22 And the whole house H1004 he overlaid H6823 with gold, H2091 until he had finished H8552 all the house: H1004 also the whole altar H4196 that was by the oracle H1687 he overlaid H6823 with gold. H2091
And thou shalt make H6213 the staves H905 of shittim H7848 wood, H6086 and overlay H6823 them with gold. H2091 And thou shalt put H5414 it before H6440 the vail H6532 that is by the ark H727 of the testimony, H5715 before H6440 the mercy seat H3727 that is over the testimony, H5715 where I will meet H3259 with thee.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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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.