1 Kings — Chapter 6

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1And 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.

2And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.

3And the 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.

4And for the house he made windows of narrow lights.

5And 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 the oracle: and he made chambers round about:

6The 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 rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.

7And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

8The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.

9So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

10And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

11And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,

12Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:

13And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

14So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

15And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and 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.

16And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.

17And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.

18And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

19And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

20And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.

21So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.

22And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

23And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.

24And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.

25And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.

26The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

27And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.

28And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.

29And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.

30And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

31And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.

32The 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 spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.

33So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.

34And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

35And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.

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

37In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif:

38And in the eleventh year, in the month 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.

1And 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.

2And the house which king Solomon built for Jehovah, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty [cubits], and the height thereof thirty cubits.

3And the 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.

4And for the house he made windows of fixed lattice-work.

5And against the wall of the house he built stories round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle; and he made side-chambers round about.

6The nethermost story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made offsets [in the wall] of the house round about, that [the beams] should not have hold in the walls of the house.

7And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

8The door for the middle side-chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle [story], and out of the middle into the third.

9So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar.

10And he built the stories against all the house, each five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

11And the word of Jehovah came to Solomon, saying,

12Concerning this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute mine ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father.

13And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

14So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

15And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house unto the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of fir.

16And he built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor unto the walls [of the ceiling]: he built [them] for it within, for an oracle, even for the most holy place.

17And the house, that is, the temple before [the oracle], was forty cubits [long].

18And there was cedar on the house within, carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

19And he prepared an oracle in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah.

20And within the oracle was [a space of] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.

21So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.

22And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle he overlaid with gold.

23And in the oracle he made two cherubim of olive-wood, each ten cubits high.

24And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.

25And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one form.

26The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

27And he set the cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.

28And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, within and without.

30And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

31And for the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive-wood: the lintel [and] door-posts were a fifth part [of the wall].

32So [he made] two doors of olive-wood; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm-trees.

33So also made he for the entrance of the temple door-posts of olive-wood, out of a fourth part [of the wall];

34and two doors of fir-wood: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

35And he carved [thereon] cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work.

36And he built the inner court with three courses of hewn stone, and a course of cedar beams.

37In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Jehovah laid, in the month Ziv.

38And in the eleventh year, in the month 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.

1In 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.

2The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

3The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet wide, extending out from the front of the temple.

4He made framed windows for the temple.

5He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and Holy Place and constructed side rooms in it.

6The bottom floor of the extension was 7½ feet wide, the middle floor 9 feet wide, and the third floor 10½ feet wide. He made ledges on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls.

7As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built.

8The entrance to the bottom level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up to the middle floor and then on up to the third floor.

9He finished building the temple and covered it with rafters and boards made of cedar.

10He built an extension all around the temple; it was 7½ feet high and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.

11The Lord’s message came to Solomon:

12“As for this temple you are building, if you follow my rules, observe my regulations, and obey all my commandments, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David.

13I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”

14So Solomon finished building the temple.

15He constructed the walls inside the temple with cedar planks; he paneled the inside with wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters of the ceiling. He covered the temple floor with boards made from the wood of evergreens.

16He built a wall 30 feet in from the rear of the temple as a partition for an inner sanctuary that would be the Most Holy Place. He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters.

17The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long.

18The inside of the temple was all cedar and was adorned with carvings of round ornaments and of flowers in bloom. Everything was cedar; no stones were visible.

19He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there.

20The inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold, as well as the cedar altar.

21Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold. He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary with gold.

22He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary.

23In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood; each stood 15 feet high.

24Each of the first cherub’s wings was 7½ feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet.

25The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape.

26Each cherub stood 15 feet high.

27He put the cherubim in the inner sanctuary of the temple. Their wings were spread out. One of the first cherub’s wings touched one wall and one of the other cherub’s wings touched the opposite wall. The first cherub’s other wing touched the second cherub’s other wing in the middle of the room.

28He plated the cherubim with gold.

29On all the walls around the temple, inside and out, he carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom.

30He plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out.

31He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five sided.

32On the two doors made of olive wood he carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them with gold. He plated the cherubim and the palm trees with hammered gold.

33In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with four-sided pillars.

34He also made two doors out of wood from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves.

35He carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom and plated them with gold, leveled out over the carvings.

36He built the inner courtyard with three rows of chiseled stones and a row of cedar beams.

