1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.

4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.

5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.

6 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.

7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.

8 And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.

9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.

10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.

11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.

12 And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.

13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.

14 He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

15 For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.

16 And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:

17 And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.

18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.

19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.

20 And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.

21 And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.

22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.

23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.

25 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.

27 And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.

28 And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:

29 And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.

30 And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.

31 And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.

32 And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.

33 And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.

34 And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.

35 And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.

36 For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.

37 After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.

38 Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.

39 And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.

40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD:

41 The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two networks, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars;

42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars;

43 And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;

44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;

45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of bright brass.

46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.

47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.

48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,

49 And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,

50 And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.

51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

1 But Solomon was building his owne house thirteene yeres, and he finished all his house.

2 Hee built also the house of the forrest of Lebanon; the length thereof was a hundred cubites, and the breadth thereof fiftie cubites, and the height thereof thirtie cubites, vpon foure rowes of Cedar pillars, with Cedar beames vpon the pillars.

3 And it was couered with Cedar aboue vpon the beames, that lay on fortie fiue pillars, fifteene in a row.

4 And there were windowes in three rowes, and light was against light in three rankes.

5 And all the doores and postes were square, with the windowes: and light was against light in three rankes.

6 And he made a porch of pillars, the length thereof was fiftie cubites, and the breadth thereof thirtie cubites: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars, and the thicke beame were before them.

7 Then hee made a porch for the throne where he might iudge, euen the porch of Iudgement: and it was couered with Cedar from one side of the floore to the other.

8 And his house where he dwelt, had another court within the porch, which was of the like worke: Solomon made also an house for Pharaohs daughter, ( whom he had taken to wife) like vnto this porch.

9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with sawes, within and without, euen from the foundation vnto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.

10 And the foundation was of costly stones, euen great stones; stones of ten cubites, and stones of eight cubites.

11 And aboue were costly stones (after the measures of hewed stones) and Cedars.

12 And the great court round about, was with three rowes of hewed stones, and a row of Cedar beames, both for the inner court of the house of the Lord, and for the porch of the house.

13 And king Solomon sent and fet Hiram out of Tyre.

14 Hee was a widowes sonne of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brasse, and he was filled with wisedome, and vnderstanding, and cunning to worke all workes in brasse: and hee came to king Solomon, and wrought all his worke.

15 For he cast two pillars of brasse of eighteene cubites high a piece: and a line of twelue cubites did compasse either of them about.

16 And hee made two Chapiters of molten brasse, to set vpon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was fiue cubites, and the height of the other chapiter was fiue cubites:

17 And nets of checker worke, and wreathes of chaine worke, for the chapiters which were vpon the top of the pillars: seuen for the one chapiter, and seuen for the other chapiter.

18 And he made the pillars, and two rowes round about vpon the one networke, to couer the chapiters that were vpon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.

19 And the chapiters that were vpon the top of the pillars, were of lillie worke in the porch, foure cubites.

20 And the chapiters vpon the two pillars had pomegranates also, aboue, ouer against the belly which was by the networke: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rowes round about, vpon the other chapiter.

21 And he set vp the pillars in the porch of the temple: and hee set vp the right pillar, and called the name therof Iachin: and he set vp the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.

22 And vpon the top of the pillars was lillie worke: so was the worke of the pillars finished.

23 And he made a moulten Sea, ten cubites from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, & his height was fiue cubits: and a line of thirtie cubites did compasse it round about.

24 And vnder the brimme of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubite, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rowes, when it was cast.

25 It stood vpon twelue oxen, three looking toward the North, and three looking toward the West, and three looking toward the South, and three looking toward the East: and the Sea was set aboue vpon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

26 And it was an hand breadth thicke, and the brimme thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowres of lillies: it contained two thousand Baths.

27 And he made ten bases of brasse; foure cubites was the length of one base, and foure cubites the breadth thereof, and three cubites the height of it.

28 And the worke of the bases was on this maner: they had borders, and the borders were betweene the ledges:

29 And on the borders that were betweene the ledges were lyons, oxen, and Cherubims: and vpon the ledges there was a base aboue: and beneath the lyons and oxen were certaine additions made of thinne worke.

30 And euery base had foure brasen wheeles, and plates of brasse: and the foure corners therof had vndersetters: vnder the lauer were vndersetters molten, at the side of euery addition.

