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Texts -- 1 Kings 6:1-37 (NET)

Context
The Building of the Temple
6:1 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt , in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel , during the month Ziv (the second month ), he began building the Lord’s temple . 6:2 The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long , 30 feet wide , and 45 feet high . 6:3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet long , corresponding to the width of the temple . It was 15 feet wide , extending out from the front of the temple . 6:4 He made framed windows for the temple . 6:5 He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and holy place and constructed side rooms in it. 6:6 The bottom floor of the extension was seven and a half feet wide , the middle floor nine feet wide , and the third floor ten and a half feet wide . He made ledges on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls . 6:7 As the temple was being built , only stones shaped at the quarry were used ; the sound of hammers , pickaxes , or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built . 6:8 The entrance to the bottom level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple ; stairs went up to the middle floor and then on up to the third floor . 6:9 He finished building the temple and covered it with rafters and boards made of cedar . 6:10 He built an extension all around the temple ; it was seven and a half feet high and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams . 6:11 The Lord said to Solomon : 6:12 “As for this temple you are building , if you follow my rules , observe my regulations , and obey all my commandments , I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David . 6:13 I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel .” 6:14 So Solomon finished building the temple . 6:15 He constructed the walls inside the temple with cedar planks ; he paneled the inside with wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters of the ceiling . He covered the temple floor with boards made from the wood of evergreens . 6:16 He built a wall 30 feet in from the rear of the temple as a partition for an inner sanctuary that would be the most holy place . He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters . 6:17 The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long. 6:18 The inside of the temple was all cedar and was adorned with carvings of round ornaments and of flowers in bloom . Everything was cedar ; no stones were visible . 6:19 He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there . 6:20 The inner sanctuary was 30 feet long , 30 feet wide , and 30 feet high . He plated it with gold , as well as the cedar altar . 6:21 Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold . He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary with gold . 6:22 He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold , as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary . 6:23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubs of olive wood ; each stood 15 feet high . 6:24 Each of the first cherub’s wings was seven and a half feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet . 6:25 The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet ; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape . 6:26 Each cherub stood 15 feet high . 6:27 He put the cherubs in the inner sanctuary of the temple . Their wings were spread out . One of the first cherub’s wings touched one wall and one of the other cherub’s wings touched the opposite wall . The first cherub’s other wing touched the second cherub’s other wing in the middle of the room . 6:28 He plated the cherubs with gold . 6:29 On all the walls around the temple , inside and out , he carved cherubs , palm trees , and flowers in bloom . 6:30 He plated the floor of the temple with gold , inside and out . 6:31 He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary ; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided . 6:32 On the two doors made of olive wood he carved cherubs , palm trees , and flowers in bloom , and he plated them with gold . He plated the cherubs and the palm trees with hammered gold . 6:33 In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall , only with four-sided pillars. 6:34 He also made two doors out of wood from evergreens ; each door had two folding leaves . 6:35 He carved cherubs , palm trees , and flowers in bloom and plated them with gold , leveled out over the carvings . 6:36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of chiseled stones and a row of cedar beams . 6:37 In the month Ziv of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Solomon

    [ebd] peaceful, (Heb. Shelomoh), David's second son by Bathsheba, i.e., the first after their legal marriage (2 Sam. 12). He was probably born about B.C. 1035 (1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1). He succeeded his father on the throne in early man...
    [smith] (peaceful). I. Early life and occasion to the throne . --Solomon was the child of David?s old age, the last born of all his sons. (1 Chronicles 3:5) The yearnings of the "man of war" led him to give to the new-horn infant ...
    [nave] SOLOMON Son of David by Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 12:24; 1 Kin. 1:13, 17, 21. Named Jedidiah, by Nathan the prophet, 2 Sam. 12:24, 25. Ancestor of Joseph, Matt. 1:6. Succeeds David to the throne of Israel, 1 Kin. 1:11-48; 2:12; 1...

  • Gold

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. zahab, so called from its yellow colour (Ex. 25:11; 1 Chr. 28:18; 2 Chr. 3:5). (2.) Heb. segor, from its compactness, or as being enclosed or treasured up; thus precious or "fine gold" (1 Kings 6:20; 7:49). (3.) He...
    [isbe] GOLD - gold (zahabh; chrusos): 1. Terms: No metal has been more frequently mentioned in Old Testament writings than gold, and none has had more terms applied to it. Among these terms the one most used is zahabh. The Arabic e...
    [smith] Gold was known from the very earliest times. (Genesis 2:11) It was at first used chiefly for ornaments, etc. (Genesis 24:22) Coined money was not known to the ancients till a comparatively late period; and on the Egyptian tom...
    [nave] GOLD Exported from Havilah, Gen. 2:11, 12. From Ophir, 1 Kin. 9:28; 10:11; 1 Chr. 29:4; 2 Chr. 8:18; Job 22:24; Tarshish, 1 Kin. 22:48; Parvaim, 2 Chr. 3:6; Sheba, 1 Kin. 10:10; 2 Chr. 9:9; Psa. 72:15; Uphaz, Jer. 10:9. Re...

