1 Kings 6

1 Kings 6:1

In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, in the month of Ziv, the second month of the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, he began to build the house of the LORD.

1 Kings 6:1 · BSB

am 2993 , bc 1011 , An , Ex , Is , 480

1 Kings 6:2

The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high.

1 Kings 6:2 · BSB

the length According to Bp. Cumberland's estimation of the cubit , its length was 36 yds. 1 ft. 5/28 inch; its breadth 12 yds. 5/76 inch; and its height , 18 yds. 8/64 inch This constituted what is properly called the temple; but , besides this , there were the courts and colonnades , where the people might assemble to perform their devotions , without being exposed to the open air.

1 Kings 6:3

The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple was twenty cubits long, extending across the width of the temple and projecting out ten cubits in front of the temple.

1 Kings 6:3 · BSB

1 Kings 6:4

He also had narrow windows framed high in the temple.

1 Kings 6:4 · BSB

1 Kings 6:5

Against the walls of the temple and the inner sanctuary, Solomon built a chambered structure around the temple, in which he constructed the side rooms.

1 Kings 6:5 · BSB

against or , upon , or joining to

chambers Heb. floors , These appear to have been what we should now call corridors or galleries; in which were apartments for the use of the priests. They consisted of three stories , and increased one cubit in breadth in every story , the wall of the temple being two cubits thicker at the bottom than at the top; and where the wall diminished , a rest was thus formed for the beams of the chambers to lodge upon.

chambers Heb. ribs

1 Kings 6:6

The bottom floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits, and the third floor seven cubits. He also placed offset ledges around the outside of the temple, so that nothing would be inserted into its walls.

1 Kings 6:6 · BSB

1 Kings 6:7

The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

1 Kings 6:7 · BSB

1 Kings 6:8

The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor.

1 Kings 6:8 · BSB

side Heb. shoulder

1 Kings 6:9

So Solomon built the temple and finished it, roofing it with beams and planks of cedar.

1 Kings 6:9 · BSB

with beams and boards of cedar or , the vault beams and the ceilings with cedar

1 Kings 6:10

He built chambers all along the temple, each five cubits high and attached to the temple with beams of cedar.

1 Kings 6:10 · BSB

1 Kings 6:12

“As for this temple you are building, if you walk in My statutes, carry out My ordinances, and keep all My commandments by walking in them, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.

1 Kings 6:12 · BSB

1 Kings 6:13

And I will dwell among the Israelites and will not abandon My people Israel.”

1 Kings 6:13 · BSB

1 Kings 6:14

So Solomon built the temple and finished it.

1 Kings 6:14 · BSB

1 Kings 6:15

He lined the interior walls with cedar paneling from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and he covered the floor with cypress boards.

1 Kings 6:15 · BSB

he built That is , he lined or wainscoted the walls with cedar , the floor being covered with planks of fir. the marginal reading in this #### Verse is preferable , as it removes every difficulty and obscurity.

1 Kings 6:16

He partitioned off the twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.

1 Kings 6:16 · BSB

the oracle The oracle was the sanctuary , or holy of holies , in which there was nothing but the ark of the covenant , including the tables of the law , and into which the high priest alone was to enter but once a year.

1 Kings 6:17

And the main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long.

1 Kings 6:17 · BSB

1 Kings 6:18

The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen.

1 Kings 6:18 · BSB

knops or , gourds , Pekaim , "artificial knops ," in the shape of colocynths , or wild gourds , as the word denotes (see note on 2 Kings 4 . 39) , the full-blown flowers of which must have been very ornamental.

1 Kings 6:19

Solomon also prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there.

1 Kings 6:19 · BSB

1 Kings 6:20

The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.

1 Kings 6:20 · BSB

pure Heb. shut up

1 Kings 6:21

So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold.

1 Kings 6:21 · BSB

1 Kings 6:22

So he overlaid with gold the whole interior of the temple, until everything was completely finished. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

1 Kings 6:22 · BSB

the whole house It is impossible to calculate this expense , or the quantity of gold employed in this sacred building; but both must have been immense.

the whole altar This was the altar of incense without the vail , in the holy place , which was twice the length of the most holy place.

1 Kings 6:23

In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim, each ten cubits high, out of olive wood.

1 Kings 6:23 · BSB

olive tree or , oily trees , Heb. trees of oil

1 Kings 6:24

One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing was five cubits long as well. So the full wingspan was ten cubits.

1 Kings 6:24 · BSB

1 Kings 6:25

The second cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same size and shape,

1 Kings 6:25 · BSB

1 Kings 6:27

And he placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple. Since their wings were spread out, the wing of the first cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the second cherub touched the other wall, and in the middle of the room their wingtips touched.

1 Kings 6:27 · BSB

1 Kings 6:29

Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.

1 Kings 6:29 · BSB

1 Kings 6:30

And he overlaid the temple floor with gold in both the inner and outer sanctuaries.

1 Kings 6:30 · BSB

1 Kings 6:31

For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, Solomon constructed doors of olive wood with five-sided doorposts.

1 Kings 6:31 · BSB

a fifth part or , five square

1 Kings 6:32

The double doors were made of olive wood, and he carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold.

1 Kings 6:32 · BSB

two doors or , leaves of the doors

1 Kings 6:33

In the same way he made four-sided doorposts of olive wood for the sanctuary entrance.

1 Kings 6:33 · BSB

1 Kings 6:34

The two doors were made of cypress wood, and each had two folding panels.

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1 Kings 6:35

He carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold, hammered evenly over the carvings.

1 Kings 6:35 · BSB

1 Kings 6:36

Solomon built the inner courtyard with three rows of dressed stone and one row of trimmed cedar beams.

1 Kings 6:36 · BSB

1 Kings 6:37

The foundation of the house of the LORD was laid in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, in the month of Ziv.

1 Kings 6:37 · BSB

Septuagint 440 Glycas 330 Josephus and Moeslinus 1Kings 6 592 Melchius Canus 590 Sulpicius Severus 588 Clemens Alexandrinus 570 Cedrenus 672 Codomus 598 Vossius and Capellus 580 Serarius 680 Nicholas Abraham 527 Petavius and Valtherus 520

After all , that in the common Hebrew Text is more likely to the true one , than any of the others.

1 Kings 6:38

In his eleventh year and eighth month, the month of Bul, the temple was finished in every detail and according to every specification. So he built the temple in seven years.

1 Kings 6:38 · BSB

throughout etc. or , with all the appurtenances thereof , and with all the ordinances thereof

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