Chapter Text
Solomon Builds the Temple
And 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.
The LORD's Promise
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.
The Inner Sanctuary
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.
Summary
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Exodus, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign, construction of the temple begins. The chapter provides detailed dimensions: sixty cubits long, twenty wide, and thirty high, with a porch, side chambers, and an inner sanctuary for the Holy of Holies.
The temple is built of pre-cut stone, with no sound of hammer or tool heard during construction. God speaks to Solomon, promising to dwell among His people if they keep His commandments. The interior is lined entirely with cedar, carved with cherubim, palm trees, and flowers, and overlaid with gold.
Meaning
The silence of construction, with all stones shaped at the quarry, speaks to the reverence appropriate in building God's dwelling place. This detail also symbolizes the spiritual truth that believers are shaped and prepared by God before being fitted into His temple.
God's conditional promise embedded within the construction narrative is a sobering reminder that even the most magnificent structure cannot guarantee divine presence. God's dwelling among His people depends not on architectural splendor but on covenant faithfulness.
Background
The four hundred and eightieth year places the Exodus at approximately 1446 BC, though scholars debate this dating. The temple's dimensions were exactly double those of the tabernacle, maintaining continuity with Mosaic worship.
Construction began in Solomon's fourth year, approximately 966 BC, and took seven years to complete.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-10The Temple's Dimensions and Outer Structure
- vv. 11-13God's Word of Covenant to Solomon
- vv. 14-18Cedar Paneling of the Interior
- vv. 19-22The Oracle Overlaid with Pure Gold
- vv. 23-28The Cherubim of Olive Wood
- vv. 29-36Carved Walls, Doors, and Inner Court
- vv. 37-38Seven Years to Completion
Key Verses
“And 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.”— 6:1
This verse provides one of the most precise chronological anchors in the Old Testament, linking the Exodus to Solomon's temple and serving as a foundational reference for biblical dating.
“And 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.”— 6:7
The silent construction of the temple has long been celebrated as a picture of reverence and orderly worship, and is often cited as a symbol of God's people being prepared elsewhere before being fitted into His spiritual house.
“Concerning 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:”— 6:12
God reminds Solomon that the temple's significance depends not on its splendor but on covenant obedience, echoing the Davidic promise of 2 Samuel 7.
“And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”— 6:13
This promise of divine indwelling anticipates the Shekinah glory that will fill the temple and ultimately points forward to God dwelling with His people in Christ and the Church.
People & Places
People
- Solomon — Son of David and king of Israel, the builder of the first temple in Jerusalem.
- David — Solomon's father, to whom God's covenant promise concerning the house was first given.
Places
- Egypt — The land of Israel's bondage, referenced as the chronological starting point for dating the temple's construction.
- Israel — The covenant nation over which Solomon reigned and among whom the LORD promised to dwell.
- The house of the LORD (Temple) — The sanctuary built in Jerusalem to house the ark of the covenant and serve as the central place of worship.
- The oracle (Most Holy Place) — The innermost sanctuary of the temple, overlaid with pure gold, where the ark was to be placed beneath the wings of the cherubim.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Verses 11-13 record the word of the LORD reaffirming the Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7, conditioning the blessing on Solomon's covenant faithfulness while promising God's dwelling among His people. The temple itself is a typological foreshadowing: its silent construction (v.7), gold-covered Most Holy Place (vv.20-22), and cherubim (vv.23-28) anticipate the heavenly sanctuary described in Hebrews 9 and the ultimate dwelling of God with man in Christ (John 1:14) and the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3, 22).
Devotional
There is something arresting about a temple built in silence — stones shaped far from the site, fitted together without the clang of iron. God's work in us often follows the same pattern: the shaping happens in hidden seasons, long before we are set into the place He has prepared.
Notice too that in the middle of construction, the LORD interrupts with a word about obedience. Beautiful buildings and impressive achievements mean little without a heart that walks in His ways. What God most desires is not our craftsmanship but our company — to dwell among His people and not forsake them.
Literary Style
Historical narrative with detailed architectural description, rich in technical vocabulary, measurements, and materials. The chapter is framed by precise chronological markers (vv.1, 37-38) and interrupted by a brief prophetic oracle (vv.11-13), giving the construction account theological weight.