1 Kings 5:6

Command thou. There is given here in abbreviated form a portion of Solomon’s message to Hiram, which is given much more fully in 2 Chron. 2:3-10. The request was not only for cedar trees but also for almug (2 Chron. 2:8) and fir trees (1 Kings 5:8, 10), and also for “a man cunning to work in gold,” silver, brass, and iron (2 Chron. 2:7). In return for the timber, Solomon undertook to provide Hiram with provisions of wheat, barley, wine, and oil (2 Chron. 2:10; cf. 1 Kings 5:11). The specific purpose of the building of the Temple is presented in much fuller detail in 2 Chron. 2:4-6.

Cedar trees. The famous cedar of Lebanon was highly prized in antiquity. The Tyrians used it for masts for their ships (Eze. 27:5). Kings of Assyria and Babylon employed it for their temples and palaces. In Egypt cedar from Lebanon was used to a great extent. The forests of Lebanon were proverbial for their beauty and fragrance (Ps. 92:12; S. of Sol. 4:11; 5:15; Isa. 35:2; Eze. 31:3-9; Hosea 14:6, 7), watered by ever-flowing streams from snowy heights (S. of Sol. 4:15; Jer. 18:14; Eze. 31:4, 5, 7), while the rest of Palestine might be parched and dry. The modern cedar of Lebanon is usually from 50 to 80 ft. high and has a dome-shaped form. The leaves are produced in tufts, and the branches are long, spreading, and contorted. The famous cedars have largely disappeared from the Lebanon Mts. The tree still flourishes, however, in the Taurus Mts.

That can skill. The Phoenicians in general and the Sidonians in particular are mentioned frequently in ancient literature for their mechanical and artistic skills. They were especially noted for the work of cutting logs and transporting timber.