Bible Commentaries

But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he ^a finished all his house.

(a) After he had built the temple.

He built also the house ^b of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof [was] an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

(b) Because of the beauty of the place, and great abundance of cedar trees that went into the building of it, it was compared to mount Lebanon.

And [there were] windows [in] three rows, and light [was] ^c against light [in] three ranks.

(c) There were as many and like proportion on the one side as the other, and at every end even three in a row one above another.

And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof [was] fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch [was] before ^d them: and the [other] pillars and the thick beam [were] before them.

(d) Before the pillars of the house.

Then he made a porch ^e for the throne where he might judge, [even] the porch of judgment: and [it was] covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.

(e) For his house which was at Jerusalem.

All these [were of] costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto ^f the coping, and [so] on the outside toward the great court.

(f) Which were rests and stays for the beams to lie on.

And ^g above [were] costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.

(g) From the foundation upward.

And the great court round about [was] with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, ^h both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.

(h) As the Lord's house was built so was this, only the great court of Solomon's house was uncovered.

He [was] a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father [was] a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and ⁱ he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

(i) Thus when God will have his glory set forth, he raises up men, and gives them excellent gifts for the accomplishment of the same, (Exodus 31:2-3).

And the chapiters that [were] upon the top of the pillars [were] of ^k lily work in the porch, four cubits.

(k) As was seen commonly wrought in costly porches.

And he set up the pillars in the ^l porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof ^m Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof ⁿ Boaz.

(l) Which was in the inner court between the temple and the oracle.

(m) That is, he will stablish, that is, his promise toward this house.

(n) That is, in strength: meaning the power of it will continue.

And he made a molten ^o sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: [it was] round all about, and his height [was] five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

(o) So called for the size of the vessel.

And it [was] an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand ^p baths.

(p) Bath and ephah seem to be one measure, (Ezekiel 45:11) a bath contains about 5 gallons.

And the ^q mouth of it within the chapiter and above [was] a cubit: but the mouth thereof [was] round [after] the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it [were] gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.

(q) The mouth of the great base or frame entered into the chapiter, or pillar that bore up the cauldron.

And in the top of the base [was there] a round ^v compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof [were] of the same.

(v) Which was called the pillar, chapiter or small base, in which the cauldron stood.

Then made he ^s ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: [and] every laver was four cubits: [and] upon every one of the ten bases one laver.

(s) To keep waters for the use of the sacrifices.

And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the ^t house eastward over against the south.

(t) That is, of the temple or sanctuary.

And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which ^u Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, [were of] bright brass.

(u) By this name also Hiram the king of Tyrus was called.

And Solomon made all the vessels that [pertained] unto the house of the LORD: the ^x altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread [was],

(x) This was done according to the form that the Lord prescribed to Moses in Exodus.

And the bowls, ^y and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers [of] pure gold; and the hinges [of] gold, [both] for the doors of the inner house, the most holy [place, and] for the doors of the house, [to wit], of the temple.

(y) Some take this for some musical instrument.