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1 Kings 7
Christian Standard Bible

Solomon’s Palace Complex

7 Solomon completed his entire palace complex after thirteen years of construction.(A) 2 He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon.(B) It was one hundred fifty feet[a] long, seventy-five feet[b] wide, and forty-five feet[c] high on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on top of the pillars. 3 It was paneled above with cedar at the top of the chambers that rested on forty-five pillars, fifteen per row. 4 There were three rows of window frames, facing each other[d] in three tiers.[e](C) 5 All the doors and doorposts had rectangular frames, the openings facing each other[f] in three tiers. 6 He made the hall of pillars seventy-five feet long and forty-five feet wide. A portico was in front of the pillars, and a canopy with pillars[g] was in front of them. 7 He made the Hall of the Throne where he would judge(D)—the Hall of Judgment. It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters.[h] 8 Solomon’s own palace where he would live, in the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar construction. And he made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, his wife.[i](E)

9 All of these buildings were of costly stones, cut to size and sawed with saws on the inner and outer surfaces, from foundation to coping and from the outside to the great courtyard. 10 The foundation was made of large, costly stones twelve and fifteen feet[j] long. 11 Above were also costly stones, cut to size, as well as cedar wood. 12 Around the great courtyard, as well as the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and the portico of the temple, were three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams.(F)

13 King Solomon had Hiram[k](G) brought from Tyre. 14 He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze craftsman. Hiram had great skill,(H) understanding, and knowledge to do every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work.(I)

The Bronze Pillars

15 He cast two bronze pillars,(J) each 27 feet[l] high and 18 feet[m] in circumference.[n](K) 16 He also made two capitals(L) of cast bronze to set on top of the pillars; 7½ feet[o] was the height of the first capital, and 7½ feet was also the height of the second capital. 17 The capitals on top of the pillars had gratings of latticework, wreaths[p] made of chainwork—seven for the first capital and seven for the second.

18 He made the pillars with two encircling rows of pomegranates on the one grating to cover the capital on top; he did the same for the second capital. 19 And the capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were shaped like lilies, six feet[q] high. 20 The capitals on the two pillars were also immediately above the rounded surface next to the grating, and two hundred pomegranates(M) were in rows encircling each[r] capital. 21 He set up the pillars at the portico(N) of the sanctuary: he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin;[s] then he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz.[t](O) 22 The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. Then the work of the pillars was completed.(P)

The Basin

23 He made the cast metal basin,[u](Q) 15 feet[v] from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7½ feet high and 45 feet in circumference. 24 Ornamental gourds(R) encircled it below the brim, ten every half yard,[w] completely encircling the basin.(S) The gourds were cast in two rows when the basin was cast. 25 It stood on twelve oxen,(T) three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The basin was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center. 26 The basin was three inches[x] thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or of a lily blossom. It held eleven thousand gallons.[y]

The Bronze Water Carts

27 Then he made ten bronze water carts.[z](U) Each water cart was 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4½ feet[aa] high. 28 This was the design of the carts: They had frames; the frames were between the cross-pieces, 29 and on the frames between the cross-pieces were lions, oxen, and cherubim.(V) On the cross-pieces there was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging[ab] work. 30 Each cart(W) had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Underneath the four corners of the basin were cast supports, each next to a wreath. 31 And the water cart’s opening inside the crown on top was eighteen inches[ac] wide. The opening was round, made as a pedestal twenty-seven inches[ad] wide. On it were carvings, but their frames were square, not round. 32 There were four wheels under the frames, and the wheel axles were part of the water cart; each wheel was twenty-seven inches[ae] tall. 33 The wheels’ design was similar to that of chariot wheels: their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of cast metal. 34 Four supports were at the four corners of each water cart; each support was one piece with the water cart. 35 At the top of the cart was a band nine inches[af] high encircling it; also, at the top of the cart, its braces and its frames were one piece with it. 36 He engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees(X) on the plates of its braces and on its frames, wherever each had space, with encircling wreaths. 37 In this way he made the ten water carts using the same casting, dimensions, and shape for all of them.

