1The building of the temple begun. 2The dimensions of the house, and of the porch before it. 4The windows. 5The chambers. 11God's promise concerning the house. 14The ceiling and ornaments of it. 19The oracle. 23The cherubims within it. 31The doors of the oracle, and of the temple. 36The inner court. 37The time taken up in the building.
1AND it came to pass 1in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourtha year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month 2Zif, which is 3the second month, that he 4began to build theb house of the LORD.
1 Some count these years thus: the children of Israel were 40 years under Moses in the wilderness, 17 under Joshua, and 299 under the judges, 80 under Eli, Samuel and Saul, 40 under David. These, being summed up together, with four years of Solomon’s reign, make in all 480 years.
a 2 Chron. 3:2.
2 Mostly agreeing with our April, and partly with our May. See of this month also verse 37. Likewise Num. 1 on verse 1.
3 According to the ordinance of the Lord, Exod. 12:2.
4 Hebr. built. That is, began to build, also Gen. 5:32. See hereof further below verses 37 and 38; 2 Chron. 3:1.
b Acts 7:47.
2And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the 5length thereof was threescore 6cubits, and the 7breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.
5 This extended from the east to the west.
6 Namely, of the sanctuary. See of this measure, Gen. 6 on verse 15.
7 This was from the south to the north.
3And 8the porch before the templec of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, 9according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth 10thereof before the house.
8 Understand hereby a space before the entrance of the sanctuary.
c John 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12.
9 That is, this porch was just as long as the Lord’s house or the temple was broad. Compare the previous verse.
10 Here is only spoken of the length and its breadth: but 2 Chron. 3:4 we find also its height, which was a hundred and twenty cubits.
4And for the house he made windows of 11narrow lights.
11 That is, which were partly narrow, and as it were shut against the looking in and inconveniency of the weather, partly broad; and so consequently fit to let in the sunbeams and to look out. Thus according to the opinion of some, the windows in the wall, (which was very thick) were narrow without, and wide within. Others think that they were wide without, and narrow within: others, that they were wide both without and within, but by degrees narrow on both sides, entering to the middle of the wall, where they were shut close with glass, against foul weather. Other, which could be opened and shut.
5¶And 12against 13the wall of the house he built 14chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both 15of the temple and of the 16oracle: and he made 17chambers round about:
12 Namely, on the south-, west- and north-side of the house, and not on the east-side, which was filled up with the porch.
13 That is, at the wall of the temple; and that so, that the beams of the chambers, here mentioned, were not wrought into the wall of the temple, but lay upon the buttresses of the same wall, where it was narrowed from without. This narrowing happened three times at each, with the raising of it five cubits, and then upon those sticking out were buttresses laid and fitted for the beams of the chambers, which were three stories high.
14 Hebr. floors, that is, chamber-buildings and rooms outside the temple for the priests’ use, when they executed their office, and to lock up in them the first fruits, the tenths, priestly garments, offerings and other things appertaining to the service of God, etc. See 2 Kings 11:2; 1 Chron. 28:12; Ezek. 42:13, 14.
15 Understand the foremost part of the temple, otherwise called the holy place, into which the priests entered daily to burn incense, and to dress the lamps.
16 Or, answering-place. The Hebrew word has its name from communing, or speaking to. Understand the innermost place of the temple, otherwise called the holy of holies, from where God gave His oracle and answer. Compare verses 16, 20.
17 Hebr. ribs. Understand the same chambers, whereof was spoken in the beginning of this verse, or certain passages of galleries, which were in front along the second and third story of these chambers.
618The nethermostd chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house 19he made narrowed rests round about, that 20the beams should not be 21fastened in the walls of the house.
18 As the wall of the temple had three narrowings, the lowermost, the middlemost and the uppermost, thus the lowermost story of the chambers was a cubit narrower than the middlemost, and the middlemost was again so much narrower than the uppermost.
d lowest
19 Each time he had made the thickness of the wall a cubit narrower, to lay the beams of the chambers upon the narrowings. This narrowing or shortening was in the top of the wall of 5 and 10 and 15 cubits.
20 Namely, the chambers.
21 That is, the beams were not to be held into the wall of the temple by drilling through and breaking it. Compare Ezek. 41:6.
7And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone 22made ready 23before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
22 That is, these were previously perfectly prepared for the work, which is likewise affirmed of the wood or timber, 1 Kings 5:18.
23 Hebr. ejected forth, that is, it came there with stone as it was quarried.
8The door 24for the middle chamber was in the 25right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the 26third.
24 That is, through which they went up to the middlemost side-chamber.
25 Hebr. shoulder. The right side of the temple, as they went forth, was the south; for, the entrance of the temple stood in the east, and the most holy place in the west.
26 Namely, side-chambers. By the plural number here may be understood that every story had several chambers and corners. See 2 Kings 11:2.
9So he built the house, and finished it; and 27covered the house with 28beams and 29boards of cedar.
27 Namely, to its roof within.
28 Hebr. backs, according to the opinion of some.
29 Hebr. orderings in or with cedars, that is, with orderly fastening or joining together of cedar beams, planks or boards.
10And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and 30they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
30 That is, they were joined and fitted by him on the narrowings of the wall of the temple. See verse 6.
11¶And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,
12Concerning this house which thou art in building, ife thou wilt walk in my 31statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, whichf I spake unto David thy father:
e 1 Kings 2:4; 9:4.
31 How these three words, statutes, judgments, and commandments are distinguished, see 1 Kings 2 on verse 3.
f 2 Sam. 7:13; 1 Chron. 22:10, 19.
13And I will dwell 32among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
32 See Lev. 26 on verse 12.
14So Solomon 33built the house, and finished it.
