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Without Hiram of Tyre, Solomon’s splendid Temple
might not have been built and the Lord’s
promise to David would not have been fulfilled.
Hiram was the pagan king of Tyre, a port city on the
Mediterranean coast about 140 miles northwest of Jerusalem.
Under his reign, Tyre became an important Phoenician city
and a large trading empire.
The Old Testament tells us that Hiram was a friend and
business associate of David, Solomon’s father. Hiram was
essentially responsible for building a magnificent house for
David.
Of course, David was more interested
in building a temple, “a house
of rest for the ark of the covenant of
the Lord, for the footstool of our
God” (1 Chronicles 28:2, NRSV). But
God forbade him to do so because
David had been “a warrior and shed
blood.” Thus, God told David that
Solomon would build the Temple
instead.
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 Building God's Temple
Before David died, he provided
Solomon with an elaborate plan for
the Temple. In addition, David
handed over his treasure of gold,
silver, bronze and precious stones
for the Temple’s adornment. Most
important of all, David recommended
his old friend Hiram as the man who could help his
inexperienced son.
King Solomon sent word to Hiram, seeking his assistance
with the Temple: “Once you dealt with my father David and
sent him cedar to build himself a house to live in. I am now
about to build a house” (2 Chronicles 2:3).
Hiram was able to offer Solomon wood and skilled workers,
including artists to work with precious metals, fabric and
engraving. Solomon, in turn, would provide thousands of
laborers.
Hiram knew a good business deal when he saw one. But
his obvious respect and affection for David and for the
God-fearing Israelites appeared to be an equally strong motivation.
He sent Solomon his best supervisor and provided the new
king of Israel with all that he asked for. Hiram told Solomon: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and
earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with
discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for
the Lord” (2 Chronicles 2:11).
Hiram, who was not Hebrew, venerated Melqart, the god
of Tyre, and was to build a temple in honor of this ancestral
king of his royal line. It seems reasonable to assume that
in his monotheistic, creed-like statement to Solomon, Hiram
may have been converted by David to the respectful
acknowledgment of the one God, the “Lord God of Israel.”
When the Temple was finished, Solomon declared, “Now
the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made; for I have
succeeded my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel,
as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the
name of the Lord, the God of Israel. There I have set the ark,
in which is the covenant of the Lord
that he made with the people of
Israel” (2 Chronicles 6:11).
Both Solomon and Hiram benefited
significantly from the building of
the Temple and maintained a close
relationship. We can assume that
Hiram also continued to honor, after
a fashion, the God of Israel as the
one creator of heaven and earth.
Hiram is a reminder that God’s
chosen people could not afford to
be smug. In addition, the pagan
king of Tyre was an early example
of breaking down the wall between
Jews and gentiles (Ephesians
2:11-22).
Among Hiram’s continuing gestures of friendship to
the Jews was his granting permission for Solomon’s ships to
participate in the profitable trade of the Mediterranean.
Under the instruction of Tyrian mariners, Jewish sailors
were taught how to bring gold from India to enrich their people
and to beautify the Temple of their king. Tradition even
has it that King Hiram gave his daughter in marriage to
Solomon.
God moves in mysterious ways, as with David and Solomon
in their desire to build God’s exalted house. A large part of it
was made possible by someone who was not one of God’s chosen
people: Hiram of Tyre, a pagan foreigner.
Next: Canaanite woman
Christopher Gaul is a semi-retired journalist whose past experience includes being
managing editor of The Catholic Review (Baltimore), White House correspondent
for National Public Television and reporter for The Baltimore Sun. Born in
England, he now lives in Baltimore County with his wife, Pam, and their four show
champion weimaraner dogs.
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