1 Kings 5:3

1Ki 5:3 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.

Ver. 3. For the wars that were about him.] He saith not for his shedding of blood, which elsewhere is made the reason why David might not build a house, {1Ch 28:3} but only for his continual wars, by reason whereof he had not time to do it. The best things are to be spoken of parents: to speak evil to them, {a} or of them, was death by God’s law; {Mat 15:5} yea, by Solon’s laws, though a heathen.

{a} κακολογων.

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.

1Ki 5:3-5. A house unto the name of the Lord — For his worship and service. For the wars which were about him on every side — Which diverted his cares and thoughts to other things, and occasioned God’s denying him the honour of that work. Until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet — That is, made them subject to him, that he could trample upon them at his pleasure. Compare Psa 8:6; 1Co 15:27. I purpose to build a house unto the name of the Lord — That shall be called by his name, namely, the house of Jehovah; and be appropriated to his honour and glory.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5:3 gave him victory over all his enemies (literally put them under the soles of his feet): Ancient Near Eastern inscriptions and paintings often depict victorious kings with their feet upon the necks of vanquished foes or with enemies subdued at their feet.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, his enemies.

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

(3) Thou knowest.—In the description (1Ch_22:4) of David’s collection of materials for the Temple, it is noted that “the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.” Hence Hiram knew well his desire of building the Temple, and the care with which, when disappointed of it, he prepared for the happier experience of his successor.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. Thou knowest] David’s preparations must have been well known throughout the Phœnician kingdom, and so to Hiram even though he was not himself king. Cf. 1Ch_22:4 where we are told that the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David. The reason why David himself did not begin to build the temple may also have been known to the northern king.

could not build a house] He was forbidden to do this by the word of the Lord (cf. 1Ch_22:8; 1Ch_28:3) because he had shed blood abundantly and made great wars.

unto the name of the Lord] See above on 1Ki_3:2.

for the wars which were about him] The concord in this clause is not strictly grammatical, the noun rendered ‘wars’ being singular while the verb which follows is plural. It has therefore been proposed to render ‘because of the war wherewith they (i.e. his enemies) surrounded him.’ It seems better however to consider the singular noun as equivalent to a plural = enemies. And thus the rendering of the A. V. gives the correct sense. Another solution proposed has been to consider the words ‘men of’ as fallen out before ‘war,’ thus making the sense ‘because of the men of war who encompassed him.’ But such emendation of the text has no support in the versions.

put them under the soles of his feet] A phrase not uncommon to denote entire conquest. Cf. Psa_8:6; 1Co_15:27; Eph_1:22.

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.

Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the Lord his God,.... As he designed, and was desirous of; and which Hiram might know not only by common fame, but from David himself, between whom there was an intercourse, and that in relation to cedars for building, which David had of Hiram, Ch2 2:3;

for the wars which were about him on every side; or warriors, as the Targum, the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, and Syrians:

until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet; made them subject and tributary to him, as he did at length, see Sa2 7:1, &c. so the "Cetib", or textual reading, is; but the "Keri", or marginal reading, is, "under the soles of my feet"; that is, Solomon's, which agrees with what follows; it was true of both.

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

Solomon’s presumption that Hiram knew David’s design has not appeared in the previous history, but it is in accordance with 1Ch 22:4.

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

Wars. Many interpreters assert that this was the real impediment, (Tostat; Salien, &c.) rather than the blood, which David had already spilt, 2 Kings vii., and 1 Paralipomenon xxii. 8.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Thou knowest, by common fame, and by particular information.

Could not build an house unto the name of the Lord his God, i.e. either, first, For the worship and service of God, 1Ki 3:2. Or, secondly, For the Lord himself, as that phrase is used, Deu 28:58; Psa 20:1; 52:9.

Which were about him on every side; which diverted his cares and thoughts to other things, and withal occasioned God’s denial of the honour of that work to him.

Put them under the soles of his feet, i.e. made them subject to him, that he might trample upon them at his pleasure. Compare Psa 8:6; 1Co 15:27.

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

3. My father could not build — There was a moral incapacity in David on account of his many wars, or, as expressed in 1Ch_22:8, because he had shed so much blood in the sight of the Lord. He that builds the Lord’s house must not be a noted shedder of blood. Solomon assumes that Hiram knew this.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house Hiram could not fail to know this, as his relations with David had been close and intimate. Not only had he "sent cedar trees and carpenters and masons" to build David"s house, (2Sa_5:11) but "they of Tyro brought much cedar wood to David" (1Ch_22:4) for the house of the Lord unto the name of the Lord i.e. , to be dedicated to the Lord as His shrine and habitation (cf. Deu_12:5, Deu_12:11; and ch. 8:18, 19, 20, etc.) for the wars Heb., war. As we have singular noun and plural verb, Ewald, Rawlinson, al. assume that war stands for adversaries, as the next clause seems to imply. Bahr and Keil, however, with greater reason, interpret, "for the war with which they surrounded him;" a construction (bbs with double accusative) which is justified by Psa_109:3 until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet until, i.e., He trampled them down. The same image is found in some of David"s psalms, (e.g., Psa_7:5 Psa_60:12; cf. Psa_8:6 Psa_91:13; Isa_63:3; Romans Eph_1:22; Heb_2:8)

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

Fat. Fattened in the stall.

Pastured. [I.e.,] on the grass.

And fattened fowl. Among our Rabbis there are those who say [it refers to] roosters which were fattened.

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.