1 Kings 6 - Printer Friendly

What does 1 Kings 6 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

Long before Solomon became king, the Lord revealed that David's son would take the throne and build God's temple (2 Samuel 7:12–13). This would become the permanent "house" for the ark of the covenant and the presence of the Lord God of Israel. It would be the place at which all Israelites would come to worship God. There, they would participate in the system of animal sacrifices to atone for sin. It would finally replace the tabernacle's tents and traveling items (Exodus 26), established by God through Moses so many generations earlier.

In 2 Kings 6:1, Solomon starts building . The author places the temple's construction in context with the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. God rescued the Israelites so they could represent God to the people of the world (Deuteronomy 4:5–8). The temple is a significant step in that mission (1 Kings 8:41–43). Solomon began his reign in 971 BC. For the first four years, he established his kingdom (1 Kings 2), gained wisdom (1 Kings 3:5–11), worked with Hiram, king of Tyre, to store up supplies (1 Kings 5:1–11), and dug water cisterns at the temple site. Solomon sets the foundation in Ziv, corresponding to April-May, and finishes seven and a half years later (1 Kings 6:37–38). The verse which mentions the starting date forms one side of a bracket that is completed in verses 37 and 38.

Second Kings 6:2–10 (2 Chronicles 3:3–7) gives the temple complex's dimensions and layout. The main building, the "house," is 90 feet / 27.4 meters long, 30 feet / 9 meters wide, and 45 feet / 13.7 meters high; the back 30 feet / 9 meters holds the inner sanctuary or the holy of holies (1 Kings 6:20). A 15-foot / 4.6-meter-deep vestibule spans the width of the temple at the front, facing east. Second Chronicles 3:4 gives a large measurement for the vestibule height. That may be a transcription error, or it may refer to Jotham's future renovation (2 Chronicles 27:3). High windows let in light while maintaining privacy. Three-story chambers line the sides and possibly the back of the temple. The walls of the chambers are stepped; the floor platforms sit on each step instead of on posts set inside the walls. To maintain the sacredness of the site, all the stones are dressed before they're brought to the mountaintop. Priests and Levites enter the chambers on the south side and climb stairs to the higher levels.

In 1 Kings 6:11–13, God gives Solomon a conditional promise. The temple is important, but it's not enough to earn God's favor. If Solomon wants to inherit God's covenant with David, he must be faithful to the Mosaic Covenant, as his father was. Only then will God continue to dwell in the temple with His people. This is the same warning David gave to Solomon before he died (1 Kings 2:1–4).

First Kings 6:14–22 (2 Chronicles 3:8) describes details of the temple proper. All the stone is covered in cedar and overlaid with gold. The cedar is carved with gourds and flowers. These are symbolic of a God who promises fertility and prosperity. They also reflect the seed-bearing plants, trees, and fruit of Genesis 1:11. The holy of holies is a thirty-foot / 9-meter cube with a chain covered in gold in front of it. The altar of incense is covered in gold, as well.

First Kings 6:23–28 (2 Chronicles 3:10–13) describes the cherubim in the holy of holies. We don't know exactly what the bodies of these beings are meant to look like. They're made of olivewood and covered in gold. They stand 15 feet high, facing the entry. Their wings are 7.5 feet long and stretch out the entire width of the 30-foot room.

First Kings 6:31–36 describes the entrances to the holy of holies and the nave and the wall of the inner court. Priests enter the holy of holies through olivewood doors set into five-sided doorposts and lintels. Over the doors is a "veil of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen" with cherubim worked into the design (2 Chronicles 3:14). The nave doors are olivewood and cypress, decorated with carved cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in bloom. Only some of the carvings are covered in gold. The inner court that holds the altar and the water basins is surrounded by a stone and cedar beam wall. The design is unclear, but the cedar may protect the stone from earthquakes.

First Kings 6:37–38 acts as the ending bracket for 1 Kings 6:1. Seven and a half years later, in the fall of the eleventh year of Solomon's reign as king over Israel, the temple is completed. For the next thirteen years, craftsmen will build Solomon's palace complex and the furnishings for worship (1 Kings 7).

The chapter presents a simple chiasm: a set of themes mirrored around a central idea:

A. 1 Kings 5:1: The construction's beginning dates.
B. 1 Kings 5:2–10: The structure's construction.
C 1 Kings 5:11–13: God's conditional promise of blessings.
B' 1 Kings 5:14–36: The structure's finishes.
A' 1 Kings 5:37–38: The construction's end dates.

The chiasm shows that the purpose of Solomon's work and the temple itself is to remind the king and the people to obey the Mosaic law, so God will bless them.

First Kings 6:1–10 depicts Solomon building the structure of the temple (2 Chronicles 3:1–4) according to David's plan (1 Chronicles 22:6–16; 28:11–12). Solomon starts in his fourth year, 964 BC, when his kingdom is established, and he has peace on all sides (1 Kings 2:46; 4:21). King Hiram of Tyre provides wood and craftsmen (1 Kings 5:2–8), and Solomon conscripts resident foreign alien workers (2 Chronicles 2:2, 17–18). The building is finished in seven and a half years (1 Kings 6:37–38), but it's not dedicated until the furnishings and Solomon's palace are finished (1 Kings 7).

First Kings 6:11–13 helps explain the difference between sacrifice and obedience. Solomon has built the structure of the temple (1 Kings 6:2–10). The finishes are yet to come (1 Kings 6:14–36). God sends word that the building won't ensure He dwells with His people; obedience will. Specifically, the obedience of the king as he leads the people. Solomon is faithful to finish the temple (1 Kings 6:37–38). After the dedication, God repeats His challenge to remain faithful (1 Kings 9:1–9). Sadly, Solomon doesn't (1 Kings 11:1–8). The Septuagint doesn't have this passage.

First Kings 6:14–22 describes how Solomon finishes the inside of the temple with carved cedar and overlays it with gold (2 Chronicles 3:3–7). The "house" is about 90 feet / 27.4 meters long and 30 feet / 9 meters wide (1 Kings 6:2). The holy of holies takes up the back 30 feet, and it's 30 feet high. The 60-foot / 18 meters nave is about 45 feet / 13.7 meters high. The vestibule, or porch, in front of the nave and the three-story "structure" around the sides and back are not technically part of the temple and aren't covered in cedar and gold.

First Kings 6: 23–28 describes the cherubim in the holy of holies (1 Chronicles 3:10–13). The back 30 feet / 9.1 meters of the 90-foot / 27.4-meter temple is reserved for the holy of holies, where the ark of the covenant will sit. Solomon commissions two 15-foot / 4.6-meter-tall cherubim to stand guard over it. It's unclear what form the bodies take, but the wings span the width of the room. In addition to the cherubim on the mercy seat of the ark, more are carved into the walls of the temple and woven into the veil (1 Kings 6:29; 2 Chronicles 3:14).

First Kings 6:29–36 reports that Solomon finished building the temple itself. The main structure, including the building with the nave and the holy of holies, as well as the surrounding storerooms and the front vestibule, is finished. The last step is to build the doors. When the doors are hung, seven-and-a-half years will have gone by (1 Kings 6:37–38). The text then goes on to describe the construction of Solomon's house and capitol complex (1 Kings 7:1–12) and the completion of the temple furnishings (1 Kings 7:13–51).

First Kings 6:37–38 recalls 1 Kings 6:1. Solomon begins laying the foundation of the temple in the fourth year of his reign. His laborers build the house of the Lord with the nave and the holy of holies, the covered porch at the entrance, and the three-story building that wraps around the house. In addition, they built the wall for the inner court and leveled the mountain top. It takes them about seven-and-a-half years (1 Kings 6:33). For the next 13 years, they'll build Solomon's palace and the furnishings for the temple (1 Kings 7).

Chapter Summary:

In 1 Kings 6 (2 Chronicles 3:1–13), Solomon builds the structure of the temple. It's 90 feet / 27.4 meters long and 30 feet / 9 meters wide. At the back, in the west, is the 30-foot / 9 meters cubed holy of holies with two gold-covered cherubim. In front of the nave is a 15-foot-deep / 4.6-meter-deep vestibule. Around the sides and possibly the back are three stories of storerooms. The stone is covered in cedar, carved with cherubim, palm trees, and flowers, and gourds, all of which are covered in gold. The building takes seven and a half years to complete.

Chapter Context:

In 1 Kings 6 (2 Chronicles 3:1–13), Solomon completes the great task David gave him (1 Chronicles 22:6–11): he builds the temple. David gathered wood and gold (1 Chronicles 22:4, 14; 29:1–9), and Solomon stockpiled more wood and stone (1 Kings 5:6–8). Solomon begins in the fourth year of his reign, in 966 BC, and finishes seven and a half years later. He will spend another thirteen years building his palace while the craftsman Hiram-abi makes the temple furnishings. Then he can dedicate the temple (1 Kings 7—9).

This was originally the first half of a combined text. First Kings records the end of David's reign and the rule of Solomon. After this, the kingdom is split in two. The northern nation of Israel no longer submits to the king of the southern nation, called Judah. The prophet Elijah first appears in this book. The kings mostly fail to honor the Lord. They participate in idolatry and other sins. This will eventually result in their conquest and exile, as depicted throughout the books of Chronicles.

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