1 Kings 6:1

Christian Standard Bible ®

Solomon began to build the temple for the Lord in the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of his reign over Israel, in the second month, in the month of Ziv.

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Yahweh.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And it came to passe, that in the foure hundred & fourescore yere, after the childre of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, and in the fourth yere of the rayne of Solomon vpon Israel, & in the moneth Zif, which is the second moneth, he began to build the house of the Lorde.

Literal Translation
And it happened in the four hundred and eightieth year from the going out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, in the fourth year, in the month of Zif, it is the second month, in the reigning of Solomon over Israel he built the house for Jehovah.

Easy-to-Read Version
So in the month of Ziv, the second month of the year, during Solomon's fourth year as king, he began work on the Temple. This was 480 years after the Israelites left Egypt.

Revised Standard Version
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD.

World English Bible
It happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Yahweh.

King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe in the foure hundred and fourescore yeere after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth yere of Solomons reigne ouer Israel, in the moneth Zif, which is the second moneth, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

King James Version
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord .

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
In the foure hundreth and foure score yeare after the departinge of the children of Israel out of the londe of Egipte, in the fourth yeare of the raigne of Salomon ouer Israel, in the moneth Sif (yt is the seconde moneth) was the house buylded vnto the LORDE.

THE MESSAGE
Four hundred and eighty years after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's rule over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, Solomon started building The Temple of God . The Temple that King Solomon built to God was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high. There was a porch across the thirty-foot width of The Temple that extended out fifteen feet. Within The Temple he made narrow, deep-silled windows. Against the outside walls he built a supporting structure in which there were smaller rooms: The lower floor was seven and a half feet wide, the middle floor nine feet, and the third floor ten and a half feet. He had projecting ledges built into the outside Temple walls to support the buttressing beams.

American Standard Version
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Jehovah.

Bible in Basic English
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year that Solomon was king of Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, the building of the Lord's house was started.

Update Bible Version
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Yahweh.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Zif, which [is] the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

New English Translation
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, during the month Ziv (the second month), he began building the Lord 's temple.

New King James Version
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth [fn] year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
Solomon's workers started building the temple during Ziv, the second month of the year. It had been four years since Solomon became king of Israel, and four hundred eighty years since the people of Israel left Egypt.

Complete Jewish Bible
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 .

Darby Translation
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Jehovah.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And in the foure hundreth and foure score yeere (after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt) and in the fourth yere of the reigne of Salomon ouer Israel, in the moneth Zif, (which is the second moneth) he built the house of the Lord.

George Lamsa Translation
AND it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomons reign over Israel, in the month of May, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

Amplified Bible
Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv (April-May) which is the second month, that he began to build the Lord's house (temple).

Hebrew Names Version
It happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Yisra'el were come out of the land of Mitzrayim, in the fourth year of Shlomo's reign over Yisra'el, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

New Living Translation
It was in midspring, in the month of Ziv, during the fourth year of Solomon's reign, that he began to construct the Temple of the Lord . This was 480 years after the people of Israel were rescued from their slavery in the land of Egypt.

New Life Bible
In the 480th year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's rule over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord.

New Revised Standard
In the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord .

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
In the fourth year he laid the foundation of the house of the Lord, in the month Ziu, even in the second month.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, in the month of Ziv, the second month of the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, he began to build the house of the LORD.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And so it came to pass, in the four hundred and eightieth year, by the coming forth of the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year (in the month of Zif, the same, being the second month) of the reign of Solomon over Israel, that he began to build the house unto Yahweh.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of the reign of Solomon over Israel, in the month Zio, (the same is the second month) he began to build a house to the Lord.

Lexham English Bible
It happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites went out from the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's rule over Israel, the month of Ziv (that is the second month), that he began to build the house for Yahweh.

English Standard Version
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord .

New American Standard Bible
Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, that is, the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

New Century Version
Solomon began to build the Temple four hundred eighty years after the people of Israel had left Egypt. This was during the fourth year of King Solomon's rule over Israel. It was the second month, the month of Ziv.