Bronze Basins and Other Utensils

38 Then he made ten bronze basins(Y)—each basin held 220 gallons[ag] and each was six feet wide—one basin for each of the ten water carts. 39 He set five water carts on the right side of the temple and five on the left side. He put the basin near the right side of the temple toward the southeast.(Z) 40 Then Hiram made(AA) the basins, the shovels, and the sprinkling basins.

Completion of the Bronze Works

So Hiram finished all the work that he was doing for King Solomon on the Lord’s temple: 41 two pillars;(AB) bowls for the capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars;(AC) 42 the four hundred pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals’ bowls on top of the pillars(AD)); 43 the ten water carts;(AE) the ten basins on the water carts;(AF) 44 the basin;(AG) the twelve oxen underneath the basin;(AH) 45 and the pots, shovels, and sprinkling basins.(AI) All the utensils that Hiram made for King Solomon at the Lord’s temple were made of burnished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth(AJ) and Zarethan.(AK) 47 Solomon left all the utensils unweighed because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined.(AL)

Completion of the Gold Furnishings

48 Solomon also made all the equipment in the Lord’s temple: the gold altar; the gold table that the Bread of the Presence was placed on;(AM) 49 the pure gold lampstands in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left;(AN) the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs; 50 the pure gold ceremonial bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles,[ah] and firepans;(AO) and the gold hinges for the doors of the inner temple (that is, the most holy place) and for the doors of the temple sanctuary.

51 So all the work King Solomon did in the Lord’s temple was completed.(AP) Then Solomon brought in the consecrated things of his father David(AQ)—the silver, the gold, and the utensils—and put them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.(AR)

Footnotes

  1. 7:2 Lit 100 cubits
  2. 7:2 Lit 50 cubits, also in v. 6
  3. 7:2 Lit 30 cubits, also in vv. 6,23
  4. 7:4 Lit frames, window to window
  5. 7:4 Lit three times; = at 3 different places, also in v. 5
  6. 7:5 Lit frames, opposing window to window
  7. 7:6 Hb obscure
  8. 7:7 Syr, Vg; MT reads floor
  9. 7:8 Lit daughter he had taken
  10. 7:10 Lit ten cubits and eight cubits
  11. 7:13 = Huram in 2Ch 4:11
  12. 7:15 Lit 18 cubits
  13. 7:15 Lit 12 cubits
  14. 7:15 LXX adds and the thickness of the pillar was four fingers hollowed and similarly the second pillar
  15. 7:16 Lit five cubits, also in v. 23
  16. 7:17 Lit tassels
  17. 7:19 Lit four cubits, also in vv. 27,38
  18. 7:20 Lit encircling the second
  19. 7:21 = He Will Establish
  20. 7:21 = In Him Is Strength
  21. 7:23 Lit sea
  22. 7:23 Lit 10 cubits
  23. 7:24 Lit 10 per cubit
  24. 7:26 Lit a handbreadth
  25. 7:26 Lit 2,000 baths
  26. 7:27 Lit bronze stands
  27. 7:27 Lit three cubits
  28. 7:29 Or hammered-down
  29. 7:31 Lit a cubit
  30. 7:31 Lit one and a half cubits
  31. 7:32 Lit was one and a half cubits
  32. 7:35 Lit half a cubit
  33. 7:38 Lit 40 baths
  34. 7:50 Or dishes, or spoons; lit palms
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1 Kings 7
New English Translation