  • Temple

    [ebd] first used of the tabernacle, which is called "the temple of the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:9). In the New Testament the word is used figuratively of Christ's human body (John 2:19, 21). Believers are called "the temple of God" (1 Cor....
    [smith] There is perhaps no building of the ancient world which has excited so much attention since the time of its destruction as the temple which Solomon built by Herod. Its spoils were considered worthy of forming the principal il...
    [nave] TEMPLE. Solomon's Called also Temple of the Lord, 2 Kin. 11:10; Holy Temple, Psa. 79:1; Holy House, 1 Chr. 29:3; House of God, 1 Chr. 29:2; 2 Chr. 23:9; House of the Lord, 2 Chr. 23:5, 12; Jer. 28:5; Father's House, John 2...

  • Church and State

    [nave] CHURCH AND STATE (Identical in the theocratic period. No particular Scripture can be cited, but the student is directed to the legislative, judicial, and administrative functions of Moses, Joshua, the Judges, and Samuel as s...

  • Micah, Book of

    [ebd] the sixth in order of the so-called minor prophets. The superscription to this book states that the prophet exercised his office in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. If we reckon from the beginning of Jotham's reign ...

  • Temple, Solomon's

    [ebd] Before his death David had "with all his might" provided materials in great abundance for the building of the temple on the summit of Mount Moriah (1 Chr. 22:14; 29:4; 2 Chr. 3:1), on the east of the city, on the spot where ...

  • Liberality

    [nave] LIBERALITY. Ex. 22:29, 30 Ex. 13:2, 12. Ex. 23:15 Ex. 34:20. Ex. 25:1-8; Ex. 35:4-29; Ex. 36:3-6; Ex. 38:8; Lev. 19:5 Lev. 22:29; Num. 35:8. Deut. 12:11, 12, 17-19; Deut. 14:27-29; Deut. 15:7-18; Deut. 16:10, 17; Deut. 18:1...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • TEMPLE, A1

    [isbe] TEMPLE, A1 - tem'-p'l (hekhal, "palace"; sometimes, as in 1 Ki 6:3,5, etc.; Ezek 41:1,15 ff, used for "the holy place" only; bayith, "house," thus always in the Revised Version (British and American); hieron, naos): A. STRUC...

  • CEDAR

    [ebd] (Heb. e'rez, Gr. kedros, Lat. cedrus), a tree very frequently mentioned in Scripture. It was stately (Ezek. 31:3-5), long-branched (Ps. 80:10; 92:12; Ezek. 31:6-9), odoriferous (Cant. 4:11; Hos. 14:6), durable, and therefore...
    [isbe] CEDAR - se'-dar, se'-der ('erez, from Hebrew root meaning "to be firm"; kedros): The 'erez was in almost all the Old Testament references the true cedar, Cedrus libani, but the name may have been applied in a loose way to al...

  • Cherubim

    [nave] CHERUBIM Eastward of the garden of Eden, Gen. 3:24. In the tabernacle, Ex. 25:18-20; 37:7-9. Ark rested beneath the wings of, 1 Kin. 8:6, 7; 2 Chr. 5:7, 8; Heb. 9:5. Figures of, embroidered on walls of tabernacle, Ex. 26:...

  • Carving

    [isbe] CARVING - karv'-ing: Carving, or engraving, was extensively used among the peoples of Bible lands. There were no materials used in the arts which were not subjected to the graver's skill. Carved objects of wood, stone, ivory...
    [smith] The arts of carving and engraving were much in request in the construction of both the tabernacle and the temple. (Exodus 31:5; 35:33; 1 Kings 6:18,35; Psalms 74:6) as well as in the ornamentation of the priestly dresses. ...
    [nave] CARVING Woodwork of the temple was decorated with carvings of flowers, cherubim, and palm trees, 1 Kin. 6:18, 29, 32, 35; Psa. 74:6. Beds decorated with, Prov. 7:16. Idols manufactured by, Deut. 7:5; Isa. 44:9-17; 45:20; H...

  • Oracle

    [ebd] In the Old Testament used in every case, except 2 Sam. 16:23, to denote the most holy place in the temple (1 Kings 6:5, 19-23; 8:6). In 2 Sam. 16:23 it means the Word of God. A man inquired "at the oracle of God" by means of...
    [isbe] ORACLE - or'-a-k'-l: (1) A divine utterance delivered to man, usually in answer to a request for guidance. So in 2 Sam 16:23 for dabhar ("word," as in the Revised Version margin). The use in this passage seems to indicate th...
    [nave] ORACLE The holy place, 1 Kin. 6:5; Psa. 28:2. The scriptures called oracles, Acts 7:38; Rom. 3:2; Heb. 5:12; 1 Pet. 4:11. See: Tabernacle.

