John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon unto the sea , etc.] The Mediterranean sea, on which Tyre stood: and I will convey them by sea in floats ; which were either a sort of carriage for the timber the Tyrians and Sidonians had, being furnished with various navigable vessels; or these were the timber itself, and the planks of it, which being fastened together, were set afloat under the direction of some boats with oars, of which they had plenty: unto the place that thou shalt appoint me ; which was Joppa, as appears from ( 2 Chronicles 2:16); belonging to the land of Israel, in the same sea: and will cause them to be discharged there ; either to be unloaded from the vessels, or to be unloosed and taken up separately: and thou shalt receive [them] ; by his servants appointed there to bring them to Jerusalem, which was forty miles from Joppa: and thou shalt accomplish my desire in giving food for my household ; signifying, that all that he desired in return was, that he would supply him with corn or wheat, which he stood in need of, and his letter in Josephus f79 expresses; and we find in later times this place was supplied with bread corn from Judea, (see Ezra 3:7 Ezekiel 27:17) ( Acts 12:20). Ver. 10 . So Hiram, gave Solomon cedar trees, and fir trees , etc.] Ordered his servants to cut them down from Lebanon, and sent them to him in floats, which he received: [according to] all his desire ; he had as many as he requested, and what he wanted.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - Here is Solomon's design to build a temple. There is no adversary, n Satan, so the word is; no instrument of Satan to oppose it, or to divert from it. Satan does all he can, to hinder temple work. When there is no evil abroad, then let us be ready and active in that whic is good, and get forward. Let God's promises quicken our endeavours And all outward skill and advantages should be made serviceable to the interests of Christ's kingdom. It Tyre supplies Israel with craftsmen Israel will supply Tyre with corn, Eze 27:17. Thus, by the wis disposal of Providence, one country has need of another, and is benefitted by another, that there may be dependence on one another, to the glory of God.
Original Hebrew עבדי5650 ירדו3381 מן4480 הלבנון3844 ימה3220 ואני589 אשׂימם7760 דברות1702 בים3220 עד5704 המקום4725 אשׁר834 תשׁלח7971 אלי413 ונפצתים5310 שׁם8033 ואתה859 תשׂא5375 ואתה859 תעשׂה6213 את853 חפצי2656 לתת5414 לחם3899 ביתי׃1004