The Building of the Royal Palace

7 Solomon took thirteen years to build his palace.[a] 2 He named[b] it “The Palace of the Lebanon Forest”;[c] it was 150 feet[d] long, 75 feet[e] wide, and 45 feet[f] high. It had four rows of cedar pillars and cedar beams above the pillars. 3 The roof above the beams supported by the pillars was also made of cedar; there were forty-five beams, fifteen per row. 4 There were three rows of windows arranged in sets of three.[g] 5 All the entrances[h] were rectangular in shape[i] and they were arranged in sets of three.[j] 6 He made a colonnade[k] 75 feet[l] long and 45 feet[m] wide. There was a porch in front of this and pillars and a roof in front of the porch.[n] 7 He also made a throne room, called “The Hall of Judgment,” where he made judicial decisions.[o] It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters.[p] 8 The palace where he lived was constructed in a similar way.[q] He also constructed a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.[r] 9 All these were built with the best[s] stones, chiseled to the right size[t] and cut with a saw on all sides,[u] from the foundation to the edge of the roof[v] and from the outside to the great courtyard. 10 The foundation was made of large valuable stones, measuring either 15 feet or 12 feet.[w] 11 Above the foundation[x] the best[y] stones, chiseled to the right size,[z] were used along with cedar. 12 Around the great courtyard were three rows of chiseled stones and one row of cedar beams, like the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and the hall of the palace.[aa]

Solomon Commissions Hiram to Supply the Temple

13 King Solomon sent for Hiram[ab] of Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali,[ac] and his father was a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. He had the skill and knowledge[ad] to make all kinds of works of bronze. He reported to King Solomon and did all the work he was assigned.

15 He fashioned two bronze pillars; each pillar was 27 feet[ae] high and 18 feet[af] in circumference. 16 He made two bronze tops for the pillars; each was 7½ feet high.[ag] 17 The latticework on the tops of the pillars was adorned with ornamental wreaths and chains; the top of each pillar had seven groupings of ornaments.[ah] 18 When he made the pillars, there were two rows of pomegranate-shaped ornaments around the latticework covering the top of each pillar.[ai] 19 The tops of the two pillars in the porch were shaped like lilies and were six feet high.[aj] 20 On the top of each pillar, right above the bulge beside the latticework, there were 200 pomegranate-shaped ornaments arranged in rows all the way around.[ak] 21 He set up the pillars on the porch in front of the main hall. He erected one pillar on the right[al] side and called it Yakin;[am] he erected the other pillar on the left[an] side and called it Boaz.[ao] 22 The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. So the construction of the pillars was completed.

23 He also made the large bronze basin called “The Sea.”[ap] It measured 15 feet[aq] from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood 7½ feet[ar] high. Its circumference was 45 feet.[as] 24 Under the rim all the way around it were round ornaments[at] arranged in settings 15 feet long.[au] The ornaments were in two rows and had been cast with “The Sea.”[av] 25 “The Sea”[aw] stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward. “The Sea” was placed on top of them, and they all faced outward.[ax] 26 It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold about 12,000 gallons.[ay]

27 He also made ten bronze movable stands. Each stand was 6 feet[az] long, 6 feet[ba] wide, and 4½ feet[bb] high. 28 The stands were constructed with frames between the joints. 29 On these frames and joints were ornamental lions, bulls, and cherubim. Under the lions and bulls were decorative wreaths.[bc] 30 Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles and four supports.[bd] Under the basin the supports were fashioned on each side with wreaths.[be] 31 Inside the stand was a round opening that was 18 inches deep; it had a support that was 27 inches long.[bf] On the edge of the opening were carvings in square frames.[bg] 32 The four wheels were under the frames, and the crossbars of the axles were connected to the stand. Each wheel was 27 inches[bh] high. 33 The wheels were constructed like chariot wheels; their crossbars, rims, spokes, and hubs were made of cast metal. 34 Each stand had four supports, one per side projecting out from the stand.[bi] 35 On top of each stand was a round opening three-quarters of a foot deep;[bj] there were also supports and frames on top of the stands. 36 He engraved ornamental cherubim, lions, and palm trees on the plates of the supports and frames wherever there was room,[bk] with wreaths[bl] all around. 37 He made the ten stands in this way. All of them were cast in one mold and were identical in measurements and shape.

