2 Chronicles 3
Construction and Furnishing of the Temple
1Then Solomon began to build the LORD’s house at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared to David his father, which he prepared in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2He began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of God’s house: the length by cubits after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits.
4The porch that was in front, its length, across the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
5He made the larger room with a ceiling of cypress wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains.
6He decorated the house with precious stones for beauty. The gold was gold from Parvaim.
7He also overlaid the house, the beams, the thresholds, its walls, and its doors with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls.
8He made the most holy place. Its length, according to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
9The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He overlaid the upper rooms with gold.
10In the most holy place he made two cherubim by carving, and they overlaid them with gold.
11The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long: the wing of the one was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
12The wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house; and the other wing was five cubits, joining to the wing of the other cherub.
13The wings of these cherubim spread themselves out twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, and their faces were toward the house.
14He made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim.
15Also he made before the house two pillars thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
16He made chains in the inner sanctuary, and put them on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.
17He set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.
Solomon begins construction of the LORD's temple on Mount Moriah, the site where God appeared to David and where David had purchased Ornan's threshing floor. The chapter provides detailed specifications of the temple's dimensions, materials, and furnishings, emphasizing the extensive use of gold, precious stones, and fine craftsmanship throughout. Special attention is given to the Most Holy Place with its golden cherubim, the ornate veil, and the two bronze pillars named Jachin and Boaz that stood at the temple entrance.
Context
This chapter follows Solomon's preparations in chapter 2 and precedes the completion of temple furnishings in chapter 4.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-2Temple Construction BeginsSolomon starts building the temple on Mount Moriah in the fourth year of his reign.
- 3-7Temple Structure and Gold OverlayThe foundation dimensions are established and the entire structure is overlaid with fine gold and precious materials.
- 8-13The Most Holy Place and CherubimThe inner sanctuary is constructed with massive golden cherubim whose wings span the entire width of the room.
- 14-17The Veil and Bronze PillarsThe ornate veil is crafted and two named bronze pillars are erected at the temple entrance.
Construction and Furnishing of the Temple
3:1–4:22Solomon begins construction of the temple at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where God had appeared to David. The passage details the elaborate construction with precious materials including gold, describing the main hall, the most holy place, and the cherubim.
person_contrast
Solomon's transformation from wise ruler to temple builder shifts his biblical identity from political authority to sacred architect, appearing here with unprecedented focus on holiness and divine glory.
2 Chronicles 3:1
1 Chronicles 21:22lexicalThen David said to Ornan, “Sell me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the LORD on it. You s…
1 Chronicles 21:28lexicalAt that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrif…
1 Chronicles 21:15lexicalGod sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was about to destroy, the LORD saw, and he relented of the disaster,…
1 Chronicles 21:18lexicalThen the LORD’s angel commanded Gad to tell David that David should go up and raise an altar to the LORD on the threshin…
1 Kings 6:1parallelIn the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth yea…
2 Chronicles 3:2
1 Kings 6:1lexicalIn the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth yea…
Ezra 3:8lexicalNow in the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel…
2 Chronicles 3:3
1 Kings 6:2lexicalThe house which King Solomon built for the LORD had a length of sixty cubits, and its width twenty, and its height thirt…
Ezekiel 40:21lexicalThe lodges of it were three on this side and three on that side. Its posts and its arches were the same as the measure o…
Ezekiel 40:29lexicalwith its lodges, its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements. There were windows in it and in its arches…
Exodus 36:9lexicalThe length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains had one…
Exodus 26:2lexicalThe length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits: all the curtains sha…
2 Chronicles 3:4
1 Kings 6:20lexicalWithin the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height. He…
1 Kings 6:3lexicalThe porch in front of the temple of the house had a length of twenty cubits, which was along the width of the house. Ten…
Ezekiel 40:49lexicalThe length of the porch was twenty cubits and the width eleven cubits, even by the steps by which they went up to it. Th…
Exodus 37:6lexicalHe made a mercy seat of pure gold. Its length was two and a half cubits, and a cubit and a half its width.
Exodus 25:17lexicalYou shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two and a half cubits shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its width.
