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1 Kings Chapter
Six
New King James Version (NKJV)
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 And
it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth[a] year after
the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of
Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second
month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass, in
the four hundred and eightieth year of the going out of the sons of Israel from
the land of Egypt, in the fourth year -- in the month of Zif, it [is] the
second month -- of the reigning of Solomon over Israel, that he buildeth the
house for Jehovah.
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,.... The
Tyrian writersF11Apud Theophil. ad Autolyc. l. 3. p. 131. make it
five hundred sixty years from hence; but this no doubt is tightest, which
Junius reckons thus; forty years Israel were in the wilderness, seventeen under
Joshua, two hundred ninety nine under the judges, eighty under Eli, Samuel, and
Saul, forty under David, add to which the four years of Solomon, and they make
four hundred eightyF12So Gerard. Voss. Chron. Sacr. Isagoge,
dissert. 8. c. 7. p. 128. ; they are somewhat differently reckoned by othersF13Vid.
Vitring. Hypotypos. Hist. Sacr. p. 43. from the coming out of Egypt to Joshua
forty years, from thence to the first servitude under Cushan twenty five, from
thence to the death of Abimelech two hundred fifty six, under Thola twenty
three, from thence to the Ammonitish servitude four, under that eighteen, under
the judges, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon, thirty one, Samuel and Saul
forty, David forty, and Solomon three, in all four hundred eighty;
in the, fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel; when he was
clear of all disturbers of his government, and had got all things ready for the
building of the temple, and had gathered together gold and silver enough of his
own to defray the expenses; for, as for what David gave him, he put that into
the treasury of the Lord's house, see 1 Kings 7:51;
in the month Zif, which is the second month; and so must
be Jiar, for Abib or Nisan was the first, and Jiar was the second, which
answered to part of our April and part of May; called Zif either from the
splendour of the sun, being now higher, and so the greater; or from the trees
and flowers of the field being in all their glory; and so the Targum here calls
it, the month of splendour of flowers: and it was on the second day of it,
that he began to build the house of the Lord: and a very
fit and proper season of the year it was to begin it in, see 2 Chronicles 3:2.
1 Kings 6:2 2 Now the house which King
Solomon built for the Lord,
its length was sixty cubits, its width twenty, and its height thirty
cubits.
YLT
2As to the house that king
Solomon hath built for Jehovah, sixty cubits [is] its length, and twenty its
breadth, and thirty cubits its height.
And the house which King Solomon built for the Lord,.... For his
worship, honour, and glory:
the length thereof was threescore cubits; sixty cubits
from east to west, including the holy place and the most holy place; the holy
place was forty cubits, and the most holy place twenty; the same measure, as to
length, Eupolemus, an Heathen writerF14Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel.
l. 9. c. 34. , gives of the temple, but is mistaken in the other measures:
and the breadth thereof twenty cubits; from north to
south:
and the height thereof thirty cubits; this must be
understood of the holy place, for the oracle or most holy place was but twenty
cubits high, 1 Kings 6:20;
though the holy place, with the chambers that were over it, which were ninety
cubits, three stories high, was in all an hundred twenty cubits, 2 Chronicles 3:4;
some restrain it to the porch only, which stood at the end, like one of our
high steeples, as they think.
1 Kings 6:3 3 The vestibule in front of
the sanctuary[b] of the
house was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and
the width of the vestibule[c] extended
ten cubits from the front of the house.
YLT
3As to the porch on the
front of the temple of the house, twenty cubits [is] its length on the front of
the breadth of the house; ten by the cubit [is] its breadth on the front of the
house;
And the porch before the temple of the house,.... Which
stood at the east end of it:
twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the
breadth of the house; which was from north to south, and of the same dimension, so
that they exactly answered each other:
and ten cubits was the
breadth thereof before the house; which being added to it,
make the whole of the building, most holy place, holy place, and porch, seventy
cubits; the height of the porch is not here given, but in 2 Chronicles 3:4;
where it is said to be an hundred twenty cubits high, equal to the height of
the house, with the chambers over it; but there the breadth of the porch is not
given, as it is here; by these dimensions we may observe the difference between
the tabernacle and the temple; the temple was twice as long, and as broad, and
thrice as high as that, see Exodus 26:8. This
fabric was an emblem of the church of God, sometimes called an holy temple, and
the temple of the living God, 2 Corinthians 6:16.