38 He also made ten bronze basins, each of which could hold about 240 gallons.[bm] Each basin was 6 feet in diameter;[bn] there was one basin for each stand. 39 He put five basins on the south side of the temple and five on the north side. He put “The Sea” on the south side, in the southeast corner.

40 Hiram also made basins, shovels, and bowls. He[bo] finished all the work on the Lord’s temple he had been assigned by King Solomon.[bp] 41 He made[bq] the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars, the latticework for the bowl-shaped tops of the two pillars, 42 the 400 pomegranate-shaped ornaments for the latticework of the two pillars (each latticework had two rows of these ornaments at the bowl-shaped top of the pillar), 43 the ten movable stands with their ten basins, 44 the big bronze basin called “The Sea” with its twelve bulls underneath,[br] 45 and the pots, shovels, and bowls. All these items King Solomon assigned Hiram to make for the Lord’s temple[bs] were made from polished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in earth foundries[bt] in the region of the Jordan between Sukkoth and Zarethan. 47 Solomon left all these items unweighed; there were so many of them they did not weigh the bronze.[bu]

48 Solomon also made all these items for the Lord’s temple: the gold altar, the gold table on which was kept the Bread of the Presence,[bv] 49 the pure gold lampstands at the entrance to the inner sanctuary (five on the right and five on the left), the gold flower-shaped ornaments, lamps, and tongs, 50 the pure gold bowls, trimming shears, basins, pans, and censers, and the gold door sockets for the inner sanctuary (the Most Holy Place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple. 51 When King Solomon finished constructing the Lord’s temple, he[bw] put the holy items that belonged to his father David (the silver, gold, and other articles) in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:1 tn Heb “His house Solomon built in thirteen years and he completed all his house.”
  2. 1 Kings 7:2 tn Heb “he built.”
  3. 1 Kings 7:2 sn The Palace of the Lebanon Forest. This name was appropriate because of the large amount of cedar, undoubtedly brought from Lebanon, used in its construction. The cedar pillars in the palace must have given it the appearance of a forest.
  4. 1 Kings 7:2 tn Heb “100 cubits.”
  5. 1 Kings 7:2 tn Heb “50 cubits.”
  6. 1 Kings 7:2 tn Heb “30 cubits.”
  7. 1 Kings 7:4 tn Heb “and framed [windows in] three rows, and opening to opening three times.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain. Another option might be, “overhung [in] three rows.” This might mean they were positioned high on the walls.
  8. 1 Kings 7:5 tn Heb “all of the doors and doorposts.”
  9. 1 Kings 7:5 sn Rectangular in shape. That is, rather than arched.
  10. 1 Kings 7:5 tn Heb “and all the entrances and the doorposts [had] four frames, and in front of opening to opening three times” (the precise meaning of the description is uncertain).
  11. 1 Kings 7:6 tn Heb “a porch of pillars.”
  12. 1 Kings 7:6 tn Heb “50 cubits.”
  13. 1 Kings 7:6 tn Heb “30 cubits.”
  14. 1 Kings 7:6 tn Heb “and a porch was in front of them (i.e., the aforementioned pillars) and pillars and a roof in front of them (i.e., the aforementioned pillars and porch).” The precise meaning of the term translated “roof” is uncertain; it occurs only here and in Ezek 41:25-26.
  15. 1 Kings 7:7 tn Heb “and a porch for the throne, where he was making judicial decisions, the Porch of Judgment, he made.”