Good News Translation
Four hundred and eighty years after the people of Israel left Egypt, during the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the second month, the month of Ziv, Solomon began work on the Temple.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe it was doon in the fourthe hundrid and fourescore yeer of the goynge out of the sones of Israel fro the lond of Egipt, in the fourthe yeer, in the monethe Zio; thilke is the secounde monethe of the rewme of Salomon on Israel; he bigan to bilde an hows to the Lord.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, in the four hundred and eightieth year of the going out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, in the fourth year -- in the month of Zif, it [is] the second month -- of the reigning of Solomon over Israel, that he buildeth the house for Jehovah.

Contextual Overview

¹ Solomon began to build the temple for the Lord in the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of his reign over Israel, in the second month, in the month of Ziv. ² The temple that King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. ³ The portico in front of the temple sanctuary was 30 feet long extending across the temple's width, and 15 feet deep in front of the temple. ⁴ He also made windows with beveled frames for the temple. ⁵ He then built a chambered structure along the temple wall, encircling the walls of the temple, that is, the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary. And he made side chambers all around. ⁶ The lowest chamber was 7½ feet wide, the middle was nine feet wide, and the third was 10½ feet wide. He also provided offset ledges for the temple all around the outside so that nothing would be inserted into the temple walls. ⁷ The temple's construction used finished stones cut at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built. ⁸ The door for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the temple. They went up a stairway to the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third. ⁹ When he finished building the temple, he paneled it with boards and planks of cedar. ¹⁰ He built the chambers along the entire temple, joined to the temple with cedar beams; each story was 7½ feet high.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 2993, bc 1011, An, Ex, Is, 480

And it came: Judges 11:26, 2 Chronicles 3:1, 2 Chronicles 3:2

in the month Zif: 1 Kings 6:37, Numbers 1:1

began: Heb. built, Acts 7:47

build: 1 Chronicles 29:19, Zechariah 6:12, Zechariah 6:13, Zechariah 6:15, John 2:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 2:20-22, Colossians 2:7, Hebrews 9:11, Hebrews 11:10, 1 Peter 2:5

Reciprocal: Exodus 31:6 - that they 1 Kings 3:1 - the house 1 Kings 6:38 - seven years 1 Kings 10:4 - the house 1 Kings 11:4 - when Solomon 1 Chronicles 6:10 - Solomon 2 Chronicles 9:3 - the house Ezra 5:11 - which a great Hebrews 4:7 - after

Cross-References

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt,.... The Tyrian writers k make it five hundred sixty years from hence; but this no doubt is tightest, which Junius reckons thus; forty years Israel were in the wilderness, seventeen under Joshua, two hundred ninety nine under the judges, eighty under Eli, Samuel, and Saul, forty under David, add to which the four years of Solomon, and they make four hundred eighty l; they are somewhat differently reckoned by others m from the coming out of Egypt to Joshua forty years, from thence to the first servitude under Cushan twenty five, from thence to the death of Abimelech two hundred fifty six, under Thola twenty three, from thence to the Ammonitish servitude four, under that eighteen, under the judges, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon, thirty one, Samuel and Saul forty, David forty, and Solomon three, in all four hundred eighty;

in the, fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel; when he was clear of all disturbers of his government, and had got all things ready for the building of the temple, and had gathered together gold and silver enough of his own to defray the expenses; for, as for what David gave him, he put that into the treasury of the Lord's house, see 1 Kings 7:51;

in the month Zif, which [is] the second month; and so must be Jiar, for Abib or Nisan was the first, and Jiar was the second, which answered to part of our April and part of May; called Zif either from the splendour of the sun, being now higher, and so the greater; or from the trees and flowers of the field being in all their glory; and so the Targum here calls it, the month of splendour of flowers: and it was on the second day of it,

that he began to build the house of the Lord: and a very fit and proper season of the year it was to begin it in, see 2 Chronicles 3:2.

