Solomon’s Palace

Now (A)Solomon built his own house over the course of thirteen years, and he finished all of his house. (B)He built the house of the timber from Lebanon; its length was [a]a hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars. And it was paneled with cedar above the side chambers which were on the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. There were artistic window frames in three rows, and window was opposite window at three [b]intervals. And all the doorways and doorposts had squared artistic frames, and window was opposite window at three [c]intervals.

Then he made (C)the hall of pillars; its length was [d]fifty cubits and its width thirty cubits, and a porch was in front of them and pillars and a (D)threshold in front of them.

And he made the hall of the (E)throne where he was to judge, the hall of judgment, and (F)it was paneled with cedar from floor to floor.

And his house where he was to live, the other courtyard inward from the hall, was of this same workmanship. (G)He also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, (H)whom Solomon had married.

All of these were made of valuable stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the [e]coping, and from the outside to the large courtyard.

10 And the foundation was of valuable stones, large stones, stones of [f]ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 11 And above were valuable stones, cut according to measure, and cedar. 12 So (I)the large courtyard all around had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams as well as the inner courtyard of the house of the Lord, and (J)the porch of the house.

Hiram’s Work in the Temple

13 Now (K)King Solomon sent word and had Hiram brought from Tyre. 14 (L)He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, an artisan in bronze; and (M)he was filled with wisdom, skill, and knowledge for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and (N)performed all his work.

15 He fashioned (O)the two pillars of bronze; [g](P)eighteen cubits was the height of [h]each pillar, and a line of [i]twelve cubits [j]measured the circumference of both. 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to put on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was [k]five cubits and the height of the other capital was [l]five cubits. 17 There were lattices of latticework and wreaths of chainwork for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars, and two rows around on the one lattice to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and so he did for the other capital. 19 The capitals which were on the tops of the pillars in the porch were of lily design, four cubits. 20 So there were capitals on the two pillars, also above and close to the [m]rounded projection which was beside the lattice; and (Q)the pomegranates totaled two hundred in rows around [n]both capitals. 21 (R)And he set up the pillars at the (S)porch of the [o]main room: he set up the right pillar and named it [p]Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it [q]Boaz. 22 On the top of the pillars was the lily design. So the work of the pillars was finished.

23 (T)He also he made the [r]Sea of (U)cast metal [s]ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in shape, and its height was five cubits, and [t]it was [u]thirty cubits in circumference. 24 Under its brim (V)gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, (W)completely surrounding the Sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast [v]with the rest. 25 (X)It was standing on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the Sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward. 26 And it was a [w]hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it could hold [x]two thousand baths.

27 Then (Y)he made the ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was [y]four cubits, its width four cubits, and its height was three cubits. 28 This was the design of the stands: they had borders, that is, borders between the crossbars, 29 and on the borders which were between the crossbars were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the crossbars there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 30 Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports; beneath the basin were cast supports with wreaths at each side. 31 And its opening inside the crown at the top was a [z]cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and on its opening also there were engravings, and their borders were square, not round. 32 The four wheels were underneath the borders, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. 34 Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; its supports were part of the stand itself. 35 And on the top of the stand there was a circular form [aa]half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its [ab]stays and its borders were part of it. 36 And he engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders cherubim, lions, and palm trees, as there was clear space on each, with wreaths all around. 37 (Z)He made the ten stands like this: all of them had the [ac]same casting, [ad]same measure, and [ae]same form.

38 (AA)And he made ten basins of bronze, [af]each holding [ag]forty baths; each basin was [ah]four cubits, and on each of the ten stands was one basin. 39 Then he placed the stands, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house; and he set the [ai]Sea of cast metal on the right side of the house eastward toward the south.

40 Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of the Lord: 41 the two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the (AB)two pillars, and the two lattices to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; 42 and the (AC)four hundred pomegranates for the two lattices, two rows of pomegranates for each lattice to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars; 43 and the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands; 44 and (AD)the one [aj]Sea and the twelve oxen under the Sea; 45 and (AE)the buckets, the shovels, and the bowls; indeed, all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the Lord were of polished bronze. 46 (AF)The king had them cast in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between (AG)Succoth and (AH)Zarethan. 47 However, Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because they were too many; (AI)the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

48 Solomon also made all the furniture that was in the house of the Lord: (AJ)the golden altar and the golden table on which was set the (AK)bread of the Presence; 49 and the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary; and (AL)the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50 also the cups, the [ak]shears, the bowls, the ladles, and the (AM)firepans, of pure gold; and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the house, that is, for the main room, of gold.

