Discovery Box1 Kings 6:1--8:66 
Context6:1 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 1 (the second month), he began building the Lord’s temple. 6:2 The temple King Solomon built for the Lord was 90 feet 2 long, 30 feet 3 wide, and 45 feet 4 high. 6:3 The porch in front of the main hall of the temple was 30 feet 5 long, corresponding to the width of the temple. It was 15 feet 6 wide, extending out from the front of the temple. 6:4 He made framed windows for the temple. 6:5 He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and holy place and constructed side rooms in it. 7 6:6 The bottom floor of the extension was seven and a half feet 8 wide, the middle floor nine feet 9 wide, and the third floor ten and a half 10 feet wide. He made ledges 11 on the temple’s outer walls so the beams would not have to be inserted into the walls. 12 6:7 As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry 13 were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built. 6:8 The entrance to the bottom 14 level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up 15 to the middle floor and then on up to the third 16 floor. 6:9 He finished building the temple 17 and covered it 18 with rafters 19 and boards made of cedar. 20 6:10 He built an extension all around the temple; it was seven and a half feet high 21 and it was attached to the temple by cedar beams.
6:11 22 The Lord said 23 to Solomon: 6:12 “As for this temple you are building, if you follow 24 my rules, observe 25 my regulations, and obey all my commandments, 26 I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father David. 27 6:13 I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel.”
6:14 So Solomon finished building the temple. 28 6:15 He constructed the walls inside the temple with cedar planks; he paneled the inside with wood from the floor of the temple to the rafters 29 of the ceiling. He covered the temple floor with boards made from the wood of evergreens. 6:16 He 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. 30 He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters. 31 6:17 The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long. 32 6:18 The 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. 33
6:19 He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there. 6:20 The inner sanctuary was 30 feet 34 long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold, 35 as well as the cedar altar. 36 6:21 Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold. 37 He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary 38 with gold. 6:22 He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary. 39
6:23 In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubs of olive wood; each stood 15 feet 40 high. 6:24 Each of the first cherub’s wings was seven and a half feet long; its entire wingspan was 15 feet. 41 6:25 The second cherub also had a wingspan of 15 feet; it was identical to the first in measurements and shape. 42 6:26 Each cherub stood 15 feet high. 43 6:27 He put the cherubs in the inner sanctuary of the temple. 44 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. 45 6:28 He plated the cherubs with gold.
6:29 On all the walls around the temple, inside and out, 46 he carved 47 cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom. 6:30 He plated the floor of the temple with gold, inside and out. 48 6:31 He made doors of olive wood at the entrance to the inner sanctuary; the pillar on each doorpost was five-sided. 49 6:32 On the two doors made of olive wood he carved 50 cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom, and he plated them with gold. 51 He plated the cherubs and the palm trees with hammered gold. 52 6:33 In the same way he made doorposts of olive wood for the entrance to the main hall, only with four-sided pillars. 53 6:34 He also made 54 two doors out of wood from evergreens; each door had two folding leaves. 55 6:35 He carved cherubs, palm trees, and flowers in bloom and plated them with gold, leveled out over the carvings. 6:36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of chiseled stones and a row of cedar beams.
6:37 In the month Ziv 56 of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign 57 the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple. 6:38 In the eleventh year, in the month Bul 58 (the eighth month) the temple was completed in accordance with all its specifications and blueprints. It took seven years to build. 59
7:1 Solomon took thirteen years to build his palace. 60 7:2 He named 61 it “The Palace of the Lebanon Forest”; 62 it was 150 feet 63 long, 75 feet 64 wide, and 45 feet 65 high. It had four rows of cedar pillars and cedar beams above the pillars. 7:3 The roof above the beams supported by the pillars was also made of cedar; there were forty-five beams, fifteen per row. 7:4 There were three rows of windows arranged in sets of three. 66 7:5 All of the entrances 67 were rectangular in shape 68 and they were arranged in sets of three. 69 7:6 He made a colonnade 70 75 feet 71 long and 45 feet 72 wide. There was a porch in front of this and pillars and a roof in front of the porch. 73 7:7 He also made a throne room, called “The Hall of Judgment,” where he made judicial decisions. 74 It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters. 75 7:8 The palace where he lived was constructed in a similar way. 76 He also constructed a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married. 77 7:9 All of these were built with the best 78 stones, chiseled to the right size 79 and cut with a saw on all sides, 80 from the foundation to the edge of the roof 81 and from the outside to the great courtyard. 7:10 The foundation was made of large valuable stones, measuring either 15 feet or 12 feet. 82 7:11 Above the foundation 83 the best 84 stones, chiseled to the right size, 85 were used along with cedar. 7:12 Around the great courtyard were three rows of chiseled stones and one row of cedar beams, like the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and the hall of the palace. 86
7:13 King Solomon sent for Hiram 87 of Tyre. 88 7:14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, 89 and his father was a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. He had the skill and knowledge 90 to make all kinds of works of bronze. He reported to King Solomon and did all the work he was assigned.
7:15 He fashioned two bronze pillars; each pillar was 27 feet 91 high and 18 feet 92 in circumference. 7:16 He made two bronze tops for the pillars; each was seven-and-a-half feet high. 93 7:17 The latticework on the tops of the pillars was adorned with ornamental wreaths and chains; the top of each pillar had seven groupings of ornaments. 94 7:18 When he made the pillars, there were two rows of pomegranate-shaped ornaments around the latticework covering the top of each pillar. 95 7:19 The tops of the two pillars in the porch were shaped like lilies and were six feet high. 96 7:20 On the top of each pillar, right above the bulge beside the latticework, there were two hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments arranged in rows all the way around. 97 7:21 He set up the pillars on the porch in front of the main hall. He erected one pillar on the right 98 side and called it Jakin; 99 he erected the other pillar on the left 100 side and called it Boaz. 101 7:22 The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. So the construction of the pillars was completed.
7:23 He also made the large bronze basin called “The Sea.” 102 It measured 15 feet 103 from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood seven-and-a-half feet 104 high. Its circumference was 45 feet. 105 7:24 Under the rim all the way around it 106 were round ornaments 107 arranged in settings 15 feet long. 108 The ornaments were in two rows and had been cast with “The Sea.” 109 7:25 “The Sea” stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward. “The Sea” was placed on top of them, and they all faced outward. 110 7:26 It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold about 12,000 gallons. 111
7:27 He also made ten bronze movable stands. Each stand was six feet 112 long, six feet 113 wide, and four-and-a-half feet 114 high. 7:28 The stands were constructed with frames between the joints. 7:29 On these frames and joints were ornamental lions, bulls, and cherubs. Under the lions and bulls were decorative wreaths. 115 7:30 Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles and four supports. Under the basin the supports were fashioned on each side with wreaths. 116 7:31 Inside the stand was a round opening that was a foot-and-a-half deep; it had a support that was two and one-quarter feet long. 117 On the edge of the opening were carvings in square frames. 118 7:32 The four wheels were under the frames and the crossbars of the axles were connected to the stand. Each wheel was two and one-quarter feet 119 high. 7:33 The wheels were constructed like chariot wheels; their crossbars, rims, spokes, and hubs were made of cast metal. 7:34 Each stand had four supports, one per side projecting out from the stand. 120 7:35 On top of each stand was a round opening three-quarters of a foot deep; 121 there were also supports and frames on top of the stands. 7:36 He engraved ornamental cherubs, lions, and palm trees on the plates of the supports and frames wherever there was room, 122 with wreaths 123 all around. 7:37 He made the ten stands in this way. All of them were cast in one mold and were identical in measurements and shape.
7:38 He also made ten bronze basins, each of which could hold about 240 gallons. 124 Each basin was six feet in diameter; 125 there was one basin for each stand. 7:39 He put five basins on the south side of the temple and five on the north side. He put “The Sea” on the south side, in the southeast corner.
7:40 Hiram also made basins, shovels, and bowls. He 126 finished all the work on the Lord’s temple he had been assigned by King Solomon. 127 7:41 He made 128 the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars, the latticework for the bowl-shaped tops of the two pillars, 7:42 the four hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments for the latticework of the two pillars (each latticework had two rows of these ornaments at the bowl-shaped top of the pillar), 7:43 the ten movable stands with their ten basins, 7:44 the big bronze basin called “The Sea” with its twelve bulls underneath, 129 7:45 and the pots, shovels, and bowls. All these items King Solomon assigned Hiram to make for the Lord’s temple 130 were made from polished bronze. 7:46 The king had them cast in earth foundries 131 in the region of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. 7:47 Solomon left all these items unweighed; there were so many of them they did not weigh the bronze. 132
7:48 Solomon also made all these items for the Lord’s temple: the gold altar, the gold table on which was kept the Bread of the Presence, 133 7:49 the pure gold lampstands at the entrance to the inner sanctuary (five on the right and five on the left), the gold flower-shaped ornaments, lamps, and tongs, 7:50 the pure gold bowls, trimming shears, basins, pans, and censers, and the gold door sockets for the inner sanctuary (the most holy place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple. 7:51 When King Solomon finished constructing the Lord’s temple, he 134 put the holy items that belonged to his father David (the silver, gold, and other articles) in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.
