Reference: Hiram
Easton
high-born. (1.) Generally "Huram," one of the sons of Bela (1Ch 8:5).
(2.) Also "Huram" and "Horam," king of Tyre. He entered into an alliance with David, and assisted him in building his palace by sending him able workmen, and also cedar-trees and fir-trees from Lebanon (2Sa 5:11; 1Ch 14:1). After the death of David he entered into a similar alliance with Solomon, and assisted him greatly in building the temple (1Ki 5:1; 9:11; 2Ch 2:3). He also took part in Solomon's traffic to the Eastern Seas (1Ki 9:27; 10:11; 2Ch 8:18; 9:10).
(3.) The "master workman" whom Hiram sent to Solomon. He was the son of a widow of Dan, and of a Tyrian father. In 2Ch 2:13 "Huram my father" should be Huram Abi, the word "Abi" (rendered here "my father") being regarded as a proper name, or it may perhaps be a title of distinction given to Huram, and equivalent to "master." (Comp. 1Ki 7:14; 2Ch 4:16.) He cast the magnificent brazen works for Solomon's temple in clay-beds in the valley of Jordan, between Succoth and Zarthan.
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And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.
And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father; for Hiram always loved David.
He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was full of wisdom and understanding and knowledge, to do all kinds of works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and made all his work.
Hiram the king of Tyre having furnished Solomon with cedar-trees and cypress-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire, that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
And Hiram sent in the fleet his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon;
(And the fleet also of Hiram, which carried gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir sandal-wood in very great abundance, and precious stones.
And now, I send a skilful man, endued with understanding, Huram Abi,
Fausets
(Huram in Chronicles usually, except 1Ch 14:1, in the ketibh, the original Hebrew text).
1. King of Tyre. Sent carpenters, masons, and cedars to David to build his palace (2Sa 5:11). Eupolemon (see Polyhistor, Fragm. Hist. Greek, 3 fr. 18), apparently on the authority of Dius and Menunder of Ephesus in file time of Alexander the Great, states, "David reduced the Syrians near the Euphrates, and Commagene, the Assy. finns, and Phoenicians in Gilead, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Ituraeans, and Nabathaeans; and made an expedition against Suron (Huram?) king of Tyre and Phoenicia, and compelled them all to pay tribute to the Jews." This confirms 2 Samuel 8; 9, and adds particulars drawn probably from Phoenician or other non-Israelite sources. Hiram was "ever a lover of David" (1Ki 5:1,10-12). So he made a "league" with his son Solomon (beriyt, "a covenant," recognizing Jehovah, and guaranteeing to Jewish sojourners at Tyre religious liberty).
The mention that "there was peace between Hiram and Solomon" may hint at there having been once war between Hiram and David, before Hiram became "a lover of David." Hiram gave Solomon for the temple cedars and firs, and gold, six score talents, according to all his desire, and Solomon in return gave Hiram 20,000 measures of wheat and 26 measures of pure oil yearly; the mercantile coast cities being dependent on the grain and olive abounding region of Palestine (Ac 12:20 end). Solomon also gave Hiram 20 cities in Galilee, which did not satisfy him, and which therefore he called Cabul. (See CABUL.) (1Ki 9:11-14,27-28).
Tyre is threatened with punishment for delivering the Jewish captives to Edom, and not remembering "the brotherly covenant," namely, between Hiram and David and Solomon. Hiram sent also in the navy expert shipmen to Ophir from Ezion-Geber, with Solomon's servants; and a navy. (See OPHIR.) With Solomon's navy of Tharshish (1Ki 10:22) to share in the Mediterranean trade. Dius assigns to Hiram a 34 years' reign, and names Abibal as his father, Baleazar as his son and successor. Josephus (Ant. 8:2, section 8) States that the correspondence between Hiram and Solomon was kept in his day among the Tyrian archives.
2. King Hiram sent to Solomon an overseer of workmen skilled in working gold, silver, brass, iron, stone, wood, purple, linen, etc. Bezaleel, similarly (Ex 31:18), but by supernatural endowment, combined weaving with metallurgy. He cast the two great brass pillars of the temple, and made the lavers, shovels and basins (1Ki 7:13-40). He is called "my father," i.e. a title of honour, counselor, master workman (Ge 45:8). "Son of a widow of Naphtali," but in 2Ch 2:13-14, of one "of the daughters of Dan," i.e. she was by birth a Danite, and married into Naphtali. When her husband died she married again, as widow of a Naphtalite, a Tyrian to whom she bore Hiram Blunt (Undesigned Coincidences) makes her of the colony Dan or Laish in Naphtali, bordering on Sidoninn or Tyrian territory.
