Limitless Word
Baalath, Tamar in the wilderness,
1 Kings 9:18 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,
  • BSB Baalath, and Tamar in the Wilderness of Judah,
  • NKJV Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
  • NASB and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
  • NLT Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness within his land.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Solomon also built Baalath and Tamar (Tadmor), extending his fortifications into the wilderness. It underscores the reach of his administrative and defensive network.

Overview

These outpost cities guarded the desert frontiers and trade corridors of Solomon's expanding domain. Building in the wilderness shows that his control reached well beyond the settled heartland. Such security and dominion were signs of the wisdom and blessing God had given, a kingdom whose peace pointed forward, however imperfectly, to the greater reign of David's promised Son.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 2

  • Josh 19:44Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath,
  • 2 Chr 8:4He built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities, which he built in Hamath.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Kings 9:18YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.

How 1 Kings 9:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.