1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.
4 And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
5 And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.
6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubim on the walls.
8 And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubim of image work, and overlaid them with gold.
11 And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubim spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.
14 And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubim thereon.
15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
16 And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.
17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.
1 Then Solomon H8010 began H2490 to build H1129 the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 at Jerusalem H3389 in mount H2022 Moriah, H4179 where the LORD appeared H7200 unto David H1732 his father, H1 in the place H4725 that David H1732 had prepared H3559 in the threshingfloor H1637 of Ornan H771 the Jebusite. H2983
2 And he began H2490 to build H1129 in the second H8145 day of the second H8145 month, H2320 in the fourth H702 year H8141 of his reign. H4438
3 Now these are the things wherein Solomon H8010 was instructed H3245 for the building H1129 of the house H1004 of God. H430 The length H753 by cubits H520 after the first H7223 measure H4060 was threescore H8346 cubits, H520 and the breadth H7341 twenty H6242 cubits. H520
4 And the porch H197 that was in the front H6440 of the house, the length H753 of it was according to the breadth H7341 of the house, H1004 twenty H6242 cubits, H520 and the height H1363 was an hundred H3967 and twenty: H6242 and he overlaid H6823 it within H6441 with pure H2889 gold. H2091
5 And the greater H1419 house H1004 he cieled H2645 with fir H1265 tree, H6086 which he overlaid H2645 with fine H2896 gold, H2091 and set H5927 thereon palm trees H8561 and chains. H8333
6 And he garnished H6823 the house H1004 with precious H3368 stones H68 for beauty: H8597 and the gold H2091 was gold H2091 of Parvaim. H6516
7 He overlaid H2645 also the house, H1004 the beams, H6982 the posts, H5592 and the walls H7023 thereof, and the doors H1817 thereof, with gold; H2091 and graved H6605 cherubims H3742 on the walls. H7023
8 And he made H6213 the most H6944 holy H6944 house, H1004 the length H753 whereof was according to H6440 the breadth H7341 of the house, H1004 twenty H6242 cubits, H520 and the breadth H7341 thereof twenty H6242 cubits: H520 and he overlaid H2645 it with fine H2896 gold, H2091 amounting to six H8337 hundred H3967 talents. H3603
9 And the weight H4948 of the nails H4548 was fifty H2572 shekels H8255 of gold. H2091 And he overlaid H2645 the upper chambers H5944 with gold. H2091
10 And in the most H6944 holy H6944 house H1004 he made H6213 two H8147 cherubims H3742 of image H6816 work, H4639 and overlaid H6823 them with gold. H2091
11 And the wings H3671 of the cherubims H3742 were twenty H6242 cubits H520 long: H753 one H259 wing H3671 of the one cherub was five H2568 cubits, H520 reaching H5060 to the wall H7023 of the house: H1004 and the other H312 wing H3671 was likewise five H2568 cubits, H520 reaching H5060 to the wing H3671 of the other H312 cherub. H3742
12 And one wing H3671 of the other H259 cherub H3742 was five H2568 cubits, H520 reaching H5060 to the wall H7023 of the house: H1004 and the other H312 wing H3671 was five H2568 cubits H520 also, joining H1695 to the wing H3671 of the other H312 cherub. H3742
13 The wings H3671 of these cherubims H3742 spread themselves forth H6566 twenty H6242 cubits: H520 and they stood H5975 on their feet, H7272 and their faces H6440 were inward. H1004
14 And he made H6213 the vail H6532 of blue, H8504 and purple, H713 and crimson, H3758 and fine linen, H948 and wrought H5927 cherubims H3742 thereon.
15 Also he made H6213 before H6440 the house H1004 two H8147 pillars H5982 of thirty H7970 and five H2568 cubits H520 high, H753 and the chapiter H6858 that was on the top H7218 of each of them was five H2568 cubits. H520
16 And he made H6213 chains, H8333 as in the oracle, H1687 and put H5414 them on the heads H7218 of the pillars; H5982 and made H6213 an hundred H3967 pomegranates, H7416 and put H5414 them on the chains. H8333
17 And he reared up H6965 the pillars H5982 before H6440 the temple, H1964 one H259 on the right hand, H3225 and the other H259 on the left; H8040 and called H7121 the name H8034 of that on the right hand H3233 H3227 Jachin, H3199 and the name H8034 of that on the left H8042 Boaz. H1162
1 Then Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem on mount Moriah, where `Jehovah' appeared unto David his father, which he made ready in the place that David had appointed, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 And he began to build in the second `day' of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.
4 And the porch that was before `the house', the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
5 And the greater house he ceiled with fir-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and wrought thereon palm-trees and chains.
6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the thresholds, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubim on the walls.
8 And he made the most holy house: the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubim of image work; and they overlaid them with gold.
11 And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one `cherub' was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was `likewise' five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
12 And the wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits `also', joining to the wing of the other cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubim spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house.
