Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 3

Introduction

Second Chronicles Chapter 3

2 Chronicles 3:1 "Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where [the Lord] appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite."

Mount Moriah was believed to be the spot where Abraham took Isaac to offer him to God. It was, also, the place where David had gone to sacrifice in the threshingfloor of Ornan. This was a place the LORD had chosen, and David said this was the place for the house of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 3:2 "And he began to build in the second [day] of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign."

Solomon began to build in the spring of the year. April, on our calendar, is the same as their first month, so this is in May. The temple was begun somewhere near the 1,000 years before Christ. Some believe about 980 years prior to Christ. Really, this is not a critical element. The fact is the temple had begun. It appears, that Solomon spent some of the 4 years in preparation of the beginning of the work. It would have been a tremendous job just to gather all of the materials, and the men to do the work.

2 Chronicles 3:3 "Now these [are the things wherein] Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure [was] threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits."

This is speaking of the building being 30 feet wide and 90 feet long, if we agree that each cubit is 1 1/2 feet long.

2 Chronicles 3:4 "And the porch that [was] in the front [of the house], the length [of it was] according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height [was] an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold."

Again, this porch would be 30 feet wide The height is 180 feet high. This is extremely high. Pure gold is 24 kt. To cover this entire area would be a fortune in gold. Some question this height. It is not my place to question, just to explain what each Scripture is saying.

2 Chronicles 3:5 "And the greater house he ceiled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains."

The greater house is speaking of the holy place. When we compare this with the other Scriptures on the same subject, we find the following. 1 Kings 6:15 "And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: [and] he covered [them] on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir." The structure was made of stone, but the wood covered the stone and the wood was covered over with pure gold. The palm trees were engravings. The chains were, probably, wreaths of chains in the gold.

2 Chronicles 3:6 "And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold [was] gold of Parvaim."

The stones were mounted in the gold for beauty. The meaning of Parvaim is not known. (It could be speaking of a place, where the gold came from}. It is, sometimes, thought to mean oriental.

2 Chronicles 3:7 "He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls."

All of the wood within the temple used for beams, posts, or walls were covered with 24 kt. gold. There were cherubims engraved in the gold on the walls. Hiram’s men would be skilled in this type of engraving. Their part of the world had been renowned for just this type of beauty.

2 Chronicles 3:8 "And he made the most holy house, the length whereof [was] according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, [amounting] to six hundred talents."

The most holy place, where the ark and the mercy seat was, measured thirty feet by thirty feet. The gold used in covering the walls and all of the boards in this place alone, took 900,000 ounces of gold. At present prices of $400.00 per ounce, this gold would be worth $360,000,000.00.

2 Chronicles 3:9 "And the weight of the nails [was] fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold."

A shekel is a half ounce of gold, so just the nails weighed 25 ounces of gold, or $10,000.00.

2 Chronicles 3:10 "And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold."

2 Chronicles 3:11 "And the wings of the cherubims [were] twenty cubits long: one wing [of the one cherub was] five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing [was likewise] five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub."

2 Chronicles 3:12 "And [one] wing of the other cherub [was] five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing [was] five cubits [also], joining to the wing of the other cherub."

2 Chronicles 3:13 "The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces [were] inward."

The wings of the two cherubims covered the entire area of thirty feet. The wings left no room on the outside on either side, and they met in the middle over the ark. They were in the presence of the ark, and had to be covered with pure gold. The two cherubims were standing at the back of the ark looking with bowed heads to the ark. It was as if they were in constant worship and protection of the presence of God.

2 Chronicles 3:14 "And he made the veil [of] blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon."

This is the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place. Linen speaks of righteousness. The three colors are godly colors. "Blue" means heavenly. "Purple" means royalty. The crimson is speaking of "red" which means blood, or life. Even the curtains had cherubims woven into the cloth.

2 Chronicles 3:15 "Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that [was] on the top of each of them [was] five cubits."

These two pillars were 52 1/2 feet high with chapters on top of them that were 7 1/2 feet.

2 Chronicles 3:16 "And he made chains, [as] in the oracle, and put [them] on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put [them] on the chains."

These decorations were engraved in the front of the pillars. The 100 pomegranates were on each of the pillars.

2 Chronicles 3:17 "And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz."

It is very unusual for pillars to have names. We must look for a spiritual meaning behind these names. These two pillars had messages on them spoken of as an oracle. "Jachin" means God establishes, so the message on that pillar would mean that. "Boaz" means fleetness. This one would speak of the strength of God. I do not know the exact wording of what was on the pillars, but I do know in my own heart, they both glorified God. Boaz was in the ancestry of Jesus. I personally believe the message for the Christians, here, is that we will be established in the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Chronicles 3 Questions

