66).

the king’s house Refers to the House of the Forest of Lebanon, Hall of Pillars, Hall of the Throne, Hall of Judgment, Solomon’s own house, and a house for Pharaoh’s daughter, Solomon’s wife (7:1–12). This complex took 13 years to build (7:1).

all the things Solomon desired to do Possibly refers to the projects described in vv. 15–28.

9:2 a second time God endowed Solomon with divine wisdom the first time He appeared to him (3:1–15).

9:3 I have consecrated this house Usually, humans serve as the grammatical subject of the Hebrew verb used here—meaning they are consecrated by God (e.g., 2 Sam 8:11). Here, God endows the temple with holiness, receives Solomon’s gifts, and resides in the temple (1 Kgs 8:10–11).

putting my name there forever Continues the tension between the concept of an earthly abode and the insistence that God does not live on earth, but in the heavens (8:13, 27, 29, 39, 43–44, 49; compare Exod 15:17; Isa 66:1).

The Name Theology of the Old Testament

My eyes and my heart In his prayer, Solomon asked God to keep His eyes open toward the temple and to hear the prayers of the people (1 Kgs 8:27–30).

9:4 you walk before The Hebrew phrase used here, halakh liphney, means “to serve” and always appears in reference to kings serving God (compare 8:23, 25; 2 Kgs 20:3).

as David your father walked David’s obedience to Yahweh serves as the standard that all Israelite kings should emulate.

with integrity of heart and with uprightness Used to describe David (Psa 78:72; compare Job 1:1, 8).

9:5 A man will not be cut off for you from upon the throne of Another reference to God’s covenant with David (2 Sam 7:13–16; 1 Kgs 2:4; 3:6–7; 8:20, 25). See note on 2:4.

9:6 ever you or any of your descendants turn The Hebrew text of vv. 6–9 switches from singular to plural. This may refer to Solomon’s descendants or Israel itself. The author may have switched from singular to plural to accommodate for the fact that, while Solomon does not keep God’s commands and worships other gods (see 11:1–13), God does not destroy Israel and the temple as He vows to here (vv. 6–9).

serve other gods Describes apostasy, the reason for the fall of both the northern and southern kingdoms (2 Kgs 17:7–23; 21:10–18).

9:7 I will cast away from my face In contrast, Ezekiel envisions God leaving the temple (Ezek 10).

an object of taunting The word sheninah describes a pointed, sharp remark (Deut 6:7; 28:37; Jer 24:9).

9:8 all those passing by will be appalled by it and hiss The prophets frequently use this proverbial image (Jer 18:16; 19:8; 49:17; 50:13; Lam 2:15; Ezek 27:36; Zeph 2:15).

On what account did Yahweh do this to this land and to this house? Echoes the question and answer sequence of Deut 29:23–27 (compare Jer 22:8–9).

9:9 they have forsaken Yahweh their God This describes religious apostasy, which is the reason for the ultimate fall of both the northern and southern kingdoms (2 Kgs 17:7–23; 21:10–18).

9:10–28 This passage contains a list of Solomon’s lesser-known projects and actions. It records a disagreement between Solomon and Hiram (1 Kings 9:11–13) and gives an account of Solomon’s forced labor at odds with 5:13 (vv. 20–22; compare 12:4). This passage sets the stage for the coming conflict (ch. 11).

9:10 the end of twenty years See note on v. 1.

9:11 Hiram king of Tyre See note on 5:1.

cedar See 5:6 and note; 5:8 and note.

wood of cypresses See note on 5:8.

twenty cities in the land of the Galilee In addition to the yearly provisions listed in 5:11.

9:13 Cabul The meaning of the word used here, kavul, is uncertain. The same name is applied to a border town of the tribe of Asher (Josh 19:27).

9:14 a hundred and twenty talents of gold May describe a tribute payment (Judg 3:15, 17; 2 Sam 8:2, 6; 2 Kgs 17:3). The Queen of Sheba brings the same amount (1 Kings 10:10). See note on 4:21.

9:15 Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer These cities represent important sites in the archaeological debate over the history of Israel during the Monarchic Period and the usefulness of the ot for reconstructing history.

Millo The meaning of the Hebrew word used here is unclear. The consensus among archaeologists is that it refers to a terraced earthwork that was part of a large retaining wall in Jerusalem.

9:16 Canaanites who were living in the city Though Gezer was located near the Philistine cities of Ekron, Gath, and Ashkelon, it remained a Canaanite city.

his daughter, the wife of Solomon Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter early in his reign (3:1). The construction of a house built for her attests to her elevated status among Solomon’s 700 wives (7:8; 11:3). See note on 3:1.

9:17 Gezer Canaanite city in the hills of Judah.

Lower Beth-Horon Levitical city in the territory of Ephraim.

9:18 Baalath Town originally assigned to the tribe of Dan.

Tamar This location is unknown, but it is believed to be southwest of the Dead Sea.

9:19 the storage cities The Hebrew phrase used here, are hammiskenoth, refers to the type of city that the Hebrew slaves were forced to build in Egypt (Exod 1:11). First Kings 5:13 states that Solomon conscripted 30,000 people for these projects (compare 12:4).

the cities for the cavalry These are also mentioned in 10:26. The large stables at Megiddo suggest that it may have served as one of Solomon’s cavalry cities.

9:20 All of the people who were remaining Lists the people groups residing in the land before the Israelites arrived. Lists like this one vary from five to 10 groups (see Gen 15:19–21; Exod 23:23; Deut 7:1).

9:21 remained after them in the land Deuteronomy 7:1–5 and 1 Kings 20:16–18 specify that these cities were to be destroyed completely.

9:22 Solomon did not make a slave Although this seems to emphasize that Solomon conscripted only non-Israelites, the language of 5:13 leaves more room for interpretation.

9:23 the commanders of the overseers First Kings 5:16 mentions 3,300 chief officers over the work, though this number may refer to the stonework for the temple.

9:24 her house which he built See 3:1; 7:8.

Millo See note on v. 15.

9:25 three times A possible reference to three pilgrimage festivals, when the Israelites went to Jerusalem (Exod 23:14–17; Deut 16:1–17).

the altar See note on 1 Kings 8:22.

he completed The word shillam refers to Solomon’s constant maintenance of the temple.

9:27 his servants Hiram’s servants were Sidonians—men from the city of Sidon.

9:28 to Ophir A region known for very fine gold (Job 28:16; Isa 13:12). Its exact location is unknown, but it is thought to have been on the southern Arabian Peninsula on the Red Sea.

four hundred and twenty talents of gold An exaggerated number; 120 talents of gold probably represents a more appropriate tribute (1 Kings 9:14; 10:10). Compare note on 8:63.