1 It happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Yahweh. 2 The house which king Solomon built for Yahweh, its length was sixty cubits, and its breadth twenty (cubits), and its height thirty cubits. 3 The porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was its length, according to the breadth of the house; (and) ten cubits was its breadth before the house. 4 For the house he made windows of fixed lattice work. 5 Against the wall of the house he built stories all around, against the walls of the house all around, both of the temple and of the oracle; and he made side rooms all around. 6 The nethermost story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made offsets (in the wall) of the house all around, that (the beams) should not have hold in the walls of the house. 7 The house, when it was in building, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. 8 The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle (story), and out of the middle into the third. 9 So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar. 10 He built the stories against all the house, each five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar. 11 The word of Yahweh came to Solomon, saying, 12 "Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel." 14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it. 15 He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of fir. 16 He built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the walls (of the ceiling): he built (them) for it within, for an oracle, even for the most holy place. 17 The house, that is, the temple before (the oracle), was forty cubits (long). 18 There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen. 19 He prepared an oracle in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh. 20 Within the oracle was (a space of) twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar. 21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold. 22 The whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle he overlaid with gold. 23 In the oracle he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 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 to the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits. 25 The other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one form. 26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. 27 He set the cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, 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. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold. 29 He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, inside and outside. 30 The floor of the house he overlaid with gold, inside and outside. 31 For the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive wood: the lintel (and) door posts were a fifth part (of the wall). 32 So (he made) two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim, and on the palm trees. 33 So also made he for the entrance of the temple door posts of olive wood, out of a fourth part (of the wall); 34 and two doors of fir wood: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 35 He carved (thereon) cherubim and palm trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work. 36 He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar beams. 37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Yahweh laid, in the month Ziv. 38 In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all its parts, and according to all its fashion. So was he seven years in building it.
In the four hundred and eightieth year from the exodus, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign, and in the second month, he laid the foundations of the temple; the length sixty cubits, the breadth twenty, and the height thirty cubits; besides the porch, which was twenty cubits in length, and ten cubits in height, 1-Kings 6:1-3. A description of its different external parts, 1-Kings 6:4-10. God's promise to Solomon, 1-Kings 6:11-13. Description of its internal parts and contents, vv. 14-36. Temple finished in the eighth month of the eleventh year of Solomon's reign, being seven years in building, 1-Kings 6:37, 1-Kings 6:38.
INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 6
This chapter gives an account of the building of the temple, for which preparations were before made and begins with the time of its building, 1-Kings 6:1; gives the dimensions of it and the porch before it, 1-Kings 6:2; observes the windows in it and chambers about it, 1-Kings 6:4; and while it was building, Solomon had a word from the Lord relative to it, 1-Kings 6:11; and then the account goes on concerning the walls of the house, and the flooring of it, 1-Kings 6:15; and the oracle in it, and the cherubim in that, 1-Kings 6:19; and the doors into it, and the carved work of them, 1-Kings 6:31; and the chapter is concluded with observing the time when it was begun and finished 1-Kings 6:37.
(1-Kings 6:1-10) The building of Solomon's temple.
(1-Kings 6:11-14) Promise given concerning the temple.
(v. 15-38) Particulars respecting the temple.
Building of the Temple - 1 Kings 6
The account of the building of the temple commences with a statement of the date of the building (1-Kings 6:1); and this is followed by a description of the plan and size of the temple-house (1-Kings 6:2-10), to which there is also appended the divine promise made to Solomon during the erection of the building (1-Kings 6:11-13). After this we have a further account of the internal fittings and decorations of the sanctuary (vv. 14-36), and in 1-Kings 7:1-12 a description of the royal palace which was built after the temple; and, finally, a description of the pillars of the court which were executed in metal by the Tyrian artist, and of the different vessels of the temple (1 Kings 7:13-51).
(Note: Of the special works on the subject of the temple, see my pamphlet, Der Tempel Salomo's, eine archologische Untersuchung (Dorp. 1839); and Carl Chr. W. F. Bhr, Der Salomonische Tempel mit Bercksichtigung seines Verhltnisses zur heil. Architectur berhaupt (Karlsr. 1848). In both of these there are critical notices of the earlier investigations and monographs on this subject, which have now simply a historical interest. See also the short description of the temple in my Bibl. Archologie, i. 23ff., with sketches of the temple building and the principal vessels on Plates 2 and 3, and the most recent notice by H. Merz in Herzog's Cyclopaedia (Art. Temple).
We have a parallel to this in 2 Chron 3 and 4, though here the description is differently arranged. In the Chronicles the external building of the temple-house is not separated from the internal decoration and furnishing; but after the period of erection and the size of the temple-house have been given in 2-Chronicles 3:1-3, there follows a description, a. of the court (2-Chronicles 3:4); b. of the Holy Place with its internal decorations (2-Chronicles 3:5-7); c. of the most Holy Place, with special reference to its size and decorations, also of the colossal cherubim placed therein and the curtain in front of it, which is not mentioned in our account (2-Chronicles 3:8-14); d. of the brazen pillars in front of the court (2-Chronicles 3:15-17); e. of the altar of burnt-offering (2-Chronicles 4:1), which is passed over in the account before us; f. of the brazen sea (2-Chronicles 4:2-5); g. of the brazen lavers, the golden candlesticks, the tables of shewbread, and the golden basons (2-Chronicles 4:6-8); and h. of the courts (2-Chronicles 4:9). The account is then closed with a summary enumeration of the different vessels of the temple (2-Chronicles 4:10-22), which agrees almost word for word with 1-Kings 7:40-50.
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