51 (AN)So all the work that King Solomon performed in the house of the Lord was finished. And (AO)Solomon brought in the offerings vowed by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:2 About 150 ft. long, 75 wide, and 45 high or 46 m long, 23 wide, and 14 high;
  2. 1 Kings 7:4 Lit paces
  3. 1 Kings 7:5 Lit paces
  4. 1 Kings 7:6 About 75 ft. long and 45 ft. wide or 23 m long and 7 m wide
  5. 1 Kings 7:9 I.e., top sloping course of stone
  6. 1 Kings 7:10 About 15 and 12 ft. or 4.5 and 3.7 m
  7. 1 Kings 7:15 About 27 ft. or 8 m
  8. 1 Kings 7:15 Lit the one
  9. 1 Kings 7:15 About 18 ft. or 5.5 m
  10. 1 Kings 7:15 Lit went around the other pillar
  11. 1 Kings 7:16 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
  12. 1 Kings 7:16 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
  13. 1 Kings 7:20 Lit belly
  14. 1 Kings 7:20 Lit on the other capital
  15. 1 Kings 7:21 Lit sanctuary
  16. 1 Kings 7:21 I.e., he shall establish
  17. 1 Kings 7:21 I.e., in it is strength
  18. 1 Kings 7:23 I.e., large basin
  19. 1 Kings 7:23 About 15 ft. in diameter and 7.5 ft. high or 4.6 m and 2.3 m high
  20. 1 Kings 7:23 Lit a line of 30 cubits went around it all around;
  21. 1 Kings 7:23 About 45 ft. or 14 m
  22. 1 Kings 7:24 Lit in its casting
  23. 1 Kings 7:26 About 3 in. or 7.6 cm
  24. 1 Kings 7:26 About 12,000 gallons or 45,424 liters
  25. 1 Kings 7:27 About 6 ft. long and wide and 4.5 ft. high or 1.8 m and 1.4 m
  26. 1 Kings 7:31 About 18 in. or 45 cm
  27. 1 Kings 7:35 About 9 in. or 23 cm
  28. 1 Kings 7:35 Lit hands
  29. 1 Kings 7:37 Lit one
  30. 1 Kings 7:37 Lit one
  31. 1 Kings 7:37 Lit one
  32. 1 Kings 7:38 Lit the one basin held
  33. 1 Kings 7:38 About 240 gallons or 908 liters
  34. 1 Kings 7:38 About 6 ft. or 1.8 m
  35. 1 Kings 7:39 I.e., large basin
  36. 1 Kings 7:44 I.e., large basin
  37. 1 Kings 7:50 I.e., a tool to trim wicks

Solomon Builds His Palace

It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace.(A) He built the Palace(B) of the Forest of Lebanon(C) a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high,[a] with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams. It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns—forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other. All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other.[b]

He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide.[c] In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof.

He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge,(D) and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling.[d](E) And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.(F)

All these structures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of blocks of high-grade stone cut to size and smoothed on their inner and outer faces. 10 The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits[e] and some eight.[f] 11 Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. 12 The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses(G) of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the Lord with its portico.

The Temple’s Furnishings(H)(I)

13 King Solomon sent to Tyre and brought Huram,[g](J) 14 whose mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and whose father was from Tyre and a skilled craftsman in bronze. Huram was filled with wisdom,(K) with understanding and with knowledge to do all kinds of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and did all(L) the work assigned to him.

15 He cast two bronze pillars,(M) each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference.[h] 16 He also made two capitals(N) of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits[i] high. 17 A network of interwoven chains adorned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital. 18 He made pomegranates in two rows[j] encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars.[k] He did the same for each capital. 19 The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits[l] high. 20 On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates(O) in rows all around. 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin[m] and the one to the north Boaz.[n](P) 22 The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars(Q) was completed.

