1 Kings 6

Temple Construction Begins

1 In the four hundred and eightieth ^[a] year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, ^[b] the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD. ¹

2 The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. ^[c]

3 The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple was twenty cubits ^[d] long, extending across the width of the temple and projecting out ten cubits ^[e] in front of the temple.

4 He also had narrow windows framed high in the temple.

The Chambers

5 Against the walls of the temple and the inner sanctuary, Solomon built a chambered structure around the temple, in which he constructed the side rooms.

6 The bottom floor was five cubits wide, ^[f] the middle floor six cubits, ^[g] and the third floor seven cubits. ^[h] He also placed offset ledges around the outside of the temple, so that nothing would be inserted into its walls.

7 The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

8 The entrance to the bottom ^[i] floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor.

9 So Solomon built the temple and finished it, roofing it with beams and planks of cedar.

10 He built chambers all along the temple, each five cubits high and attached to the temple with beams of cedar.

God’s Promise to Solomon

11 Then the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying:

12 “As for this temple you are building, if you walk in My statutes, carry out My ordinances, and keep all My commandments by walking in them, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.

13 And I will dwell among the Israelites and will not abandon My people Israel.”

The Temple’s Interior

14 So Solomon built the temple and finished it. ²

15 He lined the interior walls with cedar paneling from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and he covered the floor with cypress ^[j] boards.

16 He partitioned off the twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. ^[k]

17 And the main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long. ^[l]

18 The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen.

19 Solomon also prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there.

20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. ^[m]

21 So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains ^[n] across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold.

22 So he overlaid with gold the whole interior of the temple, until everything was completely finished. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

The Cherubim

23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim, each ten cubits high, out of olive wood. ³

24 One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing was five cubits long as well. So the full wingspan was ten cubits.

25 The second cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same size and shape,

26 and the height of each cherub was ten cubits.

27 And he placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple. Since their wings were spread out, the wing of the first cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the second cherub touched the other wall, and in the middle of the room their wingtips touched.

28 He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29 Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.

30 And he overlaid the temple floor with gold in both the inner and outer sanctuaries.

The Doors

31 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, Solomon constructed doors of olive wood with five-sided doorposts.

32 The double doors were made of olive wood, and he carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold.

33 In the same way he made four-sided doorposts of olive wood for the sanctuary entrance.

34 The two doors were made of cypress wood, and each had two folding panels.

35 He carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and he overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.

The Courtyard

36 Solomon built the inner courtyard with three rows of dressed stone and one row of trimmed cedar beams.

37 The foundation of the house of the LORD was laid in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, in the month of Ziv.

38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, ^[o] the eighth month, the temple was finished in every detail and according to every specification. So he built the temple in seven years.

1 Kings 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

The building of Solomon's temple. (1-10) Promise given concerning the temple. (11-14) Particulars respecting the temple. (15-38)

Verses 1-10 The temple is called the house of the Lord, because it was directed and modelled by him, and was to be employed in his service. This gave it the beauty of holiness, that it was the house of the Lord, which was far beyond all other beauties. It was to be the temple of the God of peace, therefore no iron tool must be heard; quietness and silence suit and help religious exercises. God's work should be done with much care and little noise. Clamour and violence often hinder, but never further the work of God. Thus the kingdom of God in the heart of man grows up in silence, ( Mark 5:27 ) .

Verses 11-14 None employ themselves for God, without having his eye upon them. But God plainly let Solomon know that all the charge for building this temple, would neither excuse from obedience to the law of God, nor shelter from his judgments, in case of disobedience.

Verses 15-38 See what was typified by this temple. 1. Christ is the true Temple. In him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead; in him meet all God's spiritual Israel; through him we have access with confidence to God. 2. Every believer is a living temple, in ( 1 Corinthians. 3:16 ) built upon Christ as its Foundation, and will be perfect in due time. 3. The gospel church is the mystical temple. It grows to a holy temple in the Lord, enriched and beautified with the gifts and graces of the Spirit. This temple is built firm, upon a Rock. 4. Heaven is the everlasting temple. There the church will be fixed. All that shall be stones in that building, must, in the present state of preparation, be fitted and made ready for it. Let sinners come to Jesus as the living Foundation, that they may be built on him, a part of this spiritual house, consecrated in body and soul to the glory of God.

Cross References

• 1. (2 Chronicles 3:1–2)
• 2. (2 Chronicles 3:5–9)
• 3. (2 Chronicles 3:10–13)

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew; LXX four hundred and fortieth
• [b]. Ziv was the second month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of April and May; also in verse 37.
• [c]. The house was approximately 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high (27.4 meters long, 9.1 meters wide, and 13.7 meters high).
• [d]. 20 cubits is approximately 30 feet or 9.1 meters; also in verses 16 and 20.
• [e]. 10 cubits is approximately 15 feet or 4.6 meters; also in verses 23–26.
• [f]. 5 cubits is approximately 7.5 feet or 2.3 meters; also in verses 10 and 24.
• [g]. 6 cubits is approximately 9 feet or 2.7 meters.
• [h]. 7 cubits is approximately 10.5 feet or 3.2 meters.
• [i]. LXX and Targum; Hebrew middle
• [j]. Or pine or juniper or fir; also in verse 34
• [k]. Or the Holy of Holies
• [l]. 40 cubits is approximately 60 feet or 18.3 meters.
• [m]. Or with cedar
• [n]. Or made gold chains to draw (the curtains)
• [o]. Bul was the eighth month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of October and November.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS 6

This chapter gives an account of the building of the temple, for which preparations were before made and begins with the time of its building, 1Ki 6:1; gives the dimensions of it and the porch before it, 1Ki 6:2,3; observes the windows in it and chambers about it, 1Ki 6:4-10; and while it was building, Solomon had a word from the Lord relative to it, 1Ki 6:11-14; and then the account goes on concerning the walls of the house, and the flooring of it, 1Ki 6:15-18; and the oracle in it, and the cherubim in that, 1Ki 6:19-30; and the doors into it, and the carved work of them, 1Ki 6:31-36; and the chapter is concluded with observing the time when it was begun and finished 1Ki 6:37,38.