1 And it came to pass 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 Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. |
2 And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. |
3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. |
4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights. |
5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about: |
6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house. |
7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that 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 chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third. |
9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar. |
10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar. |
11 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, |
12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: |
13 And 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 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the cieling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir. |
16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place. |
17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long. |
18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen. |
19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. |
20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar. |
21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold. |
22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold. |
23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high. |
24 And 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 unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits. |
25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size. |
26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. |
27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, 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 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold. |
29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without. |
30 And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without. |
31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall. |
32 The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees. |
33 So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall. |
34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. |
35 And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work. |
36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams. |
37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif: |
38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it. |
6 The time when the temple was built, Ki1 6:1.
The dimensions of it, Ki1 6:2-3.
The windows, chambers, materials, doors, Ki1 6:4-10.
God's message to Solomon, Ki1 6:11-13.
The walls and flooring, Ki1 6:14-18.
The oracle and cherubim, Ki1 6:19-30.
The doors and inner court, Ki1 6:31-36.
How long it was building, Ki1 6:37-38.
6:1 Four hundred and four score, etc - Allowing forty years to Moses, seventeen to Joshua, two hundred ninety - nine to theJudges, forty to Eli, forty to Samuel and Saul, forty toDavid, and four to Solomon before he began the work, we have justthe sum of four hundred and eighty. So long it was before that holy housewas built, which in less than four hundred and thirty years was burnt byNebuchadnezzar. It was thus deferred, because Israel had by theirsins, made themselves unworthy of this honour: and because God would shewhow little he values external pomp and splendor in his service. And Godordered it now, chiefly to be a shadow of good things to come.
6:2 The house - Properly so called, as distinct from all the walls and buildings which were adjoining to it; namely, the holy, and most holy place.Length - From east, to west. And this and the other measures may seem tobelong to the inside from wall to wall. Cubits - Cubits of thesanctuary. Height - Namely, of the house: for the porch was onehundred and twenty cubits high, Ch2 3:4. So that all the measurescompared each with other were harmonious. For sixty to twenty (the length tothe breadth) is triple: or as three to one: and sixty to thirty (the lengthto the height) is double, or as two to one: and thirty to twenty (the heightto the breadth) is one and an half, as three to two. Which are theproportions answering to the three great concords in music, commonly called,a twelfth, an eighth, and a fifth. Which therefore must needs be a gracefulproportion to the eye, as that in music is graceful to the ear.
6:3 The porch - In the front of, or entrance into the house, Ch2 3:4,being a portico, a walk or gallery, at one end of the building (fromside to side.) And the measures of this were harmonious also. For twentyto ten (the length of the portico to the breadth of it) is double, oras two to one. And, if the height within, be the same with that of thehouse, that is thirty; it will be to the length of it, as three to two;and to its breadth, as three to one. Or, if we take in the whole heightmentioned, Ch2 3:4, which is one hundred and twenty; there isin this no disproportion: being to its length as six to one; and to itsbreadth as twelve to one; especially when this height was convenientlydivided into several galleries, one over another, each of which had theirdue proportions.
6:4 Narrow - Narrow outward, to prevent the inconveniences of the weather; widening by degrees inward, that so the house might better receive,and more disperse the light.
6:5 Against the wall - The beams of the chambers were not fastened into the wall, but leaned upon the buttresses of the wall. Chambers - Forthe laying the priests garments, and other utensils belonging to the temple,therein. Round about - On all the sides except the east, where the porchwas; and except some very small passages for the light. And yet theselights might be in the five uppermost cubits of the wall, which were aboveall these chambers, for these were only fifteen cubits high, and the wallwas twenty cubits high. Chambers - Galleries which encompassed all thechambers; and which were necessary for passage to them.
6:6 Broad - On the inside, and besides the galleries mentioned above.Narrowed rests - Or, narrowings: as in our buildings the walls of anhouse are thicker, or broader at the bottom, and narrower towards the top:only these narrowings were in the outside of the wall, which at each ofthe three stories was a cubit narrower than that beneath it. And this ismentioned, as the reason of the differing breadth of the chambers; becausethe wall being narrower, allowed more space for the upper chambers.Not fastened - That there might be no holes made in the wall for fasteningthem; and that the chambers might be removed, if occasion were, without anyinconvenience to the house.
6:7 Made ready - Hewed, and squared, and fitted exactly according to the direction of the architect. Neither hammer, etc - So it wasordered, partly for the ease and conveniency of carriage: partly, for themagnificence of the work, and commendation of the workmen's skill anddiligence: and partly, for mystical signification. And as this temple wasa manifest type both of Christ's church upon earth, and of the heavenlyJerusalem: so this circumstance signified as to the former, that it isthe duty of the builders and members of the church, as far as in them lies,to take care that all things be transacted there with perfect peace andquietness; and that no noise of contention, or division, or violence, beheard in that sacred building: and for the latter, that no spiritual stone,no person, shall bear a part in that heavenly temple, unless he be firsthewed, and squared, and made meet for it in this life.
6:8 The door - That is, by which they entered to go up to the middle chamber or chambers; such as were in the middle story. Right side - Thatis, in the south - side, called the right side; because when a man lookstowards the east, the south is on his right hand. There was another dooron the left, or the north - side, leading to the chambers on that side.Winding stairs - Without the wall, leading up to the gallery out of whichthey went into the several chambers. Middle chamber - Or rather, intothe middle story, or row of chambers; and so in the following words,out of the middle story: for these stair's could not lead up into eachof the chambers; nor was it needful, but only into the story, which wassufficient for the use of all the chambers.
