Study Desk

Solomon son of David strengthened his hold on his kingdom.^(a) The Lord his God was with him and highly exalted him.^(b)

Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel—the heads of the families.^(c)

Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was in Gibeon^(d) because God's tent of meeting, which the Lord 's servant Moses had made^(e) in the wilderness, was there.

Now David had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place^[a] he had set up for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem,^(f)

but he put^[b] the bronze altar, which Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made,^(g) in front of the Lord 's tabernacle. Solomon and the assembly inquired of Him^[c] there.

Solomon offered sacrifices there in the Lord 's presence on the bronze altar at the tent of meeting; he offered 1,000 burnt offerings on it.^(h)

That night⁽ⁱ⁾ God appeared to Solomon and said to him: "Ask. What should I give you?"

And Solomon said to God: "You have shown great and faithful love to my father David, and You have made me king in his place.^(j)

Lord God, let Your promise to my father David now come true.^(k) For You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.^(l)

Now grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people,^(m) for who can judge this great people of Yours?"

God said to Solomon, "Since this was in your heart, and you have not requested riches, wealth, or glory, or for the life of those who hate you, and you have not even requested long life, but you have requested for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king,

wisdom and knowledge are given to you. I will also give you riches, wealth, and glory, unlike what was given to the kings who were before you, or will be given to those after you."⁽ⁿ⁾

So Solomon went to Jerusalem from^[d] the high place that was in Gibeon in front of the tent of meeting, and he reigned over Israel.

Solomon^(o) accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen,^(p) which he stationed in the chariot cities^(q) and with the king in Jerusalem.

The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills.

Solomon's horses came from Egypt and Kue.^[e] The king's traders would get them from Kue at the going price.

A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 15 pounds^[f] of silver and a horse for about four pounds.^[g] In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents.

^[a]Solomon decided to build a temple for the name of Yahweh and a royal palace for himself,^(a)

^[b]so he assigned 70,000 men as porters, 80,000 men as stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 as supervisors over them.^(b)

Then Solomon sent word to King Hiram^[c](c) of Tyre:^(d) Do for me what you did for my father David. You sent him cedars to build him a house to live in.^(e)

Now I am building a temple for the name of Yahweh my God in order to dedicate it to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him,^(f) for displaying the rows of the bread of the Presence continuously,^(g) and for sacrificing burnt offerings for the morning and the evening,^(h) the Sabbaths⁽ⁱ⁾ and the New Moons, and the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is ordained for Israel forever.

The temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than any of the gods.^(j)

But who is able to build a temple for Him, since even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Him?^(k) Who am I then that I should build a temple for Him except as a place to burn incense before Him?

Therefore, send me a craftsman who is skilled in engraving to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with the craftsmen who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem,^(l) appointed by my father David.^(m)

Also, send me cedar, cypress, and algum^[d](n) logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut the trees of Lebanon. Note that my servants will be with your servants^(o)

to prepare logs for me in abundance because the temple I am building will be great and wonderful.

I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the trees, 100,000 bushels^[e] of wheat flour, 100,000 bushels^[f] of barley, 110,000 gallons^[g] of wine, and 110,000 gallons^[h] of oil.

Then King Hiram of Tyre wrote a letter^[i] and sent it to Solomon: Because the Lord loves His people, He set you over them as king.^(p)

Hiram also said: May the Lord God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth,^(q) be praised! He gave King David a wise son with insight and understanding,^(r) who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.^(s)

I have now sent Huram-abi,^[j] a skillful man who has understanding.^(t)

He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan. His father is a man of Tyre. He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, with purple, blue, crimson yarn, and fine linen. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and to execute any design that may be given him. I have sent him to be with your craftsmen and the craftsmen of my lord, your father David.

Now, let my lord send the wheat, barley, oil, and wine to his servants as promised.^(u)

We will cut logs from Lebanon, as many as you need, and bring them to you as rafts by sea to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.^(v)

Solomon took a census of all the foreign men in the land of Israel, after the census that his father David had conducted,^(w) and the total was 153,600.

Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.^(x)

Then Solomon began^(a) to build the Lord 's temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah^(b) where the Lord ^[a] had appeared to his father David, at the site David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan^[b] the Jebusite.

He began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

These are Solomon's foundations^[c] for building God's temple: the length^[d] was 90 feet,^[e] and the width 30 feet.^[f]

The portico, which was across the front extending across the width of the temple, was 30 feet^[g] wide; its height was 30 feet;^[h][i] he overlaid its inner surface with pure gold.

The larger room^[j] he paneled with cypress wood, overlaid with fine gold, and decorated with palm trees and chains.

He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim.

