Add parallel Print Page Options

Then Solomon began to build Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh appeared to David his father, which he prepared in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign. Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of God’s house. The length by cubits[a] after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits. The porch that was in front, its length, according to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. He made the larger room with a ceiling of cypress wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains. He decorated the house with precious stones for beauty. The gold was gold from Parvaim. He also overlaid the house, the beams, the thresholds, its walls, and its doors with gold; and engraved cherubim on the walls.

He made the most holy place. Its length, according to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.[b] The weight of the nails was fifty shekels[c] of gold. He overlaid the upper rooms with gold.

10 In the most holy place he made two cherubim by carving; and they overlaid them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. 12 The wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, joining to the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim spread themselves out twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house. 14 He made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim.

15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty-five cubits height, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 He made chains in the inner sanctuary, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. 17 He set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 3:3 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
  2. 3:8 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 600 talents is about 18 metric tons
  3. 3:9 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 50 shekels was about 0.5 kilograms or about 16 Troy ounces.

The Temple Construction in Jerusalem

(A)Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared (B)on the threshing floor of [a]Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build on the second day in the second month [b]of the fourth year of his reign.

Dimensions and Materials of the Temple

Now these are the [c]foundations which (C)Solomon laid for building the house of God. The length in cubits, according to the old standard, was [d]sixty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits. The porch which was in front of the house (D)was as long as the width of the house, [e]twenty cubits, and the height [f]twenty; and inside he overlaid it with pure gold. He overlaid (E)the [g]main room with juniper wood and overlaid it with fine gold; and he [h]ornamented it with palm trees and chains. Further, he overlaid the house [i]with precious stones; and the gold was gold from Parvaim. (F)He also overlaid the house with gold—the beams, the thresholds, and its walls and doors; and he (G)carved cherubim on the walls.

Then he made (H)the [j]room of the Most Holy Place: its length across the width of the house was [k]twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to [l]six hundred talents. The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also overlaid (I)the upper rooms with gold.

10 (J)Then he made two [m]sculptured cherubim in the room of the Most Holy Place and overlaid them with gold. 11 The wingspan of the [n]cherubim was twenty [o]cubits; the wing of one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub. 12 The wing of the other cherub, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house; and its other wing, of five cubits, was attached to the wing of the [p]first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits, and they stood on their feet [q]facing the main room. 14 (K)He made the veil of violet, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and he worked cherubim into it.

15 (L)He also made two pillars for the front of the house, thirty-five cubits [r]high, and the capital on the top of each was five cubits. 16 He made chains in the inner sanctuary and placed them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates and placed them on the chains. 17 (M)He erected the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right and the other on the left, and named the one on the right Jachin and the one on the left Boaz.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:1 In 2 Sam 24:18, Araunah
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:2 Lit in
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Lit founding of Solomon to build
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:3 About 90 ft. long and 30 ft. wide or 27 m long and 9 m wide
  5. 2 Chronicles 3:4 About 30 ft. or 9 m
  6. 2 Chronicles 3:4 As in ancient versions; MT 120 cubits or about 180 ft. or 55 m
  7. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit great house
  8. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit put on it palm trees
  9. 2 Chronicles 3:6 Lit for beauty
  10. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Lit house
  11. 2 Chronicles 3:8 About 30 ft. or 9 m
  12. 2 Chronicles 3:8 About 23 tons or 21 metric tons
  13. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Lit cherubim of cast work
  14. 2 Chronicles 3:11 Heb plural of cherub
  15. 2 Chronicles 3:11 About 18 in. or 45 cm
  16. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Lit other
  17. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Lit and their faces to
  18. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit long