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2 Chronicles Chapter Three

 

2 Chronicles 3 Outline of Contents

Solomon Builds the Temple (v.1~17)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 3 & 4

These two chapters give an account of the building of the temple, of the materials, parts, and form of it, and of things belonging to it, and which agrees with 1 Kings 6:1 see the notes there; only here, 1 Chronicles 3:1, mention is made of the particular place where it was built, Mount Moriah; of which see the notes on Genesis 22:2. The dimensions of the house, as the Targum rightly explains, 2 Chronicles 3:3, are said to be after the first measure, either of that of the tabernacle by Moses, or rather of that of the pattern David gave to Solomon, 1 Chronicles 28:11, though some understand it of the greater cubit: the holy place is called the greater house, 2 Chronicles 3:5, being twice as long as the holy of holies; in 2 Chronicles 3:6, we are informed what the precious stones were for, which David and his princes gave for the temple, 1 Chronicles 29:2, that they were to decorate the house; and also what sort of gold was used in overlaying it, gold of Parvaim, which some interpret of PeruF8, in America; but it is a question whether that was then known, or, if it was, must go by another name, since Peru is a late name given by the Spaniards, at their conquest of it. BochartF9 takes it to be Taprobane, an island in the Indian sea, as if it was Taph Parvan or Provan, the shore of Parvan. KircherF11 is of opinion it is the same with Javaim, the isles of Java in the same sea, from whence was gold, which is not very likely. WaserusF12 thinks Parvaim is the name of a town which is by PlinyF13 corruptly called Parbacia, which was in the land of Havilah, or the kingdom of the Charazenes, where was the best gold, Genesis 2:11 though others suppose it to be the same with Ophir, by removing the first letter of the word, to which PfeifferF14 inclines, and is as probable as any; and much more probable than what the JewsF15 say, that this gold was so called, because it was red like the blood of "parim", oxen: in 2 Chronicles 3:8, the quantity of gold, with which the most holy place was overlaid, is given, six hundred talents: of which See Gill on 1 Kings 6:21, In 2 Chronicles 3:9 we read of the nails with which the plates of gold were fastened to the boards, nowhere else mentioned, except in the Vulgate Latin version of 1 Kings 6:21, "he fastened the plates with golden nails"; which version perhaps is most correct; the weight of which were fifty shekels of gold; that is, according to the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, each nail weighed so much, which amounted to seventy five pounds of our moneyF16. Eupolemus, an Heathen writerF17 speaks of these nails, which he makes to be silver ones; and says they were of the weight of a talent, in the form of a woman's breast, and in number four, with which the plates of gold were fastened, which were of five cubits; I suppose he means there were four of these nails in every plate of five cubits: in 2 Chronicles 4:1 an account is given of an "altar of brass", made by Solomon, we have not elsewhere, only referred to 1 Kings 8:64 whether this was only covered with brass, as that made by Moses was, as someF18 think; or whether of massy brass, as Dr. LightfootF19 because not to be removed as that was, is not certain; the altar of the second temple was of stones unpolished, according to the MisnahF20, with which agrees"46 And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them. 47 Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former;' (1 Maccabees 4)and so PhiloF21: "twenty cubits was the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof"; it was four times as big in its square as that of Moses, and three times higher, and a cubit over, See Gill on Exodus 27:1. HecataeusF23, an Heathen writer, speaks of this altar as four square, and made of whole and unpolished stones, each side of which was twenty cubits, but the height of it he makes to be twelve cubits, in which he mistakes. It weighed, according to Jacob LeonF24 7000 arobas of brass, each aroba containing twenty five pounds. The rest of the chapter agrees with the account in the book of Kings.F8 Erasm. Schmid. de America Orat. ad Calc. Pindar. p. 261. Montani Phaleg. in Calc. Jac. Capellus in loc.F9 Phaleg. l. 2. c. 27. & Canaan, l. 1. c. 46. col. 692. Braunius de Vest. Sacred. Heb. p. 221.F11 Prodrom. Copt. c. 4. p. 119.F12 De Antiqu. Num. Heb. l. 1. c. 6.F13 Nat. Hist l. 6. c. 28.F14 Difficil. Script. Sacr. cent. 3. loc. 16. p. 247.F15 T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 45. 1. Hieros. Yoma, fol. 41. 4. Shemot Rabba, sect. 39. fol. 136. 4.F16 Brerewood de Ponder. &c. c. 5.F17 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 34. p. 450.F18 Cunaeus de Rep. Heb. l. 2. c. 5.F19 Prospect of the Temple, ch. 34. p. 2029. So Villalpandus.F20 Middot, c. 3. sect. 4.F21 De Victimis, p. 850.F23 Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 4. p. 408.F24 Relation of Memorable Things in the Temple, ch. 4. p. 20.