1 Kings 6:4 4 And he made for the house
windows with beveled frames.
YLT
4and he maketh for the house
windows of narrow lights.
And for the house he made windows of narrow lights. Or "open,
shut"F15אטמים שקפים
"apertas clausas", Vatablus; "perspectui accommodas,
clausas", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. , which could be both, having
shutters to them, to open or shut at pleasure; windows which they could open,
and look through at them, or shut when they pleased; the Targum is,
"open
within, and shut without;'
or,
as others understand it, they were wide within, and narrow without; by being
narrow without, the house was preserved from bad weather, as well as could not
so easily be looked into by those without; and by being broader within, the
light that was let in spread itself within the house; which some interpret only
of the holy place, the most holy place having, as they suppose, no windows in
it, which yet is not certain: now these windows may denote the word and
ordinances of the church of God, whereby light is communicated to men; which in
the present state is but narrow or small, in comparison of the new Jerusalem
church state, and the ultimate glory; and especially so it was under the legal
dispensation, which was very obscure; see Song of Solomon 2:9
Isaiah 55:8.
1 Kings 6:5 5 Against the wall of the
temple he built chambers all around, against the walls of the temple,
all around the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary.[d] Thus he
made side chambers all around it.
YLT
5And he buildeth against the
wall of the house a couch round about, [even] the walls of the house round
about, of the temple and of the oracle, and maketh sides round about.
And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about,.... Or near
it, as Jarchi interprets it, for the beams of them were not fastened in in it, 1 Kings 6:6; or
rather "upon" itF16על קיר "super parietem", V. L. Montanus. ; and when
they are said to be round about the house, it must be understood of the two
sides, north and south, and of the west end only, for at the east end, where
the porch was, there were none:
against the walls of
the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle; that is, both
of the holy and the most holy place:
and he made chambers round about; the said buildings;
which is repeated that it might be observed; how many chambers there were, is
not said; Josephus saysF17Antiqu. l. 8. c. 3. sect. 2. there were
thirty of them, and over them others of the same measure and number, and over
them others also; so that there were three stories of them, and in all ninety;
and which is countenanced by what follows in 1 Kings 6:6, and
agrees with Ezekiel 41:6; the
Jewish doctors sayF18Misn. Middot, c. 4. sect. 3. , there were
thirty eight of them, fifteen on the north, fifteen on the south, and eight on
the west; they that were to the north and south were five upon five, and five
over them; and they that were to the west were three upon three, and two over
them; upper rooms or chambers were rare in Heathen templesF19Pausan.
Laconic. sive. l. 3. p. 190. : these chambers were for the priests, where they
lodged and laid up their garments, and ate their holy things; and were emblems
of congregated churches, where the true members thereof, who are priests to
God, have communion with him, and partake of divine things.
1 Kings 6:6 6 The lowest chamber was
five cubits wide, the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was
seven cubits wide; for he made narrow ledges around the outside of the temple,
so that the support beams would not be fastened into the walls of the
temple.
YLT
6The lowest couch, five by
the cubit [is] its breadth; and the middle, six by the cubit [is] its breadth;
and the third, seven by the cubit [is] its breadth, for withdrawings he hath
put to the house round about, without -- not to lay hold on the walls of the
house.
And the nethermost chamber was five cubits broad,.... The
nethermost row of them, which were upon the first floor:
and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was
seven cubits broad; so that the middlemost was a cubit larger than the lowest, and
the highest a cubit larger than that: the reason of which was,
for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests
round about; or rebatements; the thickness of the wall, as it was raised,
became narrower at the height of every five cubits; thus the wall being
supposed to be six cubits broad, as in Ezekiel 41:5; when
it came to be five cubits high, it was narrowed a cubit, which left a
projection, rebatement, or bench for the beams of the first chambers to be laid
upon, which made the second row of chambers broader by a cubit; and the same
being observed in the next story, made the highest a cubit broader than the
middlemost: and this was done,
that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the
house; or be inserted into them, which could not be done without making
holes in it; and these holes could not be made without an iron instrument, and
which was not to be used, as the next words show; whereas by the above method
the beams of the chambers could be laid upon the buttresses, benches, or rebatements
left, without the use of any: the gradual enlargement of these chambers, as
they rose higher, may denote the enlargement of the church of God, both as to
numbers, gifts, and grace, the nearer it comes to the heavenly state, as in the
spiritual and personal reign of Christ.
