2 Chronicles 9:11

The king made the algum wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.)

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Chronicler narrates to his audience the immediate aftermath of the Queen of Sheba’s departure, following the arrival of Hiram’s ships that delivered gold and algum wood from Ophir.

The words — The text highlights `הָֽ/אַלְגּוּמִּ֜ים (ha./'al.gu.Mim)` = algum wood and `מְסִלּ֤וֹת (me.si.Lot)` = steps, noting the king fashioned these imported timbers into stairways.

The thread — This account parallels 1 Kings 10:12, while the carving of wood into lyres and harps for singers connects to the Levitical music ministry outlined in 1 Chronicles 25:1 and 1 Chronicles 23:5.

Why it lands — The text states that no similar craftsmanship had ever appeared in Judah and requires the reader to acknowledge how imported material was redirected to serve both royal and sacred functions.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיַּ֣עַשׂva/i.Ya.'asand/ he made הַ֠מֶּלֶךְHa./Me.lekhthe/ king אֶת־'et-<obj.>עֲצֵ֨י'a.Tzei[the] wood<s> of הָֽאַלְגּוּמִּ֜יםha./'al.gu.Mimthe/ algum<s>מְסִלּ֤וֹתme.si.Lottracks לְבֵית־le./veit-for/ [the] house of יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh וּלְבֵ֣יתu./le./Veitand/ for/ [the] house of הַמֶּ֔לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king וְכִנֹּר֥וֹתve./khi.no.Rotand/ harps וּנְבָלִ֖יםu./ne.va.Limand/ lyres לַשָּׁרִ֑יםla./sha.Rimfor the/ singers וְלֹא־ve./lo'-and/ not נִרְא֥וּnir.'Uthey had been seenכָהֵ֛םkha./Hemlike/ themלְפָנִ֖יםle./fa.Nim<to>/ before בְּאֶ֥רֶץbe./'E.retzin/ [the] land of יְהוּדָֽה׃ye.hu.DahJudah

King James Version

And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the Lord, and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

Cross-references

1 Kings 10:12 The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen again to this day.)
1 Chronicles 23:5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the LORD with the instruments I have made for giving praise.”
1 Chronicles 25:1 Additionally, David and the commanders of the army set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to prophesy with the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. The following is the list of the men who performed this service:
Psalms 92:1 A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath day. It is good to praise the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High,
Psalms 150:3 Praise Him with the sound of the horn; praise Him with the harp and lyre.
Revelation 5:8 When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.