31 And the mouth of it within the chapiter, and aboue, was a cubite: but the mouth thereof was round after the worke of the base, a cubite and an halfe: and also vpon the mouth of it were grauings with their borders, foure square not round.

32 And vnder the borders were foure wheeles: & the axletrees of the wheeles were ioyned to the base, and the height of a wheele was a cubite and halfe a cubite.

33 And the worke of the wheeles was like the worke of a charet wheele: their axletrees and their naues, and their felloes, and their spokes were all molten.

34 And there were foure vndersetters to the foure corners of one base: and the vndersetters were of the very base it selfe.

35 And in the top of the base was there a round compasse of halfe a cubite high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof, and the borders thereof were of the same.

36 For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graued Cherubims, lions, and palme trees, according to the proportion of euery one, and additions round about.

37 After this maner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.

38 Then made hee ten lauers of brasse: one lauer conteined fourtie baths: and euery lauer was foure cubites, and vpon euery one of the ten bases, one lauer.

39 And he put fiue bases on the right side of the house, and fiue on the left side of the house: and he set the Sea on the right side of the house Eastward, ouer against the South.

40 And Hiram made the lauers, and the shouels, and the basons: So Hiram made an ende of doing all the worke that hee made King Solomon, for the house of the Lord.

41 The two pillars, and the two bowles of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars: and the two networkes, to couer the two bowles of the chapiters which were vpon the top of the pillars:

42 And foure hundred Pomegranates for the two networkes, euen two rowes of Pomegranates for one networke, to couer the two bowles of the chapiters that were vpon the pillars:

43 And the ten bases, and ten lauers on the bases.

44 And one Sea, and twelue oxen vnder the Sea.

45 And the pots, and the shouels, and the basons: and all these vessels which Hiram made to King Solomon, for the house of the Lord, were of bright brasse.

46 In the plaine of Iordane did the king cast them in the clay ground, betweene Succoth and Zarthan.

47 And Solomon left all the vessels vnweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brasse found out.

48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained vnto the house of the Lord: the Altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the Shewbread was:

49 And the candlesticks of pure gold, fiue on the right side, and fiue on the left, before the Oracle, with the flowers, and the lampes, and the tongs of gold,

50 And the boules, and the snuffers, and the basons, & the spoones, and the censers of pure gold: and the hindges of gold, both for the doores of the inner house the most Holy place, and for the doores of the house, to wit, of the temple.

51 So was ended all the worke that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord: and Solomon brought in the things which Dauid his father had dedicated, euen the siluer, and the gold, & the vessels did he put among the treasures of the house of the Lord.

I == 1st Kings 9:10 ; 2nd Chr 8:1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIII == 1st Kings 3:1 ; 2nd Chr 8:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XII == John 10:23 ; Acts 3:11

 

 

XIII == 2nd Chr 4:11 ; 1st Kings 7:40

XIV == Ex 31:3 ; 36:1 ; 2nd chr 2:14 ; 4:16

 

 

 

 

XV == 2nd Kings 25:17 ; 2nd Chr 3:15 ; 4:12 ; Jer 52:21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XX == 2nd Chr 3:16 ; 4:13 ; Jer 52:23

 

 

 

XXI == 1st Kings 6:3 ; 2nd Chr 3:17

 

 

 

 

 

XXIII == 2nd Kings 25:13 ; 2nd Chr 4:2 ; Jer 52:17

 

XXIV == 2nd chr 4:3

 

 

XXV == 2nd Chr 4:4-5 ; Jer 52:20

 

 

 

 

XXVI == 2nd Chr 4:5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXXVIII == 2nd Chr 4:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XLI == 1st Kings 7:17-18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XLV == Ex 27:3 ; 2nd Chr 4:16

 

 

 

XLVI == Gen 33:17 ; Josh 3:18 ; 2nd Chr 4:17

 

 

 

XLVIII == Ex 25:30 ; 37:10-16 , 25-28 ; Lev 24:5-8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LI == 2nd Sam 8:11 ; 2nd Chr 5:1

1 His own palace Solomon completed after thirteen years of construction.

2 He built the hall called the Forest of Lebanon one hundred cubits long, fifty wide, and thirty high; it was supported by four rows of cedar columns, with cedar capitals upon the columns.

