1 Kings 7 - Printer Friendly

What does 1 Kings 7 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

Solomon has three major building campaigns: the temple (1 Kings 6; 7:13–51), his palace and administrative complex, the house of Pharaoh's daughter (1 Kings 7:1–12), and various cities and military outposts (1 Kings 9:15–21; 2 Chronicles 8:1–6). The writer fits the account of Solomon's palace between the construction of the temple and the making of the temple furnishings.

In 1 Kings 7:1–12, after the temple building is completed, Solomon builds his government buildings, his palace, and his wife's house. They're on a hilltop, across a valley near the temple. The House of the Forest of Lebanon, the Hall of Pillars, and the Hall of Thrones are government buildings. It seems he moved his Egyptian princess wife away, possibly across the Kidron Valley, so she wouldn't live where the ark of the covenant had been (2 Chronicles 8:11). Now, he builds a house for her nearer to his own.

Scholars judge Solomon for having such a large campus in comparison to the temple, but that judgment is a bit unfair. David gave Solomon the plans for the temple (1 Chronicles 28:11–18). It can be assumed God gave those plans to David, as He gave the plans for the tabernacle to Moses (Exodus 36). Although Solomon's buildings are made of stone, lined in cedar, they aren't coated in gold like the temple (1 Kings 6:22). The temple building takes seven-and-a-half years to build (1 Kings 6:37–38) compared to the palace's thirteen, but the seven-plus years recorded are only for the temple building. During the additional years, it appears craftsmen make all the furnishings for the temple, as well (1 Kings 7:13–51). Solomon waits to dedicate the temple because it isn't finished. Despite what Bible scholars say, the Bible only presents the facts about Solomon's campus, not judgment.

First Kings 7:13–14 introduces the master craftsman responsible for much of the detailed work of the temple. When Solomon asked King Hiram of Tyre for cedar, Hiram offered another Hiram, also called Huram-abi, a man skilled in metal, stone, wood, and fabrics (2 Chronicles 2:8, 13–14). Huram's father was from Tyre, but his mother was an Israelite. It appears Huram makes all the bronze implements; it's not clear if he also works on the temple or the gold implements for the temple. It's also unclear if he makes the altar (2 Chronicles 4:1).

First Kings 7:15–22 (2 Chronicles 3:15–22) describes the pillars and capitals Huram makes for the entrance of the temple. The pillars are hollow bronze, 27 feet high and 18 feet around. The capitals are 7.5 feet high, in the shape of lilies, decorated with lattices, chains, and pomegranates. The pillars appear to stand free on the floor of the vestibule or porch. One is named Jachin, which means "He will establish" or "May He establish," possibly a reference to God's promise to establish David's dynasty (2 Samuel 7:12, 13, 16). The other is called Boaz, which means "In Him is strength."

First Kings doesn't mention the construction of the altar, but 2 Chronicles 4:1 gives a single statement: "He made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high," that is, 30 feet / 9.1 meters square and 15 feet / 4.5 meters high. It obviously has a stairway for the priests to reach the grate, which is why God insisted that priests wear layers of covering under their robes (Exodus 28:42–43). It's not clear who made the altar. All the construction is attributed to Solomon, but Huram makes the pillars (2 Chronicles 3:15–17) and the "sea" (2 Chronicles 4:2–6), so he may make the altar, as well.

In 1 Kings 7:23–26 (2 Chronicles 4:2–5, 10), Huram makes the bronze "sea" to hold the water the priests wash in. It's a huge bowl of water, 15 feet / 4.5 meters in diameter and 7.5 feet / 2.3 meters high. The metal is "a handbreadth" (2 Chronicles 4:5), or about 3 inches / 7.5 centimeters thick. The bowl holds 18,000 gallons of water. Because of its thickness, it's cast from molten bronze rather than hammered. The lip is flared like a lily, and it's decorated with two rows of gourds. It sits on a base of twelve bronze oxen, three facing each of the cardinal directions. In this culture, the sea is a metaphor for chaos; scholars posit that the bronze sea represents God's sovereignty over chaos. Huram places the sea on the southeast corner of the courtyard.

In 1 Kings 7:27–39 (2 Chronicles 4:6), the author goes into exquisite detail about the ten carts that hold the smaller basins. The carts are 6 feet / 180 centimeters square and 4.5 feet / 137 centimeters high. The frame, panels, and supports are heavily decorated. The basins hold 240 gallons of water, meant to rinse off the burnt offerings.

First Kings 7:40–47 (2 Chronicles 4:11–18) gives an overview of the bronze pieces Huram makes and how. Besides the larger pieces above, he makes pots, shovels, and basins. He casts them in the clay on the east side of the Jordan River, about midway between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Huram makes so many pieces that Solomon doesn't bother weighing them.

First Kings 7:48–51 isn't clear, but 2 Chronicles 4:8–9 seems to say Huram made at least some of the gold pieces for the temple, as well: the ten tables for the bread of Presence and one hundred basins of gold. Either Huram or someone else completed the things for the priests to tend to their duties in the temple, including the lampstands. Finally, Solomon brings in David's gold and silver that haven't already been used in the temple (1 Chronicles 29:2–4; 1 Kings 6:22).

Second Chronicles 4:9 adds that Huram makes "the court of the priests and the great court and doors for the court and overlaid their doors with bronze."

