1-4 The building of Solomon's temple 5-10 The chambers thereof 11-14 God's promise unto it 15-22 The ceiling and adorning of it 23-30 The cherubims 31-35 The doors 36 The court 37,38 The time of building it

A.M. 2993 B.C. 1011 An. Ex. Is. 480
And it came Jud 11:26 2Ch 3:1,2

in the month Zif 1Ki 6:37 Nu 1:1

began [heb] built Ac 7:47

build 1Ch 29:19 Zec 6:12,13,15 Joh 2:19-21 1Co 6:19 2Co 6:16 Eph 2:20-22 Col 2:7 Heb 9:11 11:10 1Pe 2:5

2 And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.

the house Eze 40:1-41:26

the length According to B. Cumberland's estimation of the cubit, its length was 36 yds. 1ft 5/28 inch; its breadth 12 yds. 5/76 inch; and its height, 18 yds. 8/64 inch. This constituted what is properly called the temple; but, besides this, there were the courts and colonnades, where the people might assemble to perform their devotions, without being exposed to the open air.

threescore Ezr 6:3,4 Eze 41:1 Re 21:16,17

3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.

1Ch 28:11 2Ch 3:3,4 Eze 41:15 Mt 4:5 Joh 10:23 Ac 3:10,11

4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.

windows of narrow lights. or, windows broad within, and narrow without; or, skewed and closed 1Ki 6:4 So 2:9 Eze 40:16 41:26

5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:

against. or, upon, or joining to.
built 1Ch 9:26 23:28 28:11 2Ch 31:11 Ne 10:37 12:44 13:5-9 So 1:4 Jer 35:4 Eze 40:44 41:5-11 42:3-12

chambers [heb] floors These appear to have been what we should now call corridors or galleries; in which were apartments for the use of the priests. They consisted of three stories, and increased one cubit in breadth in every story, the wall of the temple being two cubits thicker at the bottom than at the top; and where the wall diminished, a rest was thus formed for the beams of the chambers to lodge upon.

oracle 1Ki 6:16,19-21,31 Ex 25:22 Le 16:2 Nu 7:89 2Ch 4:20 5:7,9 Ps 28:2

chambers [heb] ribs

6 The nethermost 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 he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.

narrowed rests. or, narrowings, or rebatements

7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before 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.

built of stone 1Ki 5:17,18 De 27:5,6 Pr 24:27 Ro 9:23 2Co 5:5 Col 1:12 1Pe 2:5

neither hammer Isa 42:2 Ac 9:31 Jas 1:20 3:17,18

8 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.

side [heb] shoulder
went up Eze 41:6,7

9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

he built 1Ki 6:14,38

with beams and boards of cedar. or, the vault beams and the ceilings with cedar.

10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

11 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,

12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:

if thou wilt 1Ki 2:3,4 3:14 8:25 9:3-6 1Sa 12:14,15 1Ch 28:9 2Ch 7:17,18 Ps 132:12 Zec 3:7 Col 1:23

then will I perform 2Sa 7:13 1Ch 22:10

13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

I will dwell 1Ki 8:27 Ex 25:8 Le 26:11 Ps 68:18 132:12,13 Isa 57:15 Eze 37:26-28 2Co 6:16 Re 21:3

will not forsake De 31:6,8 1Sa 12:22 1Ch 28:9,20 Heb 13:5

14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

A.M. 2993-3000 B.C. 1011-1004 1Ki 6:9,38 Ac 7:47,48

15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.

he built That is, he lined or wainscotted the walls with cedar, the floor being covered with planks of fir: the marginal reading in this verse is preferable, as it removes every difficulty and obscurity.

both the floor of the house, and the walls. or, from the floor of the house, unto the walls, etc.

16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.

built them 1Ki 6:5,19,20 8:6 Ex 25:21,22 26:23 Le 16:2 2Ch 3:8 Eze 45:3 Heb 9:3

the oracle The oracle was the sanctuary, or holy of holies, in which there was nothing but the ark of the covenant, including the tables of the law, and into which the high priest alone was to enter but once a year.

17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.

