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Solomon Builds the Temple

Then Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had established, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And he began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign.

Now these were the measurements of Solomon for building the house of God: the length in cubits by the former measurement was sixty cubits, and the width was twenty cubits. The length of the portico that was in front was the same as the front of the width of the house:[a] twenty cubits. And its height was one hundred and twenty cubits. And he overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. And the great house itself he covered with cypress wood, then he overlaid it with pure gold. And he put on it palm tree images and ornate chains. Then he overlaid the house with precious stone as decoration. (Now the gold was the gold of Parvaim.) And he overlaid the house with gold—the beams, the thresholds, the walls, and the doors. And he carved cherubim upon the walls. Then he made the most holy place.[b] Its length was equal to[c] the width of the house: twenty cubits. And its breadth was twenty cubits. And he overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. And the weight for the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid its upper rooms with gold. 10 And he made two sculpted wood cherubim in the most holy place,[d] and he overlaid them with gold. 11 The length of the outstretched wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits; one wing of five cubits touched the wall of the house, and the other wing of five cubits was touching the outstretched wing of the other cherub. 12 And the wing of five cubits of the other cherub was touching the wall of the house, and its other wing five cubits long touching the wing of the first[e] cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits, and they were standing on their feet, their faces toward the house. 14 And he made the curtain of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen, and put cherubim on it. 15 And at the front of the house he made two columns, thirty-five cubits high, and the capital on their top was five cubits. 16 And he made decorative chains in the inner sanctuary and put them on top of the columns. And he made one hundred pomegranate ornaments, and put them on the chains. 17 And he erected the columns in front of the temple, one on the south and one on the north. He called the name of the southern one Jakin, and the name of the northern one Boaz.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Literally “The length at the front of the portico the front of the width of the house”
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Literally “the house of the holy of the holies”
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Literally “at the front of”
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Literally “the house of the holy of the holies”
  5. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Or “other”

Temple Construction(A)

So Solomon began construction of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah where the Lord[a] had appeared to his father David, that is, where David had prepared Ornan the Jebusite’s threshing floor. He began construction on the second day[b] of the second month of the fourth year of his reign.

Dimensions of the Temple

These are the foundations that Solomon set in place for God’s Temple. The length in terms of the former standard measurements: 60 cubits;[c] its width: 20 cubits.[d] A portico extended in front of the Temple for its entire width of 20 cubits,[e] and was[f] 120 cubits[g] high. Inside he had it overlaid with pure gold. The main room of the Temple was trimmed with a wainscoting composed of cypress wood, overlaid with fine gold ornamented with palm trees and chains. The Temple was adorned with precious stones, including gold from the Orient.[h] The Temple was overlaid with gold, including the beams, thresholds, walls, and doors. Cherubim were engraved on the walls. With respect to the Most Holy Place in the Temple, its length across the width of the Temple was 20 cubits,[i] and its width extended 20 cubits.[j]

Materials of the Temple

Solomon[k] overlaid it with 600 talents[l] of pure gold. The gold nails weighed 50 shekels.[m] He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold. 10 He crafted two cherubim from wood, overlaid them with gold, and placed them in the Most Holy Place in the Temple. 11 The wingspan of the cherubim was 20 cubits;[n] the wing of one, five cubits[o] long, touched the wall of the Temple, and its other wing, five cubits[p] long, touched the wing of the other cherub. 12 The wing of the other cherub, five cubits[q] long, touched the opposite[r] wall of the Temple and its other wing, five cubits[s] long, touched the wing of the first[t] cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended for 20 cubits[u] as they stood on their feet and faced the front of[v] the Temple. 14 He constructed the veil from blue,[w] purple, crimson, and fine linen, embroidering cherubim on it. 15 He also made two pillars 35 cubits[x] high for the front of the Temple, topped by a capital that was five cubits[y] high. 16 He crafted chains for the inner sanctuary and placed them on top of the pillars, attaching 100 pomegranates to each of the chains. 17 He set up the pillars at the front of the Temple, one on the south side of the entrance[z] and the other on the north side of the entrance.[aa] He named the south pillar Jachin[ab] and the north pillar Boaz.[ac]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:1 The Heb. lacks the Lord
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:2 The Heb. lacks day
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:3 I.e. about 90 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:3 I.e. about 30 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  5. 2 Chronicles 3:4 I.e. about 30 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  6. 2 Chronicles 3:4 The Heb. lacks was
  7. 2 Chronicles 3:4 I.e. about 180 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  8. 2 Chronicles 3:6 Lit. from Parvaim
  9. 2 Chronicles 3:8 I.e. about 30 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  10. 2 Chronicles 3:8 I.e. about 30 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  11. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Lit. He
  12. 2 Chronicles 3:8 I.e. about 45,000 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
  13. 2 Chronicles 3:9 I.e. about 20 ounces; a shekel weighed about 0.4 ounces
  14. 2 Chronicles 3:11 I.e. about 30 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  15. 2 Chronicles 3:11 I.e. about seven and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  16. 2 Chronicles 3:11 I.e. about seven and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  17. 2 Chronicles 3:12 I.e. about seven and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  18. 2 Chronicles 3:12 The Heb. lacks opposite
  19. 2 Chronicles 3:12 I.e. about seven and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  20. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Lit. other
  21. 2 Chronicles 3:13 I.e. about 30 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  22. 2 Chronicles 3:13 The Heb. lacks the front of
  23. 2 Chronicles 3:14 Or violet
  24. 2 Chronicles 3:15 I.e. about 52 and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  25. 2 Chronicles 3:15 I.e. about seven and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  26. 2 Chronicles 3:17 The Heb. lacks of the entrance
  27. 2 Chronicles 3:17 The Heb. lacks of the entrance
  28. 2 Chronicles 3:17 The Heb. name means He will establish
  29. 2 Chronicles 3:17 The Heb. name means In him is strength