8:1 135 Then Solomon convened in Jerusalem 136 Israel’s elders, all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families, so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the city of David (that is, Zion). 137 8:2 All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon during the festival 138 in the month Ethanim 139 (the seventh month). 8:3 When all Israel’s elders had arrived, the priests lifted the ark. 8:4 The priests and Levites carried the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, 140 and all the holy items in the tent. 141 8:5 Now King Solomon and all the Israelites who had assembled with him went on ahead of the ark and sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted or numbered. 142
8:6 The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its assigned 143 place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubs. 8:7 The cherubs’ wings extended over the place where the ark sat; the cherubs overshadowed the ark and its poles. 144 8:8 The poles were so long their ends were visible from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from beyond that point. 145 They have remained there to this very day. 8:9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets Moses had placed there in Horeb. 146 It was there that 147 the Lord made an agreement with the Israelites after he brought them out of the land of Egypt. 8:10 Once the priests left the holy place, a cloud filled the Lord’s temple. 8:11 The priests could not carry out their duties 148 because of the cloud; the Lord’s glory filled his temple. 149
8:12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness. 8:13 O Lord, 150 truly I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.” 8:14 Then the king turned around 151 and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there. 152 8:15 He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled 153 what he promised 154 my father David. 8:16 He told David, 155 ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. 156 But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’ 8:17 Now my father David had a strong desire 157 to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. 158 8:18 The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. 159 8:19 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’ 160 8:20 The Lord has kept the promise he made. 161 I have taken my father David’s place and have occupied the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for the honor 162 of the Lord God of Israel 8:21 and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with our ancestors 163 when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”
8:22 Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward the sky. 164 8:23 He prayed: 165 “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below! You maintain covenantal loyalty 166 to your servants who obey you with sincerity. 167 8:24 You have kept your word to your servant, my father David; 168 this very day you have fulfilled what you promised. 169 8:25 Now, O Lord, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David, when you said, ‘You will never fail to have a successor ruling before me on the throne of Israel, 170 provided that your descendants watch their step and serve me as you have done.’ 171 8:26 Now, O God of Israel, may the promise you made 172 to your servant, my father David, be realized. 173
8:27 “God does not really live on the earth! 174 Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built! 8:28 But respond favorably to 175 your servant’s prayer and his request for help, O Lord my God. Answer 176 the desperate prayer 177 your servant is presenting to you 178 today. 8:29 Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. 179 May you answer your servant’s prayer for this place. 180 8:30 Respond to the request of your servant and your people Israel for this place. 181 Hear from inside your heavenly dwelling place 182 and respond favorably. 183
8:31 “When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbor and the latter pronounces a curse on the alleged offender before your altar in this temple, be willing to forgive the accused if the accusation is false. 184 8:32 Listen from heaven and make a just decision about your servants’ claims. Condemn the guilty party, declare the other innocent, and give both of them what they deserve. 185
8:33 “The time will come when 186 your people Israel are defeated by an enemy 187 because they sinned against you. If they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you, 188 and pray for your help 189 in this temple, 8:34 then listen from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.
8:35 “The time will come when 190 the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people 191 sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, 192 and turn away from their sin because you punish 193 them, 8:36 then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly 194 you will then teach them the right way to live 195 and send rain on your land that you have given your people to possess. 196
8:37 “The time will come when the land suffers from a famine, a plague, blight and disease, or a locust 197 invasion, or when their enemy lays siege to the cities of the land, 198 or when some other type of plague or epidemic occurs. 8:38 When all your people Israel pray and ask for help, 199 as they acknowledge their pain 200 and spread out their hands toward this temple, 8:39 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place, forgive their sin, 201 and act favorably toward each one based on your evaluation of his motives. 202 (Indeed you are the only one who can correctly evaluate the motives of all people.) 203 8:40 Then they will obey 204 you throughout their lifetimes as 205 they live on the land you gave to our ancestors.