1 Kings 6:7 7 And the temple, when it
was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer
or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being
built.
YLT
7And the house, in its being
built, of perfect stone brought [thither] hath been built, and hammer, and the
axe -- any instrument of iron -- was not heard in the house, in its being
built.
And the house, when it was in building,.... And all
the while it was building:
was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; being hewn or
squared by the builders and stonesquarers of Solomon and Hiram, 1 Kings 5:18;
wherefore the builders had nothing more to do than to lay them in their proper
places in the building; it was built with these stones quite up to the ceiling,
as Josephus saysF20Antiqu. l. 8. c. 3. sect. 2. ; and these so
admirably polished, and so artificially joined together, that not the least
sign of an axe, or of any working tool, could be discerned in them:
so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of
iron, heard in the house while it was in building; the first of
these observations shows, that none are to be laid in the spiritual building of
the church, but such as are first hewed and squared by the Spirit, grace, and
word of God: or who have an experience of the grace of God, are sound in the
faith, and of becoming lives and good conduct; and the other denotes, that such
as are therein, whether ministers or members, should do all they do for the
edification of the church in a quiet and peaceable manner, without clamour,
contention, fights, and tumults.
1 Kings 6:8 8 The doorway for the middle
story[e] was
on the right side of the temple. They went up by stairs to the middle story,
and from the middle to the third.
YLT
8The opening of the middle
side [is] at the right shoulder of the house, and with windings they go up on
the middle one, and from the middle one unto the third.
The door of the middle chamber was in the right side of the
house,.... The south side of it:
and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber; which were
outside the chambers, and which winded about for the sake of taking up less
room, and which led up to the door of the middle chamber, on the south of which
they went into it; according to the Vulgate Latin and Tigurine versions, they
went up in the forth of a cockle, or the shell of a snail; in like manner as
was the ascent of the temple of Pan at Alexandria, as StraboF21Geograph.
l. 17. p. 547. relates:
and out of the middle into the third; the third
chamber, and by winding stairs up to that; and the like might be on the north
side, though not expressed, and on the west: the Jews sayF23Misn.
Middot, c. 4. sect. 5. See Lightfoot's Prospect of the Temple, &c. c. 12.
p. 1071. , that in the second temple, these winding stairs went from the
northeast to the northwest, whereby they went up to the roof of the chambers,
and so to the south and west; with this compare Ezekiel 41:7; and
which may represent the windings and turnings of God's people in this present
state, their many afflictions and tribulations, through which they pass from
one state to another.
1 Kings 6:9 9 So he built the temple and
finished it, and he paneled the temple with beams and boards of cedar.
YLT
9And he buildeth the house,
and completeth it, and covereth the house [with] beams and rows of cedars.
So he built the house, and finished it,.... The body
of it, the walls of the holy and most holy place, with the chambers on the
sides of them, and the porch at the end that led into them:
and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar; with hollow
boards, as the Targum, which formed an arch ceiling to it, and made it look very
grand and beautiful; and then over them were laid beams and planks of cedar,
not properly as a flat roof to it, but rather as a flooring for other
buildings; for upon this, as in 1 Kings 6:10, there
were chambers built.
1 Kings 6:10 10 And he built side chambers
against the entire temple, each five cubits high; they were attached to the
temple with cedar beams.
YLT
10And he buildeth the couch
against all the house, five cubits [is] its height, and it taketh hold of the
house by cedar-wood.
And then he built chambers against all the house five
cubits high,.... Which some understand of the same chambers in 1 Kings 6:5; here
made mention of again for the sake of giving the height of them, not before
given; but they were built against, or upon the wall of the house, these
against, or rather upon the whole house itself; and are the chambers referred
to; see Gill on 1 Kings 6:2; which
consisting of three stories of ninety cubits, raised the whole house to an
equal height with the porch, 2 Chronicles 3:4;
as is there intendedF24Vid. Joseph. Antiqu. ut supra. (l. 8. c. 3.
sect. 2.) ; these are the upper chambers in 2 Chronicles 3:9;
and they rested on the house with timber of cedar; or on the timber of
cedar, the beams of cedar, with which the house was covered, as in 1 Kings 6:9; on
these the chambers rested, being built upon them; and in one of these chambers
the disciples might be after Christ's ascension, Acts 1:13.
