5 And against the wall H7023 of the house H1004 he built H1129 chambers H3326 H3326 round about, H5439 against the walls H7023 of the house H1004 round about, H5439 both of the temple H1964 and of the oracle: H1687 and he made H6213 chambers H6763 round about: H5439
And the oracle H1687 he prepared H3559 in H8432 the house H1004 within, H6441 to set H5414 there the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD. H3068 And the oracle H1687 in the forepart H6440 was twenty H6242 cubits H520 in length, H753 and twenty H6242 cubits H520 in breadth, H7341 and twenty H6242 cubits H520 in the height H6967 thereof: and he overlaid H6823 it with pure H5462 gold; H2091 and so covered H6823 the altar H4196 which was of cedar. H730 So Solomon H8010 overlaid H6823 the house H1004 within H6441 with pure H5462 gold: H2091 and he made a partition H5674 by the chains H7572 H7572 of gold H2091 before H6440 the oracle; H1687 and he overlaid H6823 it with gold. H2091
Over against the twenty H6242 cubits which were for the inner H6442 court, H2691 and over against the pavement H7531 which was for the utter H2435 court, H2691 was gallery H862 against H6440 gallery H862 in three H7992 stories. And before H6440 the chambers H3957 was a walk H4109 of ten H6235 cubits H520 breadth H7341 inward, H6442 a way H1870 of one H259 cubit; H520 and their doors H6607 toward the north. H6828 Now the upper H5945 chambers H3957 were shorter: H7114 for the galleries H862 were higher H398 than these, H2007 than the lower, H8481 and than the middlemost H8484 of the building. H1146 For they were in three H8027 stories, but had not pillars H5982 as the pillars H5982 of the courts: H2691 therefore the building was straitened H680 more than the lowest H8481 and the middlemost H8484 from the ground. H776 And the wall H1447 that was without H2351 over against H5980 the chambers, H3957 toward H1870 the utter H2435 court H2691 on the forepart H6440 of the chambers, H3957 the length H753 thereof was fifty H2572 cubits. H520 For the length H753 of the chambers H3957 that were in the utter H2435 court H2691 was fifty H2572 cubits: H520 and, lo, before H6440 the temple H1964 were an hundred H3967 cubits. H520 And from under these chambers H3957 was the entry H3996 H935 on the east side, H6921 as one goeth H935 into them H2007 from the utter H2435 court. H2691 The chambers H3957 were in the thickness H7341 of the wall H1444 of the court H2691 toward H1870 the east, H6921 over against H6440 the separate place, H1508 and over against H6440 the building. H1146 And the way H1870 before H6440 them was like the appearance H4758 of the chambers H3957 which were toward H1870 the north, H6828 as long as H753 they, and as broad as H3651 H7341 they: and all their goings out H4161 were both according to their fashions, H4941 and according to their doors. H6607 And according to the doors H6607 of the chambers H3957 that were toward H1870 the south H1864 was a door H6607 in the head H7218 of the way, H1870 even the way H1870 directly H1903 before H6440 the wall H1448 toward H1870 the east, H6921 as one entereth H935 into them.
After he measured H4058 the wall H7023 of the house, H1004 six H8337 cubits; H520 and the breadth H7341 of every side chamber, H6763 four H702 cubits, H520 round about H5439 the house H1004 on every side. H5439 And the side H6763 chambers H6763 were three, H7969 one over another, H6763 and thirty H7970 in order; H6471 and they entered H935 into the wall H7023 which was of the house H1004 for the side chambers H6763 round about, H5439 that they might have hold, H270 but they had not hold H270 in the wall H7023 of the house. H1004 And there was an enlarging, H7337 and a winding about H5437 still upward H4605 to the side chambers: H6763 for the winding about H4141 of the house H1004 went still upward H4605 round about H5439 the house: H1004 therefore the breadth H7341 of the house H1004 was still upward, H4605 and so increased H5927 from the lowest H8481 chamber to the highest H5945 by the midst. H8484 I saw H7200 also the height H1363 of the house H1004 round about: H5439 the foundations H4328 of the side chambers H6763 were a full H4393 reed H7070 of six H8337 great H679 cubits. H520 The thickness H7341 of the wall, H7023 which was for the side chamber H6763 without, H2351 was five H2568 cubits: H520 and that which was left H3240 was the place H1004 of the side chambers H6763 that were within. H1004 And between the chambers H3957 was the wideness H7341 of twenty H6242 cubits H520 round about H5439 the house H1004 on every side. H5439 And the doors H6607 of the side chambers H6763 were toward the place that was left, H3240 one H259 door H6607 toward H1870 the north, H6828 and another H259 door H6607 toward the south: H1864 and the breadth H7341 of the place H4725 that was left H3240 was five H2568 cubits H520 round about. H5439
And he had prepared H6213 for him a great H1419 chamber, H3957 where aforetime H6440 they laid H5414 the meat offerings, H4503 the frankincense, H3828 and the vessels, H3627 and the tithes H4643 of the corn, H1715 the new wine, H8492 and the oil, H3323 which was commanded H4687 to be given to the Levites, H3881 and the singers, H7891 and the porters; H7778 and the offerings H8641 of the priests. H3548 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: H3389 for in the two H8147 and thirtieth H7970 year H8141 of Artaxerxes H783 king H4428 of Babylon H894 came H935 I unto the king, H4428 and after H7093 certain days H3117 obtained I leave H7592 of the king: H4428 And I came H935 to Jerusalem, H3389 and understood H995 of the evil H7451 that Eliashib H475 did H6213 for Tobiah, H2900 in preparing H6213 him a chamber H5393 in the courts H2691 of the house H1004 of God. H430 And it grieved H3415 me sore: H3966 therefore I cast forth H7993 all the household H1004 stuff H3627 of Tobiah H2900 out of H2351 the chamber. H3957 Then I commanded, H559 and they cleansed H2891 the chambers: H3957 and thither brought I again H7725 the vessels H3627 of the house H1004 of God, H430 with the meat offering H4503 and the frankincense. H3828
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Kings 6
Commentary on 1 Kings 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
1Ki 6:1-4. The Building of Solomon's Temple.
