1 Kings 6:18
ESV
The cedar within the house was carved in the form of gourds and open flowers. All was cedar; no stone was seen.
NIV
The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.
NASB
There was cedar inside the house, carved in the shape of gourds and open flowers; everything was cedar, there was no stone visible.
CSB
The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with ornamental gourds and flower blossoms. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen.
NLT
Cedar paneling completely covered the stone walls throughout the Temple, and the paneling was decorated with carvings of gourds and open flowers.
KJV
And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
NKJV
The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open flowers. All was cedar; there was no stone to be seen.
What does 1 Kings 6:18 mean?
Solomon makes the load-bearing walls of the temple complex out of dressed stone, but he covers the walls with cedar and the floors with cypress or juniper (1 Kings 6:15). The cedar isn't plain planks; it's carved with gourds, flowers, palm trees, cherubim, and chains (1 Kings 6:29; 2 Chronicles 3:5). The cherubim honor God's presence. The palm trees, gourds, and flowers represent fertility and prosperity. Relief carvings are common for the time.The temple furnishings are similarly decorated. The capitals of the two great pillars in the vestibule will have pomegranates, lilies, and latticework (1 Kings 7:17–22). The great sea will be decorated with gourds and sit on twelve oxen (1 Kings 7:24–25). The stands will have lions, oxen, and cherubim, wreaths, and palm trees (1 Kings 7:29, 36). Solomon also commissions a veil or heavy curtain to drape in front of the wall and door to the holy of holies with images of cherubim woven into the fabric (2 Chronicles 3:14).
It's unclear what the gourd is. Some scholars say it's from a castor oil plant, while others think it's a type of cucumber. It may be associated with the fruit that poisoned Elisha's servants (2 Kings 4:39) or the fast-growing vine that shaded Jonah (Jonah 4:6–7). While the tabernacle lamp had almond blossoms (Exodus 25:33–34), and the capitals of the temple pillars have leaves like lilies (1 Kings 7:19), this flower isn't identified.
The carvings are impressive, but they're not complete. Nearly everything will be covered in gold, and the temple will be decorated with precious stones (1 Kings 6:22, 30; 2 Chronicles 3:6).