8:41 “Foreigners, who do not belong to your people Israel, will come from a distant land because of your reputation. 206 8:42 When they hear about your great reputation 207 and your ability to accomplish mighty deeds, 208 they will come and direct their prayers toward this temple. 8:43 Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and answer all the prayers of the foreigners. 209 Then all the nations of the earth will acknowledge your reputation, 210 obey 211 you like your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you. 212
8:44 “When you direct your people to march out and fight their enemies, 213 and they direct their prayers to the Lord 214 toward his chosen city and this temple I built for your honor, 215 8:45 then listen from heaven to their prayers for help 216 and vindicate them. 217
8:46 “The time will come when your people 218 will sin against you (for there is no one who is sinless!) and you will be angry with them and deliver them over to their enemies, who will take them as prisoners to their own land, 219 whether far away or close by. 8:47 When your people 220 come to their senses 221 in the land where they are held prisoner, they will repent and beg for your mercy in the land of their imprisonment, admitting, ‘We have sinned and gone astray; 222 we have done evil.’ 8:48 When they return to you with all their heart and being 223 in the land where they are held prisoner, 224 and direct their prayers to you toward the land you gave to their ancestors, your chosen city, and the temple I built for your honor, 225 8:49 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place to their prayers for help 226 and vindicate them. 227 8:50 Forgive all the rebellious acts of your sinful people and cause their captors to have mercy on them. 228 8:51 After all, 229 they are your people and your special possession 230 whom you brought out of Egypt, from the middle of the iron-smelting furnace. 231
8:52 “May you be attentive 232 to your servant’s and your people Israel’s requests for help and may you respond to all their prayers to you. 233 8:53 After all, 234 you picked them out of all the nations of the earth to be your special possession, 235 just as you, O sovereign Lord, announced through your servant Moses when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”
8:54 When Solomon finished presenting all these prayers and requests to the Lord, he got up from before the altar of the Lord where he had kneeled and spread out his hands toward the sky. 236 8:55 When he stood up, he pronounced a blessing over the entire assembly of Israel, saying in a loud voice: 8:56 “The Lord is worthy of praise because he has made Israel his people secure 237 just as he promised! Not one of all the faithful promises he made through his servant Moses is left unfulfilled! 238 8:57 May the Lord our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors. May he not abandon us or leave us. 8:58 May he make us submissive, 239 so we can follow all his instructions 240 and obey 241 the commandments, rules, and regulations he commanded our ancestors. 8:59 May the Lord our God be constantly aware of these requests of mine I have presented to him, 242 so that he might vindicate 243 his servant and his people Israel as the need arises. 8:60 Then 244 all the nations of the earth will recognize that the Lord is the only genuine God. 245 8:61 May you demonstrate wholehearted devotion to the Lord our God 246 by following 247 his rules and obeying 248 his commandments, as you are presently doing.” 249
8:62 The king and all Israel with him were presenting sacrifices to the Lord. 8:63 Solomon offered as peace offerings 250 to the Lord 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. Then the king and all the Israelites dedicated the Lord’s temple. 8:64 That day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that is in front of the Lord’s temple. He offered there burnt sacrifices, grain offerings, and the fat from the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that stood before the Lord was too small to hold all these offerings. 251 8:65 At that time Solomon and all Israel with him celebrated a festival before the Lord our God for two entire weeks. This great assembly included people from all over the land, from Lebo Hamath in the north to the Brook of Egypt 252 in the south. 253 8:66 On the fifteenth day after the festival started, 254 he dismissed the people. They asked God to empower the king 255 and then went to their homes, happy and content 256 because of all the good the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.
1 sn During the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966
2 tn Heb “sixty cubits.” A cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm. Measurements in vv. 2-10 have been converted to feet in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
4 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
5 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
6 tn Heb “ten cubits.”
7 tn Heb “and he built on the wall of the temple an extension all around, the walls of the temple all around, for the main hall and for the holy place, and he made side rooms all around.”
8 tn Heb “five cubits.”
9 tn Heb “six cubits.”
10 tn Heb “seven cubits.”
11 tn Or “offsets” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “offset ledges.”
12 tn Heb “so that [the beams] would not have a hold in the walls of the temple.”
13 tn Heb “finished stone of the quarry,” i.e., stones chiseled and shaped at the time they were taken out of the quarry.
14 tc The Hebrew text has “middle,” but the remainder of the verse suggests this is an error.
15 tn Heb “by stairs they went up.” The word translated “stairs” occurs only here. Other options are “trapdoors” or “ladders.”
16 tc The translation reads with a few medieval Hebrew
17 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
18 tn Heb “the house.”
19 tn The word occurs only here; the precise meaning is uncertain.
20 tn Heb “and rows with cedar wood.”
21 tn Heb “five cubits.” This must refer to the height of each floor or room.
22 tc The LXX lacks vv. 11-14.
23 tn Heb “the word of the
24 tn Heb “walk in.”
