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
For he cast H6696 two H8147 pillars H5982 of brass, H5178 of eighteen H8083 H6240 cubits H520 high H6967 apiece: H5982 H259 and a line H2339 of twelve H8147 H6240 cubits H520 did compass H5437 either H8145 of them about. H5437 And he made H6213 two H8147 chapiters H3805 of molten H3332 brass, H5178 to set H5414 upon the tops H7218 of the pillars: H5982 the height H6967 of the one H259 chapiter H3805 was five H2568 cubits, H520 and the height H6967 of the other H8145 chapiter H3805 was five H2568 cubits: H520 And nets H7638 of checker H7639 work, H4639 and wreaths H1434 of chain H8333 work, H4639 for the chapiters H3805 which were upon the top H7218 of the pillars; H5982 seven H7651 for the one H259 chapiter, H3805 and seven H7651 for the other H8145 chapiter. H3805 And he made H6213 the pillars, H5982 and two H8147 rows H2905 round about H5439 upon the one H259 network, H7639 to cover H3680 the chapiters H3805 that were upon the top, H7218 with pomegranates: H7416 and so did H6213 he for the other H8145 chapiter. H3805 And the chapiters H3805 that were upon the top H7218 of the pillars H5982 were of lily H7799 work H4639 in the porch, H197 four H702 cubits. H520 And the chapiters H3805 upon the two H8147 pillars H5982 had pomegranates also above, H4605 over against H5980 the belly H990 which was by H5676 the network: H7639 and the pomegranates H7416 were two hundred H3967 in rows H2905 round about H5439 upon the other H8145 chapiter. H3805 And he set up H6965 the pillars H5982 in the porch H197 of the temple: H1964 and he set up H6965 the right H3233 pillar, H5982 and called H7121 the name H8034 thereof Jachin: H3199 and he set up H6965 the left H8042 pillar, H5982 and called H7121 the name H8034 thereof Boaz. H1162 And upon the top H7218 of the pillars H5982 was lily H7799 work: H4639 so was the work H4399 of the pillars H5982 finished. H8552 And he made H6213 a molten H3332 sea, H3220 ten H6235 cubits H520 from the one brim H8193 to the other: H8193 it was round H5696 all about, H5439 and his height H6967 was five H2568 cubits: H520 and a line H6957 H6961 of thirty H7970 cubits H520 did compass H5437 it round about. H5439 And under the brim H8193 of it round about H5439 there were knops H6497 compassing H5437 it, ten H6235 in a cubit, H520 compassing H5362 the sea H3220 round about: H5439 the knops H6497 were cast H3333 in two H8147 rows, H2905 when it was cast. H3332
The two H8147 pillars, H5982 one H259 sea, H3220 and twelve H8147 H6240 brasen H5178 bulls H1241 that were under the bases, H4350 which king H4428 Solomon H8010 had made H6213 in the house H1004 of the LORD: H3068 the brass H5178 of all these vessels H3627 was without weight. H4948 And concerning the pillars, H5982 the height H6967 of one H259 pillar H5982 was eighteen H8083 H6240 cubits; H520 and a fillet H2339 of twelve H8147 H6240 cubits H520 did compass H5437 it; and the thickness H5672 thereof was four H702 fingers: H676 it was hollow. H5014 And a chapiter H3805 of brass H5178 was upon it; and the height H6967 of one H259 chapiter H3805 was five H2568 cubits, H520 with network H7639 and pomegranates H7416 upon the chapiters H3805 round about, H5439 all of brass. H5178 The second H8145 pillar H5982 also and the pomegranates H7416 were like unto these. And there were ninety H8673 and six H8337 pomegranates H7416 on a side; H7307 and all the pomegranates H7416 upon the network H7639 were an hundred H3967 round about. H5439
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.