Hiram חִירָם
A skilled craftsman from Tyre.
Biography
Hiram, also known as Huram or Huram-abi, was a highly skilled craftsman from Tyre who was commissioned by King Solomon to create the bronze furnishings for the First Temple in Jerusalem. He is mentioned in 1 Kings 7 and 2 Chronicles 2 and 4.
Hiram was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a craftsman from Tyre (1Ki.7.14; 2Ch.2.14). He was renowned for his expertise in working with bronze, as well as his skill in engraving, designing, and executing various artistic works.
King Solomon requested that Hiram, the king of Tyre, send him this skilled craftsman to assist in the construction of the temple (2Ch.2.13-14). Hiram the craftsman was then sent to Jerusalem, where he created the bronze pillars, the bronze Sea (a large basin), the bronze stands, and various other bronze furnishings for the temple (1Ki.7.15-45; 2Ch.4.11-16).
The detailed descriptions of Hiram's work in the biblical text underscore the importance and magnificence of the temple furnishings. His contributions were integral to the beauty and functionality of the temple, and his skill and artistry were highly valued by both Solomon and the people of Israel.
In Scripture
2 biblical books1 Kings 3 verses
- 1 Kings 7:13
"King Solomon sent and brought Hiram out of Tyre."
- 1 Kings 7:40
"Hiram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he worked for king Solomon in Yahweh’s house:"
- 1 Kings 7:45
"the pots; the shovels; and the basins: even all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon, in Yahweh’s house, were of burnished bronze."
2 Chronicles 3 verses
- 2 Chronicles 4:11
"Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Huram finished doing the work that he did for king Solomon in God’s house:"
- 2 Chronicles 2:13
"Now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, of Huram my father’s,"
- 2 Chronicles 4:16
"Huram his father also made the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all its vessels for king Solomon, for Yahweh’s house, of bright bronze."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | חִירָם | H2438H |
| Named | Hebrew | חוּרָם | H2361J |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | חוּרָם | H2361J |
| Name combined | Hebrew | חוּרָם+H0001H«H0001=אָב | H2361I |
Hiram
Samuel and Kings the prevailing form is "Hiram" (chiram); but in 1Ki 5:10,18 margin (Hebrew 24,32); 7:40 margin "Hirom" (chirom) is found. In Chronicles the form of the word is uniformly "Huram" (churam).
(1) A king of Tyre who lived on most friendly terms with both David and Solomon. After David had taken the stronghold of Zion, Hiram sent messengers and workmen and materials to build a palace for him at Jerusalem (2Sa 5:11; 1Ch 14:1). Solomon, on his accession to the throne, made a league with Hiram, in consequence of which Hiram furnished the new king of Israel with skilled workmen and with cedar trees and fir trees and algum trees from Lebanon for the building of the Temple. In return Solomon gave annually to Hiram large quantities of wheat and oil (1Ki 5:1 (Hebrew 15) ff; 2Ch 2:3 (Hebrew 2) ff). "At the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the two houses, the house of Yahweh and the king's house," Solomon made a present to Hiram of twenty cities in the land of Galilee. Hiram was not at all pleased with these cities and contemptuously called them "Cabul." His displeasure, however, with this gift does not seem to have disturbed the amicable relations that had hitherto existed between the two kings, for subsequently Hiram sent to the king of Israel 120 talents of gold (1Ki 9:10-14). Hiram and Solomon maintained merchant vessels on the Mediterranean and shared mutually in a profitable trade with foreign ports (1Ki 10:22). Hiram's servants, "shipmen that had knowledge of the sea," taught the sailors of Solomon the route from Ezion-geber and Eloth to Ophir, whence large stores of gold were brought to King Solomon (1Ki 9:26; 2Ch 8:17 f).
Josephus (Apion, I, 17, 18) informs us, on the authority of the historians Dius and Menander, that Hiram was the son of Abibal, that he had a prosperous reign of 34 years, and died at the age of 53. He tells us on the same authority that Hiram and Solomon sent problems to each other to solve; that Hiram could not solve those sent him by Solomon, whereupon he paid to Solomon a large sum of money, as had at first been agreed upon. Finally, Abdemon, a man of Tyre, did solve the problems, and proposed others which Solomon was unable to explain; consequently Solomon was obliged to pay back to Hiram a vast sum of money. Josephus further states (Ant., VIII, ii, 8) that the correspondence carried on between Solomon and Hiram in regard to the building of the Temple was preserved, not only in the records of the Jews, but also in the public records of Tyre. It is also related by Phoenician historians that Hiram gave his daughter to Solomon in marriage.
(2) The name of a skillful worker in brass and other substances, whom Solomon secured from Hiram king of Tyre to do work on the Temple. His father was a brass-worker of Tyre, and his mother was a woman of the tribe of Naphtali (1Ki 7:14), "a woman of the daughters of Dan" (2Ch 2:14 (Hebrew 13); 1Ki 7:13 ff; 2Ch 2:13 f (Hebrew 12,13)).
Jesse L. Cotton
her-ka'nuz.
See HYRCANUS.
hir: Two entirely different words are translated "hire" in the Old Testament:
(1) The most frequent one