Solomon Builds His Palace

It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace.(A) 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. It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns—forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other. All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other.[b]

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.

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) 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)

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

Solomon’s Other Buildings

But Solomon took (A)thirteen years to build his own house; so he finished all his house.

He also built the (B)House of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was [a]one hundred cubits, its width [b]fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, with four rows of cedar pillars, and cedar beams on the pillars. And it was paneled with cedar above the beams that were on forty-five pillars, fifteen to a row. There were windows with beveled frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three tiers. And all the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames; and window was opposite window in three tiers.

He also made the Hall of Pillars: its length was fifty cubits, and its width thirty cubits; and in front of them was a portico with pillars, and a canopy was in front of them.

Then he made a hall for the throne, the Hall of Judgment, where he might judge; and it was paneled with cedar from floor to [c]ceiling.

And the house where he dwelt had another court inside the hall, of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, (C)whom he had taken as wife.

All these were of costly stones cut to size, trimmed with saws, inside and out, from the foundation to the eaves, and also on the outside to the great court. 10 The foundation was of costly stones, large stones, some ten cubits and some eight cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, hewn to size, and cedar wood. 12 The great court was enclosed with three rows of hewn stones and a row of cedar beams. So were the (D)inner court of the house of the Lord (E)and the vestibule of the temple.

Hiram the Craftsman

13 Now King Solomon sent and brought [d]Huram from Tyre. 14 (F)He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and (G)his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; (H)he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.

The Bronze Pillars for the Temple(I)

15 And he [e]cast (J)two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of each. 16 Then he made two capitals of cast bronze, to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 He made a lattice network, with wreaths of chainwork, for the capitals which were on top of the pillars: seven chains for one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars, and two rows of pomegranates above the network all around to cover the capitals that were on top; and thus he did for the other capital.

19 The capitals which were on top of the pillars in the hall were in the shape of lilies, four cubits. 20 The capitals on the two pillars also had pomegranates above, by the convex surface which was next to the network; and there were (K)two hundred such pomegranates in rows on each of the capitals all around.

21 (L)Then he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the temple; he set up the pillar on the right and called its name [f]Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the left and called its name [g]Boaz. 22 The tops of the pillars were in the shape of lilies. So the work of the pillars was finished.

The Sea and the Oxen

23 And he made (M)the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference.

24 Below its brim were ornamental buds encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, (N)all the way around the Sea. The ornamental buds were cast in two rows when it was cast. 25 It stood on (O)twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward. 26 It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained [h]two thousand baths.

The Carts and the Lavers

27 He also made ten [i]carts of bronze; four cubits was the length of each cart, four cubits its width, and three cubits its height. 28 And this was the design of the carts: They had panels, and the panels were between frames; 29 on the panels that were between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. And on the frames was a pedestal on top. Below the lions and oxen were wreaths of plaited work. 30 Every cart had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and its four feet had supports. Under the laver were supports of cast bronze beside each wreath. 31 Its opening inside the crown at the top was one cubit in diameter; and the opening was round, shaped like a pedestal, one and a half cubits in outside diameter; and also on the opening were engravings, but the panels were square, not round. 32 Under the panels were the four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were joined to the cart. The height of a wheel was one and a half cubits. 33 The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel; their axle pins, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all of cast bronze. 34 And there were four supports at the four corners of each cart; its supports were part of the cart itself. 35 On the top of the cart, at the height of half a cubit, it was perfectly round. And on the top of the cart, its flanges and its panels were of the same casting. 36 On the plates of its flanges and on its panels he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was a clear space on each, with wreaths all around. 37 Thus he made the ten carts. All of them were of [j]the same mold, one measure, and one shape.

38 Then (P)he made ten lavers of bronze; each laver contained [k]forty baths, and each laver was four cubits. On each of the ten carts was a laver. 39 And he put five carts on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house. He set the Sea on the right side of the house, toward the southeast.

Furnishings of the Temple(Q)

40 (R)Huram[l] made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing all the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of the Lord: 41 the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two (S)networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 42 (T)four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the pillars); 43 the ten carts, and ten lavers on the carts; 44 one Sea, and twelve oxen under the Sea; 45 (U)the pots, the shovels, and the bowls.

All these articles which [m]Huram made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord were of burnished bronze. 46 (V)In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between (W)Succoth and (X)Zaretan. 47 And Solomon did not weigh all the articles, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not (Y)determined.

48 Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of the Lord: (Z)the altar of gold, and (AA)the table of gold on which was (AB)the showbread; 49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left in front of the inner sanctuary, with the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold; 50 the basins, the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the [n]censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner room (the Most Holy Place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple.