1 Kings 6:11 11 Then the word of the Lord came to
Solomon, saying:
YLT
11And the word of Jehovah is
unto Solomon, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to Solomon,.... The word
of prophecy, as the Targum, foretelling what would be the case of this
building, according to the obedience or disobedience of him and the people of
Israel; which was brought to him either by an impulse of the Spirit of God upon
him; or by the hand of a prophet, as Kimchi thinks; and some of the Jewish
writersF25Seder Olam Rabba, c. 20. p. 53. , as he particularly, name
Ahijah the Shilonite as the prophet that was sent with this message to him:
saying, as follows.
1 Kings 6:12 12 “Concerning this temple
which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep
all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you,
which I spoke to your father David.
YLT
12`This house that thou art
building -- if thou dost walk in My statutes, and My judgments dost do, yea,
hast done all My commands, to walk in them, then I have established My word
with thee, which I spake unto David thy father,
Concerning this house
which thou art in building,.... Or with respect to that, these things
are to be said as from the Lord:
if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and
keep all my commandments to walk in them; even all the laws of
God, moral, ceremonial, and judicial; and this respects not only Solomon
personally, but his successors, and even all the people of Israel:
then will I perform my covenant with thee, which I spake unto
David thy father; by Nathan the prophet; not only that he should build an house
for God, which should be a settled dwelling place, but that his own house and
kingdom should be established for a long time to come, and his posterity should
enjoy the presence of God in this house, provided regard was had to the
precepts and ordinances of the Lord, 2 Samuel 7:12.
1 Kings 6:13 13 And I will dwell among the
children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”
YLT
13and have tabernacled in the
midst of the sons of Israel, and do not forsake My people Israel.'
And I will dwell among the children of Israel,.... In this
house now building, and which was in the middle of the land, and where he would
meet with them, and accept their sacrifices, not only of slain beasts, but of
prayer and praise:
and will not forsake my people Israel; and leave
them to the mercy of their enemies, and to be carried captive by them, but
protect and defend them.
1 Kings 6:14 14 So Solomon built the
temple and finished it.
YLT
14And Solomon buildeth the
house and completeth it;
So Solomon built the house, and finished it. He went on
with it until he had completed it, animated and encouraged by the promise of
the divine Presence in it, provided a proper regard was had to the will and
ways of God. Abarbinel thinks the above message was sent him in the midst of
his work, to strengthen and caution him from a dependence on the continuance of
the fabric, because of the strength of it; since its perpetuity depended on
his, his successors', and the people's conduct and behaviour; wherefore
conscious to himself of his own integrity, and hoping well of posterity, he was
not discouraged, but proceeded in his undertaking until he had brought it to
perfection.
1 Kings 6:15 15 And he built the inside
walls of the temple with cedar boards; from the floor of the temple to the
ceiling he paneled the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the temple
with planks of cypress.
YLT
15and he buildeth the walls
of the house within with beams of cedar, from the floor of the house unto the
walls of the ceiling; he hath overlaid with wood the inside, and covereth the
floor of the house with ribs of fir.
And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar,.... For as
yet he had only built the stone walls of it without, but now he wainscotted it
with cedar boards: and not only them, but
both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling; or from
"the floor of the house unto the walls of the ceiling"; that is, from
the floor, including that, to the walls on each side, reaching up to the
ceiling,
he covered them on the inside with wood: of one sort
or another, cedar or fir, or both: particularly he
covered the floor of the house with planks of fir: which Hiram
sent him, 1 Kings 5:8; which
is differently interpreted; by Josephus cypress; by others, as the Tigurine
version, pine tree wood; it is very probable it was of the cedar kind, and not
the floor only, but the ceiling also, 2 Chronicles 3:5.
1 Kings 6:16 16 Then he built the
twenty-cubit room at the rear of the temple, from floor to ceiling, with cedar
boards; he built it inside as the inner sanctuary, as the Most Holy Place.
YLT
16And he buildeth the twenty
cubits on the sides of the house with ribs of cedar, from the floor unto the
walls; and he buildeth for it within, for the oracle, for the holy of holies.
And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house,.... At the
end or extremity of it, as the Targum; that is, he built the most holy place,
which was twenty two cubits long, at the end of the holy place, which he
wainscotted as the other:
both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar; or from the
floor, including that, to the walls on each side, from wall to wall, and taking
in them, they were all lined with cedar wood:
he even built them for it within, even for the
oracle, even for the most holy place; which
explains what building is spoken of, and that the inside of that was covered
with cedar from bottom to top.
