HIRAM

(Hiʹram) [possibly meaning the same as Ahiram (Num. 26:38), brother of height; high].

In the Masoretic text alternate spellings are found in certain passages: “Hirom” (1 Ki. 5:10, 18; 7:40a) and “Huram,” only in the Chronicles.

1. King of Tyre, and friendly contemporary of Kings David and Solomon in the eleventh century B.C.E.

After David conquered the stronghold of Zion and set about to build a palace on the site, Hiram sent messengers to arrange a trade treaty between himself and David. Hiram then supplied David with cedar timber from the western slopes of Lebanon, as well as craftsmen skilled in working wood and stone.—2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Chron. 14:1.

Upon hearing that David had died and Solomon was reigning in his stead, Hiram sent his servants to renew the friendship agreement. (1 Ki. 5:1) Solomon then enlisted the help of Hiram in supplying materials and some of the manpower necessary for the building of the great temple, at the same time bargaining to pay Hiram’s labor force with large quantities of wheat, barley, wine and oil. (1 Ki. 5:2-6; 2 Chron. 2:3-10) In turn, Hiram blessed Jehovah, and a covenant of friendship was concluded between the two nations.—1 Ki. 5:7-12; 2 Chron. 2:11-16.

At the end of Solomon’s twenty-year building project he gave Hiram twenty cities, but they proved most undesirable in Hiram’s eyes. (1 Ki. 9:10-13; see CABUL No. 2.) Whether Hiram returned these same cities or gave Solomon other cities is not certain. (2 Chron. 8:1, 2) Nor is it certain whether 120 talents of gold (over $4,630,000) that Hiram gave Solomon was subsequent to receiving the gift of cities, or somehow figured in the exchange.—1 Ki. 9:14.

Hiram also shared with Solomon in another joint enterprise, in which the latter built a fleet of ships in the Gulf of Aqabah at Ezion-geber. Hiram then supplied experienced seamen to man them along with Solomon’s servants. In addition to these ships that plied the southern waters off the E coast of Africa, Hiram and Solomon had other ships sailing as far as Tarshish, apparently at the western end of the Mediterranean. All together, these extensive operations on the high seas brought in a great deal of wealth—gold, silver, ivory, precious stones, valuable woods and rarities like apes and peacocks.—1 Ki. 9:26-28; 10:11, 12, 22; 2 Chron. 8:18; 9:10, 21; see EZION-GEBER.

2. The skilled artisan who made many of the furnishings of Solomon’s temple. His father was a Tyrian, but his mother was a widow “from the tribe of Naphtali” (1 Ki. 7:13, 14) “of the sons of Dan.” (2 Chron. 2:13, 14) This apparent difference resolves itself if we take the view, as some scholars do, that she was born of the tribe of Dan, had been widowed by a first husband of the tribe of Naphtali, and then was remarried to a Tyrian.

Hiram, the king of Tyre (No. 1 above), sent this Hiram to supervise the special construction for Solomon because of his ability and experience in working with materials such as gold, silver, copper, iron, stone and wood. Hiram was also unusually skilled in dyeing, engraving and designing all sorts of devices. No doubt from childhood on he received some of his technical training in the industrial arts of the times from his Tyrian father, who himself was an accomplished craftsman in copper.—1 Ki. 7:13-45; 2 Chron. 2:13, 14; 4:11-16.

The king of Tyre apparently refers to this man as Hiram-abi, which seems to be an appellation literally meaning “Hiram my father.” (2 Chron. 2:13) By this the king did not mean that Hiram was his literal father, but, perhaps, that he was the king’s “counselor” or “master workman.” Similarly, the expression Hiram-abiv (literally, “Hiram his father”), seems to mean ‘Hiram is his (that is, the king’s) master workman.’—2 Chron. 4:16.