51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things (AC)which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:2 About 150 feet
  2. 1 Kings 7:2 About 75 feet
  3. 1 Kings 7:7 Lit. floor of the upper level
  4. 1 Kings 7:13 Heb. Hiram; cf. 2 Chr. 2:13, 14
  5. 1 Kings 7:15 fashioned
  6. 1 Kings 7:21 Lit. He Shall Establish
  7. 1 Kings 7:21 Lit. In It Is Strength
  8. 1 Kings 7:26 About 12,000 gallons; three thousand, 2 Chr. 4:5
  9. 1 Kings 7:27 Or stands
  10. 1 Kings 7:37 one
  11. 1 Kings 7:38 About 240 gallons
  12. 1 Kings 7:40 Heb. Hiram; cf. 2 Chr. 2:13, 14
  13. 1 Kings 7:45 Heb. Hiram; cf. 2 Chr. 2:13, 14
  14. 1 Kings 7:50 firepans

O palácio de Salomão

O rei Salomão levou treze anos para construir e acabar seu próprio palácio. Construiu o palácio da Floresta do Líbano, que media quarenta e cinco metros de comprimento por vinte e dois metros e meio de largura, por treze metros e meio de altura. Ele tinha uma estrutura de três filas[a] de pilares de cedro, unidas a vigas curtas de cedro. O teto era de cedro acima dos quartos que se apoiavam nos quarenta e cinco pilares que estavam em três filas de quinze pilares cada uma. Havia três filas de três janelas cada uma. Tanto as entradas como as janelas tinham estruturas quadradas e havia três filas de três janelas cada uma. Fez o Pórtico das Colunas, que media vinte e dois metros e meio de comprimento por treze metros e meio de largura. Na frente do pórtico fez uma entrada com colunas e uma cobertura que se estendia além das colunas.

Salomão também fez uma sala com um trono, chamada a Sala da Justiça, porque era ali que ele ditava as sentenças. A sala estava revestida de madeira de cedro desde o chão até o teto.

O palácio onde Salomão vivia foi construído em volta do pátio, atrás da Sala da Justiça e com o mesmo estilo. Salomão também fez um palácio com o mesmo estilo para a sua esposa, a filha do faraó do Egito.

Em todas essas construções foram usadas pedras de muito valor, cortadas com as medidas certas e alisadas por dentro e por fora. Foram usadas tais pedras desde os alicerces até as vigas dos tetos. Também foram usadas desde o exterior até o grande pátio. 10 Os alicerces estavam feitos com pedras valiosas, que eram muito grandes. Algumas eram de quatro metros, outras de três. 11 Dali para cima colocaram pedras de muito valor, cortadas de acordo com as medidas necessárias. 12 O grande pátio era rodeado por um muro de três filas de pedras cortadas e uma fila de vigas de cedro. O pátio interior do templo do SENHOR e o pórtico do templo foram feitos da mesma maneira.

13 O rei Salomão mandou chamar Hirão, de Tiro, para que viesse a Jerusalém. 14 A mãe de Hirão era uma viúva israelita da tribo de Naftali e o pai era de Tiro e trabalhava em bronze. Hirão tinha muita habilidade, entendimento e experiência na fabricação de artigos de bronze. Portanto, o rei Salomão pediu que viesse, e Hirão aceitou ir. O rei Salomão o encarregou de todo o trabalho em bronze, e Hirão fez tudo o que lhe foi pedido.

15 Hirão fez duas colunas de bronze, cada uma de oito metros de altura e cinco metros e meio de circunferência. As colunas eram ocas com uma grossura de oito centímetros.[b] 16 Hirão também fez capitéis de bronze de dois metros e vinte e cinco centímetros de comprimento e os colocou no alto das colunas. 17 Fez uma rede de correntes suspensas para adornar a parte superior das colunas. 18 Fez duas fileiras de balões de bronze parecidos a romãs e as colocou nas redes para cobrir a parte superior da coluna. 19 Os capitéis que estavam em cima das colunas mediam um metro e oitenta centímetros e tinham forma de flores. 20 Os capitéis de três metros de altura estavam no alto das colunas. A rede pendia sob os capitéis e ali estavam as vinte romãs em filas ao redor das colunas. 21 Hirão instalou as colunas de bronze no pátio do templo. Uma estava ao lado sul e a outra estava ao lado norte. A coluna do lado sul se chamava Jaquim, e a do lado norte se chamava Boaz. 22 Quando colocaram os capitéis sobre as colunas, acabaram esse trabalho.

23 Então Hirão fez um grande tanque de água, redondo. A circunferência do tanque era de treze metros e meio[c], seu diâmetro era de quatro metros e meio, e tinha uma altura de dois metros e vinte e cinco centímetros. 24 Debaixo da borda do tanque de água havia fileiras de abóboras feitas de bronze, formando uma só peça com o tanque, dez a cada meio metro. 25 O tanque grande de água descansava sobre doze touros virados para fora. Três olhavam para o norte, três para o leste, três para o sul e três para o oeste. 26 A grossura das paredes do tanque grande era de oito centímetros[d]; sua borda em forma de cálice era semelhante a uma flor de lírio. O tanque grande de água tinha uma capacidade de 44.000 litros[e].