1 Kings 6:17 17 And in front of it the
temple sanctuary was forty cubits long.
YLT
17And forty by the cubit was
the house, it [is] the temple before [it].
And the house, that is, the temple before it,.... The holy
place, which was before the of holies:
was forty cubits long; and which, with the most
holy place, being twenty cubits, as in the preceding verse, made the length of
the whole house sixty cubits, as in 1 Kings 6:2.
1 Kings 6:18 18 The inside of the temple
was cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open flowers. All was cedar;
there was no stone to be seen.
YLT
18And the cedar for the house
within [is] carvings of knobs and openings of flowers; the whole [is] cedar,
there is not a stone seen.
And the cedar of the house within,.... With which the
inside of the place was lined:
was carved with knops; of an oval
form; so the Targum says, they had the appearance of eggs; and Ben Gersom
likewise, that they were in the form of eggs:
and open flowers; not in the figure of buds, but flowers
blown, and open, as lilies and others; so the Targum:
all was cedar; the wainscotting of the
house, the sides of it at least, if not the floor, and the carved work of it;
and this was done, that the gold might be laid upon it, which could not be done
on stone as on wood: and all was so covered, that
there was no stone seen; of which the outward
walls were built: all this denotes the inward beauty of the church, and the
curious workmanship of the Spirit of God in the hearts of his people, whereby
they become all glorious within, adorned with the graces of the blessed Spirit,
their stony hearts being kept out of sight, yea, taken away.
1 Kings 6:19 19 And he prepared the inner
sanctuary inside the temple, to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord there.
YLT
19And the oracle in the midst
of the house within he hath prepared, to put there the ark of the covenant of
Jehovah.
And the oracle he prepared in the house within,.... In the
innermost part of the house he fitted up the oracle, or speaking place, from
whence the Lord spake and gave answer, to receive what was to be put into it:
particularly
to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord; even the very
same that Moses made, Exodus 37:1, for which
David had pitched a tent in Zion, 1 Chronicles 15:1,
and where it now was; for Solomon made no new ark.
1 Kings 6:20 20 The inner sanctuary was
twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid it
with pure gold, and overlaid the altar of cedar.
YLT
20And before the oracle [is]
twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits [is]
its height; and he overlayeth it with gold refined, and overlayeth the altar
with cedar.
And the oracle in the forepart,.... Which stood in the
forepart of the temple, before a man's face as he entered into it, and went on;
or the forepart of the holy of holies, next to the holy place, was of the
dimensions as follows, when the back part of it might be higher at least, and
be equal to the holy place, even thirty feet; the forepart being lower, and
left open to let in the light of the candlesticks, and the smoke of the incense,
out of the holy place: this
was twenty cubits in length,
and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and was a
perfect square, and as the most holy place may be an emblem of the church
triumphant, it may denote the perfection of its heavenly state; so the new
Jerusalem is a foursquare, Revelation 21:16;
and he overlaid it with pure gold; make it rich, glorious,
and magnificent, and may denote the glory of the heavenly state, Revelation 21:21;
and so FlorusF26De Gest. Roman. l. 3. c. 5. , the Roman historian,
calls it the golden heaven, as it were, into which Pompey went, and saw the
great secret of the Jewish nation, the ark:
and so covered the altar which was of cedar; the altar of
incense, which is here mentioned, because it was near the most holy place, 1 Kings 6:22; this
altar by Moses was made of shittim wood, but Solomon's was of cedar it seems;
unless, as the words will bear to be rendered, "he covered the altar with
cedar"F1יצף ארז
"operuit cedro", Montanus. ; though made of shittim wood, it had a
covering of cedar over it; or if of stone, such a covering was on it, that it
might better receive the gold which was afterwards put upon it.
1 Kings 6:21 21 So Solomon overlaid the
inside of the temple with pure gold. He stretched gold chains across the front
of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold.
YLT
21And Solomon overlayeth the
house within with gold refined, and causeth [it] to pass over in chains of gold
before the oracle, and overlayeth it with gold.