2 Chronicles 3:5
1 Kings 6:32lexicalSo he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overla…
1 Kings 9:11lexical(now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and cypress trees, and with gold, according to all hi…
2 Chronicles 3:6
1 Kings 10:11lexicalThe fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought in from Ophir great quantities of almug trees and precious…
2 Chronicles 9:10lexicalThe servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious st…
1 Chronicles 29:2lexicalNow I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things…
1 Kings 10:10lexicalShe gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never ag…
2 Samuel 12:30lexicalHe took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones;…
2 Chronicles 3:7
Judges 19:27lexicalHer lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and behold, the woman his…
Ezekiel 41:25lexicalThere were made on them, on the doors of the nave, cherubim and palm trees, like those made on the walls. There was a th…
1 Kings 7:50lexicalthe cups, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of t…
1 Kings 6:32lexicalSo he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overla…
2 Chronicles 3:8
1 Kings 6:20lexicalWithin the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height. He…
Ezekiel 41:4lexicalHe measured its length, twenty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits, before the nave. He said to me, “This is the most h…
Ezekiel 40:21lexicalThe lodges of it were three on this side and three on that side. Its posts and its arches were the same as the measure o…
1 Kings 6:2lexicalThe house which King Solomon built for the LORD had a length of sixty cubits, and its width twenty, and its height thirt…
Exodus 36:9lexicalThe length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains had one…
2 Chronicles 3:9
Joshua 7:21lexicalWhen I saw among the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fi…
1 Chronicles 21:25lexicalSo David gave to Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.
Numbers 31:52lexicalAll the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of…
1 Chronicles 22:3lexicalDavid prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates and for the couplings, and bronze in abundance…
2 Chronicles 3:10
1 Kings 6:28lexicalHe overlaid the cherubim with gold.
1 Kings 6:32lexicalSo he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overla…
1 Kings 6:35lexicalHe carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work.
2 Chronicles 3:11
1 Kings 6:27lexicalHe set the cherubim within the inner house. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one to…
1 Kings 6:24lexicalFive cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits was the length of the other wing of the cherub. Fr…
Ezekiel 41:12lexicalThe building that was before the separate place at the side toward the west was seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the…
Ezekiel 40:33lexicalwith its lodges, its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements. There were windows in it and in its arches…
Exodus 38:18lexicalThe screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. T…
2 Chronicles 3:12
1 Kings 6:27lexicalHe set the cherubim within the inner house. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one to…
1 Kings 6:24lexicalFive cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits was the length of the other wing of the cherub. Fr…
Ezekiel 41:9lexicalThe thickness of the outer wall of the side rooms was five cubits. That which was left was the place of the side rooms t…
1 Kings 6:6lexicalThe lowest floor was five cubits wide, and the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on t…
Ezekiel 41:12lexicalThe building that was before the separate place at the side toward the west was seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the…
2 Chronicles 3:13
1 Kings 6:27lexicalHe set the cherubim within the inner house. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one to…
Exodus 25:20lexicalThe cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one…
1 Kings 8:7lexicalFor the cherubim spread their wings out over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.
Exodus 37:9lexicalThe cherubim spread out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another…
2 Chronicles 5:8lexicalFor the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.
2 Chronicles 3:14
Exodus 36:35lexicalHe made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workm…
Exodus 26:31lexical“You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. It shall be the work of a…
Esther 8:15lexicalMordecai went out of the presence of the king in royal clothing of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and w…
Esther 1:6lexicalThere were hangings of white and blue material, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and marble…
Exodus 26:1lexical“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with…
2 Chronicles 3:15
1 Kings 7:2lexicalFor he built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was one hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its heig…
1 Kings 7:6lexicalHe made the hall of pillars. Its length was fifty cubits and its width thirty cubits, with a porch before them, and pill…
Ezekiel 40:49lexicalThe length of the porch was twenty cubits and the width eleven cubits, even by the steps by which they went up to it. Th…
Exodus 36:15lexicalThe length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits the width of each curtain. The eleven curtains had one mea…
Genesis 6:15lexicalThis is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its hei…
2 Chronicles 3:17
1 Kings 7:21lexicalHe set up the pillars at the porch of the temple. He set up the right pillar and called its name Jachin; and he set up t…
2 Chronicles 4:7lexicalHe made the ten lamp stands of gold according to the ordinance concerning them; and he set them in the temple, five on t…
2 Chronicles 4:8lexicalHe made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. He made one hundred…
Judges 16:29lexicalSamson took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house rested and leaned on them, the one with his right hand and…
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Historical Context
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