27 Hirão também fez dez carretas de bronze. Cada uma media um metro e oitenta centímetros de comprimento, um metro e oitenta de largura e um metro e trinta e cinco de altura. 28 As carretas eram feitas de placas de bronze montadas numa armação. 29 Cada placa, entre a armação, tinha figuras em bronze de leões, bois e querubins. Nas armações, por cima e por baixo destas figuras, havia desenhos de flores esculpidos em bronze. 30 As carretas tinham quatro rodas de bronze com eixos também de bronze. Nos quatro cantos de cada uma havia suportes de bronze onde se apoiava um tanque de água. Os suportes tinham desenhos de flores esculpidos em bronze. 31 Havia uma armação acima de cada tanque que sobressaía quarenta e cinco centímetros acima do tanque de água. A abertura para cada tanque de água era de sessenta e sete centímetros de diâmetro. 32 Por baixo da armação estavam as quatro rodas que mediam sessenta e sete centímetros de altura; os eixos e rodas formavam uma só peça com cada carreta. 33 As rodas eram como as rodas de uma carruagem e tudo o que estava nas rodas era de bronze: os eixos, os aros, os raios e cubos.

34 Os quatro suportes estavam nos cantos das carretas e formavam uma só peça com as carretas. 35 Sobre cada carreta havia uma placa de bronze que formava uma só peça com a carreta. 36 Os lados de cada carreta e a armação tinham figuras de querubins, leões e palmeiras esculpidas em bronze. Estas figuras estavam esculpidas por todas partes nas carretas onde havia espaço. 37 Hirão fez iguais as dez carretas de bronze fundido.

38 Hirão também fez dez tanques de água para as dez carretas, um tanque para cada carreta. Cada tanque de água media um metro e oitenta centímetros de diâmetro e tinha uma quantidade de oitocentos e oitenta litros[f]. 39 Hirão colocou cinco das carretas no lado sul do templo e as outras cinco no lado norte. Pôs o tanque de água grande na esquina sudeste do templo. 40 Hirão também fez caldeiras, pás e bacias, e terminou o trabalho que o rei Salomão queria que fizesse no templo do SENHOR, 41 ou seja:

as duas colunas;

os dois capitéis redondos que estavam em cima delas;

as duas grades que decoravam os capitéis;

42 as quatrocentas romãs em duas fileiras para cada uma das grades que decoravam a parte de cima das colunas;

43 as dez carretas e os dez tanques que iam sobre as carretas;

44 o tanque grande de água apoiado sobre os doze touros;

45 as jarras, as pás e as bacias.

Hirão fez de bronze polido todos estes objetos que o rei Salomão queria para o templo do SENHOR. 46 Conforme a ordem do rei, tudo foi feito fundido em moldes de argila, perto do rio Jordão, entre Sucote e Zaretã. 47 Tinha tantas coisas de bronze que Salomão não se interessou em calcular o peso total do bronze que usou.

48 Salomão mandou fazer todos os outros objetos que havia no templo do SENHOR:

o altar de ouro;

a mesa sobre as quais era oferecido o pão consagrado a Deus;

49 os candelabros de ouro puro, cinco no lado sul e cinco no lado norte, em frente ao Lugar Santíssimo;

as flores, as lâmpadas e as tenazes de ouro;

50 as caldeiras, os cortadores de pavio, as bacias, os recipientes e os utensílios para levar as brasas, de ouro puro;

as dobradiças de ouro para as portas do Lugar Santíssimo e para as da sala principal do templo.

51 O rei Salomão terminou todo o trabalho que tinha planejado fazer para o templo do SENHOR. Então reuniu tudo o que seu pai Davi tinha consagrado, a prata, o ouro e os objetos. Levou tudo isso e o depositou nos tesouros do templo do SENHOR.

Footnotes

  1. 7.2 três filas Segundo a LXX. Ver 7.3. O TM não tem a palavra “três”.
  2. 7.15 As colunas (…) oito centímetros De acordo com a LXX. O TM não tem estas palavras.
  3. 7.23 treze metros e meio Literalmente, “trinta côvados”. Ver tabela de pesos e medidas.
  4. 7.26 oito centímetros Literalmente, “um palmo menor”. Ver tabela de pesos e medidas.
  5. 7.26 44.000 litros Literalmente, “2.000 batos”. Ver tabela de pesos e medidas.
  6. 7.38 oitocentos e oitenta litros Literalmente, “quarenta batos”. Ver tabela de pesos e medidas.