Solomon Builds the Temple

(A)Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem (B)on Mount Moriah, where the Lord[a] had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, (C)on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. These are Solomon's (D)measurements[b] for building the house of God: (E)the length, in cubits[c] of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house,[d] and its height was 120 cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. (F)The nave he lined with cypress and covered it with fine gold (G)and made palms and chains on it. He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parvaim. So he lined the house with gold—its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors—(H)and he carved cherubim on the walls.

(I)And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length, corresponding to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth was twenty cubits. He overlaid it with 600 talents[e] of fine gold. The weight of gold for the nails was fifty shekels.[f] And he overlaid (J)the upper chambers with gold.

10 (K)In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of wood[g] and overlaid[h] them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the 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 and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits. The cherubim[i] stood on their feet, (L)facing the nave. 14 (M)And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and he worked cherubim on it.

15 (N)In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. 16 He made chains like a necklace[j] and put them on the tops of the pillars, and he made a hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. 17 (O)He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Boaz.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks the Lord
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Syriac; Hebrew foundations
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:3 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Compare 1 Kings 6:3; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  5. 2 Chronicles 3:8 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  6. 2 Chronicles 3:9 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  7. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  8. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Hebrew they overlaid
  9. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Hebrew they
  10. 2 Chronicles 3:16 Hebrew chains in the inner sanctuary

Building the Temple

Then Solomon began(A) to build the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah(B) where the Lord[a] had appeared to his father David, at the site David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan[b] the Jebusite. He began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. These are Solomon’s foundations[c] for building God’s temple: the length[d] was 90 feet,[e] and the width 30 feet.[f] The portico, which was across the front extending across the width of the temple, was 30 feet[g] wide; its height was 30 feet;[h][i] he overlaid its inner surface with pure gold. The larger room[j] he paneled with cypress wood, overlaid with fine gold, and decorated with palm trees and chains. He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim. He overlaid the temple—the beams, the thresholds, its walls and doors—with gold,(C) and he carved cherubim on the walls.(D)

The Most Holy Place

Then he made the most holy place; its length corresponded to the width of the temple, 30 feet,[k] and its width was 30 feet.[l](E) He overlaid it with 45,000 pounds[m] of fine gold. The weight of the nails was 20 ounces[n] of gold, and he overlaid the ceiling with gold.

10 He made(F) two cherubim of sculptured work, for the most holy place, and he overlaid them with gold. 11 The overall length of the wings of the cherubim was 30 feet:[o] the wing of one was 7½ feet,[p] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 7½ feet,[q] touching the wing of the other cherub. 12 The wing of the other[r] cherub was 7½ feet,[s] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 7½ feet,[t] reaching the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet.[u] They stood on their feet and faced the larger room.[v]

14 He made the veil of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen, and he wove cherubim into it.(G)

The Bronze Pillars

15 In front of the temple(H) he made two pillars, each 27 feet[w][x] high. The capital on top of each was 7½ feet[y] high. 16 He had made chainwork in the inner sanctuary and also put it on top of the pillars.(I) He made 100 pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork. 17 Then he set up the pillars in front of the sanctuary, one on the right and one on the left. He named the one on the right Jachin[z] and the one on the left Boaz.[aa]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:1 LXX; Tg reads the Angel of the Lord; MT reads He
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:1 = Araunah in 2Sm 24:16-24
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Tg reads The measurements which Solomon decreed
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Lit length—cubits in the former measure
  5. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Lit 60 cubits
  6. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Lit 20 cubits
  7. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Lit 20 cubits
  8. 2 Chronicles 3:4 LXX, Syr; MT reads 120 cubits
  9. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Lit 20 cubits
  10. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit The house
  11. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Lit 20 cubits
  12. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Lit 20 cubits
  13. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Lit 600 talents
  14. 2 Chronicles 3:9 Lit 50 shekels
  15. 2 Chronicles 3:11 Lit 20 cubits
  16. 2 Chronicles 3:11 Lit five cubits
  17. 2 Chronicles 3:11 Lit five cubits
  18. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Syr, Vg; MT reads the one
  19. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Lit five cubits
  20. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Lit five cubits
  21. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Lit 20 cubits
  22. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Lit the house
  23. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Hb uncertain
  24. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit 35 cubits
  25. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit five cubits
  26. 2 Chronicles 3:17 = He Will Establish
  27. 2 Chronicles 3:17 = Strength Is in Him