Kings I 6:5

5 According to the number of the lords of the Philistines, five golden emerods, for the plague was on you, and on your rulers, and on the people; and golden mice, the likeness of the mice that destroy your land: and ye shall give glory to the Lord, that he may lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

Kings I 6:5 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 6:5

And against the wall of the house he built chambers round
about
Or near it, as Jarchi interprets it, for the beams of them were not fastened in in it, ( 1 Kings 6:6 ) ; or rather "upon" it ^F16; and when they are said to be round about the house, it must be understood of the two sides, north and south, and of the west end only, for at the east end, where the porch was, there were none:

[against] the walls of the house round about, [both] of the temple and
of the oracle;
that is, both of the holy and the most holy place:

and he made chambers round about;
the said buildings; which is repeated that it might be observed; how many chambers there were, is not said; Josephus says ^F17 there were thirty of them, and over them others of the same measure and number, and over them others also; so that there were three stories of them, and in all ninety; and which is countenanced by what follows in ( 1 Kings 6:6 ) , and agrees with ( Ezekiel 41:6 ) ; the Jewish doctors say ^F18, there were thirty eight of them, fifteen on the north, fifteen on the south, and eight on the west; they that were to the north and south were five upon five, and five over them; and they that were to the west were three upon three, and two over them; upper rooms or chambers were rare in Heathen temples ^F19: these chambers were for the priests, where they lodged and laid up their garments, and ate their holy things; and were emblems of congregated churches, where the true members thereof, who are priests to God, have communion with him, and partake of divine things.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (ryq le) "super parietem", V. L. Montanus.
F17 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 3. sect. 2.
F18 Misn. Middot, c. 4. sect. 3.
F19 Pausan. Laconic. sive. l. 3. p. 190.

Kings I 6:5 In-Context

3 And they said, If ye send away the ark of the covenant of the Lord God of Israel, do not on any account send it away empty, but by all means render to it an offering for the plague; and then shall ye be healed, and an atonement shall be made for you: should not his hand be stayed from off you?

4 And they say, What the offering for the plague we shall return to it? and they said,

5 According to the number of the lords of the Philistines, five golden emerods, for the plague was on you, and on your rulers, and on the people; and golden mice, the likeness of the mice that destroy your land: and ye shall give glory to the Lord, that he may lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

6 And why do ye harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharao hardened their hearts? not when he mocked them, they let the people go, and they departed?

7 And now take wood and make a new wagon, and take two cows, that have calved for the first time, without their calves; and do ye yoke the cows to the wagon, and lead away the calves from behind them home.