So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold,.... The
inside of the holy of holies with fine gold, which gold amounted to six hundred
talents, 2 Chronicles 3:8;
and these to 7,332,000 ducats of gold, or 3,045,000 pounds sterling:
and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; between the
holy and the most holy, and were instead of a vail in the tabernacle of Moses
between them; here was also a vail beside the partition made by chains of gold
across the oracle; for the partition was a wall of the thickness of a cubit, as
MaimonidesF2Hilchot Beth Habechirah, c. 4. sect. 2. says; and in 2 Chronicles 3:14
express mention is made of a vail of blue, &c. and in imitation of this had
the Heathens their deities within vailsF3Apulei Metamorph. l. xi. p.
176. :
and he overlaid it with gold; the partition wall.
1 Kings 6:22 22 The whole temple he
overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the temple; also he overlaid with
gold the entire altar that was by the inner sanctuary.
YLT
22And the whole of the house
he hath overlaid with gold, till the completion of all the house; and the whole
of the altar that the oracle hath, he hath overlaid with gold.
And the whole house he overlaid with gold,.... Both the
holy place, and the most holy place:
until he had finished all the house; in this splendid and
glorious manner:
also the whole altar that was by the oracle; the altar of
incense, which stood just before the entrance into the oracle, or most holy
place:
he overlaid with gold; he overlaid it all over
with gold; hence it is called the golden altar, and was an emblem of the
excellent and effectual mediation and intercession of Christ, Revelation 8:3.
Agreeably to this account Eupolemus, an Heathen writerF4Apud Euseb.
Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 34. p. 450. testifies, that the whole house, from
the floor to the tool, was covered with gold, as well as with cedar and cypress
wood, that the stonework might not appear; and so the capitol at Rome, perhaps
in imitation of this temple, its roofs and tiles were glided with goldF5Plin.
Nat. Hist. l. 33. c. 3. Vid. Rycquium de Capitol. Roman. c. 16. ; a magnificent
temple, like this, was at Upsal in Switzerland, as Olaus Magnus relatesF6De
Ritu Gent. Septent. l. 3. c. 5. .
1 Kings 6:23 23 Inside the inner sanctuary
he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.
YLT
23And he maketh within the
oracle two cherubs, of the oil-tree, ten cubits [is] their height;
And within the oracle he made two cherubim of olive tree,.... Or of the
oil tree, as in Isaiah 41:19; see Nehemiah 8:15; for
there are other trees besides olives, out of which oil is pressed, as pine
trees, cypress trees, &c. and which some think are here meant; though the
Targum interprets it of the olive tree: these cherubim are different from those
made by Moses, and were besides them; these were larger than they; these were
made of olive wood, they of gold; these stood on the floor of the house, they
at the two ends of the mercy seat, and were made out of it, and were with it in
this holy place in Solomon's temple: these two cherubim may be emblems of the
angels in their greatness and glory, who are always in the presence of God,
behold his face, and wait to do his will; or it may be rather of the two
witnesses, said to be the two olive trees standing before the God of the whole
earth, Revelation 11:3;
who have boldness to enter into the holiest of all, and have sight and
knowledge of the mysteries of the ark and mercy seat; have their commission
from heaven, and speak according to the oracles of God; these are said to be of
image work, 2 Chronicles 3:10;
that is, of various forms, as the thee of a man, a lion, an ox, and eagle, Ezekiel 1:10. Dr.
Lightfoot thinksF7Prospect of the Temple, c. 15. sect. 4. they
resembled the two Testaments, which in their beginning and end reach the two
sides of the world, the creation and the last judgment, and in the middle do
sweetly join the one to the other:
each ten cubits
high; half as high as the most holy place; emblems either of the high
angels, those thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, or of men of
uncommon size as to their gifts and grace.
1 Kings 6:24 24 One wing of the cherub was
five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub five cubits: ten cubits from the
tip of one wing to the tip of the other.
YLT
24and five cubits [is] the
one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the second wing of the cherub, ten
cubits from the ends of its wings even unto the ends of its wings;
And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub,.... When
stretched out on one side:
and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; on the other
side him:
from the uttermost part of the one wing, to the uttermost part of
the other wing, were ten cubits; half the breadth of the
house.
1 Kings 6:25 25 And the other cherub was
ten cubits; both cherubim were of the same size and shape.
YLT
25and ten by the cubit [is]
the second cherub, one measure and one form [are] to the two cherubs,
And the other cherub was ten cubits,.... That is,
its wings stretched out measured so many cubits, as did those of the other:
both the cherubim were of one measure, and of one size; of the same
height and stature, of the same breadth of their wings, and of the same bulk of
their bodies; they were of "image work"; 2 Chronicles 3:10;
very probably in the form of men: and this uniformity may denote the perfect
agreement of angels; or else the consent of the true faithful witnesses of
Christ in all ages, who have all agreed in the person, office, and grace of
Christ, as represented by the mercy seat and ark, which these cherubim covered
with their wings.