18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

knops. or, gourds.
Pekaim, `artificial knops,' in the shape of {colocynths} or wild gourds, as the word denotes. (See note on 2ki 4:39;) the full- blown flowers of which must have been very ornamental.

open flowers. or, openings of flowers

19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

the oracle 1Ki 6:5,16 2Ch 4:20 Ps 28:2

to set 1Ki 8:6-10 Ex 40:20,21 2Ch 5:7 Heb 9:3,4

20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.

twenty cubits 1Ki 5:2,3

pure [heb] shut up
the altar 1Ki 6:22 7:48 Ex 30:1-3

21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.

overlaid Ex 26:29,32 36:34 2Ch 3:7-9

by the chains 1Ki 6:5 Ex 26:32,33 2Ch 3:14-16

22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

the whole house It is impossible to calculate this expense, or the quantity of gold employed in this sacred building; but both must have been immense.

also 1Ki 6:20 Ex 30:1,3,5,6 2Ch 3:7

the whole altar This was the altar of incense without the vail, in the {holy place}, which was twice the length of the {most holy place}.

23 And within the oracle he made two cherubim of olive tree, each ten cubits high.

two cherubims These were distinct from, and much larger than those which covered the mercy-seat. Ge 3:24 Ex 25:18-22 37:7-9 2Ch 3:10-13 Ps 18:10 80:1 Isa 37:16 Eze 10:2 Heb 1:14 1Pe 1:12

olive tree. or, oily trees. [heb] trees of oil

24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.

25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one size.

26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

27 And he set the cherubim within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubim, 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.

they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims. or, the cherubims stretched forth their wings. Ex 25:20 37:9 2Ch 3:11 5:8

28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.

carved figure Ex 26:8 2Ch 3:14 4:2-5 Ps 103:20 148:2 Lu 2:13,14 Eph 3:10 Re 5:11-14

palm trees Tamar, in Ethiopic, tamart, the palm tree is so called, says Parkhurst, from its straight, upright growth, for which it seems more remarkable than any other tree; and it is crowned at the top with a large tuft of spiring?? leaves, about four feet long, which never fall off, but always continue in the same flourishing verdure. The stalks are generally full of rugged knots, which are vestiges of decayed leaves: for the trunk of the tree is not solid, but its centre is filled with pith, round which is a tough bark full of strong fibres when young, which, as the tree becomes old, hardens and becomes ligneous. To this bark the leaves are closely joined, which, as the tree becomes old, hardens and becomes ligneous. To this bark the leaves are closely joined, which in the centre rise erect, but after they are advance above the vagina which surrounds them, they expand very wide on every side of the stem, and as the older leaves decay, the stalk advances in height. The leaves, when the tree has grown to a size for bearing fruit, are six or eight feet long, and very broad when expanded. The fruit, called the date, grows below the leaves in clusters. Ps 92:12-15 Re 7:9

open flowers [heb] openings of flowers 1Ki 6:18,32

30 And the floors of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

Isa 54:11,12 60:17 Re 21:18-21

31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.

doors Joh 10:9 14:6 Eph 3:18 Heb 10:19,20

a fifth part. or, five square

32 The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm trees.

two doors. or, leaves of the doors.
open flowers. [heb] openings of flowers 1Ki 6:18,29

33 So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.

a fourth part. or, four square

34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

fir tree 1Ki 5:8

the two leaves Eze 41:23-25

35 And he carved thereon cherubim and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.

36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.

the inner Ex 27:9-19 38:9-20 2Ch 4:9 7:7 Re 11:2

37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif:

1Ki 6:1 2Ch 3:2

Among chronologists there is a great diversity of opinion respect- ing the time of the building of the temple. The Septuagint has 440 years; Glycas, 330; Josephus and Moes-Linus, 592; Melchius Canus, 590; Sulpicius Severus, 588; Clemens Alexandrinus, 570; Dedrenus, 672, Codomus, 598; Vossius and Capellus, 580; Serarius, 680; Nicholas Abraham, 527; Petavius and Valtherus, 520. After all, that in the common Hebrew text is more likely to the true one, than any of the others.

38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

finished Ezr 6:14,15 Zec 4:9 6:13-15

throughout, etc. or, with all the appurtenances thereof, and with all the ordinances thereof.

seven years 1Ki 6:1,9 7:1 Ezr 3:8-13 6:15 Joh 2:20