7. can skill to grave] Literally knoweth how to grave. To “grave” is to “carve”; compare 1 Kings vi. 29.

my father did provide] See 1 Chronicles xxii. 15.

⁸Send me also cedar trees, fir[¹] trees, and algum[²] trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, ⁹even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.

[¹] Or, cypress.

[²] In 1 Kings x. 11, almug trees.

8. cedar trees] See 1 Chronicles xxii. 4.

fir trees] margin, cypress trees (which however are not now indigenous on Lebanon).

algum trees] called almug trees in 1 Kings x. 11, 12 and there described as coming from Ophir. According to 1 Kings v. 8 Solomon asked for cedar and “fir” only; so that the mention of algum trees here is probably incorrect. Algum is perhaps sandal-wood.

¹⁰And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures[¹] of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures[¹] of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

[¹] Hebrew cors.