3 Moreover, it had a ceiling of cedar above the beams resting on the columns; these beams numbered forty-five, fifteen to a row.

4 There were three window frames at either end, with windows in strict alignment.

5 The posts of all the doorways were rectangular, and the doorways faced each other, three at either end.

6 The porch of the columned hall he made fifty cubits long and thirty wide. The porch extended the width of the columned hall, and there was a canopy in front.

7 He also built the vestibule of the throne where he gave judgment - that is, the tribunal; it was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling beams.

8 His living quarters were in another court, set in deeper than the tribunal and of the same construction. A palace like this tribunal was built for Pharaoh's daughter, whom Solomon had married.

9 All these buildings were of fine stones, hewn to size and trimmed front and back with a saw, from the foundation to the bonding course.

10 (The foundation was made of fine, large blocks, some ten cubits and some eight cubits.

11 Above were fine stones hewn to size, and cedar wood.)

12 The great court was enclosed by three courses of hewn stones and a bonding course of cedar beams. So also were the inner court of the temple of the LORD and the temple porch.

13 King Solomon had Hiram brought from Tyre.

14 He was a bronze worker, the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali; his father had been from Tyre. He was endowed with skill, understanding, and knowledge of how to produce any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon and did all his metal work.

15 Two hollow bronze columns were cast, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference; their metal was of four fingers' thickness.

16 There were also two capitals cast in bronze, to place on top of the columns, each of them five cubits high.

17 Two pieces of network with a chainlike mesh were made to cover the (nodes of the) capitals on top of the columns, one for each capital.

18 Four hundred pomegranates were also cast; two hundred of them in a double row encircled the piece of network on each of the two capitals.

19 The capitals on top of the columns were finished wholly in a lotus pattern

20 above the level of the nodes and their enveloping network.

21 The columns were then erected adjacent to the porch of the temple, one to the right, called Jachin, and the other to the left, called Boaz.

22 Thus the work on the columns was completed.

23 The sea was then cast; it was made with a circular rim, and measured ten cubits across, five in height, and thirty in circumference.

24 Under the brim, gourds encircled it, ten to the cubit all the way around; the gourds were in two rows and were cast in one mold with the sea.

25 This rested on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east, with their haunches all toward the center, where the sea was set upon them.

26 It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim resembled that of a cup, being lily-shaped. Its capacity was two thousand measures.

27 Ten stands were also made of bronze, each four cubits long, four wide, and three high.

28 When these stands were constructed, panels were set within the framework.

29 On the panels between the frames there were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the frames likewise, above and below the lions and oxen, there were wreaths in relief.

30 Each stand had four bronze wheels and bronze axles.

31 This was surmounted by a crown one cubit high within which was a rounded opening to provide a receptacle a cubit and a half in depth. There was carved work at the opening, on panels that were angular, not curved.

32 The four wheels were below the paneling, and the axletrees of the wheels and the stand were of one piece. Each wheel was a cubit and a half high.

33 The wheels were constructed like chariot wheels; their axles, fellies, spokes, and hubs were all cast. The four legs of each stand had cast braces, which were under the basin; they had wreaths on each side.

34 These four braces, extending to the corners of each stand, were of one piece with the stand.

35 On top of the stand there was a raised collar half a cubit high, with supports and panels which were of one piece with the top of the stand.

36 On the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, wherever there was a clear space, cherubim, lions, and palm trees were carved, as well as wreaths all around.

37 This was how the ten stands were made, all of the same casting, the same size, the same shape.

38 Ten bronze basins were then made, each four cubits in diameter with a capacity of forty measures, one basin for the top of each of the ten stands.

39 The stands were placed, five on the south side of the temple and five on the north. The sea was placed off to the southeast from the south side of the temple.

40 When Hiram made the pots, shovels, and bowls, he therewith completed all his work for King Solomon in the temple of the LORD:

41 two columns, two nodes for the capitals on top of the columns, two pieces of network covering the nodes for the capitals on top of the columns,

42 four hundred pomegranates in double rows on both pieces of network that covered the two nodes of the capitals where they met the columns,

43 ten stands, ten basins on the stands,

44 one sea, twelve oxen supporting the sea,

45 pots, shovels, and bowls. All these articles which Hiram made for King Solomon in the temple of the LORD were of burnished bronze.

