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1 Kings 5-6
New English Translation

Solomon Gathers Building Materials for the Temple

5 (5:15)[a] King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers[b] to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in his father’s place. (Hiram had always been an ally of David.) 2 Solomon then sent this message to Hiram: 3 “You know that my father David was unable to build a temple to honor the Lord[c] his God, for he was busy fighting battles on all fronts while the Lord subdued his enemies.[d] 4 But now the Lord my God has made me secure on all fronts; there is no adversary or dangerous threat. 5 So I have decided[e] to build a temple to honor the Lord[f] my God, as the Lord instructed my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, is the one who will build a temple to honor me.’[g] 6 So now order some cedars of Lebanon to be cut for me. My servants will work with your servants. I will pay your servants whatever you say is appropriate, for you know that we have no one among us who knows how to cut down trees like the Sidonians.”

7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was very happy. He said, “The Lord is worthy of praise today because he[h] has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.” 8 Hiram then sent this message to Solomon: “I received[i] the message you sent to me. I will give you all the cedars and evergreens you need.[j] 9 My servants will bring the timber down from Lebanon to the sea. I will send it by sea in raft-like bundles to the place you designate.[k] There I will separate the logs[l] and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court.”[m]

10 So Hiram supplied the cedars and evergreens Solomon needed,[n] 11 and Solomon supplied Hiram annually with 20,000 cors [o] of wheat as provision for his royal court,[p] as well as 120,000 gallons[q] of pure[r] olive oil.[s] 12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. And Hiram and Solomon were at peace and made a treaty.[t]

13 King Solomon conscripted[u] work crews[v] from throughout Israel, 30,000 men in all. 14 He sent them to Lebanon in shifts of 10,000 men per month. They worked in Lebanon for one month, and then spent two months at home. Adoniram was supervisor of[w] the work crews. 15 Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers[x] and 80,000 stonecutters[y] in the hills, 16 besides 3,300 officials[z] who supervised the workers.[aa] 17 By royal order[ab] they supplied large valuable stones in order to build the temple’s foundation with chiseled stone. 18 Solomon’s and Hiram’s construction workers,[ac] along with men from Byblos,[ad] did the chiseling and prepared the wood and stones for the building of the temple.[ae]

The Building of the Temple

6 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, during the month Ziv[af] (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple. 2 The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet[ag] long, 30 feet[ah] wide, and 45 feet[ai] high. 3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet[aj] long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet[ak] wide, extending out from the front of the temple. 4 He made framed windows for the temple. 5 He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and Holy Place and constructed side rooms in it.[al] 6 The bottom floor of the extension was 7½ feet[am] wide, the middle floor 9 feet[an] wide, and the third floor 10½ feet[ao] wide. He made ledges[ap] on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls.[aq] 7 As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry[ar] were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built. 8 The entrance to the bottom[as] level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up[at] to the middle floor and then on up to the third[au] floor. 9 He finished building the temple[av] and covered it[aw] with rafters[ax] and boards made of cedar.[ay] 10 He built an extension all around the temple; it was 7½ feet high[az] and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.

11 [ba] The Lord’s message came to Solomon: 12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow[bb] my rules, observe[bc] my regulations, and obey all my commandments,[bd] I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.[be] 13 I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”

14 So Solomon finished building the temple.[bf] 15 He constructed the walls inside the temple with cedar planks; he paneled the inside with wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters[bg] of the ceiling. He covered the temple floor with boards made from the wood of evergreens. 16 He built a wall 30 feet in from the rear of the temple as a partition for an inner sanctuary that would be the Most Holy Place.[bh] He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters.[bi] 17 The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long.[bj] 18 The inside of the temple was all cedar and was adorned with carvings of round ornaments and of flowers in bloom. Everything was cedar; no stones were visible.[bk]

19 He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there. 20 The inner sanctuary was 30 feet[bl] long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold,[bm] as well as the cedar altar.[bn] 21 Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold.[bo] He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary[bp] with gold. 22 He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary.[bq]

23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood; each stood 15 feet[br] high. 24 Each of the first cherub’s wings was 7½ feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet.[bs] 25 The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape.[bt] 26 Each cherub stood 15 feet high.[bu] 27 He put the cherubim in the inner sanctuary of the temple.[bv] Their wings were spread out. One of the first cherub’s wings touched one wall and one of the other cherub’s wings touched the opposite wall. The first cherub’s other wing touched the second cherub’s other wing in the middle of the room.[bw] 28 He plated the cherubim with gold.

29 On all the walls around the temple, inside and out,[bx] he carved[by] cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom. 30 He plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out.[bz] 31 He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided.[ca] 32 On the two doors made of olive wood he carved[cb] cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them with gold.[cc] He plated the cherubim and the palm trees with hammered gold.[cd] 33 In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with four-sided pillars.[ce] 34 He also made[cf] two doors out of wood from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves.[cg] 35 He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom and plated them with gold, leveled out over the carvings. 36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of chiseled stones and a row of cedar beams.

37 In the month of Ziv[ch] in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign[ci] the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple. 38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul[cj] (the eighth month) the temple was completed in accordance with all its specifications and blueprints. It took seven years to build.[ck]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 5:1 sn The verse numbers in the English Bible differ from those in the Hebrew text (BHS) here; 5:1-18 in the English Bible corresponds to 5:15-32 in the Hebrew text. See the note at 4:21.
  2. 1 Kings 5:1 tn Heb “his servants.”
  3. 1 Kings 5:3 tn Heb “a house for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.
  4. 1 Kings 5:3 tn Heb “because of the battles which surrounded him until the Lord placed them under the soles of his feet.”
  5. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “Look, I am saying.”
  6. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “a house for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.
  7. 1 Kings 5:5 tn Heb “a house for my name.”
  8. 1 Kings 5:7 tn Or “Blessed be the Lord today, who….”
  9. 1 Kings 5:8 tn Heb “heard.”
  10. 1 Kings 5:8 tn Heb “I will satisfy all your desire with respect to cedar wood and with respect to the wood of evergreens.”
  11. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “I will place them [on? as?] rafts in the sea to the place where you designate to me.” This may mean he would send them by raft, or that he would tie them in raft-like bundles, and have ships tow them down to an Israelite port.
  12. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “smash them,” i.e., untie the bundles.
  13. 1 Kings 5:9 tn Heb “as for you, you will satisfy my desire by giving food for my house.”
  14. 1 Kings 5:10 tn Heb “and Hiram gave to Solomon cedar wood and the wood of evergreens, all his desire.”
  15. 1 Kings 5:11 sn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.
  16. 1 Kings 5:11 tn Heb “his house.”
  17. 1 Kings 5:11 tc The Hebrew text has “twenty cors,” but the ancient Greek version and the parallel text in 2 Chr 2:10 read “20,000 baths.” sn A bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons (about 22 liters), so this was a quantity of about 120,000 gallons (440,000 liters).
  18. 1 Kings 5:11 tn Or “pressed.”
  19. 1 Kings 5:11 tn Heb “and Solomon supplied Hiram with 20,000 cors of wheat…pure olive oil. So Solomon would give to Hiram year by year.”
  20. 1 Kings 5:12 tn Heb “a covenant,” referring to a formal peace treaty or alliance.
  21. 1 Kings 5:13 tn Heb “raised up.”
  22. 1 Kings 5:13 sn Work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
  23. 1 Kings 5:14 tn Heb “was over.”
  24. 1 Kings 5:15 tn Heb “carriers of loads.”
  25. 1 Kings 5:15 tn Heb “cutters” (probably of stones).
  26. 1 Kings 5:16 tc Some Greek mss of the OT read “3,600”; cf. 2 Chr 2:2, 18 and NLT.
  27. 1 Kings 5:16 tn Heb “besides thirty-three hundred from the officials of Solomon’s governors who were over the work, the ones ruling over the people, the ones doing the work.”
  28. 1 Kings 5:17 tn Heb “and the king commanded.”
  29. 1 Kings 5:18 tn Heb “builders.”
  30. 1 Kings 5:18 tn Heb “the Gebalites.” The reading is problematic and some emend to a verb form meaning, “set the borders.”
  31. 1 Kings 5:18 tc The LXX includes the words “for three years.”
  32. 1 Kings 6:1 sn During the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.
  33. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “60 cubits.” A cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm. Measurements in vv. 2-10 have been converted to feet in the translation for clarity.
  34. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “20 [cubits].”
  35. 1 Kings 6:2 tn Heb “30 cubits.”
  36. 1 Kings 6:3 tn Heb “20 cubits.”
  37. 1 Kings 6:3 tn Heb “10 cubits.”
  38. 1 Kings 6:5 tn Heb “and he built on the wall of the temple an extension all around, the walls of the temple all around, for the main hall and for the holy place, and he made side rooms all around.”
  39. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “five cubits.”
  40. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “six cubits.”
  41. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “7 cubits.”
  42. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Or “offsets” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “offset ledges.”