1 Kings 6:26 26 The height of one cherub was
ten cubits, and so was the other cherub.
YLT
26the height of the one
cherub [is] ten by the cubit, and so [is] the second cherub;
The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was
it of the other cherub. Which is repeated from 1 Kings 6:23; that
it might be observed, being of an extraordinary size.
1 Kings 6:27 27 Then he set the cherubim
inside the inner room;[f] and they
stretched out the wings of the cherubim so that the wing of the one touched one
wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. And their wings
touched each other in the middle of the room.
YLT
27and he setteth the cherubs
in the midst of the inner house, and they spread out the wings of the cherubs,
and a wing of the one cometh against the wall, and a wing of the second cherub
is coming against the second wall, and their wings [are] unto the midst of the
house, coming wing against wing;
And he set the cherubim within the inner house,.... The holy
of holies:
and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims; the carvers
that framed them, they wrought them in that form; or impersonally, the wings of
the cherubim were stretched out; this was the position of them, they
overshadowed and covered the mercy seat and ark, and even the other two
cherubim that were at the ends of the mercy seat:
so that the wing of the one touched the one wall; the southern
wall:
and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; the northern
wall; they reached from wall to wall, even the whole breadth of the house,
which was twenty cubits, as their wings thus spread were, 1 Kings 6:24;
and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house; which was ten
cubits, and that was the spread of the wings of each of them; so that the wing
of the right side of the one, stretched out, touched the wing of the left side
of the other fit the same position; in 2 Chronicles 3:13;
their faces are said to be "inward", or "toward the house";
either toward the holy place, and so faced those that came into that and saw
them; or towards the inner part of the holy of holies, their backs being to the
holy place, or their faces were inward, and looked obliquely to each other.
1 Kings 6:28 28 Also he overlaid the
cherubim with gold.
YLT
28and he overlayeth the
cherubs with gold,
And he overlaid the cherubim with gold. Which may
denote the purity and excellency of angels; or the precious gifts and graces of
the Spirit, with which the witnesses of Christ are adorned.
1 Kings 6:29 29 Then he carved all the
walls of the temple all around, both the inner and outer sanctuaries,
with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.
YLT
29and all the walls of the
house round about he hath carved with openings of carvings, cherubs, and palm
trees, and openings of flowers, within and without.
And he carved all the walls of the house about with carved figures
of cherubim, and palm trees, and open flowers,.... That is, of palm
trees, those in full blow: if the cherubim are an emblem of angels, the palm
trees fitly enough represent just and upright men, who both appear in the
church of God below, and in heaven above; in both which are to be seen the open
and full-blown flowers of divine grace, especially in the latter state:
within and without; on the walls of the most holy place, both
within and without; and so upon the walls of the holy place, in each of which
were these sculptures, which were very ornamental, and were emblematical; see Ezekiel 41:17.
1 Kings 6:30 30 And the floor of the
temple he overlaid with gold, both the inner and outer sanctuaries.
YLT
30And the floor of the house
he hath overlaid with gold, within and without;
And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold within and
without. Both the floor of the holy place, and of the holy of holies; so
the street of the new Jerusalem is said to be pure gold, Revelation 21:21;
this expresses the purity and magnificence of it, particularly the holy
conversation of them that dwell in the church, in heaven, signified hereby.
1 Kings 6:31 31 For the entrance of the
inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood; the lintel and
doorposts were one-fifth of the wall.
YLT
31as to the opening of the oracle,
he made doors of the oil-tree; the lintel, side-posts, a fifth.
And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive
tree,.... The door of the holy of holies was a two leaved or folding
door, made of olive wood; typical of Christ, the door into the church above and
below, the way to heaven and eternal life, the true olive tree:
the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of
the wall; four cubits, twenty cubits being the breadth of the oracle; or
the lintel was four cubits, twenty being the height of it also, 1 Kings 6:20.
1 Kings 6:32 32 The two doors were of
olive wood; and he carved on them figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open
flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread gold on the cherubim
and on the palm trees.
