“Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.”
"'Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me; and my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set; for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.'" — Solomon requests *cedar* (*arazim*) from Lebanon (*ha-levanon*). The phrase *paqod ve-yikratzu li arazim* (command cedars to be cut for me) is a direct request for Hiram's resources. The *wage arrangement*—Solomon offers payment (*sakh'ar*) for Hiram's *servants* (*avadekha*)—establishes a *commercial relationship*. The acknowledgment that *Sidonians* (Phoenicians) alone possess expertise in *timber-cutting* (*kotev etzim*) concedes Phoenician superiority in this specialized craft.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a note on this verse
0/2000
No notes on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!