25 tn Heb “do.”
26 tn Heb “and keep all my commandments by walking in them.”
27 tn Heb “I will establish my word with you which I spoke to David your father.”
28 tn Heb “ built the house and completed it.”
29 tc The MT reads קִירוֹת (qirot, “walls”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
30 tn Heb “He built twenty cubits from the rear areas of the temple with cedar planks from the floor to the walls, and he built it on the inside for an inner sanctuary, for a holy place of holy places.”
31 tc The MT has קְלָעִים (qÿla’im, “curtains”), but this should be emended to קוֹרוֹת (qorot, “rafters”). See BDB 900 s.v. קוֹרָה.
32 tn Heb “and the house was forty cubits, that is, the main hall before it.”
33 tn Heb “Cedar was inside the temple, carvings of gourds (i.e., gourd-shaped ornaments) and opened flowers; the whole was cedar, no stone was seen.”
34 tn Heb “twenty cubits” (this measurement occurs three times in this verse).
35 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
36 tn Heb “he plated [the] altar of cedar.”
37 tn Heb “with plated gold” (or perhaps, “with pure gold”).
38 tn Heb “it.”
39 tn Heb “all the temple he plated with gold until all the temple was finished; and the whole altar which was in the inner sanctuary he plated with gold.”
40 tn Heb “ten cubits” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
41 tn Heb “The first wing of the [one] cherub was five cubits, and the second wing of the cherub was five cubits, ten cubits from the tips of his wings to the tips of his wings.”
42 tn Heb “and the second cherub was ten cubits, the two cherubs had one measurement and one shape.”
43 tn Heb “the height of the first cherub was ten cubits; and so was the second cherub.”
44 tn Heb “in the midst of the inner house,” i.e., in the inner sanctuary.
45 tn Heb “and their wings were in the middle of the room, touching wing to wing.”
46 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
47 tn Heb “carved engravings of carvings.”
48 sn Inside and out probably refers to the inner and outer rooms within the building.
49 tn Heb “the pillar, doorposts, a fifth part” (the precise meaning of this description is uncertain).
50 tn Heb “carved carvings of.”
51 tn Heb “he plated [with] gold” (the precise object is not stated).
52 tn Heb “and he hammered out the gold on the cherubs and the palm trees.”
53 tn Heb “and so he did at the entrance of the main hall, doorposts of olive wood, from a fourth.”
54 tn The words “he also made” are added for stylistic reasons.
55 tc Heb “two of the leaves of the first door were folding, and two of the leaves of the second door were folding.” In the second half of the description, the MT has קְלָעִים (qÿla’im, “curtains”), but this is surely a corruption of צְלָעִים (tsÿla’im, “leaves”) which appears in the first half of the statement.
56 sn In the month Ziv. This would be April-May, 966
57 tn The words “of Solomon’s reign” are added for clarification. See v. 1.
58 sn In the month Bul. This would be October-November 959
59 tn Heb “he built it in seven years.”
60 tn Heb “His house Solomon built in thirteen years and he completed all his house.”
61 tn Heb “he built.”
62 sn The Palace of the Lebanon Forest. This name was appropriate because of the large amount of cedar, undoubtedly brought from Lebanon, used in its construction. The cedar pillars in the palace must have given it the appearance of a forest.
63 tn Heb “one hundred cubits.”
64 tn Heb “fifty cubits.”
65 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
66 tn Heb “and framed [windows in] three rows, and opening to opening three times.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain. Another option might be, “overhung [in] three rows.” This might mean they were positioned high on the walls.
67 tn Heb “all of the doors and doorposts.”
68 sn Rectangular in shape. That is, rather than arched.
69 tn Heb “and all the entrances and the doorposts [had] four frames, and in front of opening to opening three times” (the precise meaning of the description is uncertain).
70 tn Heb “a porch of pillars.”
71 tn Heb “fifty cubits.”
72 tn Heb “thirty cubits.”
73 tn Heb “and a porch was in front of them (i.e., the aforementioned pillars) and pillars and a roof in front of them (i.e., the aforementioned pillars and porch).” The precise meaning of the term translated “roof” is uncertain; it occurs only here and in Ezek 41:25-26.
74 tn Heb “and a porch for the throne, where he was making judicial decisions, the Porch of Judgment, he made.”
75 tc The Hebrew text reads, “from the floor to the floor.” The second occurrence of the term הַקַּרְקָע (haqqarqa’, “the floor”) is probably an error; one should emend to הַקּוֹרוֹת (haqqorot, “the rafters”). See 6:16.
