1 Kings 6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Building the Temple
6 Solomon began to build the temple for the Lord in the four hundred eightieth year(A) after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of his reign over Israel, in the second month, in the month of Ziv.[a](B) 2 The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord(C) was 90 feet[b] long, 30 feet[c] wide, and 45 feet[d] high.(D) 3 The portico in front of the temple sanctuary was 30 feet[e] long extending across the temple’s width, and 15 feet deep[f] in front of the temple.(E) 4 He also made windows with beveled frames[g] for the temple.(F)
5 He then built a chambered structure[h] along the temple wall, encircling the walls of the temple, that is, the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary.(G) And he made side chambers[i] all around.(H) 6 The lowest chamber was 7½ feet[j] wide, the middle was nine feet[k] wide, and the third was 10½ feet[l] wide. He also provided offset ledges for the temple all around the outside so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. 7 The temple’s construction used finished stones cut at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.(I)
8 The door for the lowest[m] side chamber was on the right side of the temple. They[n] went up a stairway[o] to the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third. 9 When he finished building the temple,(J) he paneled it with boards and planks of cedar. 10 He built the chambers along the entire temple, joined to the temple with cedar beams;(K) each story was 7½ feet[p] high.
11 The word of the Lord came to Solomon:(L) 12 “As for this temple you are building—if you walk in My statutes, observe My ordinances, and keep all My commands by walking in them,(M) I will fulfill My promise to you, which I made to your father David.(N) 13 I will live among the Israelites and not abandon My people Israel.”(O)
14 When Solomon finished building the temple,[q](P) 15 he paneled the interior temple walls with cedar boards; from the temple floor to the surface of the ceiling he overlaid the interior with wood. He also overlaid the floor with cypress boards.(Q) 16 Then he lined 30 feet[r] of the rear of the temple with cedar boards from the floor to the surface of the ceiling,[s] and he built the interior as an inner sanctuary, the most holy place.(R) 17 The temple, that is, the sanctuary in front of the most holy place,[t] was 60 feet[u] long. 18 The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with ornamental gourds(S) and flower blossoms. Everything was cedar;(T) not a stone could be seen.
19 He prepared the inner sanctuary(U) inside the temple to put the ark of the Lord’s covenant(V) there. 20 The interior of the sanctuary was 30 feet[v] long, 30 feet[w] wide, and 30 feet[x] high; he overlaid it with pure gold.(W) He also overlaid the cedar altar. 21 Next, Solomon overlaid the interior of the temple with pure gold, and he hung[y] gold chains(X) across the front of the inner sanctuary(Y) and overlaid it with gold. 22 So he added the gold overlay to the entire temple until everything was completely finished, including the entire altar(Z) that belongs to the inner sanctuary.
23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim(AA) 15 feet[z] high out of olive wood. 24 One wing of the first cherub was 7½ feet long,[aa] and the other wing was 7½ feet long. The wingspan was 15 feet[ab] from tip to tip. 25 The second cherub also was 15 feet;[ac] both cherubim had the same size and shape. 26 The first cherub’s height was 15 feet[ad] and so was the second cherub’s. 27 Then he put the cherubim inside the inner temple. Since their wings were spread out, the first one’s wing touched one wall while the second cherub’s wing touched the other[ae] wall, and in the middle of the temple their wings were touching wing to wing.(AB) 28 He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.
29 He carved all the surrounding temple walls with carved engravings—cherubim,(AC) palm trees and flower blossoms—in both the inner and outer sanctuaries. 30 He overlaid the temple floor with gold in both the inner and outer sanctuaries.
31 For the entrance of the inner sanctuary, he made olive wood doors.(AD) The pillars of the doorposts were five-sided.[af] 32 The two doors were made of olive wood. He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold, hammering gold over the cherubim and palm trees. 33 In the same way, he made four-sided[ag] olive wood doorposts for the sanctuary entrance. 34 The two doors(AE) were made of cypress wood; the first door had two folding sides, and the second door had two folding panels. 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flower blossoms on them and overlaid them with gold applied evenly over the carving. 36 He built the inner courtyard(AF) with three rows of dressed stone(AG) and a row of trimmed cedar beams.
37 The foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid in Solomon’s fourth year in the month of Ziv. 38 In his eleventh year in the eighth month, in the month of Bul,[ah] the temple was completed in every detail and according to every specification.(AH) So he built it in seven years.(AI)
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 6:1 April–May
- 1 Kings 6:2 Lit 60 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:2 Lit 20 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:2 Lit 30 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:3 Lit 20 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:3 Lit 10 cubits wide
- 1 Kings 6:4 Hb obscure
- 1 Kings 6:5 Lit built the house of chamber
- 1 Kings 6:5 Lit made ribs or sides
- 1 Kings 6:6 Lit five cubits
- 1 Kings 6:6 Lit six cubits
- 1 Kings 6:6 Lit seven cubits
- 1 Kings 6:8 LXX, Tg; MT reads middle
- 1 Kings 6:8 = people
- 1 Kings 6:8 Hb obscure
- 1 Kings 6:10 Lit five cubits
- 1 Kings 6:14 LXX omits these vv.
- 1 Kings 6:16 Lit 20 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:16 LXX; MT omits of the ceiling; 1Kg 6:15
- 1 Kings 6:17 Lit front of me; Hb obscure
- 1 Kings 6:17 Lit 40 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:20 Lit 20 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:20 Lit 20 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:20 Lit 20 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:21 Lit he caused to pass across
- 1 Kings 6:23 Lit 10 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:24 Lit five cubits
- 1 Kings 6:24 Lit 10 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:25 Lit 10 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:26 Lit 10 cubits
- 1 Kings 6:27 Lit the second
- 1 Kings 6:31 Hb obscure
- 1 Kings 6:33 Hb obscure
- 1 Kings 6:38 = October–November
1 Kings 6
King James Version
6 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.
2 And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.
3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.
4 And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.
5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:
6 The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.
7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
8 The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.
9 So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.
10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
11 And the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,
12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:
13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.
14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.
18 And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.
22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
23 And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.
24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
25 And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.
26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.
28 And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.
29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
30 And the floors of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.
31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.
32 The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.
33 So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.
34 And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.
35 And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.
36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month Zif:
38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.
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