The Second Book of the Chronicles

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

(1 Kings 6:1–4)

And Solomon began to build the house of the Lord, in Jerusalem on mount Moriah, as it had been shown to David his father, at the place which David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Now he began to build in the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

And these are the foundations, which Solomon set forth so that he might build the house of God: the length in cubits by the first measure sixty, the width in cubits twenty.(a)

Truly, at the front, the portico, which was extended in length according to the measure of the width of the house, was of twenty cubits. Then the height was of one hundred twenty cubits. And he overlaid it on the interior with the purest gold.

The Temple’s Interior

(1 Kings 6:14–22)

Also, he covered the greater house with wooden panels of spruce, and he affixed layers of refined gold through it all. And he engraved in them palm trees, and the likeness of little chains interlaced with one another.

Also, he paved the floor of the temple with the most precious marble, of great beauty.

Now the gold, with which he covered in layers the house and its beams and posts and walls and doors, was highly refined. And he engraved cherubim on the walls.

Also, he made the house of the Holy of Holies. Its length, in accord with the width of the temple, was of twenty cubits. And its width, similarly, was of twenty cubits. And he covered it with layers of gold, of about six hundred talents.

Then he also made nails of gold, such that each nail weighed fifty shekels. Also, he covered the upper rooms in gold.

The Cherubim

(1 Kings 6:23–30)

Now he also made, in the house of the Holy of Holies, two cherubim as a work of statues. And he covered them with gold.

The wings of the cherubim extended for twenty cubits, such that one wing had five cubits and it touched the wall of the house, and the other, having five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub.

Similarly, the wing of the other cherub was five cubits, and it touched the wall, and his other wing of five cubits also touched the wing of the other cherub.

And so the wings of both cherubim were stretched out and extended for twenty cubits. Now they were standing upright on their feet, and their faces were turned toward the exterior house.

The Veil and Pillars

(1 Kings 7:13–22)

Also, he made a veil from hyacinth, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. And he wove within it cherubim.

And also, before the doors of the temple, there were two pillars, having a height of thirty-five cubits. But their heads were of five cubits.

Then too, there were something like little chains on the oracle, and he placed these upon the heads of the pillars. And there were one hundred pomegranates, which he placed between the little chains.

Also, he placed these pillars in the vestibule of the temple, one to the right, and the other to the left. The one that was on the right, he called Jachin; and the one that was on the left, Boaz.

Footnotes

(a)3:3 This measure of cubits is probably the royal cubit which was one palm width longer than the standard cubit.(Conte)

(1 Kings 6:1–4)

Then Solomon began to build the LORD’s house at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared to David his father, which he prepared in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

He began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of God’s house: the length by cubits(a) after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits.

The porch that was in front, its length, across the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

The Temple’s Interior

(1 Kings 6:14–22)

He made the larger room with a ceiling of cypress wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains.

He decorated the house with precious stones for beauty. The gold was gold from Parvaim.

He also overlaid the house, the beams, the thresholds, its walls, and its doors with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls.

He made the most holy place. Its length, according to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.(b)

The weight of the nails was fifty shekels

(c)

of gold. He overlaid the upper rooms with gold.

The Cherubim

(1 Kings 6:23–30)

In the most holy place he made two cherubim by carving, and they overlaid them with gold.

The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.

The wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, joining to the wing of the other cherub.

The wings of these cherubim spread themselves out twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house.

The Veil and Pillars

(1 Kings 7:13–22)

He made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim.

Also he made before the house two pillars thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

He made chains in the inner sanctuary, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.

He set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

Footnotes

(a)3:3 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

(b)3:8 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 600 talents is about 18 metric tons

(c)3:9 A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 50 shekels was about 0.5 kilograms or about 16 Troy ounces.