  • Olive

    [smith] The olive was among the most abundant and characteristic vegetation of Judea. The olive tree grows freely almost everywhere on the shores of the Mediterranean, but it was peculiarly abundant in Palestine. See (6:11; 8:8; 28:4...
    [nave] OLIVE, a fruit tree. Branch of, brought by the dove to Noah's ark, Gen. 8:11. Common to the land of Canaan, Ex. 23:11; Deut. 6:11; 8:8; Israelites commanded to cultivate in the land of promise, Deut. 28:40. Branches of, use...

  • GATE

    [ebd] (1.) Of cities, as of Jerusalem (Jer. 37:13; Neh. 1:3; 2:3; 3:3), of Sodom (Gen. 19:1), of Gaza (Judg. 16:3). (2.) Of royal palaces (Neh. 2:8). (3.) Of the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 6:34, 35; 2 Kings 18:16); of the holy pla...
    [smith] The gate and gateways of eastern cities anciently held and still hold an important part, not only in the defence but in the public economy of the place. They are thus sometimes taken as representing the city itself. (Genesis ...

  • CHERUBIM (1)

    [isbe] CHERUBIM (1) - cher'-u-bim, cher'-oo-bim (kerubhim, plural of cherub, kerubh): Through the influence of the Septuagint, "cherubim" was used in the earlier English versions, also as a singular, hence, the plural was made to s...

  • Holy of Holies

    [isbe] HOLY OF HOLIES - ho'-liz (qodhesh ha-qodhashim, Ex 26:33, debhir, 1 Ki 6:16, etc.; in the New Testament, hagia hagion, Heb 9:3): The name given to the innermost shrine, or adytum of the sanctuary of Yahweh. 1. In the Taberna...
    [nave] HOLY OF HOLIES Ex. 26:33, 34; Lev. 16:2, 16, 17, 20, 23, 27, 33; 1 Kin. 6:16; 7:50; 8:6; 1 Chr. 6:49; 2 Chr. 3:8, 10; 4:22; 5:7; Psa. 28:2; Ezek. 41:4, 21, 23; 45:3; Heb. 9:3, 8, 12, 25; 10:19; 13:11

  • Palm Tree

    [isbe] PALM TREE - pam'-tre (tamar, same as the Aramaic and Ethiopic, but in Arabic = "date"; phoinix (Ex 15:27; Lev 23:40; Nu 33:9; Dt 34:3; Jdg 1:16; 3:13; 2 Ch 28:15; Neh 8:15; Ps 92:12; Song 7:7 f; Joel 1:12); tomer, Deborah "d...
    [nave] PALM TREE Deborah judged Israel under, Judg. 4:5. Wood of, used in the temple, 1 Kin. 6:29, 32, 35; 2 Chr. 3:5. In the temple seen in the vision of Ezekiel, Ezek. 40:16; 41:18. Branches of, thrown in the way when Jesus ma...

  • Door

    [isbe] DOOR - dor: Most commonly the rendering of Hebrew pethach, "doorway," deleth, "door" proper (the two distinguished in Gen 19:6), or of Greek thura, which represents both meanings. The door proper was usually of wood, frequen...
    [nave] DOOR Posts of, sprinkled with the blood of the paschal lamb, Ex. 12:22; the law to be written on, Deut. 11:20. Hinges for, Prov. 26:14; made of gold, 1 Kin. 7:50. Doors of the temple made of two leaves, cherubim and flower...