YLT
32And the two doors [are] of
the oil-tree, and he hath carved upon them carvings of cherubs, and palm-trees,
and openings of flowers, and overlaid with gold, and he causeth the gold to go
down on the cherubs and on the palm-trees.
The two doors also were of olive tree,.... The two
leaves of the door, as before observed, repeated for the sake of the ornament
of them, as follows:
and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims, and palm trees, and
open flowers; as upon the walls, 1 Kings 6:29;
and overlaid them with gold; the two doors:
and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees; thin plates
of gold.
1 Kings 6:33 33 So for the door of the
sanctuary he also made doorposts of olive wood, one-fourth of the
wall.
YLT
33And so he hath made for the
opening of the temple, side-posts of the oil-tree, from the fourth.
So also made he for the door of the temple,.... The holy
place:
posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall; which was
five cubits, its breadth being twenty, 1 Kings 6:20; this
door was a cubit wider than that into the most holy place, 1 Kings 6:31, more
entering into the one than into the other; as more go into the church on earth
than into the heavenly glory.
1 Kings 6:34 34 And the two doors were
of cypress wood; two panels comprised one folding door, and two
panels comprised the other folding door.
YLT
34And the two doors [are] of
fir-tree, the two sides of the one door are revolving, and the two hangings of
the second door are revolving.
And the two doors were of fir tree,.... the posts
were of olive, but the doors of fir, and they were both folding doors, as
appears by what follows:
the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two
leaves of the other door were folding; which, taking up less
room, made the passage wider, see Ezekiel 41:24.
1 Kings 6:35 35 Then he carved cherubim,
palm trees, and open flowers on them, and overlaid them with gold
applied evenly on the carved work.
YLT
35And he hath carved cherubs,
and palms, and openings of flowers, and overlaid with straightened gold the graved
work.
And he carved thereon cherubims, and palm trees, and open
flowers,.... As upon the doors of the most holy place, 1 Kings 6:32; see Ezekiel 41:25;
and covered them with gold, fitted upon the carved work; plates of
gold were fitted, as to the dimensions of them, to the cherubim, palm trees,
and open flowers.
1 Kings 6:36 36 And he built the inner
court with three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams.
YLT
36And he buildeth the inner
court, three rows of hewn work, and a row of beams of cedar.
And he built the inner court,.... The court of the priests,
2 Chronicles 4:9;
so called to distinguish it from the outer court, where the people assembled:
this was built
with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams; the rows of
stones were one upon another, topped with a row of cedar beams; or rather the
cedar was a lining to the stones; and the whole is supposed to be about three
cubits high, and was so low, that the people in the outward court might see
priests ministering for them, and could converse with them; under the second
temple, as MaimonidesF8Hilchot Beth Habechirah, c. 6. sect. 3. says,
the court of the priests was higher than that of the court of Israel two cubits
and an half, called the great court, for which doors were made, and those
overlaid with brass, 2 Chronicles 4:9.
1 Kings 6:37 37 In the fourth year the
foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of
Ziv.
YLT
37In the fourth year hath the
house of Jehovah been founded, in the month Zif,
In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord
laid,.... The fourth year of Solomon's reign:
in the month Zif; See Gill on 1 Kings 6:1.
1 Kings 6:38 38 And in the eleventh year,
in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all
its details and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building
it.
YLT
38and in the eleventh year,
in the month Bul -- [that is] the eighth month -- hath the house been finished
in all its matters, and in all its ordinances, and he buildeth it seven years.
In the eleventh year,.... That is, of the
reign of Solomon:
in the month Bul, which is the eighth month; from the
month Abib or Nisan; this month answers to part of our October, and part of
November; it is the same month sometimes called Marchesvan; it had the name of
Bul, because of the rains which usually fell in this month, as Kimchi thinks,
like a flood; and Noah's flood is called Mabbul, from the same rootF9נבל "concidit", Buxtorf. , and when all the
fruits were withered, and the leaves were fallen from the trees; or, as Jarchi
supposes, because the grass was consumed in the field, and they were obliged to
mix provender for cattle, deriving the word from another rootF11בלה "consumpsit, vel" בלל
"miscuit", ib. : in this month
was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof; the porch,
the holy place, and holy of holies, with all the chambers and courts belonging
to it:
and according to all the fashion of it; which David
had given to Solomon, to frame it by:
so he was seven years in building it; and six
months, which are not mentioned, only the round number is given, as appears by
comparing it with 1 Kings 6:1.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)