6:10 Built chambers - The Hebrew words may be properly rendered, He built a roof, a flat and plain roof, over all the house,according to the manner of the Israelitish buildings. The inner roofwas arched, ver. Ki1 6:9, that it might be the more beautiful, but theoutward roof was flat. Five cubits - Above the walls of the temple: thatit might be a little higher than the arched roof, which it was designed tocover and secure. They rested - Heb. it rested, namely, the roof.Timber of cedar - Which rested upon the top of the wall, as the chambers,ver. Ki1 6:5, rested upon the sides of the wall.
6:12 If - God expresses the condition upon which his promise and favour is suspended; and by assuring him thereof in case of obedience, heplainly intimates the contrary upon his disobedience. Thus he was taught,that all the charge he and the people were at, in erecting this temple,would neither excuse them from obedience to the law of God, nor shelterthem from his judgments in case of disobedience.
6:15 Walls - The name of a wall is not appropriated to stone or brick, because we read of a brazen wall, Jer 15:20, anda wall of iron, Eze 4:3.And that wall into which Saul smote his javelin, Ki1 19:10,seems more probably to be understood of wood, than of stone; especially,considering that it was the room where the king used to dine. By thisperiphrasis, from the floor of the house, unto the walls of the ceiling,he designs all the side - walls of the house. Them - The side - walls of thehouse. Wood - With other kind of wood, even with fir; as appears fromCh2 3:5, wherewith the floor is here said to be covered.Floor - This is spoken only concerning the floor, because there wasnothing but planks of fir; whereas there was both cedar and fir in thesides of the house, the fir being either put above, or upon the cedar; orintermixed with, or put between the boards or ribs of cedar: as may begathered from, Ch2 3:5.
6:16 House - That is, the most holy place, which contained in length twenty cubits, which may be said to be on the sides Of the house,because this part took off twenty cubits in length from each side of thehouse, and was also twenty cubits from side to side, so it was twenty cubitsevery way. The oracle - the most holy place - The last words are added, toexplain what he means by the word oracle, which he had not used before.
6:17 House - That is, the holy place. Temple - This is added, to restrain the signification of the word house, which otherwise notes thewhole building. It - The oracle.
6:18 Cedar - Cedar is here named, not to exclude all other wood, but stone only; as the following words shew.
6:19 Prepared - That is, adorned and fitted it for the receipt of the ark. Solomon made every thing new, but the ark. That with its mercyseat was still the same that Moses made. This was the token of God'spresence, which is with his people, whether they meet in tent or temple,and changes not with their condition.
6:20 Forepart - Which was in the inner part of the house, called in Hebrew, the forepart; not because a man first enters there, butbecause when a man is entering, or newly entered into the house, it isstill before him. Covered - With gold, chap.Ki1 7:48 Ki1 6, Ch1 28:18, .The altar - The altar of incense.
6:21 House - Or, that house, the oracle. Partition - He made a veil, which was a farther partition between the holy, and the most holy;which veil did hang upon these golden chains. Before the oracle - In theoutward part of the wall, or partition, which was erected between the oracleand the holy place; which is properly said to be before the oracle, therethe veil was hung; and there the chains or bars, or whatsoever it was whichfastened the doors of the oracle, were placed. It - The partition; whichhe here distinguisheth from the house, or the main walls of the house,which he had in the former part of this verse told us were overlaid withgold; and now he affirms much as of the partition.
6:22 Whole house - Not only the oracle, but all the holy place.The altar - the altar of incense, which was set in the holy place close bythe doors of the oracle. With gold - As before he overlaid it with cedar.
6:23 Cherubim - Besides those two made by Moses, Exo 25:18, which were of gold, and far less than these. The Heathens set up imagesof their gods, and worshipped them. These were designed to represent theservants and attendants of the God of Israel, the holy angels, not tobe worshipped themselves, but to shew how great he is whom we worship.
6:29 Cherubim - As signs of the presence and protection of the angels vouch - safed by God to that place. Palm - trees - Emblems of that peace andvictory over their enemies, which the Israelites duly serving God inthat place might expect. Within and without - Within the oracle andwithout it, in the holy place.
6:31 Fifth part - That is, four cubits in height or breadth, whereas the wall was twenty cubits.
6:36 Inner court - The priests court, Ch2 4:9, so called, because it was next to the temple which it compassed. Cedar beams - Whichis understood, of so many galleries, one on each side of the temple, whereofthe three first were of stone, and the fourth of cedar, all supported withrows of pillars: upon which there were many chambers for the uses of thetemple, and of the priests.
6:38 Seven years - It is not strange that this work took up so much time: for,
- The temple properly so called, was for quantity the least part of it, there being very many and great buildings both above ground in the several courts, (for though only the court of the priests be mentioned, yet it is thereby implied, that the same thing was proportionably done in the others) and under ground.
- The great art which was used here, and the small number of exquisite artists, required the longer time for the doing it. And if the building of Diana's temple employed all Asia for two hundred years; and the building of one pyramid employed three hundred and sixty thousand men, for twenty years together; both which, Pliny affirms: no reasonable man can wonder that this temple was seven years in building.
Now let us see what this temple typifies.