1Ki 6 | TSK | STEP | The building of Solomon's temple. The chambers thereof. God's promise unto it. The ceiling and adorning of it. The cherubims. The doors. The court. The time of building it. A.M. 2993. B.C. 1011. An. Ex. Is. 480. And it came. in the month Zif. began. Heb. built. build.

the length.According to Bp. Cumberland's estimation of the cubit, its length was 36 yds. 1 ft. 5/28 inch; its breadth 12 yds. 5/76 inch; and its height, 18 yds. 8/64 inch. This constituted what is properly called the temple; but, besides this, there were the courts and colonnades, where the people might assemble to perform their devotions, without being exposed to the open air.

threescore.

Ezr 6:3,4; Eze 41:1-15; Re 21:16,17

1Ch 28:11; 2Ch 3:3,4; Eze 41:15; Mt 4:5; Joh 10:23; Ac 3:10,11

windows of narrow lights. or, windows broad within, andnarrow without; or, skewed and closed.

4; So 2:9; Eze 40:16; 41:26

against. or, upon, or joining to. built.

1Ch 9:26; 23:28; 28:11; 2Ch 31:11; Ne 10:37; 12:44; 13:5-9; So 1:4

Jer 35:4; Eze 40:44; 41:5-11; 42:3-12

chambers. Heb. floors.These appear to have been what we should now call corridors or galleries; in which were apartments for the use of the priests. They consisted of three stories, and increased one cubit in breadth in every story, the wall of the temple being two cubits thicker at the bottom than at the top; and where the wall diminished, a rest was thus formed for the beams of the chambers to lodge upon.

oracle.

16,19-21,31; Ex 25:22; Le 16:2; Nu 7:89; 2Ch 4:20; 5:7,9; Ps 28:2

chambers. Heb. ribs.

narrowed rests. or, narrowings, or rebatements.

built of stone.

5:17,18; De 27:5,6; Pr 24:27; Ro 9:23; 2Co 5:5; Col 1:12; 1Pe 2:5

neither hammer.

Isa 42:2; Ac 9:31; Jas 1:20; 3:17,18

side. Heb. shoulder. went up.

Eze 41:6,7

he built.

14,38

with beams and boards of cedar. or, the vault beams and theceilings with cedar.

if thou wilt.

2:3,4; 3:14; 8:25; 9:3-6; 1Sa 12:14,15; 1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 7:17,18

Ps 132:12; Zec 3:7; Col 1:23

then will I perform.

2Sa 7:13; 1Ch 22:10

I will dwell.

8:27; Ex 25:8; Le 26:11; Ps 68:18; 132:12,13; Isa 57:15

Eze 37:26-28; 2Co 6:16; Re 21:3

will not forsake.

De 31:6,8; 1Sa 12:22; 1Ch 28:9,20; Heb 13:5

A.M. 2993-3000. B.C. 1011-1004.

9,38; Ac 7:47,48

he built.That is, he lined or wainscoted the walls with cedar, the floor being covered with planks of fir: the marginal reading in this verse is preferable, as it removes every difficulty and obscurity.

both the floor of the house, and the walls. or, from thefloor of the house, unto the walls, etc. and so ver.

built them.

5,19,20; 8:6; Ex 25:21,22; 26:23; Le 16:2; 2Ch 3:8; Eze 45:3

Heb 9:3

the oracle.The oracle was the sanctuary, or holy of holies, in which there was nothing but the ark of the covenant, including the tables of the law, and into which the high priest alone was to enter but once a year.

knops. or, gourds.{Pekaïm,} "artificial knops," in the shape of {colocynths,} or wild gourds, as the word denotes. (See note on 2 Ki 4:39;) the full-blown flowers of which must have been very ornamental.

open flowers. or, openings of flowers.

the oracle.

5,16; 2Ch 4:20; Ps 28:2

to set.

8:6-10; Ex 40:20,21; 2Ch 5:7; Heb 9:3,4

twenty cubits.

2,3

pure. Heb. shut up. the altar.

22; 7:48; Ex 30:1-3

overlaid.

Ex 26:29,32; 36:34; 2Ch 3:7-9

by the chains.

5; Ex 26:32,33; 2Ch 3:14-16

the whole house.It is impossible to calculate this expense, or the quantity of gold employed in this sacred building; but both must have been immense.

also.

20; Ex 30:1,3,5,6; 2Ch 3:7-14

the whole altar.This was the altar of incense without the vail, in the holy place, which was twice the length of the most holy place.

two cherubims.These were distinct from, and much larger than those which covered the mercy-seat.

Ge 3:24; Ex 25:18-22; 37:7-9; 2Ch 3:10-13; Ps 18:10; 80:1

Isa 37:16; Eze 10:2-22; Heb 1:14; 1Pe 1:12

olive tree. or, oily trees. Heb. trees of oil.

they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims. or, thecherubims stretched forth their wings.

Ex 25:20; 37:9; 2Ch 3:11; 5:8

carved figures.

Ex 36:8; 2Ch 3:14; 4:2-5; Ps 103:20; 148:2; Lu 2:13,14; Eph 3:10

Re 5:11-14

palm trees.{Tamar,} in Ethiopic, {tamart,} the palm tree, is so called, says Parkhurst, from its straight, upright growth, for which it seems more remarkable than any other tree; and it sometimes rises to the height of more than 100 feet. The trunk is remarkably straight and lofty; and it is crowned at the top with a large tuft of spiring leaves, about four feet long, which never fall off, but always continue in the same flourishing verdure. The stalks are generally full of rugged knots, which are vestiges of decayed leaves: for the trunk of the tree is not solid, but its centre is filled with pith, round which is a tough bark full of strong fibres when young, which, as the tree becomes old, hardens and becomes ligneous. To this bark the leaves are closely joined, which, as the tree becomes old, hardens and becomes ligneous. To this bark the leaves are closely joined, which in the centre rise erect, but after they are advanced above the vagina which surrounds them, they expand very wide on every side of the stem, and as the older leaves decay, the stalk advances in height. The leaves, when the tree has grown to a size for bearing fruit, are six or eight feet long, and very broad when expanded. The fruit, called the date, grows below the leaves in clusters.

Ps 92:12-15; Re 7:9

open flowers. Heb. openings of flowers.

18,32

Isa 54:11,12; 60:17; Re 21:18-21

doors.

Joh 10:9; 14:6; Eph 3:18; Heb 10:19,20

a fifth part. or, five square.

two doors. or, leaves of the doors. open flowers. Heb.openings of flowers.

18,29

a fourth part. or, four square.

fir tree.

5:8

the two leaves.

Eze 41:23-25

the inner.

Ex 27:9-19; 38:9-20; 2Ch 4:9; 7:7; Re 11:2

1; 2Ch 3:2Among chronologists there is a great diversity of opinion respecting the time of the building of the temple. The Septuagint has 440 years; Glycas, 330; Josephus and Moeslinus, 592; Melchius Canus, 590; Sulpicius Severus, 588; Clemens Alexandrinus, 570; Cedrenus, 672; Codomus, 598; Vossius and Capellus, 580; Serarius, 680; Nicholas Abraham, 527; Petavius and Valtherus, 520. After all, that in the common Hebrew text is more likely to the true one, than any of the others.

finished.

Ezr 6:14,15; Zec 4:9; 6:13-15

throughout, etc. or, with all the appurtenances thereof, andwith all the ordinances thereof. seven years.

1,9; 7:1; Ezr 3:8-13; 6:15; Joh 2:20