The temple is built

(1 Kings 6.1-38)

1-2Solomon's workers began building the temple in Jerusalem on the second day of the second month,3.1,2 second month: Ziv, the second month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-April to mid-May. four years after Solomon had become king of Israel. It was built on Mount Moriah where the LORD had appeared to David at the threshing place that had belonged to Araunah3.1,2 Araunah: The Hebrew text has “Ornan”, another spelling of the name (see 2 Samuel 24.18-25; 1 Chronicles 21.18—22.1). from Jebus.3.1: Gn 22.22.

3The inside of the temple was twenty-seven metres long and nine metres wide, according to the older standards.3.3 according to the older standards: There were possibly two different standards of measurement during Israel's history. 4Across the front of the temple was a porch nine metres wide and nine metres3.4 nine metres: Some manuscripts of two ancient translations; Hebrew “fifty-four metres”. high. The inside walls of the porch were covered with pure gold.

5Solomon had the inside walls of the temple's main room panelled first with pine and then with a layer of gold, and he had them decorated with carvings of palm trees and designs that looked like chains. 6He used precious stones to decorate the temple, and he used gold imported from Parvaim3.6 Parvaim: An unknown place. 7to decorate the ceiling beams, the doors, the door frames, and the walls. Solomon also made the workers carve designs of winged creatures into the walls.

8The most holy place was nine metres square, and its walls were covered with over twenty tonnes of fine gold.3.8: Ex 26.33,34. 9Five hundred and seventy grammes of gold was used to cover the heads of the nails. The walls of the small storage rooms were also covered with gold.3.9 The walls…gold: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

10Solomon had two statues of winged creatures3.10 statues of winged creatures: These were symbols of the LORD's throne on earth (see Exodus 25.18-22). made to put in the most holy place, and he covered them with gold.3.10-13: Ex 25.18-20. 11-13Each creature had two wings and was four and a half metres from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other wing. Solomon set them next to each other in the most holy place, facing the doorway. Their wings were spread out and reached all the way across the nine metre room.

14A curtain3.14 A curtain: To separate the most holy place from the main room of the temple. was made of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool, and embroidered with designs of winged creatures.3.14: Ex 26.31.

The two columns

(1 Kings 7.15-22)

15Two columns were made for the entrance to the temple. Each one was five and a half metres tall and had a cap on top that was over two metres high. 16The top of each column was decorated with designs that looked like chains3.16 designs that looked like chains: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. and with a hundred carvings of pomegranates.3.16 pomegranates: A pomegranate is a small red fruit that looks like an apple. In ancient times, it was a symbol of life. 17Solomon had one of the columns placed on the south side of the temple's entrance; it was called Jachin.3.17 Jachin: Or “He (God) makes secure.” The other one was placed on the north side of the entrance; it was called Boaz.3.17 Boaz: Or “He (God) is strong.”