MPV Commentary

Hiram sent his servants to Solomon, renewing the friendly relations that had been established between their ancestors, David and Hiram of Tyre. This alliance had been mutually beneficial, with Israel providing grain and oil in exchange for Phoenician goods and foreign imports.

6. Command your workers to cut down cedar trees from Lebanon for me - The forests of Lebanon were a valuable resource for the Phoenicians, who exported timber on a large scale. Hiram agreed to provide Solomon with as many cedars and cypresses as he needed, and also offered to have them transported down to the coast by the Dog river and then conveyed along the shore in floats bound together. This would allow the logs to be easily transported from Joppa to Jerusalem.

My servants will work alongside your servants - The scale of this project required a large workforce, so Hiram proposed a division of labor. While his skilled artisans would handle the more complex tasks, Solomon's workers would provide the necessary laborers for the operation.