1 Kings 5:12

Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)

English Translation

Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

World English Bible · Public Domain

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חִירָם֙

Chîyrâm

H2438

“Hiram”

Noun, Proper

Appears 26× in the Hebrew Bible
First appears at 2 Samuel 5:11

Full BDB Definition

Origin: another form of H2361

TWOT: None

Hiram, Huram = "noble" - the king of Tyre who sent workmen and materials to Jerusalem to build both the palace for David and the temple for Solomon - the chief architect and engineer of Solomon's temple sent by King Hiram to Solomon

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

16: words
13: distinct lemmas
Historical: section

Shared distinctive vocabulary

חִירָם֙ Hiram H2438 occurs in 21 verses of the Hebrew Bible. Also found in:

Grammatical profile

4 verbs
7 nouns
1 adjective
3 prepositions
1 particle

Verb forms

נָתַ֤ן Qal · Perfect
דִּבֶּר Piel · Perfect
וַיְהִ֣י Qal · Sequential Imperfect
וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ Qal · Sequential Imperfect

Repetition

Words recur within this verse — often emphatic in Hebrew:

לִשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה Solomon H8010 ×2
בֵּ֤ין between H996 ×2

Hebrew & Septuagint length

In English translation the verse runs 23 words from the Hebrew and 26 from the Septuagint (LXX English) — closely comparable.

A rough comparison of the two English renderings, which tokenize alike — not a word-level alignment.

Word counts can differ between the Hebrew and the Greek without any difference in meaning — e.g. the Hebrew direct-object marker אֵת has no separate Greek word, and Greek often adds the article ὁ.

In the original languages it is 16 Hebrew tokens and 10 Greek tokens — but the two are counted differently (Hebrew bundles its prefixes and suffixes into one token; the Greek is in lemma form), so that isn’t a like-for-like length.

Cross-references

Topical passages linked to 1 Kings 5:12 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

1 Kings 3:12 behold, I have done according to your word: behold, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there has been none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like you.
Amos 1:9 Thus says Yahweh: "For three transgressions of Tyre, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; Because they delivered up the whole community to Edom, And didn't remember the brotherly covenant;
Genesis 21:32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol, the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
1 Kings 15:19 [There is] a league between me and you, between my father and your father: behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
2 Chronicles 1:12 wisdom and knowledge is granted to you; and I will give you riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you; neither shall there any after you have the like.
James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.
1 Kings 4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and very great understanding, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore.

Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Hebrew and Greek witnesses Masoretic Hebrew ↔ Greek Septuagint

The same verse in the two great witnesses to the Old Testament, shown verse-for-verse.

These are two independent witnesses, not word-aligned to each other, and the Septuagint is shown in lemma (dictionary) form.

Hebrew 1 Kings 5:12 Masoretic · Westminster Leningrad Codex

וַיהוָ֗ה נָתַ֤ן חָכְמָה֙ לִשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּר ל֑וֹ וַיְהִ֣י שָׁלֹ֗ם בֵּ֤ין חִירָם֙ וּבֵ֣ין שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ בְרִ֖ית שְׁנֵיהֶֽם

Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

World English Bible · Public Domain

Greek LXX 1 Kings 5:12 Septuagint · lemma form

καί λαλέω σαλωμών τρισχίλιοι παραβολή καί εἰμί ᾠδή αὐτός πεντακισχίλιοι

And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon as he promised him; and there was peace between Chiram and Solomon, and they made a covenant between them.

LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) · Public Domain

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (CC BY 4.0). Greek: Septuagint (public domain); English from LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) (Public Domain). How the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew →

Targum (Aramaic paraphrase)

The Targum is the ancient Jewish Aramaic paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures — an interpretive translation, not the Hebrew text itself. Onkelos (literal) and Pseudo-Jonathan (expansive) render the Torah, and Jonathan the Prophets. Coverage is partial: where no permissively-licensed English translation exists for a verse, only the Aramaic is shown. This is verse-level text, not a word-by-word alignment to the Hebrew.

