דברי הימים ב, פרק ט׳, פסוק כ״ז

Immense wealth flooded Jerusalem, fundamentally changing how people viewed precious materials. The abundance of silver in the city stripped the metal of its usual prestige, causing it to be viewed as nothing more than simple stones [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This was not merely a shift in conceptual value. Silver was physically left out in the public streets, resting on the ground like ordinary rocks. Because these hoards of treasure were so incredibly heavy, there was no fear that thieves would carry them away [מצודת דוד].

A similar transformation occurred with building materials. Cedar trees, imported in massive quantities from Mount Lebanon, completely lost their status as a rare luxury [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Instead, they became as ordinary as sycamores, a common type of fig tree [מצודת ציון]. These sycamore trees grew naturally and in enormous numbers [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ] throughout the lowlands and valley regions [מצודת ציון], illustrating how the once-exclusive cedars had become a standard, everyday sight.