Old Testament Commentary - 1 Kings 6

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 6 Solomon builds the temple—The Lord promises to dwell among Israel if they are obedient—Ornaments of the temple are described.
1 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 ^afourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to ^bbuild the ^chouse of the LORD. 2 And the ^ahouse which king ^bSolomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the ^cbreadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. 3 And the ^aporch 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 ^awindows of narrow lights.
5 ¶ And against the wall of the house he built ^achambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the ^boracle: 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 ^astone 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 ^awalk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my ^bword with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: 13 And I will ^adwell among the children of Israel, and will not ^bforsake 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 cieling: 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 ^aoracle, even for the most ^bholy 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 ^agold: 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 ^aaltar that was by the oracle he ^boverlaid with gold.
23 ¶ And within the oracle he ^amade two ^bcherubims of olive tree^a, 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.	23^a two cherubims of olive tree In building of the temple much symbolisms were constructed into the temple. Such were the two 'cherubim angels' so made of the wood of the olive tree, for the olive tree was symbolic of Israel, and the two ministering angels unto Israel were of Ephraim and of Judah. So also were the two doors which entered into the precences of the Lord, the doors of Ephraim and of Judah, whereby does Israel enter, that is Judah and his companions and Ephraim and his companions. And as there is but one Messiah by whom we return to and enter into the presence of God, there being no other way so provided; then also is that Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is the same as Jehovah, also of both Ephraim and Judah (see: Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Ephraim). This symbolism of the two olive trees is also set out in the visions of Zechariah, particularly Zechariah chapter 4 where there are two olive trees, one on either side of the manorah, whose oil doth give fuel to the light of the menorah, that there is is the fruit of Ephraim and Judah they who do give light unto the world unto salvation.
27 And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the ^acherubims, 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 ^acherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without. 30 And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.
31 ¶ And for the entering of the oracle he made ^adoors 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 ^afir 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 ^acourt with three rows of ^bhewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
37 ¶ In the ^afourth 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.