k Apud Theophil. ad Autolyc. l. 3. p. 131. l So Gerard. Voss. Chron. Sacr. Isagoge, dissert. 8. c. 7. p. 128. m Vid. Vitring. Hypotypos. Hist. Sacr. p. 43.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the four hundred and eightieth year - It is upon this statement that all the earlier portion of what is called the “received chronology” depends. Amid Minor differences there is a general agreement, which justifies us in placing the accession of Solomon about 1000 B.C. (1018 B.C. Oppert.) But great difficulties meet us in determining the sacred chronology anterior to this. Apart from the present statement, the chronological data of the Old Testament are insufficient to fix the interval between Solomon’s accession and the Exodus, since several of the periods which make it up are unestimated. Hence, chronologists have based entirely the “received chronology” upon this verse. But the text itself is not free from suspicion.

(1) it is the sole passage in the Old Testament which contains the idea of dating events from an era.

(2) it is quoted by Origen without the date, and seems to have been known only in this shape to Josephus, to Theophilus of Antioch, and to Clement of Alexandria.

(3) it is hard to reconcile with other chronological statements in the Old and New Testament.

Though the books of Joshua, Judges, and Samuel furnish us with no exact chronology, they still supply important chronological data - data which seem to indicate for the interval between the Exodus and Solomon, a period considerably exceeding 480 years. For the years actually set down amount to at least 580, or, according to another computation, to 600; and though a certain deduction might be made from this sum on account of the round numbers, this deduction would scarcely do more than balance the addition required on account of the four unestimated periods. Again, in the New Testament, Paul (according to the received text) reckons the period from the division of Canaan among the tribes in the sixth year of Joshua Joshua 14:1-15, to Samuel the prophet, at 450 years, which would make the interval between the Exodus and the commencement of the temple to be 579 years. On the whole, it seems, therefore, probable that the words “in the four hundred and eightieth year, etc.,” are an interpolation into the sacred text, which did not prevail generally before the third century of our era.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER VI

In the four hundred and eightieth year from the exodus, in the

fourth year of Solomon's reign, and in the second month, he

laid the foundations of the temple; the length sixty cubits,

the breadth twenty, and the height thirty cubits; besides the

porch, which was twenty cubits in length, and ten cubits in

height, 1-3.

A description of its different external parts, 4-10.

God's promise to Solomon, 11-13.

Description of its internal parts and contents, 14-36.

Temple finished in the eighth month of the eleventh year of

Solomon's reign, being seven years in building, 37, 38.

NOTES ON CHAP. VI

Verse 1 Kings 6:1. In the four hundred and eightieth year — The Septuagint has the four hundred and fortieth year. It need scarcely be noticed, that among chronologists there is a great difference of opinion concerning this epocha. Glycas has 330 years; Melchior Canus, 590 years; Josephus, 592 years; Sulpicius Severus, 588; Clemens Alexandrinus, 570; Cedrenus, 672; Codomanus, 598; Vossius and Capellus, 580; Serarius, 680; Nicholas Abraham, 527; Maestlinus, 592; Petavius and Valtherus, 520. Here are more than a dozen different opinions; and after all, that in the common Hebrew text is as likely to be the true one as any of the others.

The month Zif — This answers to a part of our April and May; and was the second month of the sacred year, but the eighth month of the civil year. Before the time of Solomon, the Jews do not appear to have had any names for their months, but mentioned them in the order of their consecutive occurrence, first month, second month, third month, c. In this chapter we find Zif and Bul and in 1 Kings 8:2, we find another, Ethanim; and these are supposed to be borrowed from the Chaldeans; and consequently this book was written after the Babylonish captivity. Before this time we find only the word Abib mentioned as the name of a month, Exodus 13:4. Whether there were any others at that time, or whether Abib was really intended as the name of a month, we cannot absolutely say. The present names of the Hebrew months are:-Tisri, answering to a part of September and October, Marchesvan, Cisleu, Tebeth, Shebat, Adar, Nisan, Ijar, Sivan, Tamuz, Ab, and Elul.