Bible Commentaries
1 Kings 6

Verse 1

6:1 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 {a} Zif, which [is] the second month, that he began to build the {b} house of the LORD.

(a) Which contains part of April and part of May.

(b) By which is meant the temple and the oracle.

Verse 3

6:3 And the {c} porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits [was] the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; [and] ten cubits [was] the breadth thereof before the house.

(c) Or the court where the people prayed which was before the place where the altar of burnt offerings stood.

Verse 5

6:5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, [against] the walls of the house round about, [both] of the temple and of {d} the oracle: and he made chambers round about:

(d) When God spoke between the Cherubim, called also the most holy place.

Verse 6

6:6 The nethermost chamber [was] five cubits broad, and the middle [was] six cubits broad, and the third [was] seven cubits broad: for without [in the wall] of the house he made narrowed {e} rests round about, that [the beams] should not be fastened in the walls of the house.

(e) Which were certain stones coming out of the wall, as stays for the beams to rest upon.

Verse 9

6:9 So he built the {f} house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

(f) In Exodus it is called the tabernacle, and the temple is here called the sanctuary and the oracle the most holy place.

Verse 13

6:13 And I will {g} dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

(g) According as he promised to Moses, Exodus 25:22.

Verse 15

6:15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and {h} the walls of the cieling: [and] he covered [them] on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.

(h) Meaning, to the roof which was also sealed.

Verse 17

6:17 And the {i} house, that [is], the temple before it, was forty cubits [long].

(i) For when he spoke of the house in the first verse, he meant both the oracle and the temple.

Verse 19

6:19 And the oracle he prepared in the {k} house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

(k) That is, in the most inward place of the house.

Verse 22

6:22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the {l} whole altar that [was] by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

(l) Meaning, the altar of incense, Exodus 30:1.

Verse 28

6:28 And he {m} overlaid the cherubims with gold.

(m) For the others which Moses made of beaten gold were taken away with the other jewels by their enemies, whom God permitted at various times to overcome them for their great sins.

Verse 32

6:32 The two doors also [were of] olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid [them] with gold, and {n} spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.

(n) So that the fashion of the carved work might still appear.

Verse 36

6:36 And he built the inner {o} court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.

(o) Where the priests were, and was thus called in respect to the great court, which is called the porch of Solomon in Acts 3:11 where the people used to pray.

Verse 38

6:38 And in the eleventh year, in the month {p} Bul, which [is] the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

(p) Which contains part of October and part of November.