Discovery Box1 Kings 7:9-12 
Context7:9 All of these were built with the best 1 stones, chiseled to the right size 2 and cut with a saw on all sides, 3 from the foundation to the edge of the roof 4 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. 5 7:11 Above the foundation 6 the best 7 stones, chiseled to the right size, 8 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. 9
1 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
2 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
3 tn Heb “inside and out.”
4 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.
5 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.
6 tn Heb “on top,” or “above.”
7 tn Or “valuable” (see 5:17).
8 tn Heb “according to the measurement of chiseled [stone].”
9 tn Or “the porch of the temple.”
