1 Kings6

King Solomon began building the Temple for the LORD in the fourth year of his reign, 480 years after the Exodus. The house was constructed with specific dimensions and materials, notably using stones prepared off-site to ensure silence during erection. The LORD delivered a conditional promise to Solomon, assuring His dwelling among Israel if Solomon walked in His statutes. The Temple, meticulously adorned with cedar, fir, and pure gold, including two cherubims within the oracle, was completed in seven years.

Beginning the Temple Construction

1
It was in the 480th year after the people of Isra'el had left the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Shlomo's reign over Isra'el, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of ADONAI. ​
2
The house which King Shlomo built for ADONAI was 105 feet long, thirty-five feet wide and fifty-two-and-a-half feet high. ​
3
The hall fronting the temple of the house was thirty-five feet long, the same as the width of the house itself, so that its seventeen-and-a-half-foot width extended frontward from the house.
4
The windows he made for the house were wide on the inside and narrow on the outside.
5
Against the wall of the house he built an annex all the way around; it went all the way around the walls of the house, including both the temple and the sanctuary.
6
The lowest floor of the annex was eight-and-three-quarters feet wide, the middle floor ten-and-a-half feet wide and the third floor twelve-and-a-quarter feet wide; for he had made the outer part of the wall of the house step-shaped, so that the beams of the annex would not have to be attached to the house walls.
7
For the house, when under construction, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; so that no hammer, chisel or iron tool of any kind was heard in the house while it was being built. ​
8
The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the house; a spiral staircase went up to the middle floor and on to the third.
9
So he built the house, and after finishing it, he put its roof on - cedar planks over beams.
10
Each floor of the annex surrounding the house was eight-and-three-quarters feet high and was attached to the house with beams of cedar.

God's Conditional Promise

11
Then this word of ADONAI came to Shlomo: ​
12
"Concerning this house which you are building: if you will live according to my regulations, follow my rulings and observe all my mitzvot and live by them, then I will establish with you my promise that I made to David your father- ​
13
I will live in it among the people of Isra'el, and I will not abandon my people Isra'el."
14
So Shlomo finished building the house.

Interior Finishing and the Oracle

15
The insides of the walls of the house he built with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the joists of the ceiling he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress.
16
The thirty-five-foot back portion of the house he built with boards of cedar from the floor to the joists and reserved this part of the house to be a sanctuary, the Especially Holy Place; ​
17
while the rest of the house, that is, the temple in front, was seventy feet long.
18
The cedar covering the house was carved with gourds and open flowers; all was cedar; no stone was visible. ​
19
In the inner part of the house he set up the sanctuary, so that the ark for the covenant of ADONAI could be placed there. ​
20
This sanctuary was thirty-five feet long, wide and high; and it was overlaid with pure gold. In front of it he set an altar, which he covered with cedar. ​
21
Shlomo overlaid the interior of the house with pure gold and had chains of gold placed before the sanctuary, which itself he overlaid with gold.
22
The entire house he overlaid with gold until it was completely covered with it. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the sanctuary.
23
Inside the sanctuary he made two k'ruvim of olive-wood, each seventeen-and-a-half feet high. ​
24
Each of the two wings of one of the k'ruvim was eight-and-three quarters feet long, so that the distance from the end of one wing to the end of the other was seventeen-and-a-half feet.
25
Likewise the [wingspread of the] other keruv was seventeen-and-a-half feet; both k'ruvim were identical in shape and size.
26
The height of the one keruv was seventeen-and-a-half feet, likewise that of the other.
27
He set the k'ruvim in the inner house; the wings of the k'ruvim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other keruv touched the other wall; their wings touched each other in the middle of the house. ​
28
He overlaid the k'ruvim with gold.
29
All around the walls of the house, both inside the sanctuary and outside it, he carved figures of k'ruvim, palm trees and open flowers. ​
30
He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, both inside the sanctuary and outside it.
31
For the entrance to the sanctuary he made doors of olive-wood, set within a five-sided door-frame.
32
On the two olive-wood doors he carved figures of k'ruvim, palm trees and open flowers. He overlaid the doors with gold, forcing the gold into the shapes of the k'ruvim and palm trees as well.
33
For the entrance to the temple he also made doorposts of olive-wood, set within a rectangular door-frame,
34
and two doors of cypress-wood; the two leaves of the one door were folding, as were the two leaves of the other.
35
On them he carved k'ruvim, palm trees and open flowers, overlaying them with gold fitted to the carved work.

The Inner Court and Completion

36
He built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams. ​
37
The foundation of the house of ADONAI was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv.
38
In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, all parts of the house were completed exactly as designed. Thus he was seven years building it. ​

Study Notes for 1 Kings 6

Verse 1

This verse establishes the precise historical context, dating the construction 480 years after the Exodus—a symbolic figure often interpreted as twelve generations (40 years each).

Verse 2

The dimensions (60x20x30 cubits, roughly 90x30x45 feet) show the Temple was modest in size compared to surrounding ancient temples, emphasizing quality and holiness over sheer scale.

Verse 7

This unique construction method—preparing all stones off-site—underscored the sanctity of the Temple; the building process itself was meant to be quiet, reverent, and undisturbed.

Verse 11

This divine interruption emphasizes that the physical Temple is secondary to obedience. God's presence is not guaranteed by the structure itself but by Solomon’s faithfulness.

Verse 12

This conditional covenant confirms the continuity of the promise made to David (2 Sam 7), linking God's dwelling among Israel directly to their adherence to the Law.

Verse 16

The 'oracle' (debir), or Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies), was separated from the main sanctuary and was designed as a perfect cube, symbolizing completeness and perfection.

Verse 18

The extensive use of carved cedar and gold meant that no structural stone was visible inside the sanctuary, creating an environment of profound beauty and immense value.

Verse 19

The sole purpose of the debir was to house the Ark of the Covenant, the physical symbol of God's covenant and presence among Israel.

Verse 20

The overlaying of the inner sanctuary with pure gold highlighted its extreme holiness and value, reinforcing the idea that God's dwelling place required the most precious materials.

Verse 23

These immense cherubim (15 feet tall) were carved from olive wood, echoing the cherubim that guarded the entrance to Eden (Gen 3:24), symbolizing the sanctity and protection of the divine presence.

Verse 27

The outstretched wings touching both walls and meeting in the middle formed a canopy over the space where the Ark would rest, mirroring the smaller cherubim on the Ark's mercy seat (Exod 25:20).

Verse 29

The repeated motifs of cherubim, palm trees, and flowers symbolize paradise, linking the Temple visually and theologically back to the Garden of Eden as a place of divine presence.

Verse 36

The construction of the inner court delineated the sacred space, accessible only to priests, emphasizing the distinction between the Holy Place and the rest of the complex.

Verse 38

The seven-year construction period signifies a complete and dedicated effort, often contrasted with the thirteen years Solomon spent building his own palace (1 Kings 7:1).

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options