23 He made the Sea(R) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line(S) of thirty cubits[o] to measure around it. 24 Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

25 The Sea stood on twelve bulls,(T) three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 26 It was a handbreadth[p] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.[q]

27 He also made ten movable stands(U) of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high.[r] 28 This is how the stands were made: They had side panels attached to uprights. 29 On the panels between the uprights were lions, bulls and cherubim—and on the uprights as well. Above and below the lions and bulls were wreaths of hammered work. 30 Each stand(V) had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and each had a basin resting on four supports, cast with wreaths on each side. 31 On the inside of the stand there was an opening that had a circular frame one cubit[s] deep. This opening was round, and with its basework it measured a cubit and a half.[t] Around its opening there was engraving. The panels of the stands were square, not round. 32 The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles of the wheels were attached to the stand. The diameter of each wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The wheels were made like chariot wheels; the axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all of cast metal.

34 Each stand had four handles, one on each corner, projecting from the stand. 35 At the top of the stand there was a circular band half a cubit[u] deep. The supports and panels were attached to the top of the stand. 36 He engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and on the panels, in every available space, with wreaths all around. 37 This is the way he made the ten stands. They were all cast in the same molds and were identical in size and shape.

38 He then made ten bronze basins,(W) each holding forty baths[v] and measuring four cubits across, one basin to go on each of the ten stands. 39 He placed five of the stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north. He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple. 40 He also made the pots[w] and shovels and sprinkling bowls.(X)

So Huram finished all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of the Lord:

41 the two pillars;

the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

42 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network decorating the bowl-shaped capitals(Y) on top of the pillars);

43 the ten stands with their ten basins;

44 the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

45 the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls.(Z)

All these objects that Huram(AA) made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of burnished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain(AB) of the Jordan between Sukkoth(AC) and Zarethan.(AD) 47 Solomon left all these things unweighed,(AE) because there were so many;(AF) the weight of the bronze(AG) was not determined.

48 Solomon also made all(AH) the furnishings that were in the Lord’s temple:

the golden altar;

the golden table(AI) on which was the bread of the Presence;(AJ)

49 the lampstands(AK) of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary);

the gold floral work and lamps and tongs;

50 the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes(AL) and censers;(AM)

and the gold sockets for the doors of the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, and also for the doors of the main hall of the temple.

51 When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated(AN)—the silver and gold and the furnishings(AO)—and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:2 That is, about 150 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 45 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high
  2. 1 Kings 7:5 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  3. 1 Kings 7:6 That is, about 75 feet long and 45 feet wide or about 23 meters long and 14 meters wide
  4. 1 Kings 7:7 Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew floor
  5. 1 Kings 7:10 That is, about 15 feet or about 4.5 meters; also in verse 23
  6. 1 Kings 7:10 That is, about 12 feet or about 3.6 meters
  7. 1 Kings 7:13 Hebrew Hiram, a variant of Huram; also in verses 40 and 45
  8. 1 Kings 7:15 That is, about 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference or about 8.1 meters high and 5.4 meters in circumference
  9. 1 Kings 7:16 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verse 23
  10. 1 Kings 7:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts made the pillars, and there were two rows
  11. 1 Kings 7:18 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts pomegranates
  12. 1 Kings 7:19 That is, about 6 feet or about 1.8 meters; also in verse 38
  13. 1 Kings 7:21 Jakin probably means he establishes.
  14. 1 Kings 7:21 Boaz probably means in him is strength.
  15. 1 Kings 7:23 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  16. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  17. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 12,000 gallons or about 44,000 liters; the Septuagint does not have this sentence.
  18. 1 Kings 7:27 That is, about 6 feet long and wide and about 4 1/2 feet high or about 1.8 meters long and wide and 1.4 meters high
  19. 1 Kings 7:31 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  20. 1 Kings 7:31 That is, about 2 1/4 feet or about 68 centimeters; also in verse 32
  21. 1 Kings 7:35 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  22. 1 Kings 7:38 That is, about 240 gallons or about 880 liters
  23. 1 Kings 7:40 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Vulgate (see also verse 45 and 2 Chron. 4:11); many other Hebrew manuscripts basins