  43. 1 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “so that [the beams] would not have a hold in the walls of the temple.”
  44. 1 Kings 6:7 tn Heb “finished stone of the quarry,” i.e., stones chiseled and shaped at the time they were taken out of the quarry.
  45. 1 Kings 6:8 tc The Hebrew text has “middle,” but the remainder of the verse suggests this is an error.
  46. 1 Kings 6:8 tn Heb “by stairs they went up.” The word translated “stairs” occurs only here. Other options are “trapdoors” or “ladders.”
  47. 1 Kings 6:8 tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew mss, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate הַשְּׁלִשִׁית (hashelishit, “the third”) rather than MT הַשְּׁלִשִׁים (hashelishim, “the thirty”).
  48. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
  49. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “the house.”
  50. 1 Kings 6:9 tn The word occurs only here; the precise meaning is uncertain.
  51. 1 Kings 6:9 tn Heb “and rows with cedar wood.”
  52. 1 Kings 6:10 tn Heb “5 cubits.” This must refer to the height of each floor or room.
  53. 1 Kings 6:11 tc The LXX lacks vv. 11-14.
  54. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “walk in.”
  55. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “do.”
  56. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “and keep all my commandments by walking in them.”
  57. 1 Kings 6:12 tn Heb “I will establish my word with you which I spoke to David your father.”
  58. 1 Kings 6:14 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
  59. 1 Kings 6:15 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
  60. 1 Kings 6:16 tn Heb “He built 20 cubits from the rear areas of the temple with cedar planks from the floor to the walls, and he built it on the inside for an inner sanctuary, for a holy place of holy places.”
  61. 1 Kings 6:16 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
  62. 1 Kings 6:17 tn Heb “and the house was 40 cubits, that is, the main hall before it.”
  63. 1 Kings 6:18 tn Heb “Cedar was inside the temple, carvings of gourds (i.e., gourd-shaped ornaments) and opened flowers; the whole was cedar, no stone was seen.”
  64. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “20 cubits” (this measurement occurs three times in this verse).
  65. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
  66. 1 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “he plated [the] altar of cedar.”
  67. 1 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
  68. 1 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “it.”
  69. 1 Kings 6:22 tn Heb “all the temple he plated with gold until all the temple was finished; and the whole altar which was in the inner sanctuary he plated with gold.”
  70. 1 Kings 6:23 tn Heb “10 cubits” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
  71. 1 Kings 6:24 tn Heb “The first wing of the [one] cherub was 5 cubits, and the second wing of the cherub was 5 cubits, 10 cubits from the tips of his wings to the tips of his wings.”
  72. 1 Kings 6:25 tn Heb “and the second cherub was 10 cubits, the two cherubim had one measurement and one shape.”
  73. 1 Kings 6:26 tn Heb “the height of the first cherub was 10 cubits; and so was the second cherub.”
  74. 1 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “in the midst of the inner house,” i.e., in the inner sanctuary.
  75. 1 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “and their wings were in the middle of the room, touching wing to wing.”
  76. 1 Kings 6:29 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
  77. 1 Kings 6:29 tn Heb “carved engravings of carvings.”
  78. 1 Kings 6:30 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
  79. 1 Kings 6:31 tn Heb “the pillar, doorposts, a fifth part” (the precise meaning of this description is uncertain).
  80. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “carved carvings of.”
  81. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “he plated [with] gold” (the precise object is not stated).
  82. 1 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “and he hammered out the gold on the cherubim and the palm trees.”
  83. 1 Kings 6:33 tn Heb “and so he did at the entrance of the main hall, doorposts of olive wood, from a fourth.”
  84. 1 Kings 6:34 tn The words “he also made” are added for stylistic reasons.
  85. 1 Kings 6:34 tc Heb “two of the leaves of the first door were folding, and two of the leaves of the second door were folding.” In the second half of the description, the MT has קְלָעִים (qelaʿim, “curtains”), but this probably should be emended to צְלָעִים (tselaʿim, “leaves”), which appears in the first half of the statement. One Hebrew ms, the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate support צְלָעִים (tselaʿim, “leaves”).
  86. 1 Kings 6:37 sn In the month of Ziv. This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.
  87. 1 Kings 6:37 tn The words “of Solomon’s reign” are added for clarification. See v. 1.
  88. 1 Kings 6:38 sn In the month Bul. This would be October-November 959 b.c. in modern reckoning.
  89. 1 Kings 6:38 tn Heb “he built it in seven years.”
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2 Chronicles 2-3
New English Translation