Targum Jonathan Prophets (Joshua–Malachi)

וּמַלֵל תְּלָתָא אַלְפִין מַתְלִין וַהֲוָאָה תוּשְׁבְּחָתֵיהּ אֲלַף וַחֲמֵשׁ:

(no public-domain English translation for this verse)

Targum Jonathan — Aramaic: “Mikraot Gedolot” (public domain). English: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “London "Chaldee Paraphrase," 1871” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Commentary

Notes on 1 Kings 5:12 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Trapp's Complete Commentary

John Trapp

1Ki 5:12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

Ver. 12. And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom] Sapientiam architectonicam, tanquam Idaeam futuri aedificii, wisdom for the present purpose, skill in contriving and building, a notion of the future edifice.

And they two made a league together.] A brotherly covenant, which though Tyre some while forgot, {Amo 1:9} and insulted over Jerusalem, yet it was foretold - and accordingly fulfilled - that Tyre, when converted, should leave hoarding and heaping her wealth, and should find another manner of employment for it, viz., to feed and clothe God’s saints. {Isa 23:18}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Geneva Bible (1599)

Geneva Bible translators

As touching the furniture of wood and vittles.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

12. they two made a league] The friendship was a close one, as may be seen from 1Ki_9:13, where Hiram calls Solomon ‘my brother.’ It is probable that this alliance between Tyre and the successors of Solomon continued, even when the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were separated. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, was a daughter of the Tyrian king Ethbaal.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Gill's Exposition

And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him,.... Which, among other things, appeared in his preparations for building the temple, and in his agreements with Hiram for timber and workmen for that purpose and by continuing and confirming friendship between himself and Hiram, who was so serviceable to him:

and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they two made a league together; in order to continue and establish peace and friendship between them, which Solomon might lawfully do, the Tyrians being no part of the seven nations with whom alliances were forbidden.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Lord gave Solomon wisdom - It seems to be implied that Solomon’s divine gift of wisdom enabled him to make such favorable arrangements with Hiram.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations

The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, i.e. he increased in wisdom more and more; which is here mentioned, because he showed his wisdom in all his transactions with Hiram.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Pulpit Commentary

And the Lord gave Can there be any reference to the repeated "gave" of the two preceding verses? to Solomon wisdom, as he promised him (1Ki_3:12) and there was peace one fruit of the gift. Cf. Jam_3:17 between Hiram and Solomon, and they two made a league together Heb. "cut a covenant." Cf. orkia temnein. Covenants were ratified by the slaughter of victims, between the parts of which the contracting parties passed (Gen_15:18; Jer_34:8, Jer_34:18, Jer_34:19) Similarly spondh, "libation," in the plural, means "league, truce," and spondamnein is found in classic Greek.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rashi

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)

Three thousand parables. Three parabolical studies [=אלפים]. It is written three times, “the proverbs of Shlomo,” in the book of Mishlei.

And his songs numbered [one thousand and] five. The above three, and Shir Hashirim and Koheles.

One thousand. Each on its own is worthy of studying [=ואלף]. The Midrash Aggadah [states that Shlomo’s wisdom] enabled him to say three thousand allegories for each verse, and for each of the allegories [he was able to say] one thousand and five reasons.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

1 Kings, in the Historical, opens this verse with 16 words (13 distinct Hebrew lemmas). Its most distinctive word is Chîyrâm (“Hiram”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

What does “Hiram” (Chîyrâm) contribute to the verse as a whole?
How does 2 Samuel 5:11, which shares the word «Hiram», read alongside this verse?
What does the repetition of “Solomon” (2× in this one verse) do in this verse?
These translations render this verse differently; the difference is in the English rendering, not the original. What questions does that raise?
«נָתַ֤ן» is a Qal Perfect verb. How does that grammatical form shape the action described?
Compare how Trapp's Complete Commentary and Geneva Bible (1599) read this verse. Where do they agree or differ?

Things to notice

This verse counts 16 Hebrew ↔ 10 Greek words.
These translations choose different wording for 12 words in this verse.
“Solomon” occurs 2× in this single verse.
13 distinct Hebrew lemmas span 16 words in this verse.