14 And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubim thereon.
15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
16 And he made chains in the oracle, and put `them' on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.
17 And he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.
1 And Solomon beginneth to build the house of Jehovah, in Jerusalem, in the mount of Moriah, where He appeared to David his father, in the place that David had prepared, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite,
2 and he beginneth to build in the second `day', in the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 And `in' these hath Solomon been instructed to build the house of God: The length `in' cubits by the former measure `is' sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.
4 As to the porch that `is' on the front, the length `is' by the front of the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty, and he overlayeth it within with pure gold.
5 And the large house he hath covered with fir-trees, and he doth cover it with good gold, and causeth to ascend on it palms and chains,
6 and he overlayeth the house with precious stone for beauty, and the gold `is' gold of Parvaim,
7 and he covereth the house, the beams, the thresholds, and its walls, and its doors, with gold, and hath graved cherubs on the walls.
8 And he maketh the most holy house: its length `is' by the front of the breadth of the house twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits, and he covereth it with good gold, to six hundred talents;
9 and the weight of the nails `is' fifty shekels of gold, and the upper chambers he hath covered with gold.
10 And he maketh in the most holy house two cherubs, image work, and he overlayeth them with gold;
11 as to the wings of the cherubs, their length `is' twenty cubits, the wing of the one `is' five cubits, touching the wall of the house, and the other wing `is' five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub.
12 And the wing of the other cherub `is' five cubits touching the wall of the house, and the other wing `is' five cubits, adhering to the wing of the other cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubs are spreading forth twenty cubits, and they are standing on their feet and their faces `are' inward.
14 And he maketh the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and causeth cherubs to go up on it.
15 And he maketh at the front of the house two pillars, thirty and five cubits in length, and the ornament that `is' on their heads five cubits.
16 And he maketh chains in the oracle, and putteth on the heads of the pillars, and maketh a hundred pomegranates, and putteth on the chains.
17 And he raiseth up the pillars on the front of the temple, one on the right, and one on the left, and calleth the name of that on the right Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.
1 And Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem on mount Moriah, where he appeared to David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 And he began to build on the second of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 And this was Solomon's foundation for the construction of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.
4 And the porch which was in front was twenty cubits in length, in front of the house broadways, and the height was a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
5 And the greater house he boarded with cypress-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set on it palm-trees and chains.
6 And he overlaid the house with precious stones for beauty; and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
7 And he covered the house, the beams, the threshold, and its walls, and its doors with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls.
8 And he made the house of the most holy place, the length of which was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits; and he covered it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he covered the upper chambers with gold.
10 And in the house of the most holy place he made two cherubim of image work, and they overlaid them with gold.
11 And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: one wing of five cubits touched the wall of the house; and the other wing of five cubits touched the wing of the other cherub.
12 And the wing of the other cherub of five cubits touched the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits joining the wing of the other cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubim spread forth were twenty cubits; and they stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house.
14 And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and byssus, and made cherubim upon it.
15 And before the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits long; and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
16 And he made chains [as] in the oracle, and he put them on the top of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.
17 And he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; and he called the name of that on the right Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.
1 Then Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where [Yahweh] appeared to David his father, which he made ready in the place that David had appointed, in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 He began to build in the second [day] of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.
4 The porch that was before [the house], the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
5 The greater house he made a ceiling with fir-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and worked thereon palm trees and chains.
6 He garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the thresholds, and the walls of it, and the doors of it, with gold; and engraved cherubim on the walls.
8 He made the most holy house: the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the breadth of it twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
10 In the most holy house he made two cherubim of image work; and they overlaid them with gold.
11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one [cherub] was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was [likewise] five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
12 The wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits [also], joining to the wing of the other cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubim spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house.
14 He made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and worked cherubim thereon.
15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
16 He made chains in the oracle, and put [them] on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.
17 He set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.
1 Then Solomon made a start at building the house of the Lord on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, where the Lord had been seen by his father David, in the place which David had made ready in the grain-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 The building was started in the second month in the fourth year of his rule.
3 And Solomon put the base of the house of God in position; by the older measure it was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.
4 And the covered way in front of the house was twenty cubits long, as wide as the house, and a hundred and twenty cubits high, all plated inside with the best gold.
5 And the greater house was roofed with cypress-wood, plated with the best gold and ornamented with designs of palm-trees and chains.
6 And the house was made beautiful with stones of great value, and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
7 All the house was plated with gold, the supports, the steps, the walls and the doors; and the walls were ornamented with designs of winged ones.
8 And he made the most holy place; it was twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits wide, like the greater house, and was plated all over with the best gold; six hundred talents were used for it.
9 And fifty shekels weight of gold was used for the nails. He had all the higher rooms plated with gold.
10 And in the most holy place he made images of two winged beings, covering them with gold.
11 Their outstretched wings were twenty cubits across; one wing, five cubits long, touching the wall of the house, and the other, of the same size, meeting the wing of the other winged one.
12 And in the same way, the wings of the other, five cubits long, were stretched out, one touching the wall and the other meeting the wing of the first winged one.
13 Their outstretched wings were twenty cubits across; they were placed upright on their feet, facing the inner part of the house.
14 And he made the veil of blue and purple and red, of the best linen, worked with winged ones.
15 And in front of the house he made two pillars, thirty-five cubits high, with crowns on the tops of them, five cubits high.