37In the month of Ziv in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple.

38In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul (the eighth month) the temple was completed in accordance with all its specifications and blueprints. It took seven years to build.

1In 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 Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build Yahweh’s house.

2The house which king Solomon built for Yahweh had a length of sixty cubits, and its width twenty, and its height thirty cubits.

3The porch in front of the temple of the house had a length of twenty cubits, which was along the width of the house. Ten cubits was its width in front of the house.

4He made windows of fixed lattice work for the house.

5Against the wall of the house, he built floors all around, against the walls of the house all around, both of the temple and of the inner sanctuary; and he made side rooms all around.

6The lowest floor was five cubits wide, and the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house all around, that the beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house.

7The house, when it was under construction, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and no hammer or ax or any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was under construction.

8The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house. They went up by winding stairs into the middle floor, and out of the middle into the third.

9So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar.

10He built the floors all along the house, each five cubits high; and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

11Yahweh’s word came to Solomon, saying,

12“Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.

13I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”

14So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

15He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with cypress boards.

16He built twenty cubits on the back part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling. He built them for it within, for an inner sanctuary, even for the most holy place.

17In front of the temple sanctuary was forty cubits.

18There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar. No stone was visible.

19He prepared an inner sanctuary in the middle of the house within, to set the ark of Yahweh’s covenant there.

20Within the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with pure gold; and he covered the altar with cedar.

21So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold. He drew chains of gold across before the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold.

22He overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. He also overlaid the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary with gold.

23In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.

24Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub. From the tip of one wing to the tip of the other was ten cubits.

25The other cherub was ten cubits. Both the cherubim were of one measure and one form.

26One cherub was ten cubits high, and so was the other cherub.

27He set the cherubim within the inner house. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the middle of the house.

28He overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, inside and outside.

30He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, inside and outside.

31For the entrance of the inner sanctuary, he made doors of olive wood. The lintel and door posts were a fifth part of the wall.

32So he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold. He spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

33He also did so for the entrance of the temple door posts of olive wood, out of a fourth part of the wall;

34and two doors of cypress wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

35He carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work.

36He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone and a course of cedar beams.

37The foundation of Yahweh’s house was laid in the fourth year, in the month Ziv.

38In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts, and according to all its specifications. So he spent seven years building it.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

Solomon builds the temple in seven years: cedar-lined walls, gold-overlaid floors, cherubim in the Holy of Holies. God promises to dwell among His people if Solomon walks in obedience to His statutes.

Authorship & Background

Author: Unknown, traditionally attributed to Jeremiah or a prophetic school. Originally one book with 2 Kings in the Hebrew Bible. Covers approximately 120 years (970-850 BC) — from David's death through Ahaziah's reign. Key themes: the glory and failure of Solomon, the division of the kingdom as judgment for idolatry, the faithfulness of God's prophets (especially Elijah), and the principle that a nation's spiritual health depends on its leaders' faithfulness to God's covenant.
Historical Context: Chapter 6 describes the construction of Solomon's Temple — the most significant building project in Israel's history. The opening verse anchors it chronologically: 480 years after the Exodus (approximately 966 BC), in Solomon's fourth year. This dating connects the Temple to the foundational event of Israel's identity — the deliverance from Egypt. The Temple replaces the tabernacle as God's dwelling place among His people. Its dimensions are exactly double those of the tabernacle (60 x 20 x 30 cubits vs. 30 x 10 x 15), signifying continuity with expansion. The building took seven years — a number of completion and perfection. The most remarkable construction detail is verse 7: no iron tool was heard at the building site. All stones were pre-cut at the quarry and assembled silently. This was not mere aesthetics — it reflected the holiness of the site. Iron tools were associated with warfare and violence; God's house was built in peace and silence. The chapter's theological center is God's word to Solomon mid-construction (vv.11-13): the building itself means nothing without obedience. God will dwell among Israel IF Solomon walks in His statutes. The Temple is not a guarantee of God's presence — it is a conditional dwelling.
The Temple Dimensions and Structure (vv.1-10): The Temple was relatively small by ancient standards — approximately 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high (using an 18-inch cubit). It was not designed for congregational worship (the people gathered in the courts) but as God's throne room — His earthly dwelling. The vestibule (porch) served as an entrance hall. Side chambers on three levels surrounded the main structure, used for storage of sacred vessels and treasures. The windows were "narrow lights" (KJV) — likely clerestory windows that admitted light while maintaining the building's fortress-like solidity. The construction method (v.7) is extraordinary: complete silence at the building site, with all cutting and shaping done at the quarry.
God's Word to Solomon (vv.11-13): In the midst of the construction narrative, God interrupts with a conditional promise. This is the theological heart of the chapter. The Temple's physical glory means nothing without spiritual obedience. "If thou wilt walk in my statutes... then will I perform my word with thee" (v.12). God's dwelling among Israel is not automatic — it depends on the king's faithfulness. "I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel" (v.13). The promise is glorious; the condition is sobering. Solomon will eventually fail this condition, and God will eventually depart from the Temple (Ezekiel 10:18-19).
The Interior: Gold, Cedar, and Cherubim (vv.14-38): The interior was entirely covered — cedar walls carved with gourds and flowers (no stone visible), cypress floors, and pure gold overlaying everything. The Most Holy Place (oracle/inner sanctuary) was a perfect cube: 20 x 20 x 20 cubits — the same proportions as the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:16). Two massive cherubim of olive wood, each 15 feet tall with 15-foot wingspans, stood in the Most Holy Place, their wings touching wall-to-wall and meeting in the center. They represented God's throne-guardians (cf. Genesis 3:24; Exodus 25:18-22). The carved decorations throughout — cherubim, palm trees, open flowers — evoked Eden, the original place of God's presence with humanity. The Temple was a symbolic restoration of paradise.