  16. 1 Kings 7:7 tc The Hebrew text reads, “from the floor to the floor.” The second occurrence of the term הַקַּרְקָע (haqqarqaʿ, “the floor”) is probably an error; one should emend to הַקּוֹרוֹת (haqqorot, “the rafters”). See 6:16.
  17. 1 Kings 7:8 tn Heb “and his house where he lived, the other court [i.e., as opposed to the great court], separated from the house belonging to the hall, was like this work [i.e., this style of architecture].”
  18. 1 Kings 7:8 tn Heb “and a house he was making for the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Solomon had taken, like this porch.”
  19. 1 Kings 7:9 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
  20. 1 Kings 7:9 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
  21. 1 Kings 7:9 tn Heb “inside and out.”
  22. 1 Kings 7:9 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word טְפָחוֹת (tefakhot) is uncertain, but it is clear that the referent stands in opposition to the foundation.
  23. 1 Kings 7:10 tn Heb “stones of 10 cubits and stones of 8 cubits” (it is unclear exactly what dimension is being measured). If both numbers refer to the length of the stones (cf. NCV, CEV, NLT), then perhaps stones of two different sizes were used in some alternating pattern.
  24. 1 Kings 7:11 tn Heb “on top,” or “above.”
  25. 1 Kings 7:11 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
  26. 1 Kings 7:11 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
  27. 1 Kings 7:12 tn Or “the porch of the temple.”
  28. 1 Kings 7:13 tn Heb “King Solomon sent and took Hiram from Tyre.” In 2 Chr 2:13 (MT v. 12) and 4:11, 16 his name is spelled “Huram.”
  29. 1 Kings 7:14 tn 2 Chr 2:14 (13 HT) says “from the daughters of Dan.”
  30. 1 Kings 7:14 tn Heb “he was filled with the skill, understanding, and knowledge.”
  31. 1 Kings 7:15 tn Heb “18 cubits.”
  32. 1 Kings 7:15 tn Heb “12 cubits.”
  33. 1 Kings 7:16 tn Heb “two capitals he made to place on the tops of the pillars, cast in bronze; 5 cubits was the height of the first capital, and 5 cubits was the height of the second capital.”
  34. 1 Kings 7:17 tn Heb “there were seven for the first capital, and seven for the second capital.”
  35. 1 Kings 7:18 tn Heb “he made the pillars, and two rows surrounding one latticework to cover the capitals which were on top of the pomegranates, and so he did for the second latticework.” The translation supplies “pomegranates” after “two rows,” and understands “pillars,” rather than “pomegranates,” to be the correct reading after “on top of.” The latter change finds support from many Hebrew mss and the ancient Greek version.
  36. 1 Kings 7:19 tn Heb “the capitals which were on the top of the pillars were the work of lilies, in the porch, 4 cubits.” It is unclear exactly what dimension is being measured.
  37. 1 Kings 7:20 tn Heb “and the capitals on the two pillars, also above, close beside the bulge which was beside the latticework, two hundred pomegranates in rows around, on the second capital.” The precise meaning of the word translated “bulge” is uncertain.
  38. 1 Kings 7:21 tn Or “south.”
  39. 1 Kings 7:21 tn The name “Yakin” appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”
  40. 1 Kings 7:21 tn Or “north.”
  41. 1 Kings 7:21 sn The meaning of the name Boaz is uncertain. For various proposals, see BDB 126-27 s.v. בעז. One attractive option is to revocalize the name as בְּעֹז (beʿoz, “in strength”) and to understand it as completing the verbal form on the first pillar. Taking the words together and reading from right to left, one can translate the sentence, “he establishes [it] in strength.”