Solomon Gathers Building Materials for the Temple

2 (1:18)[a] Solomon ordered a temple to be built to honor the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself.[b] 2 (2:1) Solomon had[c] 70,000 common laborers[d] and 80,000 stonecutters[e] in the hills, in addition to 3,600 supervisors.[f]

3 Solomon sent a message to King Huram[g] of Tyre: “Help me[h] as you did my father David, when you sent him cedar logs[i] for the construction of his palace.[j] 4 Look, I am ready to build a temple to honor[k] the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him in order to burn fragrant incense before him, to set out the bread that is regularly displayed,[l] and to offer burnt sacrifices each morning and evening, and on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other times appointed by the Lord our God. This is something Israel must do on a permanent basis.[m] 5 I will build a great temple, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 Of course, who can really build a temple for him, since the sky[n] and the highest heavens cannot contain him? Who am I that I should build him a temple! It will really be only a place to offer sacrifices before him.[o]

7 “Now send me a man who is skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as purple-, crimson-, and blue-colored fabrics, and who knows how to engrave. He will work with my skilled craftsmen here in Jerusalem and Judah, whom my father David provided. 8 Send me cedars, evergreens, and algum[p] trees from Lebanon, for I know your servants are adept[q] at cutting down trees in Lebanon. My servants will work with your servants 9 to supply me with large quantities of timber, for I am building a great, magnificent temple. 10 Look, I will pay your servants who cut the timber 20,000 cors[r] of ground wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 120,000 gallons[s] of wine, and 120,000 gallons of olive oil.”

11 King Huram[t] of Tyre sent this letter to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.” 12 Huram also said, “Worthy of praise is the Lord God of Israel, who made the sky and the earth! He has given King David a wise son who has discernment and insight and will build a temple for the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself.[u] 13 Now I am sending you Huram Abi,[v] a skilled and capable man, 14 whose mother is a Danite and whose father is a Tyrian.[w] He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stones, and wood, as well as purple, blue, white, and crimson fabrics. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and understands any design given to him. He will work with your skilled craftsmen and the skilled craftsmen of my lord David your father. 15 Now let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he has promised; 16 we will get all the timber you need from Lebanon[x] and bring it[y] in raft-like bundles[z] by sea to Joppa. You can then haul it on up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon took a census of[aa] all the male resident foreigners[ab] in the land of Israel, after the census his father David had taken. There were 153,600 in all. 18 He designated[ac] 70,000 as common laborers,[ad] 80,000 as stonecutters[ae] in the hills, and 3,600 as supervisors to make sure the people completed the work.[af]

