1 Kings 6:7

7 And the house, in its being built, of perfect stone brought [thither] hath been built, and hammer, and the axe -- any instrument of iron -- was not heard in the house, in its being built.

1 Kings 6:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 6:7

And the house, when it was in building
And all the while it was building:

was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither;
being hewn or squared by the builders and stonesquarers of Solomon and Hiram, ( 1 Kings 5:18 ) ; wherefore the builders had nothing more to do than to lay them in their proper places in the building; it was built with these stones quite up to the ceiling, as Josephus says ^F20; and these so admirably polished, and so artificially joined together, that not the least sign of an axe, or of any working tool, could be discerned in them:

so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, [nor] any tool of iron,
heard in the house while it was in building;
the first of these observations shows, that none are to be laid in the spiritual building of the church, but such as are first hewed and squared by the Spirit, grace, and word of God: or who have an experience of the grace of God, are sound in the faith, and of becoming lives and good conduct; and the other denotes, that such as are therein, whether ministers or members, should do all they do for the edification of the church in a quiet and peaceable manner, without clamour, contention, fights, and tumults.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F20 Antiqu. l. 8. c. 3. sect. 2.

1 Kings 6:7 In-Context

5 And he buildeth against the wall of the house a couch round about, [even] the walls of the house round about, of the temple and of the oracle, and maketh sides round about.

6 The lowest couch, five by the cubit [is] its breadth; and the middle, six by the cubit [is] its breadth; and the third, seven by the cubit [is] its breadth, for withdrawings he hath put to the house round about, without -- not to lay hold on the walls of the house.

7 And the house, in its being built, of perfect stone brought [thither] hath been built, and hammer, and the axe -- any instrument of iron -- was not heard in the house, in its being built.

8 The opening of the middle side [is] at the right shoulder of the house, and with windings they go up on the middle one, and from the middle one unto the third.

9 And he buildeth the house, and completeth it, and covereth the house [with] beams and rows of cedars.