19 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 he took H3947 and put H5414 the testimony H5715 into the ark, H727 and set H7760 the staves H905 on the ark, H727 and put H5414 the mercy seat H3727 above H4605 upon the ark: H727 And he brought H935 the ark H727 into the tabernacle, H4908 and set up H7760 the vail H6532 of the covering, H4539 and covered H5526 the ark H727 of the testimony; H5715 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872
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 priests H3548 brought in H935 the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD H3068 unto his place, H4725 into the oracle H1687 of the house, H1004 to the most H6944 holy H6944 place, even under the wings H3671 of the cherubims. H3742 For the cherubims H3742 spread forth H6566 their two wings H3671 over the place H4725 of the ark, H727 and the cherubims H3742 covered H5526 the ark H727 and the staves H905 thereof above. H4605 And they drew out H748 the staves, H905 that the ends H7218 of the staves H905 were seen out H7200 in the holy H6944 place before H6440 the oracle, H1687 and they were not seen H7200 without: H2351 and there they are unto this day. H3117 There was nothing in the ark H727 save H7535 the two H8147 tables H3871 of stone, H68 which Moses H4872 put H3240 there at Horeb, H2722 when the LORD H3068 made H3772 a covenant with the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 when they came out H3318 of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 And it came to pass, when the priests H3548 were come out H3318 of the holy H6944 place, that the cloud H6051 filled H4390 the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068
Hear H8085 the voice H6963 of my supplications, H8469 when I cry H7768 unto thee, when I lift up H5375 my hands H3027 toward thy holy H6944 oracle. H1687
And G1161 after G3326 the second G1208 veil, G2665 the tabernacle G4633 which G3588 is called G3004 the Holiest of all; G39 G39 Which had G2192 the golden G5552 censer, G2369 and G2532 the ark G2787 of the covenant G1242 overlaid G4028 round about G3840 with gold, G5553 wherein G1722 G3739 was the golden G5552 pot G4713 that had G2192 manna, G3131 and G2532 Aaron's G2 rod G4464 that budded, G985 and G2532 the tables G4109 of the covenant; G1242
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.