The Building of the Temple

3 Solomon began building the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord[ag] had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David prepared at the threshing floor of Ornan[ah] the Jebusite. 2 He began building on the second day of the second month of the fourth year of his reign.[ai]

3 Solomon laid the foundation for God’s temple;[aj] its length (determined according to the old standard of measure) was 90 feet, and its width 30 feet.[ak] 4 The porch in front of the main hall was 30 feet long, corresponding to the width of the temple,[al] and its height was 30 feet.[am] He plated the inside with pure gold. 5 He paneled[an] the main hall[ao] with boards made from evergreen trees[ap] and plated it with fine gold, decorated with palm trees and chains.[aq] 6 He decorated the temple with precious stones; the gold he used came from Parvaim.[ar] 7 He overlaid the temple’s rafters, thresholds, walls and doors with gold; he carved decorative cherubim on the walls.

8 He made the Most Holy Place;[as] its length was 30 feet,[at] corresponding to the width of the temple, and its width 30 feet.[au] He plated it with 600 talents[av] of fine gold. 9 The gold nails weighed 50 shekels; he also plated the upper areas with gold. 10 In the Most Holy Place he made two images of cherubim and plated them with gold. 11 The combined wing span of the cherubim was 30 feet.[aw] One of the first cherub’s wings was 7½ long and touched one wall of the temple; its other wing was also 7½ long and touched one of the second cherub’s wings.[ax] 12 Likewise one of the second cherub’s wings was 7½ long and touched the other wall of the temple; its other wing was also 7½ long and touched one of the first cherub’s wings.[ay] 13 The combined wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet.[az] They stood upright, facing inward.[ba] 14 He made the curtain out of blue, purple, crimson, and white fabrics, and embroidered on it decorative cherubim.