1. Where did Solomon begin to build the temple?

2. What special things had happened at this location?

3. When did Solomon start the building?

4. About how long before Christ was this?

5. What was the size of the temple?

6. What size is the author using for a cubit?

7. How tall was the porch?

8. The porch was overlaid with ________.

9. What is the greater house speaking of?

10. What type of wood was used in the greater house?

11. The wood covered over what?

12. The gold was garnished with what?

13. Quote 2 Chronicles 3:7.

14. What was the size of the most holy place?

15. What would be the present day value of the gold that covered the boards in the most holy place?

16. What was the weight of the nails of gold?

17. What would be their value today?

18. How many cherubims were in the most holy place?

19. The cherubims were covered with what?

20. How long was the wing span of the cherubims?

21. The cherubims were standing where?

22. Where were they looking?

23. Where was the veil?

24. What was it made of?

25. What does the color "blue" mean?

26. What does "purple" mean?

27. What does "red" mean?

28. What was embroidered on the veil?

29. How tall were the two pillars at the entrance?

30. Why were they called oracles?

31. What were the two pillars named?

31. What does "Jachin" mean?

32. What does the author believe is the message for the Christians in the pillars?

Verses 1-7

2Ch 3:1-7

Introduction

INSTRUCTIONS SOLOMON RECEIVED FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE; AND THINGS HE DID SINFULLY

The chief problem in this chapter relates to 2 Chronicles 3:3, which in our version states that:

"These are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of the house of God."

Yet the foundations are not even mentioned in this chapter. Furthermore, the RSV states that "These are Solomon’s measurements." The Good News Bible omits the statement, and James Moffat has; "Here is the ground-plan drawn up by Solomon." It is quite evident that the true meaning of the verse is disputed.

This writer believes that the KJV should be followed in verse 3. The translators of that version believed that they were translating God’s Word, but that conviction no longer guides the renditions of many modern translators; and their fanciful `emendations,’ given for the purpose of giving `what the Spirit intended to say,’ or `what He really meant.’ are frequently inaccurate.

"Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God" - KJV.

This rendition is undoubtedly the best one; and it has the utility of clearing up what would otherwise be an impossible contradiction later in 2 Chronicles 3:14. Also the ASV honored this translation of the passage by including it in the marginal reference.

What is the significance of this? In 2 Chronicles 3:14 mentions Solomon’s making the veil of the temple; but we have already noted that Solomon actually made two doors of olive-wood for the entrance to the oracle, and not a veil; therefore the reference here to his `making the veil’ should be understood, not as what he did, but as what he was instructed to do, as plainly indicated in 2 Chronicles 3:3

Of course, there is another way of reconciling Kings and Chronicles regarding the two olive-wood doors (Kings) and the veil (Chronicles), namely, by the conclusion that the temple had both! While such is possible, that idea will not appeal to very many people.

Contrary to the usual opinion of commentators that the Chronicler was attempting to glorify Solomon in these chapters, this writer believes he had a totally different purpose, including here, not what Solomon had done with those olive-wood doors, but what he had been instructed to do by his father David, namely, to make the veil.

This was by no means all of Solomon’s violations of God’s Word. Those extravagantly large cherubim, the graven images of lions on each side of his throne, and the twelve brazen oxen that supported the laver, and the pagan pillars Jachin and Boaz - all of which violations are mentioned by the Chronicler, and to indicate, contrary to what many suppose, that the Chronicler was not attempting to glorify Solomon.

2 Chronicles 3:1-7

SOLOMON BEGINS ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE

"Then Solomon began to build the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem on mount Moriah, where Jehovah appeared unto David his father, which he made ready in the place which David had appointed, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign. Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. And the porch that was before the house, the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. And the greater house he ceiled with fir-wood; which he overlaid with fine gold, and wrought thereon palm-trees and chains. And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim. And he overlaid also the house, the beams, the thresholds, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubim on the walls."

"And he began to build ... in the fourth year of his reign" (2 Chronicles 3:2). "The delay to the fourth year may have been due to the problems of collecting materials, or it may represent a four-year co-regency of Solomon with his father David."

(See the chapter heading for a discussion of 2 Chronicles 3:3.)

"And the porch ... the height a hundred and twenty (cubits)" (2 Chronicles 3:4). "This height which so much exceeds the height of the main building (1 Kings 6:2) should probably be corrected by the reading of the Arabic version and by the Alexandrian Septuagint, which read twenty cubits."

In this connection, we wonder why the RSV failed to make this obviously indicated correction. They have not failed to make many other changes with even less authority.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 3:1-2. Mount Moriah was a spot within the boundaries of Jerusalem, and first made famous by the offering of Isaac by Abraham. On a geographical and historical subject, the scholarship of the world should be the basis for our conclusions. I shall therefore make a few quotations as to the location and identity of this spot. "The Offering of Isaac. (Genesis 22.) From Beer-sheba Abraham took his son Isaac, at God’s command, to offer him as a burnt offering in ’the land of Moriah.’ Some authorities accept the Samaritan tradition, that this place was Mount Gerizim; but we see no sufficient reason to dissent from the general view, that it was Mount Moriah, at Jerusalem, ten centuries afterward the site of the Temple." --Rand-McNally Bible Atlas. The next is from Smith’s Bible Dictionary. "Mount Moriah. The elevation on which Solomon built the temple, where God appeared to David ’in the threshingfloor of Abraham the Jebusite.’ It is the eastern eminence of Jerusalem, separated from Mount Zion by the Tyropoeon valley. The top was leveled by Solomon, and immense walls were built round it from the base to enlarge the level surface for the temple area. Tradition which first appears in a definite shape in Josephus, and is now almost universally accepted, asserts that the ’Mount Moriah’ of Chronicles is identical with the ’mountain’ in ’the land of Moriah’ of Genesis, and that the spot on which Jehovah appeared to David, and on which the temple was built, was the very spot of the sacrifice of Isaac."