  • Altar

    [ebd] (Heb. mizbe'ah, from a word meaning "to slay"), any structure of earth (Ex. 20:24) or unwrought stone (20:25) on which sacrifices were offered. Altars were generally erected in conspicuous places (Gen. 22:9; Ezek. 6:3; 2 Kin...
    [isbe] ALTAR - ol'-ter (mizbeach, literally, "place of slaughter or sacrifice," from zabhach, which is found in both senses; bomos, (only in Acts 17:23), thusiasterion): I. CLASSIFICATION OF HEBREW ALTARS Importance of the Distinct...
    [nave] ALTAR Built by Noah, Gen. 8:20; Abraham, Gen. 12:7, 8; 13:18; 22:9; Isaac, Gen. 26:25; Jacob, Gen. 33:20; 35:1-7; Moses, Ex. 17:15; 24:4; Balaam, Num. 23:1, 14, 29; Joshua, Deut. 27:4-7; Josh. 8:30-32; Reubenites and Gadites...
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Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • "The Babel account (11:1-9) is not the end of early Genesis. If it were, the story would conclude on the sad note of human failure. But as with earlier events in Genesis 1-11, God's grace once again supersedes human sin, insu...
  • The major purpose of this section is probably to show how God sustained and blessed Jacob's family in Egypt during the remaining five years of the famine (cf. vv. 12-13). It is also to demonstrate how He partially fulfilled H...
  • 12:37-39 The record of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness really begins here.Rameses is probably the same city as Raamses, also called Avaris (v. 37; cf. 1:11). It was the city from which the Israelites left Egypt, and it lay...
  • As I have explained previously, the date of the Exodus was about 1446 B.C. (cf. 1 Kings 6:1).7Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness (Exod. 16:35; Num. 14:33-34). Thus Israel crossed the Jordan River and entered the land abo...
  • Jephthah did not rush into battle but wisely tried to settle the Ammonites' grievance with Israel peacefully. His approach reveals his humility as well as his wisdom. Most men would have wanted to demonstrate their prowess in...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • The promises Yahweh made to David here are an important key to understanding God's program for the future.God rejected David's suggestion that he build a temple for the Lord and gave three reasons. First, there was no pressin...
  • I. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-11A. Solomon's succession to David's throne 1:1-2:121. David's declining health 1:1-42. Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne 1:5-533. David's charge to Solomon 2:1-94. David's death 2:10-12B. ...
  • The Holy Spirit led the writer of Kings to give an interpretation of history, not just a chronologically sequential record of events. This is true of all the writers of the Old Testament historical books. Some of the events i...
  • The flowing narrative of chapters 1-2 now gives way to reports and lists that catalogue facts about Solomon's reign.The writer constructed the Solomon narrative (chs. 3-11), like so many others in the Old Testament, to draw a...
  • Verse 1 is one of the most important verses in the Old Testament chronologically. The dates of Solomon's reign (971-931 B.C.) are quite certain. They rest on references that other ancient Near Eastern king lists coroborate. S...
  • Evidently this word from the Lord came to Solomon during temple construction. Note that this was a conditional promise based on obedience to the Mosaic Covenant. God would establish Solomon's kingdom forever (i.e., it would r...
  • The altar (vv. 19, 22) refers to the altar of incense (cf. 7:48). This altar evidently stood in the west end of the holy place (cf. Exod. 30:6; 40:5; Lev. 16:2; Heb. 9:4, 7).The cherubim were figures of angels sculptured out ...
  • This Hiram was obviously a different person from the King of Tyre (5:1). God evidently guided him as he fashioned the furnishings (cf. Exod. 31:1-11).80The two pillars on the temple porch were common features that flanked the...
  • The priests probably placed the treasures David had collected in the rooms of the structure that surrounded the temple (6:5-6) for use in Israel's worship as needed. The temple, then, became the treasury (bank) of Israel in t...
  • The writer of Kings referred to other ancient records (v. 41; cf. 14:19, 29). The Acts of Solomon was the first of these.120It is no longer extant.Solomon's long reign of 40 years (971-931 B.C.) ended with the king in decline...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan. "The Building Activities of David and Solomon."Israel Exploration Journal24:1(1974):13-16.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonahl. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed., New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.,...
  • The Chronicler's main interest in David's reign, as we have seen, focused on the Davidic Covenant with its promises to David and his descendants. In recounting the events of Solomon's reign he proceeded to emphasize the templ...
  • The memorandum provided details that the edict did not contain. Among these details were the dimensions of the proposed temple. It was to be twice as high and three times as wide as Solomon's temple (v. 3; cf. 1 Kings 6:2). O...
  • 99:1-3 Because the God who reigns is so great everyone should tremble in reverential fear. In the temple God dwelt between the cherubim (1 Kings 6:23-28; cf. Ps. 80:1). The cherubim were representations of angelic beings that...
  • 35:1 This oracle came to Jeremiah during King Jehoiakim's reign (609-598 B.C.) after the Babylonians had begun to invade Judah (v. 11). Second Kings 24:1-2 reads, "In his [Jehoiakim's] days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came...
  • 1:22 Ezekiel also saw something like a clear expanse (Heb. raqia', firmament, Gen. 1:6; Ps. 19:1; 150:1; Dan. 12:3) of ice (Heb. qerah, crystal) over the heads of these four living creatures. Rather than being empty space thi...
  • The amount of detail devoted to the descriptions of the gate complexes, both outer and inner, emphasizes that access into the temple will be strictly controlled.40:6 Ezekiel's guide next measured the gate of the city that fac...
  • It is interesting to compare this temple with the one that Solomon built (1 Kings 6-7). There are similarities but also differences.
  • 21:11 This city obviously appeared extremely impressive to John. The first and most important characteristic that John noted was its radiant glow. It shone with the splendor of God Himself because He was in it (cf. Exod. 40:3...
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