15 In front of the temple he made two pillars which had a combined length[bb] of 52½ feet,[bc] with each having a plated capital 7½ high.[bd] 16 He made ornamental chains[be] and put them on top of the pillars. He also made 100 pomegranate-shaped ornaments and arranged them within the chains. 17 He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right side and the other on the left.[bf] He named the one on the right Yakin,[bg] and the one on the left Boaz.[bh]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 2:1 sn Beginning with 2:1, the verse numbers through 2:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 2:1 ET = 1:18 HT, 2:2 ET = 2:1 HT, 2:3 ET = 2:2 HT, etc., through 2:18 ET = 2:17 HT. Beginning with 3:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
  2. 2 Chronicles 2:1 tn Heb “and Solomon said to build a house for the name of the Lord and house for his kingship.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 2:2 tn Heb “counted,” perhaps “conscripted” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
  4. 2 Chronicles 2:2 tn Heb “men, carriers of loads.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:2 tn Or “quarry workers”; Heb “cutters” (probably referring to stonecutters).
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:2 tc The parallel text of MT in 1 Kgs 5:16 has “thirty-three hundred,” but some Greek mss there read “thirty-six hundred” in agreement with 2 Chr 2:2, 18.tn Heb “and 3,600 supervisors over them.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 2:3 tn Heb “Huram.” Some medieval Hebrew mss, along with the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate spell the name “Hiram,” agreeing with 1 Chr 14:1. “Huram” is a variant spelling referring to the same individual.
  8. 2 Chronicles 2:3 tn The words “help me” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
  9. 2 Chronicles 2:3 tn Heb “cedars.” The word “logs” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  10. 2 Chronicles 2:3 tn Heb “to build for him a house to live in it.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 2:4 tn Heb “for the name of.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 2:4 tn Heb “and the regular display.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 2:4 tn Heb “permanently [is] this upon Israel.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 2:6 tn Or “heavens” (also in v. 12). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
  15. 2 Chronicles 2:6 tn Heb “Who retains strength to build for him a house, for the heavens and the heavens of heavens do not contain him? And who am I that I should build for him a house, except to sacrifice before him?”
  16. 2 Chronicles 2:8 tn This is probably a variant name for almug trees; see 9:10-11 and the parallel passage in 1 Kgs 10:11-12; cf. NLT. One or the other probably arose through metathesis of letters.
  17. 2 Chronicles 2:8 tn Heb “know.”
  18. 2 Chronicles 2:10 sn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels (about 220 liters).
  19. 2 Chronicles 2:10 tn Heb “20,000 baths” (also a second time later in this verse). A bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons (about 22 liters), so this was a quantity of about 120,000 gallons (440,000 liters).
  20. 2 Chronicles 2:11 tn Heb “Huram” (also in v. 12). Some medieval Hebrew mss, along with the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate spell the name “Hiram,” agreeing with 1 Chr 14:1. “Huram” is a variant spelling referring to the same individual.
  21. 2 Chronicles 2:12 tn Heb “who has given to King David a wise son knowing discernment and insight, who will build a house for the Lord and house for his kingship.”
  22. 2 Chronicles 2:13 sn The name Huram Abi means “Huram [is] my father.”
  23. 2 Chronicles 2:14 tn Heb “a son of a woman from the daughters of Dan, and his father a man of Tyre.”
  24. 2 Chronicles 2:16 tn Heb “and we will cut down trees from Lebanon according to all your need.”
  25. 2 Chronicles 2:16 tn Heb “to you,” but this phrase has not been translated for stylistic reasons—it is somewhat redundant.
  26. 2 Chronicles 2:16 tn Or “on rafts.” See the note at 1 Kgs 5:9.
  27. 2 Chronicles 2:17 tn Heb “Solomon counted.”
  28. 2 Chronicles 2:17 sn The term גֵּר (ger) refers to a foreign resident, but with different social implications in different settings. In Mosaic Law the resident foreigner was essentially a naturalized citizen and convert to worshiping the God of Israel (see Exod 12:19, 48; Deut 29:10-13).
  29. 2 Chronicles 2:18 tn Heb “appointed from them.”
  30. 2 Chronicles 2:18 tn Heb “carriers of loads.”
  31. 2 Chronicles 2:18 tn Or “quarry workers”; Heb “cutters” (probably referring to stonecutters).
  32. 2 Chronicles 2:18 tn Heb “and thirty-six hundred [as] supervisors to compel the people to work.”
  33. 2 Chronicles 3:1 tn Heb “where he.” “Lord” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  34. 2 Chronicles 3:1 tn In 2 Sam 24:16 this individual is called אֲרַוְנָא (ʾaravna; traditionally “Araunah”). The form of the name found here also occurs in 1 Chr 21:15; 18-28.
