· Translation: KJV

1 Chronicles 14:1Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and masons, and carpenters, to build him a house.

The setting

Jerusalem, ~1003 BC. King Hiram of Tyre sends an embassy with craftsmen and cedar wood to newly crowned King David in the City of David, modern-day Jerusalem, Israel.

The emotion here: recording God's providence with wonder

The original word

malʾāḵîm (מַלְאָכִים) — messengers or ambassadors, indicating formal diplomatic recognition

Why it matters

Cedar of Lebanon was the most prized building material in the ancient world, more valuable than gold

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Chronicles 14:1

This wasn't charity — Hiram was making a strategic alliance with the rising power

Common misconceptionPeople think this shows David's wealth, but it actually shows God providing through foreign allies when David had nothing to offer in return.

Bible Genome reading

1 Chronicles 14:1 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionstarting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power30%
Quotability30%
Memorability30%
Crisis relevance10%
Standalone40%
Themes:provisionpartnershipbuilding

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Chronicles 14

1 Chronicles 14:1 comes from the book of 1 Chronicles, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is starting, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include provision, partnership, building. Notable phrases: Hiram king of Tyre; cedar trees; build him a house.

Your reflection

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