76 tn Heb “and his house where he lived, the other court [i.e., as opposed to the great court], separated from the house belonging to the hall, was like this work [i.e., this style of architecture].”
77 tn Heb “and a house he was making for the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Solomon had taken, like this porch.”
78 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
79 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
80 tn Heb “inside and out.”
81 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word טְפָחוֹת (tÿfakhot) is uncertain, but it is clear that the referent stands in opposition to the foundation.
82 tn Heb “stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits” (it is unclear exactly what dimension is being measured). If both numbers refer to the length of the stones (cf. NCV, CEV, NLT), then perhaps stones of two different sizes were used in some alternating pattern.
83 tn Heb “on top,” or “above.”
84 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
85 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
86 tn Or “the porch of the temple.”
87 tn Heb “King Solomon sent and took Hiram from Tyre.” In 2 Chr 2:13 (MT v. 12) and 4:11, 16 his name is spelled “Huram.”
88 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
89 tn 2 Chr 2:14 (13 HT) says “from the daughters of Dan.”
90 tn Heb “he was filled with the skill, understanding, and knowledge.”
91 tn Heb “eighteen cubits.”
92 tn Heb “twelve cubits.”
93 tn Heb “two capitals he made to place on the tops of the pillars, cast in bronze; five cubits was the height of the first capital, and five cubits was the height of the second capital.”
94 tn Heb “there were seven for the first capital, and seven for the second capital.”
95 tn Heb “he made the pillars, and two rows surrounding one latticework to cover the capitals which were on top of the pomegranates, and so he did for the second latticework.” The translation supplies “pomegranates” after “two rows,” and understands “pillars,” rather than “pomegranates,” to be the correct reading after “on top of.” The latter change finds support from many Hebrew
96 tn Heb “the capitals which were on the top of the pillars were the work of lilies, in the porch, four cubits.” It is unclear exactly what dimension is being measured.
97 tn Heb “and the capitals on the two pillars, also above, close beside the bulge which was beside the latticework, two hundred pomegranates in rows around, on the second capital.” The precise meaning of the word translated “bulge” is uncertain.
98 tn Or “south.”
99 sn The name Jakin appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”
100 tn Or “north.”
101 sn The meaning of the name Boaz is uncertain. For various proposals, see BDB 126-27 s.v. בעז. One attractive option is to revocalize the name as בְּעֹז (be’oz, “in strength”) and to understand it as completing the verbal form on the first pillar. Taking the words together and reading from right to left, one can translate the sentence, “he establishes [it] in strength.”
102 tn Heb “He made the sea, cast.”
sn This large basin that was mounted on twelve bronze bulls and contained water for the priests to bathe themselves (2 Chr 4:6; cf. Exod 30:17-21).
103 tn Heb “ten cubits.”
104 tn Heb “five cubits.”
105 tn Heb “and a measuring line went around it thirty cubits all around.”
106 tn Heb “The Sea.” The proper noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“it”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
107 tn Or “gourd-shaped ornaments.”
108 tn Heb “ten cubits surrounding the sea all around.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain.
109 tn Heb “the gourd-shaped ornaments were in two rows, cast in its casting.”
110 tn Heb “all their hindquarters were toward the inside.”
111 tn Heb “two thousand baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
112 tn Heb “four cubits.”
113 tn Heb “four cubits.”
114 tn Heb “three cubits.”
115 tn The precise meaning of these final words is uncertain. A possible literal translation would be, “wreaths, the work of descent.”
116 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
117 tn Heb “And its opening from the inside to the top and upwards [was] a cubit, and its opening was round, the work of a stand, a cubit-and-a-half.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain.
118 tn Heb “also over its opening were carvings and their frames [were] squared, not round.”
119 tn Heb “a cubit-and-a-half” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
120 tn Heb “four shoulders to the four sides of each stand, from the stand its shoulders.” The precise meaning of the description is uncertain.
121 tn Heb “and on top of the stand, a half cubit [in] height, round all around” (the meaning of this description is uncertain).
122 tn Heb “according to the space of each.”
123 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
124 tn Heb “forty baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
125 tn Heb “four cubits, each basin.” It is unclear which dimension is being measured.
126 tn Heb “Hiram.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
127 tn Heb “Hiram finished doing all the work which he did for King Solomon [on] the house of the
128 tn The words “he made” are added for stylistic reasons.
129 tn Heb “underneath ‘The Sea.’”
130 tn Heb “which Hiram made for King Solomon [for] the house of the
131 tn Or perhaps, “molds.”