  35. 2 Chronicles 3:2 sn This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.
  36. 2 Chronicles 3:3 tn Heb “and these are the founding of Solomon to build the house of God.”
  37. 2 Chronicles 3:3 tn Heb “the length [in] cubits by the former measure was 60 cubits, and a width of 20 cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches (45 cm) for the standard cubit, the length of the foundation would be 90 feet (27 m) and its width 30 feet (9 m).
  38. 2 Chronicles 3:4 tc Heb “and the porch which was in front of the length corresponding to the width of the house, 20 cubits.” The phrase הֵיכַל הַבַּיִת (hekhal habbayit, “the main hall of the temple,” which appears in the parallel account in 1 Kgs 6:3) has been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton after עַל־פְּנֵי (’al pene, “in front of”). Note that the following form, הָאֹרֶךְ (haʿorekh, “the length”), also begins with the Hebrew letter he (ה). A scribe’s eye probably jumped from the initial he on הֵיכַל to the initial he on הָאֹרֶךְ, leaving out the intervening letters in the process.
  39. 2 Chronicles 3:4 tc The Hebrew text has “one hundred and 20 cubits,” i.e., (assuming a cubit of 18 inches) 180 feet (54 m). An ancient Greek witness and the Syriac version read “20 cubits,” i.e., 30 feet (9 m). It is likely that מֵאָה (meʾah, “a hundred”) should be emended to אַמּוֹת (ʾammot, “cubits”).
  40. 2 Chronicles 3:5 tn Heb “covered.”
  41. 2 Chronicles 3:5 tn Heb “the large house.”
  42. 2 Chronicles 3:5 tn Heb “wood of evergreens.”
  43. 2 Chronicles 3:5 tn Heb “and he put up on it palm trees and chains.”
  44. 2 Chronicles 3:6 tn Heb “and he plated the house [with] precious stone for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim.”sn The location of Parvaim, the source of the gold for Solomon’s temple, is uncertain. Some have identified it with modern Farwa in Yemen; others relate it to the Sanskrit parvam and understand it to be a general term for the regions east of Israel.
  45. 2 Chronicles 3:8 tn Heb “the house of the holy place of holy places.”
  46. 2 Chronicles 3:8 tn Heb “20 cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), this would give a length of 30 feet (9 m).
  47. 2 Chronicles 3:8 tc Heb “20 cubits.” Some suggest adding, “and its height 20 cubits” (see 1 Kgs 6:20). The phrase could have been omitted by homoioteleuton.
  48. 2 Chronicles 3:8 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold plating was 40,380 lbs. (18,360 kg).
  49. 2 Chronicles 3:11 tn Heb “and the wings of the cherubim, their length was 20 cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the wingspan of the cherubim would have been 30 feet (9 m).
  50. 2 Chronicles 3:11 tn Heb “the wing of the one was 5 cubits from the touching of the wall of the house, and the other wing was 5 cubits from the touching of the wing of the other cherub.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), each wing would have been 7.5 feet (2.25 m) long.
  51. 2 Chronicles 3:12 tn Heb “and the wing of the one (הָאֶחָד, haʾekhad, “the one”; this should probably be emended to הָאַחֵר, haʾakher, “the other”) cherub was 5 cubits, touching the wall of the house, and the other wing was 5 cubits, clinging to the wing of the other cherub.”
  52. 2 Chronicles 3:13 tn Heb “the wings of these cherubim were spreading 20 cubits.”
  53. 2 Chronicles 3:13 tn Heb “and they were standing on their feet, with their faces to the house.” An alternative translation of the last clause would be, “with their faces to the main hall.”
  54. 2 Chronicles 3:15 sn The figure given here appears to refer to the combined length of both pillars (perhaps when laid end-to-end on the ground prior to being set up; cf. v. 17); the figure given for the height of the pillars in 1 Kgs 7:15, 2 Kgs 25:17, and Jer 52:21 is half this (i.e., 18 cubits).
  55. 2 Chronicles 3:15 tc The Syriac reads “18 cubits” (27 feet). This apparently reflects an attempt at harmonization with 1 Kgs 7:15, 2 Kgs 25:17, and Jer 52:21.
  56. 2 Chronicles 3:15 tn Heb “and he made before the house two pillars, 35 cubits [in] length, and the plated capital which was on its top [was] 5 cubits.” The significance of the measure “35 cubits” (52.5 feet or 15.75 m, assuming a cubit of 18 inches) for the “length” of the pillars is uncertain. According to 1 Kgs 7:15, each pillar was 18 cubits (27 feet or 8.1 m) high. Perhaps the measurement given here was taken with the pillars lying end-to-end on the ground before they were set up.
  57. 2 Chronicles 3:16 tn The Hebrew text adds here, “in the inner sanctuary,” but the description at this point is of the pillars, not the inner sanctuary.
  58. 2 Chronicles 3:17 tn Or “one on the south and the other on the north.”
  59. 2 Chronicles 3:17 tn The name “Yakin” appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”
  60. 2 Chronicles 3:17 tn The meaning of the name “Boaz” is uncertain. For various proposals, see BDB 126-27 s.v. בֹּעַז. 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.”
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