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And now it was not you that sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and governor over all the land of Egypt.
And he gave to Moses, when he had ended speaking with him on mount Sinai, the two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.
And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father; for Hiram always loved David.
So Hiram gave Solomon cedar-trees and cypress-trees according to all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food for his household, and twenty measures of beaten oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. read more. And Jehovah gave Solomon wisdom as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league.
And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was full of wisdom and understanding and knowledge, to do all kinds of works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and made all his work. read more. And he formed the two pillars of brass; the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a line of twelve cubits encompassed the second pillar. And he made two capitals of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits; and nets of checker-work, wreaths of chain-work, for the capitals which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. And he made pomegranates, namely two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars; and so he did for the other capital. And the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily-work as in the porch, four cubits. And the capitals upon the two pillars, above also, close to the enlargement which was behind the network, had two hundred pomegranates in rows round about, also on the other capital. And he set up the pillars for the porch of the temple; and he set up the right pillar, and called its name Jachin; and he set up the left pillar, and called its name Boaz. And upon the top of the pillars was lily-work; and the work of the pillars was finished. And he made the sea, molten, ten cubits from brim to brim, round all about; and its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encompassed it round about. And under the brim of it round about there were colocynths, encompassing it, ten in a cubit enclosing the sea round about; two rows of colocynths, cast when it was cast. It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. And its thickness was a hand-breadth, and its brim was like the work of the brim of a cup, with lily-blossoms; it held two thousand baths. And he made ten bases of brass: four cubits was the length of one base, and the breadth four cubits, and the height three cubits. And the work of the bases was this: they had panels, and the panels were between the fillets. And on the panels that were between the fillets were lions, oxen and cherubim; and over the fillets there was a base above; and beneath the lions and oxen were garlands of festoon-work. And every base had four wheels of brass, and axles of brass; and on its four corners were shoulder-pieces: under the laver were shoulder-pieces molten, behind every garland. And the mouth of it within the crown and above was a cubit; and its mouth was rounded, as the work of the base, a cubit and a half; and also upon its mouth was sculpture; but their panels were square, not round. And the four wheels were under the panels; and the supports of the wheels were in the base; and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their supports, and their rims, and their spokes and their naves were all molten. And there were four shoulder-pieces to the four corners of one base; of the base itself were its shoulder-pieces. And in the top of the base there was a circular elevation of half a cubit round about; and on the top of the base its stays and its panels were of the same. And he engraved on the plates of its stays and on its panels cherubim, lions and palm-trees, according to the space upon each; and garlands were round about. After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, one form. And he made ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths; every laver was four cubits; upon every one of the ten bases one laver. And he put the bases, five on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house; and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, over against the south. And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the bowls. So Hiram ended doing all the work that he made for king Solomon for the house of Jehovah:
Hiram the king of Tyre having furnished Solomon with cedar-trees and cypress-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire, that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities that Solomon had given him; and they did not please him. read more. And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul to this day. And Hiram had sent to the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold.
And Hiram sent in the fleet his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon; and they went to Ophir, and fetched thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
For the king had on the sea a Tarshish-fleet, with the fleet of Hiram: once in three years came the Tarshish-fleet, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house.
And now, I send a skilful man, endued with understanding, Huram Abi, the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and whose father was a man of Tyre, experienced in working in gold, and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in byssus, and in crimson, and for doing any manner of engraving, and for inventing every device which shall be put to him, besides thy skilful men, and the skilful men of my lord David thy father.
And he was in bitter hostility with the Tyrians and Sidonians; but they came to him with one accord, and, having gained Blastus the king's chamberlain, sought peace, because their country was nourished by the king's.