33 That is, he went on in the building of the temple, to perfect and adorn the same within.
15And he 34built the walls of the house within with 35boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls 36of the cieling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of 37the house with planks of fir.
34 That is, he covered the walls with planks of cedar, etc. Also in the following verse.
35 Hebr. sides; and so in the following.
36 Hebr. unto the walls of the roof; that is, to the uppermost part of the wall, on which the roof rests.
37 Understand this not of the innermost part of the house, but of the foremost part, called the holy place.
16And he 38built 39twenty cubits on the sides of the house, 40both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them 41for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
38 The meaning is: that he covered the partition-wall, whereby the holy place was distinguished or divided from the Holy of Holies, with planks of cedar.
39 The length of the temple was sixty cubits, verse 2, whereof the foremost part had forty and consequently the innermost twenty.
40 That is, the entire floor from one wall to the other.
41 Namely, for the Lord, of Whom was spoken just before in verse 13.
17And the house, that is, the 42temple before it, was forty cubits long.
42 Called, the holy place. This was as long again as the holy of holies, which had but twenty cubits in length, verse 20.
18And the cedar of the house within was carved with 43knops and 44open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
43 Others, wild gourds, so 1 Kings 7:24.
44 Hebr. opening of flowers. So in the sequel.
19And the oracle he prepared in 45the house 46within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
45 Hebr. in the midst of the house. The word house signifies here the entire building of the temple.
46 Namely, the place where was the Holy of Holies; in the outermost part of the temple.
20And the oracle in the 47forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and 48twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with 49pure gold; and so covered 50the altar which was of cedar.
47 That is, this, as a man entered in from the east to the west, was situated before him in the end of the holy place. Other, the space (or, the faces) of the oracles was, etc.
48 In verse 2 is indeed mentioned concerning the entire house that it was thirty cubits high; but seeing they were to go up by steps or stairs from the first court into the second, and from the second into the holy place, and from this into the holy of holies, as may be gathered from Ezek. 40:6, it is no wonder that the floor was certain cubits higher, and closer to the roof.
49 Hebr. shut up. That is, plate-gold, fine, pure gold. See 2 Chron. 3:4. Or so called, (as others perceive) because it was locked up and kept by David for the building of the temple, 1 Chron. 29:3, 4 where it is also called gold of Ophir, which for its worth and value, was ever held in great esteem, Job 22:24, but the costliest and most precious gold was likewise generally so called, because they were wont to lock it up very close, Job 28:15.
50 Understand the altar of incense, of which also mention is made verse 22; 1 Kings 9:25. This Solomon likewise overlaid with gold, and is therefore called the altar of gold, 1 Kings 7:48.
21So Solomon overlaid the 51house within with pure gold: and 52he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.
51 Meaning, the Holy of Holies, as is expounded at the end of this verse.
52 The meaning is: that Solomon caused a vail to be made, which he drew all along to the partition, which divided the holy from the most holy place, hanging on golden chains. See of this vail, Exod. 26:31, 32, 33.
22And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the 53whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
53 See on verse 20.
23¶Andg within the oracle he made two 54cherubims of 55olive tree, each ten cubits high.
g Exod. 25:18.
54 See Gen. 3 on verse 24.
55 The cherubims, which Moses caused to be made, were of beaten-gold, Exod. 25:18. Now some hold these oily trees not to be olive trees, but some other trees, which also yield oil, as cedar trees and pine trees, etc., for, the olive trees are sometimes distinguished from the oily trees, as Neh. 8:16.
24And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: 56from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
56 Hebr. from the ends of his wings to the ends of his wings.
25And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one 57size.
57 That is, shape.
26The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
27And he set the cherubims within the 58inner house: andh they stretched forth the wings of the 59cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
58 That is, the Holy of Holies; so the holy place is called the temple which was before it, verse 17.
h Exod. 25:20.
59 The meaning is: that the two cherubims, standing in the holy of holies, each touched the wall with their one wing, the one the wall that was on the south side, the other on the north side; and that they then touched one another with their other wings: so that with the same they reached over the entire breadth of the place; for, as this was twenty cubits broad, verse 20, so was every wing five cubits long, verse 24. Consequently both cherubims stood ten cubits distant one from the other, and each five cubits distant from the wall of his side, making together twenty cubits. Compare 2 Chron. 3:11, etc.
28And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
29And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and 60without.
60 Some understand by this the wall which parted the holy of holies from the holy place, which he not only adorned within, on the side which was in the most holy place, but also without on the side which stood in the holy place. Others understand it of the walls in general both of the most holy and holy place.
30And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, 61within and without.
61 That is, in the most holy and in the holy place.
31¶And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts 62were a fifth part of the wall.
62 That is, it was as broad and high as the fifth part of the wall, namely, four cubits. For the wall of the oracle was twenty cubits broad and high. See verse 16. Others translate this as such, that the lintel and posts were five square, or five-cornered.
32The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, 63and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.
63 Hereby the workmanship could ever be discerned from the carved work.
33So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, 64a fourth part of the wall.
64 For the posts (the door being also counted) were five cubits broad and high, which is the fourth part of twenty. Others understand this of the posts that they were foursquare, or four-cornered. Compare verse 31 and the annotation.
34And the two doors were of 65fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.
65 See 1 Kings 5 on verse 8.
35And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.
36¶And he built 66the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
66 Understand the court that was next to the temple, and was called the priests’ court, 2 Chron. 4:9, because none but they and the Levites were permitted to enter into it, and because the priests offered there upon the altar of burnt offering, and observed the worship of God.
37¶In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month 67Zif:
67 See on verse 1.
38And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, 68which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the 69parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.
68 This month answers partly to our October, and partly to our November.
69 Hebr. things or words, that is, according to all that was said and ordered concerning it.