6 He made the porch of pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth thirty cubits; and a porch before them; and pillars and a threshold before them.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Probably the porch of the "House of the Forest." Porches of columns immediately in front of columnar chambers were a favorite feature of Persian architecture. The whole verse should be translated, "And he made the porch of the pillars in length 50 cubits, and in breadth 30 cubits, and a porch before them (i. e., the pillars), and pillars, and a base (or step) before them." Most of the Persepolitan porches had small pillared chambers at some little distance in front of them.
And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof [was] fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch [was] before (d) them: and the [other] pillars and the thick beam [were] before them.
(d) Before the pillars of the house.
And he made a porch of pillars,.... At the west end of the house:
and the length thereof was fifty cubits; answerable to the breadth of the house:
and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: which, added to the length of the house, made it one hundred and thirty:
and the porch was before them; the four rows of cedar pillars of the house, 1-Kings 7:2 this porch was either for his guards to keep watch in; or for his courtiers to walk in, sheltered from rain or the like; or perhaps only for grandeur and magnificence:
and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them; the pillars of the porch, on which were laid beams of cedar for a storey over them, and so on; these were before and right against, and answered to the pillars of the house.
A porch - Supported by divers pillars, for the more magnificent entrance into the house; upon which also it is thought there were other rooms built, as in the house. The porch - Now mentioned which is said to be before them; before the pillars on which the house of Lebanon stood. Pillars - Or, and pillars; That is, fewer and lesser pillars for the support of the lesser porch. Beam - Which was laid upon these pillars, as the others were 1-Kings 7:2.
*More commentary available at chapter level.