Hastings
1. King of Tyre, son and successor of Abihaal. When David was firmly established on his throne, Hiram, we are told, sent messengers to him, and, in order to show his goodwill, gave David materials for building his palace, sending at the same time workmen to assist in the building (2Sa 5:11; 1Ch 14:1. This first mention of Hiram is somewhat abrupt, and leads to the supposition that there must have been some earlier intercourse between him and David, the details of which have not come down to us. A real friendship, however, undoubtedly existed between the two (1Ki 5:1), and this was extended to Solomon after the death of David. A regular alliance was made when Solomon came to the throne, Hiram supplying men and materials for the building of the house of the Lord, while Solomon, in return, sent corn and oil to Hiram. Another sign of friendliness was their joint enterprise in sending ships to Ophir to procure gold (1Ki 9:26-28; 10:11; 2Ch 8:17-18; 9:10,21). A curious episode is recounted in 1Ki 9:10,14, according to which Solomon gave Hiram 'twenty cities in the land of Galilee.' Hiram was dissatisfied with the gift, though he gave Solomon 'sixscore talents of gold.' In the parallel account (2Ch 8:1-2) it is Hiram who gives cities (the number is not specified) to Solomon.
There is altogether considerable confusion in the Biblical references to Hiram, as a study of the passages in question shows. When these are compared with extra-Biblical information which we possess in the writings of early historians, discrepancies are emphasized. While, therefore, the friendly intercourse between Hiram and Solomon (as well as with David) is unquestionably historical, it is not always possible to say the same of the details.
2. The name of an artificer from Tyre 'filled with wisdom and understanding and cunning, to work all works in brass' (see 1Ki 7:18-47); he is also spoken of as 'skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson
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And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.
And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father; for Hiram always loved David.
So Hiram gave Solomon cedar-trees and cypress-trees according to all his desire.
And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Giblites hewed them, and prepared timber and stones to build the house.
He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was full of wisdom and understanding and knowledge, to do all kinds of works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and made all his work.
And he made pomegranates, namely two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars; and so he did for the other capital. And the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily-work as in the porch, four cubits. read more. And the capitals upon the two pillars, above also, close to the enlargement which was behind the network, had two hundred pomegranates in rows round about, also on the other capital. And he set up the pillars for the porch of the temple; and he set up the right pillar, and called its name Jachin; and he set up the left pillar, and called its name Boaz. And upon the top of the pillars was lily-work; and the work of the pillars was finished. And he made the sea, molten, ten cubits from brim to brim, round all about; and its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encompassed it round about. And under the brim of it round about there were colocynths, encompassing it, ten in a cubit enclosing the sea round about; two rows of colocynths, cast when it was cast. It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. And its thickness was a hand-breadth, and its brim was like the work of the brim of a cup, with lily-blossoms; it held two thousand baths. And he made ten bases of brass: four cubits was the length of one base, and the breadth four cubits, and the height three cubits. And the work of the bases was this: they had panels, and the panels were between the fillets. And on the panels that were between the fillets were lions, oxen and cherubim; and over the fillets there was a base above; and beneath the lions and oxen were garlands of festoon-work. And every base had four wheels of brass, and axles of brass; and on its four corners were shoulder-pieces: under the laver were shoulder-pieces molten, behind every garland. And the mouth of it within the crown and above was a cubit; and its mouth was rounded, as the work of the base, a cubit and a half; and also upon its mouth was sculpture; but their panels were square, not round. And the four wheels were under the panels; and the supports of the wheels were in the base; and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their supports, and their rims, and their spokes and their naves were all molten. And there were four shoulder-pieces to the four corners of one base; of the base itself were its shoulder-pieces. And in the top of the base there was a circular elevation of half a cubit round about; and on the top of the base its stays and its panels were of the same. And he engraved on the plates of its stays and on its panels cherubim, lions and palm-trees, according to the space upon each; and garlands were round about. After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, one form. And he made ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths; every laver was four cubits; upon every one of the ten bases one laver. And he put the bases, five on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house; and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, over against the south. And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the bowls. So Hiram ended doing all the work that he made for king Solomon for the house of Jehovah:
And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the bowls. So Hiram ended doing all the work that he made for king Solomon for the house of Jehovah: two pillars, and the globes of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars, two; and the two networks, to cover the two globes of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; read more. and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two globes of the capitals which were upon the pillars; and the ten bases, and the ten lavers on the bases; and one sea, and the twelve oxen under the sea; and the pots, and the shovels, and the bowls. And all these things, which Hiram made king Solomon for the house of Jehovah, were of bright brass. In the plain of the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay-ground between Succoth and Zaretan. And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed from their exceeding number; the weight of the brass was not ascertained.