First Kings was compiled before the Jews were exiled to Babylon. The author gives specific details about the temple buildings, the cherubim in the holy of holies, and the larger bronze pieces in the courtyard. The items of gold, including the altar of incense, the lampstands, and the tables for the bread of Presence, are mentioned but not described, other than to say they're covered in or made of gold. It's evident that this account was written after enemies had taken the gold from the temple, but before the Chaldeans ransacked Jerusalem and took the bronze (2 Kings 25:13–17). The author didn't have access to anyone who knew what the gold pieces looked like.

In the mirrored explanation of Solomon, called a "chiasm," temple and house construction are paired with the temple dedication (1 Kings 8:12—9:28). In the center, the most critical point in Solomon's reign is the arrival of the ark of the covenant into the temple (1 Kings 8:1–11).

First Kings 7:1–12 describes the construction of Solomon's compound. The structure of the temple is finished (1 Kings 6). Solomon builds three great government buildings, his own dwelling, and a house for his wife, the princess of Egypt. It appears the "four" rows of pillars are a transcription error; it only has three (1 Kings 7:2). "Costly" may mean "precious" or honorable, as in "heavy." Solomon's estate is much larger than the temple building and takes almost twice as long to build. Simultaneously, Solomon oversees the artist Huram-abi as he makes the bronze pieces for the temple court (1 Kings 7:13–47).

First Kings 7:13–14 introduces the artist Hiram or Huram-abi. This isn't the king of Tyre, although he is a fan (2 Chronicles 2:13–14). His father was from Tyre, and his mother was an Israelite: either from Naphtali or Dan. Huram is described in similar terms as Bezalel, the metalsmith God gifted to make the tabernacle (Exodus 31:1–5). Huram-abi creates the bronze pillars, the sea, the water basins, and their carts, and apparently the altar (2 Chronicles 4:1). It's unclear if he makes the gold implements for the temple, as well (1 Kings 7:48–50).

First Kings 7:15–22 (2 Chronicles 3:15–17) describes the two bronze pillars Huram-abi makes. They stand 27 feet / 8.2 meters tall not including their 228-centimeter capitals. One is named Jachin, which means "He will establish," and the other Boaz, or "in Him is strength." Jachin may represent God's promise to establish David's dynasty (2 Samuel 7:12, 13, 16). When all the gold is gone (1 Kings 14:26; 2 Kings 14:14), the pillars will remain in front of the temple, on the vestibule. Hundreds of years later, Babylon will carry away the pillars along with all the rest of the bronze (2 Kings 25:13–17).

First Kings 7:23–26 (2 Chronicles 4:2–5) introduces the cast sea or molten sea. It's a 15-foot- / 4.6 meter-diameter, 7.5-foot- / 228-centimeter-high bowl filled with water for the priests to wash (2 Chronicles 4:6). It sits on twelve oxen, three facing each direction. The metal is about 3 inches thick: so thick it must be cast from molten bronze. That thickness also accounts for the difference between the listed diameter and the circumference. The sea is a metaphor for chaos; the size of this "sea" may represent the Lord's authority over chaos. Like the pillars and the other bronze pieces, the Babylonian army will take it when they ransack Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:13–17).

In 1 Kings 7:27–39, Huram-abi makes the bronze stands and basins. Huram-abi is a half-Israelite artist from Tyre who is helping Solomon make the furnishings for the temple (2 Chronicles 2:13–14). He's made the sea by which the priests wash. Now he makes ten carts and basins to hold water to rinse off the burnt offerings (2 Chronicles 4:6). The descriptions of the stands and basins are detailed, suggesting the author saw them. Shortly after the writing, however, the Babylonian army will loot them (2 Kings 25:13–17).

First Kings 7:40–47 (2 Chronicles 4:11–18) gives an overview of the work Huram-abi completes for Solomon's temple. The bulky items include the two pillars, the great sea, and the ten stands and basins (1 Kings 7:15–39). He may make the altar, as well (2 Chronicles 4:1). In addition, he makes bronze utensils for the altar. He uses a plain of clay east of the Jordan River to cast the bronze. It's unclear if he makes the gold items, as well (1 Kings 7:48–50).

First Kings 7:48–51 describes the smaller gold items for Solomon's temple. The bronze pieces Huram-abi makes are for sacrifices in the inner courtyard; the gold is for ceremonies inside the temple. Once they're finished, Solomon brings in the remainder of the gold that David collected before he died (1 Chronicles 28:11–18). While God described the tabernacle's lampstand and tables (Exodus 25:31–38; Leviticus 24:5–9), these pieces were stolen or given as ransom long before 1 Kings was compiled (1 Kings 14:26; 2 Kings 14:14). Next comes the highlight of Solomon's reign: bringing the ark of the covenant into the temple (1 Kings 8:1–11).

Chapter Summary:

In 1 Kings 7 (2 Chronicles 4:1–5:1), Solomon builds his palace compound and finishes the details on the temple. The temple building alone took seven-and-a-half years to complete (1 Kings 6). It takes him thirteen years to finish his house, including all the government buildings and the temple implements. The half-Israelite, half-Tyrolean artist Huram at least builds all the bronze work, and likely the gold, as well. Once the construction is finished, Solomon orders the priests to bring the ark of the covenant into the temple (1 Kings 8:1–11).

Chapter Context:

First Kings 7 (2 Chronicles 4:1–5:1) describes the construction of Solomon's home and government buildings and the temple furnishings. Before Solomon began, he enlisted the help of Hiram, the king of Tyre. Hiram promised him timber and help with the stone, but also the artist Huram-abi (2 Chronicles 2:13–14). Huram supervises all the bronze work and probably the gold, too. The people celebrate as Solomon brings in the ark of the covenant and dedicates the temple to the Lord (1 Kings 8).

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.

Accessed 7/16/2026 10:49:26 AM