2 Chronicles 3:3. Was instructed means that Solomon gave instructions to his workmen to guide them in their laying the ground plan for the building. The 20 x 60 cubits applies to the main part of the temple not counting the many adjoining parts.

2 Chronicles 3:4-8. For information regarding this paragraph, the reader is requested to see my comments on 1 Kings 6 th chapter.

Verses 8-9

2Ch 3:8-9

2 Chronicles 3:8-9

REGARDING THE HOLY OF HOLIES

"And he made the most holy house: the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents. And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold."

The upper chambers mentioned here do not conform to any architectural description, either of their utility, or their exact location. The whole chapter appears to have a strange mixture of things that Solomon was instructed to do, and did not do, and of things which he did contrary to God’s will.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 3:4-8. For information regarding this paragraph, the reader is requested to see my comments on 1 Kings 6 th chapter.

2 Chronicles 3:9. In using nails in the construction of a building, it would be necessary to use a hammer, and we know there would be some sound. This should be considered when commenting on 1 Kings 6:7, a passage often misunderstood.

Verses 10-13

2Ch 3:10-13

2 Chronicles 3:10-13

THOSE GARGANTUAN CHERUBIM

"And in the most holy house he made two cherubim of image work; and they overlaid them with gold. And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long. The wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. And the wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub. The wings of the cherubim spread themselves forth twenty cubits; and they stood on their feet; and their faces were toward the house."

These colossal figures violated all of Moses’ instructions regarding their use in the tabernacle. They were not supposed to fill up the house, but were intended to decorate the mercy seat, which was in fact a lid for the ark of the covenant. Furthermore, they were not supposed to "face the house" but to be in a posture of peering down intently into the mercy seat. One may find what these figurines were supposed to be in Exodus 25. They were to face each other, with their wings overshadowing the mercy seat, not to be standing side by side facing the outer sanctuary. Their wings were to pertain not to the whole Holy of Holies, but to the mercy seat alone. The apostle Peter referred to the symbolical significance of these cherubim in 1 Peter 1:12.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 3:10-13. This most holy house corresponds to the second room in the tabernacle, called the "most holy" place. The two cherubims also corresponds to the two in the tabernacle, but they were larger. They were made large enough to take up the entire space of 20 cubits that was the size of the room. They stood on their feet may seem to be an insignificant expression. It is a contrast with the posture of the cherubims that were in the tabernacle. Those creatures were on the mercyseat, and the position of their feet is not stated. The ones in the temple were not on any piece of furniture; that would mean they had to "stand on their own." Also, instead of facing each other as did the ones in the tabernacle, these both had their attention focussed on the building.

Verse 14

2Ch 3:14

2 Chronicles 3:14

"And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubim thereon."

(See the chapter heading for our perplexity regarding this verse.) Significantly, it is not stated that this veil sealed off the Holy of Holies, although it may be implied. Certainly that is what should have been done; but 1 Kings 6 indicates that olive-wood doors were used. One thing is certain, the Herodian temple had the veil.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 3:14. The veil constituted the partition between the holy and most holy rooms in the building. It served the same purpose as the vail in the tabernacle described in Exodus 26:31-33.

Verses 15-17

2Ch 3:15-17

2 Chronicles 3:15-17

ANOTHER ONE OF SOLOMON’S SINS: JACHIN AND BOAZ

"And he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the capital that was upon each of them was five cubits. And he made chains in the oracle, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. And he set up the pillars before the temple, one of the right hand, and the other on the left; and he called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz."

(See our full discussion of these pagan pillars which Solomon put in front of the temple in our commentary on 1Kings, pp. 83-85.)

The accounts in Kings and Chronicles vary as to the exact dimensions of those pillars; but so what? They were sinful innovations anyway.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Chronicles 3:15. These pillars were over 50 feet high. The chapiter was an ornamental cap or head, and it was seven and a half feet high.

2 Chronicles 3:16. The chains were for holding these ornamental pomegranates.

2 Chronicles 3:17. Proper names usually conveyed some special meaning. Jachin is defined in the margins of many Bibles as "establish," and the lexicon agrees. Boaz is of rather uncertain meaning, but the margin gives us "fleetness." The idea expressed by Solomon in these large pillars with such names, was an acknowledgement of the favor of God extended to him in his undertakings.