And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of Jehovah and the king's house,
And Hiram had sent to the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold.
And king Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion-Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. And Hiram sent in the fleet his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon; read more. and they went to Ophir, and fetched thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
(And the fleet also of Hiram, which carried gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir sandal-wood in very great abundance, and precious stones.
the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and whose father was a man of Tyre, experienced in working in gold, and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in byssus, and in crimson, and for doing any manner of engraving, and for inventing every device which shall be put to him, besides thy skilful men, and the skilful men of my lord David thy father.
the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and whose father was a man of Tyre, experienced in working in gold, and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in byssus, and in crimson, and for doing any manner of engraving, and for inventing every device which shall be put to him, besides thy skilful men, and the skilful men of my lord David thy father.
And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the house of Jehovah and his own house, that the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.
Morish
Hi'ram
1. King of Tyre, who loved David and was a friend of Solomon. By his servants he supplied both timber and stone for the temple and the palaces of Solomon. Their navies also united to bring the produce of other lands. Solomon gave to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee, but Hiram was not pleased with them: he called them, in Aramaic CABUL, 'displeasing or dirty;' and the cities were eventually returned to Solomon. 2 Sam. 5:11; 1Ki 5; 9:11-27; 10:11,22; 1Ch 14:1, etc. He is called HURAM in 2Ch 2:3-12; 8:2,18; 9:10,21.
2. A skilful workman of Tyre, filled with wisdom and understanding, who was sent to make things for the temple. His father was a man of Tyre, and he is called "the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan" in 2Ch 2:14; but in 1Ki 7:14 it reads "a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali," which may mean that her husband was a man of Naphtali. 1Ki 7:13,40,45. He is called HURAM in 2Ch 2:13; 4:11,16.
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And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was full of wisdom and understanding and knowledge, to do all kinds of works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and made all his work.
And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the bowls. So Hiram ended doing all the work that he made for king Solomon for the house of Jehovah:
and the pots, and the shovels, and the bowls. And all these things, which Hiram made king Solomon for the house of Jehovah, were of bright brass.
And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him a house.
And Solomon sent to Huram king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him a house to dwell therein so do for me. Behold, I build a house unto the name of Jehovah my God to dedicate it to him, to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual arrangement of the shewbread, and for the morning and evening burnt-offerings and on the sabbaths and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of Jehovah our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. read more. And the house that I will build is great; for great is our God above all gods. But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? And who am I that I should build him a house, except to burn sacrifice before him? And now send me a man skilful to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in iron, and in purple and crimson and blue, and experienced in carving, besides the skilful men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. Send me also cedar-trees, cypress-trees, and sandal-wood trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants are experienced in cutting timber in Lebanon; and behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house that I build shall be great and wonderful. And behold, I will give to thy servants the hewers that fell timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil. And Huram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because Jehovah loved his people, he made thee king over them. And Huram said, Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel, that made the heavens and the earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, who will build a house for Jehovah and a house for his kingdom. And now, I send a skilful man, endued with understanding, Huram Abi, the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and whose father was a man of Tyre, experienced in working in gold, and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in byssus, and in crimson, and for doing any manner of engraving, and for inventing every device which shall be put to him, besides thy skilful men, and the skilful men of my lord David thy father.
And Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram ended doing the work that he made for king Solomon in the house of God:
And the pots, and the shovels, and the forks, and all their instruments did Huram Abiv make king Solomon for the house of Jehovah, of bright brass.
that the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.
And Huram sent him by his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and fetched thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
(And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought sandal-wood and precious stones.
For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: once in three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
Watsons
HIRAM, king of Tyre, and son of Abibal, is mentioned by profane authors as distinguished for his magnificence, and for adorning the city of Tyre. When David was acknowledged king by all Israel, Hiram sent ambassadors with artificers, and cedar, to build his palace. Hiram also sent ambassadors to Solomon, to congratulate him on his accession to the crown. Solomon desired of him timber and stones for building the temple, with labourers. These Hiram promised, provided Solomon would furnish him with corn and oil. The two princes lived on the best terms with each other.