1 Kings 5:17

17 At King Solomon's command they cut fine large stones for the foundation of the Temple.

1 Kings 5:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 5:17

And the king commanded, and they brought great stones
Not in quality, but in quantity, large stones, fit to lay in the foundation; strong, and durable against all the injuries of time, as Josephus says ^F9:

costly stones;
not what are commonly called precious stones, as gems, pearls but stones of value, as marble, porphyry, &c.

[and] hewed stones;
not rough as they were taken out of the quarry, but hewed, and made smooth:

to lay the foundation of the house;
which, though out of sight, was to be laid with goodly stones for the magnificence of the building; so the church of Christ, its foundation is said to be laid even with sapphires and other precious stones, see ( Isaiah 54:11 ) ( Revelation 21:19 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 3. sect. 2.

1 Kings 5:17 In-Context

15 Solomon also had 80,000 stone cutters in the hill country, with 70,000 men to carry the stones,

16 and he placed 3,300 foremen in charge of them to supervise their work.

17 At King Solomon's command they cut fine large stones for the foundation of the Temple.

18 Solomon's and Hiram's workers and men from the city of Byblos prepared the stones and the timber to build the Temple.