1 Kings 6:37

6:37 In the month Ziv 1  of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign 2  the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple.

1 Kings 5:17

5:17 By royal order 3  they supplied large valuable stones in order to build the temple’s foundation with chiseled stone.

1 Kings 7:10

7:10 The foundation was made of large valuable stones, measuring either 15 feet or 12 feet. 4 

1 Kings 16:34

16:34 During Ahab’s reign, 5  Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. 6  Abiram, his firstborn son, died when he laid the foundation; 7  Segub, his youngest son, died when he erected its gates, 8  just as the Lord had warned 9  through Joshua son of Nun. 10 

1 sn In the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.

2 tn The words “of Solomon’s reign” are added for clarification. See v. 1.

3 tn Heb “and the king commanded.”

5 tn Heb “stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits” (it is unclear exactly what dimension is being measured). If both numbers refer to the length of the stones (cf. NCV, CEV, NLT), then perhaps stones of two different sizes were used in some alternating pattern.

7 tn Heb “in his days.”

8 map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

9 tn Heb “with Abiram, his firstborn, he founded it.”

10 tn Heb “with Segub, his youngest, he set up its gates.”

11 tn Heb “according to the word of the Lord which he spoke.”

12 sn Warned through Joshua son of Nun. For the background to this statement, see Josh 6:26, where Joshua pronounces a curse on the one who dares to rebuild Jericho. Here that curse is viewed as a prophecy spoken by God through Joshua.