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.
So now, please order your people to cut down cedar trees from Lebanon for me. My workers will work alongside yours, and I will pay your workers whatever price you set. You know that none of my people have the skill to cut timber like the people of Sidon do.
Solomon is asking King Hiram to provide skilled workers and cedar wood from Lebanon for building the temple, offering to pay whatever Hiram asks because his own people lack the expertise.
📚 Historical Context
During King Solomon's reign in ancient Israel, around the 10th century BC, he was preparing to build the magnificent temple in Jerusalem as a house for God, fulfilling his father David's vision. Solomon reached out to King Hiram of Tyre for cedar trees from Lebanon because the Sidonians, who were under Hiram's influence, were highly skilled in cutting and preparing timber, a craft that the Israelites did not possess. This arrangement reflected the common practice of international alliances and trade in the ancient Near East to achieve grand projects.
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