132 tn Heb “Solomon left all the items, due to their very great abundance; the weight of the bronze was not sought.”
133 tn Heb “the bread of the face [or presence].” Many recent English versions employ “the bread of the Presence,” although this does not convey much to the modern reader.
sn This bread was viewed as a perpetual offering to God and was regarded as holy. See Lev 24:5-9.
134 tn Heb “Solomon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
135 tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words at the beginning of ch. 8: “It so happened that when Solomon finished building the Lord’s temple and his own house, after twenty years.”
136 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
137 tn Heb “Then Solomon convened the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers belonging to the sons of Israel to King Solomon [in] Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the
138 sn The festival. This was the Feast of Tabernacles, see Lev 23:34.
139 sn The month Ethanim. This would be September-October in modern reckoning.
140 tn Heb “the tent of assembly.”
sn The tent of meeting. See Exod 33:7-11.
141 tn Heb “and they carried the ark of the
142 tn Heb “And King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel, those who had been gathered to him, [were] before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle which could not be counted or numbered because of the abundance.”
143 tn The word “assigned” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
144 sn And its poles. These poles were used to carry the ark. See Exod 25:13-15.
145 tn Heb “they could not be seen outside.”
146 sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.
147 tn Heb “in Horeb where.”
148 tn Heb “were not able to stand to serve.”
149 tn Heb “the house of the
150 tn The words “O
151 tn Heb “turned his face.”
152 tn Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”
153 tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his hand.”
154 tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his mouth.”
155 tn Heb “saying.”
156 tn Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.”
sn To build a temple in which to live (Heb “to build a house for my name to be there”). In the OT, the word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the
157 tn Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father.”
158 tn Heb “to build a house for the name of the
159 tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”
160 tn Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”
161 tn Heb “his word that he spoke.”
162 tn Heb “name.”
163 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 34, 40, 48, 53, 57, 58).
164 tn Or “heaven.”
165 tn Heb “said.”
166 tn Heb “one who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys.
167 tn Heb “who walk before you with all their heart.”
168 tn Heb “[you] who kept to your servant David my father that which you spoke to him.”
169 tn Heb “you spoke by your mouth and by your hand you fulfilled, as this day.”
170 tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from before me sitting on the throne of Israel.”
171 tn Heb “guard their way by walking before me as you have walked before me.”
172 tn Heb “the words that you spoke.”
173 tn Or “prove to be reliable.”
174 tn Heb “Indeed, can God really live on the earth?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not,” the force of which the translation above seeks to reflect.
175 tn Heb “turn to.”
176 tn Heb “by listening to.”
177 tn Heb “the loud cry and the prayer.”
178 tn Heb “praying before you.”
179 tn Heb “so your eyes might be open toward this house night and day, toward the place about which you said, ‘My name will be there.’”
180 tn Heb “by listening to the prayer which your servant is praying concerning this place.”
181 tn Heb “listen to the request of your servant and your people Israel which they are praying concerning this place.”
182 tn Heb “and you, hear inside your dwelling place, inside heaven.” The precise nuance of the preposition אֶל (’el), used here with the verb “hear,” is unclear. One expects the preposition “from,” which appears in the parallel text in 2 Chr 6:21. The nuance “inside; among” is attested for אֶל (see Gen 23:19; 1 Sam 10:22; Jer 4:3), but in each case a verb of motion is employed with the preposition, unlike 1 Kgs 8:30. The translation above (“from inside”) is based on the demands of the immediate context rather than attested usage elsewhere.
183 tn Heb “hear and forgive.”
184 tn Heb “and forgive the man who sins against his neighbor when one takes up against him a curse to curse him and the curse comes before your altar in this house.” In the Hebrew text the words “and forgive” conclude v. 30, but the accusative sign at the beginning of v. 31 suggests the verb actually goes with what follows in v. 31. The parallel text in 2 Chr 6:22 begins with “and if,” rather than the accusative sign. In this case “forgive” must be taken with what precedes, and v. 31 must be taken as the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, with v. 32 being the apodosis (“then” clause) that completes the sentence.
sn Be willing to forgive the accused if the accusation is false. At first it appears that Solomon is asking God to forgive the guilty party. But in v. 32 Solomon asks the
185 tn Heb “and you, hear [from] heaven and act and judge your servants by declaring the guilty to be guilty, to give his way on his head, and to declare the innocent to be innocent, to give to him according to his innocence.”
186 tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 33-34 actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
187 tn Or “are struck down before an enemy.”
188 tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”
189 tn Heb “and they pray and ask for help.”
