1 Kings 6:18

18 The cedar covering the house was carved with gourds and open flowers; all was cedar; no stone was visible.

1 Kings 6:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 6:18

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 6:18 In-Context

16 The thirty-five-foot back portion of the house he built with boards of cedar from the floor to the joists and reserved this part of the house to be a sanctuary, the Especially Holy Place;

17 while the rest of the house, that is, the temple in front, was seventy feet long.

18 The cedar covering the house was carved with gourds and open flowers; all was cedar; no stone was visible.

19 In the inner part of the house he set up the sanctuary, so that the ark for the covenant of ADONAI could be placed there.

20 This sanctuary was thirty-five feet long, wide and high; and it was overlaid with pure gold. In front of it he set an altar, which he covered with cedar.