He overlaid the temple—the beams, the thresholds, its walls and doors—with gold,^(c) and he carved cherubim on the walls.^(d)

Then he made the most holy place; its length corresponded to the width of the temple, 30 feet,^[k] and its width was 30 feet.^[l](e) He overlaid it with 45,000 pounds^[m] of fine gold.

The weight of the nails was 20 ounces^[n] of gold, and he overlaid the ceiling with gold.

He made^(f) two cherubim of sculptured work, for the most holy place, and he overlaid them with gold.

The overall length of the wings of the cherubim was 30 feet:^[o] the wing of one was 7½ feet,^[p] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 7½ feet,^[q] touching the wing of the other cherub.

The wing of the other^[r] cherub was 7½ feet,^[s] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 7½ feet,^[t] reaching the wing of the other cherub.

The wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet.^[u] They stood on their feet and faced the larger room.^[v]

He made the veil of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen, and he wove cherubim into it.^(g)

In front of the temple^(h) he made two pillars, each 27 feet^[w][x] high. The capital on top of each was 7½ feet^[y] high.

He had made chainwork in the inner sanctuary and also put it on top of the pillars.⁽ⁱ⁾ He made 100 pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork.

Then he set up the pillars in front of the sanctuary, one on the right and one on the left. He named the one on the right Jachin^[z] and the one on the left Boaz.^[aa]

He made a bronze altar^(a) 30 feet^[a] long, 30 feet^[b] wide, and 15 feet^[c] high.

Then he made the cast metal reservoir,^(b) 15 feet^[d] from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7½ feet^[e] high and 45 feet^[f] in circumference.

The likeness of oxen^[g] was below it, completely encircling it, 10 every half yard,^[h] completely surrounding the reservoir. The oxen were cast in two rows when the reservoir was cast.

It stood on 12 oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center.

The reservoir was three inches^[i] thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or a lily blossom. It could hold 11,000 gallons.^[j]

He made 10 basins for washing and he put five on the right and five on the left.^(c) The parts of the burnt offering were rinsed in them,^(d) but the reservoir was used by the priests for washing.

He made the 10 gold lampstands according to their specifications and put them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left.^(e)

He made 10 tables and placed them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left.^(f) He also made 100 gold bowls.

He made the courtyard^(g) of the priests and the large court, and doors for the court. He overlaid the doors with bronze.

He put the reservoir on the right side, toward the southeast.^(h)

Then Huram^[k](i) made^(j) the pots, the shovels, and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work that he was doing for King Solomon in God's temple:

two pillars; the bowls and the capitals on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars;

the 400 pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals' bowls on top of the pillars^(k)).

He also made the water carts^[l](l) and the basins on the water carts.

The one reservoir and the 12 oxen underneath it,

the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all their utensils—Huram-abi^[m](m) made them for King Solomon for the Lord 's temple. All these were made of polished bronze.

The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zeredah.

Solomon made all these utensils in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

Solomon also made all the equipment in God's temple: the gold altar; the tables on which to put the bread of the Presence;⁽ⁿ⁾

the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn in front of the inner sanctuary according to specifications;^(o)

the flowers, lamps, and gold tongs—of purest gold;

the wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles,^[n] and firepans—of purest gold; and the entryway to the temple, its inner doors to the most holy place, and the doors of the temple sanctuary—of gold.

So all the work Solomon did for the Lord 's temple was completed. Then Solomon brought the consecrated things of his father David—the silver, the gold, and all the utensils—and put them in the treasuries of God's temple.

At that time^(a) Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads, the ancestral chiefs of the Israelites—in order to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David,^(b) that is, Zion.

So all the men of Israel were assembled in the king's presence at the festival; this was in the seventh month.^[a]

All the elders of Israel came, and the Levites picked up the ark.

They brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and the holy utensils that were in the tent. The priests and the Levites brought them up.

King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel who had gathered around him were in front of the ark sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered because there were so many.

The priests brought the ark of the Lord 's covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most holy place, beneath the wings of the cherubim.^(c)

And the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark so that the cherubim formed a cover above the ark and its poles.

The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place^[b](d) in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside; they are there to this very day.

Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had put in it at Horeb,^[c](e) where the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.

Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions.^(f) When the priests came out of the holy place,

the Levitical singers dressed in fine linen and carrying cymbals, harps, and lyres^(g) were standing east of the altar, and with them were 120 priests blowing trumpets.^(h) The Levitical singers were descendants of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun and their sons⁽ⁱ⁾ and relatives.

The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments,^(j) in praise to the Lord : For He is good; His faithful love endures forever.^(k) The temple, the Lord 's temple, was filled with a cloud.^(l)

And because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory of the Lord filled God's temple.^(m)