190 tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 35-36a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
191 tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
192 tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”
193 tn The Hebrew text has “because you answer them,” as if the verb is from עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”). However, this reference to a divine answer is premature, since the next verse asks for God to intervene in mercy. It is better to revocalize the consonantal text as תְעַנֵּם (tÿ’annem, “you afflict them”), a Piel verb form from the homonym עָנָה (“to afflict”).
194 tn The translation understands כִּי (ki) in an emphatic or asseverative sense.
195 tn Heb “the good way in which they should walk.”
196 tn Or “for an inheritance.”
197 tn Actually two Hebrew terms appear here, both of which are usually taken as referring to locusts. Perhaps different stages of growth or different varieties are in view.
198 tn Heb “in the land, his gates.”
199 tn Heb “every prayer, every request for help which will be to all the people, to all your people Israel.”
200 tn Heb “which they know, each the pain of his heart.”
201 tn The words “their sin” are added for clarification.
202 tn Heb “and act and give to each one according to all his ways because you know his heart.” In the Hebrew text vv. 37-39a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided up for stylistic reasons.
203 tn Heb “Indeed you know, you alone, the heart of all the sons of mankind.”
204 tn Heb “fear.”
205 tn Heb “all the days [in] which.”
206 tn Heb “your name.” In the OT the word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the
207 tn Heb “your great name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in the previous verse.
208 tn Heb “and your strong hand and your outstretched arm.”
209 tn Heb “and do all which the foreigner calls to [i.e., “requests of”] you.”
210 tn Heb “your name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in v. 41.
211 tn Heb “fear.”
212 tn Heb “that your name is called over this house which I built.” The Hebrew idiom “to call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28.
213 tn Heb “When your people go out for battle against their enemies in the way which you send them.”
214 tn Or perhaps “to you, O
215 tn Heb “your name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in v. 41.
216 tn Heb “their prayer and their request for help.”
217 tn Heb “and accomplish their justice.”
218 tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
219 tn Heb “the land of the enemy.”
220 tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
221 tn Or “stop and reflect”; Heb “bring back to their heart.”
222 tn Or “done wrong.”
223 tn Or “soul.”
224 tn Heb “in the land of their enemies.”
225 tn Heb “your name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in v. 41.
226 tn Heb “their prayer and their request for help.”
227 tn Heb “and accomplish their justice.”
228 tn Heb “and forgive your people who have sinned against you, [forgive] all their rebellious acts by which they rebelled against you, and grant them mercy before their captors so they will show them mercy.”
229 tn Or “for.”
230 tn Heb “inheritance.”
231 tn The Hebrew term כּוּר (kur, “furnace,” cf. Akkadian ku„ru) is a metaphor for the intense heat of purification. A כּוּר was not a source of heat but a crucible (“iron-smelting furnace”) in which precious metals were melted down and their impurities burned away (see I. Cornelius, NIDOTTE 2:618-19). Thus Egypt served not as a place of punishment for the Israelites, but as a place of refinement to bring Israel to a place of submission to divine sovereignty.
sn From the middle of the iron-smelting furnace. The metaphor of a furnace suggests fire and heat and is an apt image to remind the people of the suffering they endured while slaves in Egypt.
232 tn Heb “May your eyes be open.”
233 tn Heb “to listen to them in all their calling out to you.”
234 tn Or “For.”
235 tn Heb “your inheritance.”
236 tn Or “toward heaven.”
237 tn Heb “he has given a resting place to his people Israel.”
238 tn Heb “not one word from his entire good word he spoke by Moses his servant has fallen.”
239 tn Heb “to bend our hearts toward him.” The infinitive is subordinate to the initial prayer, “may the
240 tn Heb “to walk in all his ways.”
241 tn Heb “keep.”
242 tn Heb “May these words of mine, which I have requested before the
243 tn Heb “accomplish the justice of.”
244 tn Heb “so that.”
245 tn Heb “the
246 tn Heb “may your hearts be complete with the
247 tn Heb “walking in.”
248 tn Heb “keeping.”
249 tn Heb “as this day.”
250 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
251 tn Heb “to hold the burnt sacrifices, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.”
252 tn Or “the Wadi of Egypt” (NAB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “the Egyptian Gorge.”
253 tn Heb “Solomon held at that time the festival, and all Israel was with him, a great assembly from Lebo Hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the
254 tn Heb “on the eighth day” (that is, the day after the second seven-day sequence).
255 tn Heb “they blessed the king.”
256 tn Heb “good of heart.”