  42. 1 Kings 7:23 tn Heb “He made the sea, cast.”sn This large basin was mounted on twelve bronze bulls and contained water for the priests to bathe themselves (2 Chr 4:6; cf. Exod 30:17-21).
  43. 1 Kings 7:23 tn Heb “10 cubits.”
  44. 1 Kings 7:23 tn Heb “5 cubits.”
  45. 1 Kings 7:23 tn Heb “and a measuring line went around it 30 cubits all around.” The measurements are an approximation. The LXX has the number 33. Neither fit a strict calculation of the diameter time pi, but the precise details of measuring (e.g. the width of the lip or other factors) are not known and numbers may be rounded.
  46. 1 Kings 7:24 tn Or “gourd-shaped ornaments.”
  47. 1 Kings 7:24 tn Heb “10 cubits surrounding the sea all around.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain.
  48. 1 Kings 7:24 tn Heb “the gourd-shaped ornaments were in two rows, cast in its casting.”
  49. 1 Kings 7:25 tn Heb “It.” The proper noun “The Sea” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  50. 1 Kings 7:25 tn Heb “all their hindquarters were toward the inside.”
  51. 1 Kings 7:26 tn Heb “2,000 baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
  52. 1 Kings 7:27 tn Heb “4 cubits.”
  53. 1 Kings 7:27 tn Heb “4 cubits.”
  54. 1 Kings 7:27 tn Heb “3 cubits.”
  55. 1 Kings 7:29 tn The precise meaning of these final words is uncertain. A possible literal translation would be, “wreaths, the work of descent.”
  56. 1 Kings 7:30 tn Heb “and four its feet, supports to them.”
  57. 1 Kings 7:30 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
  58. 1 Kings 7:31 tn Heb “And its opening from the inside to the top and upwards [was] a cubit, and its opening was round, the work of a stand, a cubit-and-a-half.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain.
  59. 1 Kings 7:31 tn Heb “also over its opening were carvings and their frames [were] squared, not round.”
  60. 1 Kings 7:32 tn Heb “a cubit-and-a-half” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
  61. 1 Kings 7:34 tn Heb “four shoulders to the four sides of each stand, from the stand its shoulders.” The precise meaning of the description is uncertain.
  62. 1 Kings 7:35 tn Heb “and on top of the stand, a half cubit [in] height, round all around” (the meaning of this description is uncertain).
  63. 1 Kings 7:36 tn Heb “according to the space of each.”
  64. 1 Kings 7:36 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
  65. 1 Kings 7:38 tn Heb “forty baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
  66. 1 Kings 7:38 tn Heb “4 cubits, each basin.” It is unclear which dimension is being measured.
  67. 1 Kings 7:40 tn Heb “Hiram.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  68. 1 Kings 7:40 tn Heb “Hiram finished doing all the work which he did for King Solomon [on] the house of the Lord.”
  69. 1 Kings 7:41 tn The words “he made” are added for stylistic reasons.
  70. 1 Kings 7:44 tn Heb “underneath ‘The Sea.’”
  71. 1 Kings 7:45 tn Heb “which Hiram made for King Solomon [for] the house of the Lord.”
  72. 1 Kings 7:46 tn Or perhaps, “molds.”
  73. 1 Kings 7:47 tn Heb “Solomon left all the items, due to their very great abundance; the weight of the bronze was not sought.”
  74. 1 Kings 7:48 tn Heb “the bread of the face [or presence].” Many recent English versions employ “the bread of the Presence,” although this does not convey much to the modern reader.sn This bread was viewed as a perpetual offering to God and was regarded as holy. See Lev 24:5-9.
  75. 1 Kings 7:51 tn Heb “Solomon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
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1 Kings 7
New International Version