46 The king had them cast in the neighborhood of the Jordan, in the clayey ground between Succoth and Zarethan.

47 Solomon did not weigh all the articles because they were so numerous; the weight of the bronze, therefore, was not determined.

48 Solomon had all the articles made for the interior of the temple of the LORD: the golden altar; the golden table on which the showbread lay;

49 the lampstands of pure gold, five to the right and five to the left before the sanctuary, with their flowers, lamps, and tongs of gold;

50 basins, snuffers, bowls, cups, and fire pans of pure gold; and hinges of gold for the doors of the inner room, or holy of holies, and for the doors of the outer room, the nave.

51 When all the work undertaken by King Solomon in the temple of the LORD was completed, he brought in the dedicated offerings of his father David, putting the silver, gold, and other articles in the treasuries of the temple of the LORD

v 1. The account of the temple construction is interrupted to tell about Solomon’s other building programs. He had commendably rushed through the building of the temple, but his own house is larger and took twice as long, 13 years.

v 2-6. The Forest of Lebanon house was in Jerusalem, but got it’s name from the amount of cedar from Lebanon in it’s construction. It appears to be a part of a large complex of buildings. I do not propose to go into detail on these houses, but the size can be noted by the 45 pillars and three tiers of lights. First building was the porch.

v 7-12. Next porch was a hall of judgment enclosed in cedar. Adjoining that was his own house and a separate house for Pharaoh’s daughter. The foundations were of expensive hewn stones 12’ to 15’ in length. Around the “great court”  of the complex was a a four tiered wall, constructed like the inner wall of 6:36.

v 13-22. This Hiram (or Huram) was a workman in bronze from Tyre, not the king. His father was a Phoenician but his mother was a Jew from Dan, 2 Chr. 2:14, who lived in Naphtali, or vice versa. The bronze pillars he built were 27’ high, 34’ with the capitals, and 18’ in circumference. They were erected as an obelisk on either side of the roofless front porch approach to the temple. The discrepancy with 2 Chr. 3:15 is probably because of the similarity between 35 and 18 in the Hebrew. The capitals top portion was like lilies, under which were gold pomegranates interwoven among seven lattice like chains on each pillar.

v 23-26. This giant laver was 15’ across, 7 1/2’  high, 45’ in circumference and a hand breadth, about 4” thick. It held 11,500 gallons of water, and the brim was rounded (like a rose petal) and engraved with lilies. It sat on the rear of 12 bronze oxen as a base, three facing outward in each direction, 2 Chr. 4:4.
In v 21 the bronze pillars  were about 27’ high with 5’ chapiter on top, but when it was taken down in captivity the chapiter measure two feet less. A theory  that they werre filled with sand which was released to operate levers thus shortening the chapiters. The theory that a proest stood on the four corners of platform to unlock it to lower the ark. Sand released from other to raise platform after ark hidden.

v 27-39. Each of these ten bases had wheels and can best be described as stands for butchering sacrificial animals. They were 6’ square and 5 1/2’ high and a basin on each that held 230 gallon of water. Some see vaguely from v 30 that there was a circular basin of similar size underneath to catch the waste water from a drain. Nothing is said of water cocks on any lavers, but they were an absolute necessity If they had even dipped water, it would be polluted. It is still a customary practice in those areas to pour water for washing. There were intricate engravings of cherubim, lions and palm trees on the sides of all the bases. Normally five bases sat on each side of the temple, but being on wheels, they could be moved, only with difficulty.

v 40-47. This enumerates all the previous bronze things for outside the temple which Hiram made, plus the pots, shovels and small basins. All were cast in the suitable clay near the Jordan, and no attempt was made to measure their weight.

v 48-51. The bronze items outside represented sacrifice and cleansing. Inside,  the wood overlaid with gold represented Christ’s deity and humanity, gold His deity.  Inside the temple, Solomon had all furnishings and utensils made of gold, even the door sockets. Instead of one lamp stand, there were five on a side, and 2 Chr. 4:8, ten tables for showbread, five on a side, not just one as implied here. Work completed, Solomon put all remaining dedicated items in the store chambers about the temple.

 

SOLOMON'S BUILDING STONES (i KINGS 7:9-12) Many of these enormous stones still remain in place. Barkley in 1852 discovered the quarry which they were removed from.