 

2 Chronicles 3:1  Now Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord[a] had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan[b] the Jebusite.

   YLT  1And Solomon beginneth to build the house of Jehovah, in Jerusalem, in the mount of Moriah, where He appeared to David his father, in the place that David had prepared, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite,

Verses 1-17

See Chapter Introduction

 

2 Chronicles 3:2  2 And he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

   YLT  2and he beginneth to build in the second [day], in the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

 

2 Chronicles 3:3  3 This is the foundation which Solomon laid for building the house of God: The length was sixty cubits (by cubits according to the former measure) and the width twenty cubits.

   YLT  3And [in] these hath Solomon been instructed to build the house of God: The length [in] cubits by the former measure [is] sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.

 

2 Chronicles 3:4  4 And the vestibule that was in front of the sanctuary[c] was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was one hundred and[d] twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold.

   YLT  4As to the porch that [is] on the front, the length [is] by the front of the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty, and he overlayeth it within with pure gold.

 

2 Chronicles 3:5  5 The larger room[e] he paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it.

   YLT  5And the large house he hath covered with fir-trees, and he doth cover it with good gold, and causeth to ascend on it palms and chains,

 

2 Chronicles 3:6  6 And he decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim.

   YLT  6and he overlayeth the house with precious stone for beauty, and the gold [is] gold of Parvaim,

 

2 Chronicles 3:7  7 He also overlaid the house—the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors—with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.

   YLT  7and he covereth the house, the beams, the thresholds, and its walls, and its doors, with gold, and hath graved cherubs on the walls.

 

2 Chronicles 3:8  8 And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold.

   YLT  8And he maketh the most holy house: its length [is] by the front of the breadth of the house twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits, and he covereth it with good gold, to six hundred talents;

 

2 Chronicles 3:9  9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper area with gold.

   YLT  9and the weight of the nails [is] fifty shekels of gold, and the upper chambers he hath covered with gold.

 

2 Chronicles 3:10  10 In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold.

   YLT  10And he maketh in the most holy house two cherubs, image work, and he overlayeth them with gold;

 

2 Chronicles 3:11  11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub;

   YLT  11as to the wings of the cherubs, their length [is] twenty cubits, the wing of the one [is] five cubits, touching the wall of the house, and the other wing [is] five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub.

 

2 Chronicles 3:12  12 one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub.

   YLT  12And the wing of the other cherub [is] five cubits touching the wall of the house, and the other wing [is] five cubits, adhering to the wing of the other cherub.

 

2 Chronicles 3:13  13 The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward.

   YLT  13The wings of these cherubs are spreading forth twenty cubits, and they are standing on their feet and their faces [are] inward.

 

2 Chronicles 3:14  14 And he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.

   YLT  14And he maketh the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and causeth cherubs to go up on it.

 

2 Chronicles 3:15  15 Also he made in front of the temple[f] two pillars thirty-five[g] cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

   YLT  15And he maketh at the front of the house two pillars, thirty and five cubits in length, and the ornament that [is] on their heads five cubits.

 

2 Chronicles 3:16  16 He made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork.

   YLT  16And he maketh chains in the oracle, and putteth on the heads of the pillars, and maketh a hundred pomegranates, and putteth on the chains.

 

2 Chronicles 3:17  17 Then he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz.

   YLT  17And he raiseth up the pillars on the front of the temple, one on the right, and one on the left, and calleth the name of that on the right Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Literally He, following Masoretic Text and Vulgate; Septuagint reads the Lord; Targum reads the Angel of the Lord.
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Spelled Araunah in 2 Samuel 24:16
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:4 The main room of the temple; elsewhere called the holy place (compare 1 Kings 6:3)
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Vulgate; Arabic, some manuscripts of the Septuagint, and Syriac omit one hundred and.
  5. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Literally house
  6. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Literally house
  7. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Or eighteen (compare 1 Kings 7:15; 2 Kings 25:17; and Jeremiah 52:21)