16 And he made chains, like neck ornaments, and put them on the tops of the pillars, and a hundred apples on the chains.
17 He put up the pillars in front of the Temple, one on the right side and one on the left, naming the one on the right Jachin and that on the left Boaz.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 3
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
2Ch 3:1, 2. Place and Time of Building the Temple.
1. Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David—These words seem to intimate that the region where the temple was built was previously known by the name of Moriah (Ge 22:2), and do not afford sufficient evidence for affirming, as has been done [Stanley], that the name was first given to the mount, in consequence of the vision seen by David. Mount Moriah was one summit of a range of hills which went under the general name of Zion. The platform of the temple is now, and has long been, occupied by the haram, or sacred enclosure, within which stand the three mosques of Omar (the smallest), of El Aksa, which in early times was a Christian church, and of Kubbet el Sakhara, "The dome of the rock," so called from a huge block of limestone rock in the center of the floor, which, it is supposed, formed the elevated threshing-floor of Araunah, and on which the great brazen altar stood. The site of the temple, then, is so far established for an almost universal belief is entertained in the authenticity of the tradition regarding the rock El Sakhara; and it has also been conclusively proved that the area of the temple was identical on its western, eastern, and southern sides with the present enclosure of the haram [Robinson]. "That the temple was situated somewhere within the oblong enclosure on Mount Moriah, all topographers are agreed, although there is not the slightest vestige of the sacred fane now remaining; and the greatest diversity of sentiment prevails as to its exact position within that large area, whether in the center of the haram, or in its southwest corner" [Barclay]. Moreover, the full extent of the temple area is a problem that remains to be solved, for the platform of Mount Moriah being too narrow for the extensive buildings and courts attached to the sacred edifice, Solomon resorted to artificial means of enlarging and levelling it, by erecting vaults, which, as Josephus states, rested on immense earthen mounds raised from the slope of the hill. It should be borne in mind at the outset that the grandeur of the temple did not consist in its colossal structure so much as in its internal splendor, and the vast courts and buildings attached to it. It was not intended for the reception of a worshipping assembly, for the people always stood in the outer courts of the sanctuary.
2Ch 3:3-7. Measures and Ornaments of the House.
3. these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God—by the written plan and specifications given him by his father. The measurements are reckoned by cubits, "after the first measure," that is, the old Mosaic standard. But there is great difference of opinion about this, some making the cubit eighteen, others twenty-one inches. The temple, which embodied in more solid and durable materials the ground-form of the tabernacle (only being twice as large), was a rectangular building, seventy cubits long from east to west, and twenty cubits wide from north to south.
4. the porch—The breadth of the house, whose length ran from east to west, is here given as the measure of the length of the piazza. The portico would thus be from thirty to thirty-five feet long, and from fifteen to seventeen and a half feet broad.
the height was an hundred and twenty cubits—This, taking the cubit at eighteen inches, would be one hundred eighty feet; at twenty-one inches, two hundred ten feet; so that the porch would rise in the form of a tower, or two pyramidal towers, whose united height was one hundred twenty cubits, and each of them about ninety or one hundred five feet high [Stieglitz]. This porch would thus be like the propylæum or gateway of the palace of Khorsabad [Layard], or at the temple of Edfou.
5. the greater house—that is, the holy places, the front or outer chamber (see 1Ki 6:17).
6. he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty—better, he paved the house with precious and beautiful marble [Kitto]. It may be, after all, that these were stones with veins of different colors for decorating the walls. This was an ancient and thoroughly Oriental kind of embellishment. There was an under pavement of marble, which was covered with planks of fir. The whole interior was lined with boards, richly decorated with carved work, clusters of foliage and flowers, among which the pomegranate and lotus (or water-lily) were conspicuous; and overlaid, excepting the floor, with gold, either by gilding or in plates (1Ki 6:1-38).
2Ch 3:8-13. Dimensions, &C., OF THE Most Holy House.
8. the most holy house—It was a perfect cube (compare 1Ki 6:20).
overlaid it with … gold, amounting to six hundred talents—at £4 per ounce, equal to £3,600,000.
10-13. two cherubims—These figures in the tabernacle were of pure gold (Ex 25:1-40) and overshadowed the mercy seat. The two placed in the temple were made of olive wood, overlaid with gold. They were of colossal size, like the Assyrian sculptures; for each, with expanded wings, covered a space of ten cubits in height and length—two wings touched each other, while the other two reached the opposite walls; their faces were inward, that is, towards the most holy house, conformably to their use, which was to veil the ark.
2Ch 3:14-17. Veil and Pillars (see 1Ki 6:21).
The united height is here given; and though the exact dimensions would be thirty-six cubits, each column was only seventeen cubits and a half, a half cubit being taken up by the capital or the base. They were probably described as they were lying together in the mould before they were set up [Poole]. They would be from eighteen to twenty-one feet in circumference, and stand forty feet in height. These pillars, or obelisks, as some call them, were highly ornamented, and formed an entrance in keeping with the splendid interior of the temple.