Solomon Builds His Palace

7 It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace.(A) 2 He built the Palace(B) of the Forest of Lebanon(C) a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high,[a] with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams. 3 It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns—forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. 4 Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other. 5 All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other.[b]

6 He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide.[c] In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof.

7 He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge,(D) and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling.[d](E) 8 And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.(F)

9 All these structures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of blocks of high-grade stone cut to size and smoothed on their inner and outer faces. 10 The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits[e] and some eight.[f] 11 Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. 12 The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses(G) of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the Lord with its portico.

The Temple’s Furnishings(H)(I)

13 King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram,[g](J) 14 whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom,(K) with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all(L) the work assigned to him.

15 He cast two bronze pillars,(M) each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference.[h] 16 He also made two capitals(N) of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits[i] high. 17 A network of interwoven chains adorned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital. 18 He made pomegranates in two rows[j] encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars.[k] He did the same for each capital. 19 The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits[l] high. 20 On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates(O) in rows all around. 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin[m] and the one to the north Boaz.[n](P) 22 The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars(Q) was completed.

23 He made the Sea(R) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line(S) of thirty cubits[o] to measure around it. 24 Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

25 The Sea stood on twelve bulls,(T) three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 26 It was a handbreadth[p] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.[q]

27 He also made ten movable stands(U) of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high.[r] 28 This is how the stands were made: They had side panels attached to uprights. 29 On the panels between the uprights were lions, bulls and cherubim—and on the uprights as well. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths of hammered work. 30 Each stand(V) had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and each had a basin resting on four supports, cast with wreaths on each side. 31 On the inside of the stand there was an opening that had a circular frame one cubit[s] deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half.[t] Around its opening there was engraving. The panels of the stands were square, not round. 32 The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The diameter of each wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The wheels were made like chariot wheels; the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast metal.

34 Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. 35 At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit[u] deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand. 36 He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around. 37 This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape.

38 He then made ten bronze basins,(W) each holding forty baths[v] and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten stands. 39 He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple. 40 He also made the pots[w] and shovels and sprinkling bowls.(X)

So Huram finished all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of the Lord:

41 the two pillars;

the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

42 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network decorating the bowl-shaped capitals(Y) on top of the pillars);

43 the ten stands with their ten basins;

44 the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

45 the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls.(Z)

All these objects that Huram(AA) made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of burnished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain(AB) of the Jordan between Sukkoth(AC) and Zarethan.(AD) 47 Solomon left all these things unweighed,(AE) because there were so many;(AF) the weight of the bronze(AG) was not determined.

48 Solomon also made all(AH) the furnishings that were in the Lord’s temple:

the golden altar;

the golden table(AI) on which was the bread of the Presence;(AJ)

49 the lampstands(AK) of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary);

the gold floral work and lamps and tongs;

50 the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes(AL) and censers;(AM)

and the gold sockets for the doors of the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple.

51 When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated(AN)—the silver and gold and the furnishings(AO)—and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:2 That is, about 150 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 45 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high
  2. 1 Kings 7:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  3. 1 Kings 7:6 That is, about 75 feet long and 45 feet wide or about 23 meters long and 14 meters wide
  4. 1 Kings 7:7 Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew floor
  5. 1 Kings 7:10 That is, about 15 feet or about 4.5 meters; also in verse 23
  6. 1 Kings 7:10 That is, about 12 feet or about 3.6 meters
  7. 1 Kings 7:13 Hebrew Hiram, a variant of Huram; also in verses 40 and 45
  8. 1 Kings 7:15 That is, about 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference or about 8.1 meters high and 5.4 meters in circumference
  9. 1 Kings 7:16 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verse 23
  10. 1 Kings 7:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts made the pillars, and there were two rows
  11. 1 Kings 7:18 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts pomegranates
  12. 1 Kings 7:19 That is, about 6 feet or about 1.8 meters; also in verse 38
  13. 1 Kings 7:21 Jakin probably means he establishes.
  14. 1 Kings 7:21 Boaz probably means in him is strength.
  15. 1 Kings 7:23 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  16. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  17. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 12,000 gallons or about 44,000 liters; the Septuagint does not have this sentence.
  18. 1 Kings 7:27 That is, about 6 feet long and wide and about 4 1/2 feet high or about 1.8 meters long and wide and 1.4 meters high
  19. 1 Kings 7:31 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  20. 1 Kings 7:31 That is, about 2 1/4 feet or about 68 centimeters; also in verse 32
  21. 1 Kings 7:35 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  22. 1 Kings 7:38 That is, about 240 gallons or about 880 liters
  23. 1 Kings 7:40 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Vulgate (see also verse 45 and 2 Chron. 4:11); many other Hebrew manuscripts basins
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