1 Kings 7:14
in 1 Kings 7He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a craftsman in bronze. Huram had great skill, understanding, and knowledge for every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.
KJV
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 filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.
⋯
This verse in 1 Kings 7
Commentary
8 notes on this verseAnd this was done on account of the mystery. For the Tyrian craftsman whom Solomon employed to help in his work stands for the ministers of the word chosen from the Gentiles. The allusion to this man as a craftsman is a beautiful touch because …
This site's exposition
fetched Hiram out of Tyre
on 1 Kings 7:13-14
The master founder is a widow's son of Naphtali with a Tyrian father, and the text describes him as filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass, the same three-fold formula spoken over Bezalel at Ex 31:3. The temple's brass, like the tabernacle's, is made by a man Scripture describes in the vocabulary of the Spirit's gifting, and this Hiram of mixed parentage stands with the Tyrian king of the same name who sent the cedar. Craftsmanship sits inside the sanctuary story on purpose.
This site's exposition
a craftsman in bronze
2 Chronicles 2:14 makes the widow of this verse a woman of Dan, and Albert Barnes reconciles the two by her first marriage to a man of Naphtali. John Wesley notes that Chronicles credits Huram with skill in gold, stone and purple, and Kings names only his bronze work. Matthew Henry gives Huram a Tyrian head and an Israelite heart.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
In brass - And Of gold, and stone, and purple, and blue, 2 Chron. ii, 14. But only his skill in brass is here mentioned, because he speaks only of the brasen things which he made.
He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali,....
If he had the ingenuity of a Tyrian, and the affection of an Israelite to the house of God (the head of a Tyrian and the heart of an Israelite), it was happy that the blood of the two nations mixed in him, for thereby he was qualified for the work to which he was designed.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali--In 2Ch 2:14 his mother is said to have been of the daughters of Dan. The apparent discrepancy may be reconciled thus: Hiram's mother, though belonging to the tribe of Dan, had been married to a Naphtalite, so that when married afterwards to a Tyrian, she might be described as a widow of the tribe of Naphtali.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Hiram’s mother, while by birth of the tribe of Dan, had had for her first husband a man of the tribe of Naphtali. (Compare this verse and margin reference.) All his work - The work that he personally did for Solomon seems to have been limited to metal-work, and indeed to works in brass. (See below, 1Ki 7:45, and compare 2Ch 4:16.)
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
A coppersmith. A craftsman. 18 I.e., an expert in his trade, in the works of copper. The Chirom mentioned here is not King Chirom mentioned earlier [above:15].
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The two columns. Which he placed at the entrance hall, 21 He placed them at the entrance to the Temple’s hall. See v. 21 below. Yachin and Bo’az.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
30 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [was] a son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אִשָּׁה֩ | ʾishah | a woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| אַלְמָנָ֨ה | ʾalmanah | a widow | H490 → | 56 times |
| ה֜וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מִמַּטֵּ֣ה | mimateh | from [the] tribe of | H4294 → | |
| נַפְתָּלִ֗י | naftali | Naphtali | H5321 → | 51 times |
| וְאָבִ֣יו | veaviv | and father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | [was] a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| צֹרִי֮ | tzori | Tyrian | H6876 → | |
| חֹרֵ֣שׁ | choresh | a worker | H2790 → | |
| נְחֹשֶׁת֒ | nechoshet | of bronze | H5178 → | 140 times |
| וַ֠יִּמָּלֵא | vaiyimale' | and he was filled | H4390 → | 249 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַחָכְמָ֤ה | hachakhemah | the wisdom | H2451 → | 153 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַתְּבוּנָה֙ | hatevunah | the skill | H8394 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדַּ֔עַת | hadaat | the knowledge | H1847 → | |
| לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מְלָאכָ֖ה | melakhah | work | H4399 → | 167 times |
| בַּנְּחֹ֑שֶׁת | banechoshet | with <the> bronze | H5178 → | 140 times |
| וַיָּבוֹא֙ | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| וַיַּ֖עַשׂ | vaiyaas | and he did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃ | melakhto | work his | H4399 → | 167 times |
בֶּן־[was] a son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אִשָּׁה֩a woman
ʾishahH802 →781 times
אַלְמָנָ֨הa widow
ʾalmanahH490 →56 times
ה֜וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
מִמַּטֵּ֣הfrom [the] tribe of
mimatehH4294 →
נַפְתָּלִ֗יNaphtali
naftaliH5321 →51 times
וְאָבִ֣יוand father his
veavivH1 →1212 times
אִישׁ־[was] a man
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
צֹרִי֮Tyrian
tzoriH6876 →
חֹרֵ֣שׁa worker
choreshH2790 →
נְחֹשֶׁת֒of bronze
nechoshetH5178 →140 times
וַ֠יִּמָּלֵאand he was filled
vaiyimale'H4390 →249 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַחָכְמָ֤הthe wisdom
hachakhemahH2451 →153 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַתְּבוּנָה֙the skill
hatevunahH8394 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַדַּ֔עַתthe knowledge
hadaatH1847 →
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מְלָאכָ֖הwork
melakhahH4399 →167 times
בַּנְּחֹ֑שֶׁתwith <the> bronze
banechoshetH5178 →140 times
וַיָּבוֹא֙and he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֔הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
וַיַּ֖עַשׂand he did
vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃work his
melakhtoH4399 →167 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Chronicles 2:14He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan, and his father is a man of Tyre. He is skilled in work with gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 7:13–14
Now King Solomon sent to bring Huram from Tyre.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 2:7
Send me, therefore, a craftsman skilled in engraving to work with gold and silver, with bronze and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with my craftsmen in Judah and…
- Exodus 31:3–4
And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship,
- 1 Kings 7:13–14
Through
Exodus 35:30Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
it leads to
- Exodus 31:1–6
Then the LORD said to Moses,
- James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
- Exodus 31:1–6
Through
2 Chronicles 4:16and the pots, shovels, meat forks, and all the other articles. All these objects that Huram-abi made for King Solomon for the house of the LORD were of polished bronze.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 2:13
So now I am sending you Huram-abi, a skillful man endowed with creativity.
- 2 Chronicles 4:11
Additionally, Huram made the pots, shovels, and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished the work that he had undertaken for King Solomon in the house of God:
- 1 Chronicles 28:17
the weight of the pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls, and pitchers; the weight of each gold dish; the weight of each silver bowl;
- 2 Chronicles 2:13
About 1 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alfred Edersheim, Bible History: Old Testament; Bede, Of the Temple of Solomon 2.18.3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.