1 Kings 5:17-18

5:17 By royal order¹ they supplied large valuable stones in order to build the temple’s foundation with chiseled stone. 5:18 Solomon’s and Hiram’s construction workers,² along with men from Byblos,³ did the chiseling and prepared the wood and stones for the building of the temple.⁴

Ezra 3:7

Preparations for Rebuilding the Temple

3:7 So they provided money⁵ for the masons and carpenters, and food, beverages, and olive oil for the people of Sidon⁶ and Tyre,⁷ so that they would bring cedar timber from Lebanon to the seaport⁸ at Joppa, in accord with the edict of King Cyrus of Persia.

Ezra 5:8

5:8 Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones,⁹ and timbers are being placed in the walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in their hands.

Luke 21:5

The Signs of the End of the Age

21:5 Now¹⁰ while some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned¹¹ with beautiful stones and offerings,¹² Jesus¹³ said,

¹tn Heb “and the king commanded.”

²tn Heb “builders.”

³tn Heb “the Gebalites.” The reading is problematic and some emend to a verb form meaning, “set the borders.”

⁴tc The LXX includes the words “for three years.”

⁵tn Heb “silver.”

⁶map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.

⁷map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.

⁸tn Heb “to the sea”

⁹tn Aram “stones of rolling.” The reference is apparently to stones too large to carry.

¹⁰tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

¹¹sn The Jerusalem temple was widely admired around the world. See Josephus, Ant. 15.11 (15.380-425); J. W. 5.5 (5.184-227) and Tacitus, History 5.8, who called it “immensely opulent.” Josephus compared it to a beautiful snowcapped mountain.

¹²tn For the translation of ἀνάθημα (anaqhma) as “offering” see L&N 53.18.

¹³tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.