2. the house which king Solomon built for the Lord—The dimensions are given in cubits, which are to be reckoned according to the early standard (2Ch 3:3), or holy cubit (Eze 40:5; 43:13), a handbreadth longer than the common or later one. It is probable that the internal elevation only is here stated.
3. the porch—or portico, extended across the whole front (see on 2Ch 3:4).
4. windows of narrow lights—that is, windows with lattices, capable of being shut and opened at pleasure, partly to let out the vapor of the lamps, the smoke of the frankincense, and partly to give light [Keil].
1Ki 6:5-10. The Chambers Thereof.
5. against the wall of the house he built chambers—On three sides, there were chambers in three stories, each story wider than the one beneath it, as the walls were narrowed or made thinner as they ascended, by a rebate being made, on which the beams of the side floor rested, without penetrating the wall. These chambers were approached from the right-hand side, in the interior of the under story, by a winding staircase of stone, which led to the middle and upper stories.
7. there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building—A subterranean quarry has been very recently discovered near Jerusalem, where the temple stones are supposed to have been hewn. There is unequivocal evidence in this quarry that the stones were dressed there; for there are blocks very similar in size, as well as of the same kind of stone, as those found in the ancient remains. Thence, probably, they would be moved on rollers down the Tyropean valley to the very side of the temple [Porter, Tent and Kahn].
9, 10. built the house—The temple is here distinguished from the wings or chambers attached to it—and its roofing was of cedar-wood.
10. chambers … five cubits high—The height of the whole three stories was therefore about fifteen cubits.
they rested on the house with timber of cedar—that is, because the beams of the side stones rested on the ledges of the temple wall. The wing was attached to the house; it was connected with the temple, without, however, interfering injuriously with the sanctuary [Keil].
1Ki 6:11-14. God's Promises unto It.
11-13. the word of the Lord came to Solomon—probably by a prophet. It was very seasonable, being designed: first, to encourage him to go on with the building, by confirming anew the promise made to his father David (2Sa 7:12-16); and secondly, to warn him against the pride and presumption of supposing that after the erection of so magnificent a temple, he and his people would always be sure of the presence and favor of God. The condition on which that blessing could alone be expected was expressly stated. The dwelling of God among the children of Israel refers to those symbols of His presence in the temple, which were the visible tokens of His spiritual relation to that people.
1Ki 6:15-22. The Ceiling and Adorning of It.
15-21. he built the walls of the house within—The walls were wainscotted with cedar-wood; the floor, paved with cypress planks; the interior was divided (by a partition consisting of folding doors, which were opened and shut with golden chains) into two apartments—the back or inner room, that is, the most holy place, was twenty cubits long and broad; the front, or outer room, that is, the holy place, was forty cubits. The cedar-wood was beautifully embellished with figures in relievo, representing clusters of foliage, open flowers, cherubims, and palm trees. The whole interior was overlaid with gold, so that neither wood nor stone was seen; nothing met the eye but pure gold, either plain or richly chased.
31-35. for the entering of the oracle—The door of the most holy place was made of solid olive tree and adorned with figures. The door of the holy place was made of cypress wood, the sides being of olive wood.
36. the inner court—was for the priests. Its wall, which had a coping of cedar, is said to have been so low that the people could see over it.
1Ki 6:37, 38. The time Taken to Build It.
37. In the fourth year was the foundation laid—The building was begun in the second month of the fourth year and completed in the eighth month of the eleventh year of Solomon's reign, comprising a period of seven and a half years, which is reckoned here in round numbers. It was not a very large, but a very splendid building, requiring great care, and ingenuity, and division of labor. The immense number of workmen employed, together with the previous preparation of the materials, serves to account for the short time occupied in the process of building.