Map & Geography

  • Jerusalem is central — site of Solomon's Temple and royal palace; capital of the united kingdom, then of Judah (southern kingdom) after the division.
  • The kingdom divides after Solomon: Israel (north, capital eventually at Samaria) and Judah (south, capital Jerusalem).
  • Key locations: Gibeon (Solomon's dream, ch.3), Tyre (Hiram's city in Phoenicia, chs.5-7), Mount Carmel (Elijah vs. Baal prophets, ch.18), Zarephath (Sidonian widow, ch.17), Mount Horeb/Sinai (Elijah flees, ch.19), Ramoth-gilead (Ahab's death, ch.22).

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes the silence of construction (v.7) as a picture of how God builds His spiritual temple — the church. Each "living stone" (1 Peter 2:5) is shaped and prepared in the quarry of life experience, then fitted silently into place. He also notes that God's interruption (vv.11-13) reminds Solomon that the building is not the point — obedience is. A magnificent church building without faithful living is worthless.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "No hammer was heard in the Temple while it was building. The stones were shaped elsewhere and brought ready to their place. So it is with the living temple of God. We are shaped by trials, cut by afflictions, polished by discipline — all in the quarry of this present life. And when we are brought to our eternal place, we shall fit perfectly, silently, without force or violence. Every trial you endure is a chisel stroke preparing you for your place in God's eternal house."

Reflection

  • 1. God's house was built in silence (v.7). The shaping happened at the quarry; the assembly was peaceful. God often does His deepest work in us during quiet, hidden seasons — not in the dramatic public moments. The painful cutting and shaping happens in private. Trust the quarry seasons. You are being prepared for your place.
  • 2. Buildings mean nothing without obedience (vv.11-13). God interrupted the construction to remind Solomon: the Temple is not the point — faithfulness is. We can build impressive ministries, beautiful churches, successful programs — and miss God entirely if we neglect simple obedience. God's presence is not attracted by architecture but by faithfulness.
  • 3. God's ultimate desire is to dwell with His people (v.13). From Eden to the tabernacle to the Temple to the incarnation ("the Word became flesh and dwelt among us," John 1:14) to the New Jerusalem ("the tabernacle of God is with men," Revelation 21:3) — the entire biblical narrative is God pursuing proximity with humanity. He wants to be with you. That is the point of everything.
  • 4. The Temple evoked Eden (v.29). Cherubim, palm trees, flowers — the decorations recalled paradise. The Temple was a symbolic statement: what was lost in Genesis 3 is being restored. God's presence with humanity in a garden-like setting is the goal of redemption. Heaven is not escape from creation — it is creation restored.
  • 5. Seven years for God's house, thirteen for his own (v.38; 7:1). The text notes this without explicit condemnation, but the comparison invites self-examination. Where do we invest more time, resources, and attention — in God's purposes or our own comfort? The proportion of our investment reveals the proportion of our devotion.