aNow Solomon built his own house 1in thirteen years, and he finished all of his house in that time.Solomon built God’s house first, then his own. That his took much longer is no reflection on Solomon, because David had made every possible preparation for building the temple, greatly reducing the time needed to finish it (1 Chr 22:2-5). David even left plans and patterns for the temple and loyal friends eager to help (1 Kin 5:1; 1 Chr 28:14-19).1 Kin 3:1; 9:10; 2 Chr 8:1 2 aHe also built the House of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was a hundred 1cubits , its width fifty cubits , and its height thirty cubits , upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.I.e. one cubit is about 18 in.1 Kin 10:17, 21; 2 Chr 9:16 3 And it was covered with cedar as a roof on the supporting beams that were upon the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row. 4 There were artistic window frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three tiers. 5 All the doorways and doorposts and windows had squared artistic frames, and window was opposite window in three tiers.
6 He also made athe Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits and its width thirty cubits . There was a porch in front, and pillars and a bthreshold in front of them.1 Kin 7:12Ezek 41:25, 26
7 He made the hall for the athrone where he was to judge, the Hall of Judgment; bit was paneled with cedar from one floor to another floor.Ps 122:5; Prov 20:81 Kin 6:15, 16
8 His house where he was to live, the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar workmanship. aSolomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, bwhom he had married.1 Kin 9:24; 2 Chr 8:111 Kin 3:1
9 All these were of expensive stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great courtyard.
10 The foundation was of expensive stones, large stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 11 And above the foundation were expensive stones, stones cut according to measure, and cedar. 12 So athe great courtyard all around had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams like the inner courtyard of the house of the LORD, and bthe porch of the house.1 Kin 6:361 Kin 7:6
13 Now aKing Solomon sent word and brought 1Hiram a skilled craftsman from Tyre.Huram in 2 Chr 2:3.2 Chr 2:13, 14; 4:11 14 aHe was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a craftsman in bronze. bHiram was filled with wisdom, understanding, and skill for doing any kind of work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and cdid all his bronze work.2 Chr 2:14Ex 28:3; 31:3-5; 35:31; 36:12 Chr 4:11-16
15 He cast athe two pillars of bronze; the one pillar was beighteen cubits high, and a measuring line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of both.2 Kin 25:17; 2 Chr 3:15; 4:12; Jer 52:211 Kin 7:41 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to put on the tops of the pillars; the height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 There were nets of network and twisted threads of chainwork for the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars, seven for one capital and seven for the other. 18 So Hiram made the pillars in this manner, and two rows around on the one network to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and he did the same for the other capital. 19 The capitals which were upon the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work , four cubits. 20 The capitals were on the two pillars and also above and close to the rounded projection which was beside the network. There were two hundred apomegranates in rows around both capitals.1 Kin 7:42; 2 Chr 3:16; 4:13; Jer 52:23 21 aHiram set up the pillars at the bporch of the temple; he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin , and he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz .2 Chr 3:171 Kin 6:3 22 On the tops of the pillars was lily work . So the work of the pillars was finished.
23 Now ahe made the Sea of bcast metal, ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, five cubits high and thirty cubits in circumference. Ex 30:17-21; 2+@Chr 4:62 Chr 4:22 Kin 16:17; 25:13 24 Under its brim were agourds bencircling it ten to a cubit, completely surrounding the Sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast in one piece with it.1 Kin 6:182 Chr 4:3 25 aIt stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three west, three south, and three east; the Sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts pointed inward.2 Chr 4:4, 5; Jer 52:20 26 It was a hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand 1baths.I.e. a Hebrew liquid measurement, about twenty-two liters per bath.
27 aThen Hiram made ten bronze stands for smaller basins; the length of each stand was four cubits, its width was four cubits and its height was three cubits.1 Kin 7:38; 2 Kin 25:13; 2 Chr 4:14 28 This was the design of the stands: they had borders between the frames. 29 On the borders between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the frames there was a pedestal above. Beneath the lions and oxen were borders of hanging work. 30 Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports for a basin. Beneath the basin were cast supports with borders at each side. 31 Its opening inside the crown at the top measured a cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half. Also on its opening were carvings, and their borders were square, not round. 32 Underneath the borders were four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The wheels were made like 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; the supports were part of the stand itself. 35 On the top of the stand there was a circular piece half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its supports and borders were part of it. 36 And on the surface of its supports and its borders Hiram engraved cherubim, lions, and palm-shaped decorations, according to the available space for each, with borders all around. 37 aHe made the ten stands like this: they all had one casting, one measure, and one form.2 Chr 4:14
38 Then ahe made ten basins of bronze; each basin held forty baths and was four cubits, and there was one basin on each of the ten stands.Ex 30:18; 2 Chr 4:6 39 Then he placed the bases, five on the right or south side of the house and five on the left or north side; and he set the Sea of cast metal on the right side of the house toward the southeast.
40 Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished all the work which he did for King Solomon on the house of the LORD: 41 the two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the atwo pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars;1 Kin 7:17, 18 42 and the afour hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars;1 Kin 7:20 43 the ten stands and the ten basins on the stands; 44 aone Sea , and the twelve oxen under the Sea;1 Kin 7:23, 25 45 athe pails, the shovels, and the bowls; all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the LORD were of polished bronze.Ex 27:3; 2 Chr 4:16 46 aIn the plain of the Jordan River the king cast them, in the clay ground between bSuccoth and cZarethan.2 Chr 4:17Gen 33:17; Josh 13:27Josh 3:16 47 Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because there were so many; athe weight of the bronze could not be determined.1 Chr 22:3, 14
48 Solomon made all the other furniture which was in the house of the LORD: the incense aaltar of gold; the table of gold on which was the bbread of the Presence;Ex 30:1-3; 37:10-29; 2 Chr 4:8Ex 25:30 49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the Holy of Holies ; with athe flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold;Ex 25:31-38 50 the cups, snuffers, bowls, spoons, afirepans—of pure gold; and the hinges of gold both for the doors of the inner house, the Holy of Holies, and for the doors of the house, the main room the Holy Place.Ex 27:3; 2 Kin 25:15
51 aSo all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the LORD was completed. bSolomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the utensils—and he put them in the treasuries of the LORD’S house.2 Chr 5:12 Sam 8:11; 1 Chr 18:11; 2 Chr 5:1