God’s speech makes it clear that the king’s office is a position of trust. Again, there is no response from Solomon, but it is not accidental that the next part of the chapter unfolds a series of transactions from the king’s reign. Indeed, this section looks like an abrupt switch to a collection of somewhat random miscellany, but this is far from the case; there is a common thread woven throughout. The first report is of further dealings with Hiram (9:10–23), without whose assistance there would have been a rather different temple. One immediately recalls that the portable tabernacle in the wilderness was …