The Building of the Temple (One cubit equals approx 18 in.)
6:1 Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he [a]began to build the house of the Lord. 2 As for the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was sixty [b]cubits and its width twenty cubits and its height thirty cubits. 3 The porch in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits [c]in length, [d]corresponding to the width of the house, and its [e]depth along the front of the house was ten cubits. 4 Also for the house he made windows with artistic frames. 5 Against the wall of the house he built stories encompassing the walls of the house around both the nave and the inner sanctuary; thus he made side chambers all around. 6 The lowest story was five cubits wide, and the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he [f]made offsets in the wall of the house all around in order that the beams would not [g]be inserted in the walls of the house.
7 The house, while it was being built, was built of stone [h]prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built. 8 The doorway for the [i]lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third. 9 So he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and [j]planks of cedar. 10 He also built the stories against the whole house, each five [k]cubits high; and they [l]were fastened to the house with timbers of cedar.
11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying, 12 “Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 13 I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.” I PRAY I HEAR FROM THE LORD LIKE SOLOMON.
14 So Solomon built the house and finished it. 15 Then he built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the [m]ceiling he overlaid the walls on the inside with wood, and he overlaid the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16 He built twenty cubits on the rear part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the [n]ceiling; he built them for it on the inside as an inner sanctuary, even as the most holy place. 17 The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty [o]cubits long. 18 There was cedar on the house within, carved in the shape of gourds and open flowers; all was cedar, there was no stone seen. 19 Then he prepared an inner sanctuary within the house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. 20 [p]The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the altar with cedar. 21 So Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold. And he drew chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold. 22 He overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar which was by the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.
23 Also in the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing were ten cubits. 25 The other cherub was ten cubits; both the cherubim were of the same measure and the same form. 26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. 27 He placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and the wings of the cherubim were spread out, so that the wing of the one was touching the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. So their wings were touching each other in the center of the house. 28 He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.
CHERUB: an angelic being, as guardians of Eden, flanking God's throne, an image form hovering over the Ark of the Covenant, the chariot of Jehovah (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3742/nasb95/wlc/0-1/)
29 Then he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, inner and outer sanctuaries. 30 He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, inner and outer sanctuaries. 31 For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel and five-sided doorposts. 32 So he made two doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.
33 So also he made for the entrance of the nave four-sided doorposts of olive wood 34 and two doors of cypress wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivots, and the two [q]leaves of the other door turned on pivots. 35 He carved on it cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the engraved work. 36 He built the inner court with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams. 37 In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it. IT TOOK A LONG TIME DUE TO GOD'S DETAILS.
Footnotes
1 Kings 6:1 Lit built
1 Kings 6:2 I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
1 Kings 6:3 Lit in its length
1 Kings 6:3 Lit on the face of
1 Kings 6:3 Lit width
1 Kings 6:6 Lit gave
1 Kings 6:6 Lit take hold
1 Kings 6:7 Lit finished
1 Kings 6:8 So with Gr and versions; M.T. middle
1 Kings 6:9 Lit rows
1 Kings 6:10 I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
1 Kings 6:10 Lit took hold
1 Kings 6:15 Lit walls of ceiling
1 Kings 6:16 Lit walls
1 Kings 6:17 I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
1 Kings 6:20 Lit before
1 Kings 6:34 So with Gr; M.T. curtains
Solomon’s Palace
7:1 Now Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. 2 He built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was 100 [a]cubits and its width 50 cubits and its height 30 cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars. 3 It was paneled with cedar above the side chambers which were on the 45 pillars, 15 in each row. 4 There were artistic window frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three ranks. 5 All the doorways and doorposts had squared artistic frames, and window was opposite window in three ranks.
6 Then he made the hall of pillars; its length was 50 cubits and its width 30 cubits, and a porch was in front of them and pillars and a threshold in front of them. 7 He made the hall of the throne where he was to judge, the hall of judgment, and it was paneled with cedar from floor to floor.
8 His house where he was to live, the other court inward from the hall, was of the same workmanship. He also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Solomon had married. 9 All these were of costly stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court. IT WAS SIN FOR HIM TO MARRY HER DUE TO HER DIFFERENT RACE.
10 The foundation was of costly stones, even large stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, stone cut according to measure, and cedar. 12 So the great court all around had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams even as the inner court of the house of the Lord, and the porch of the house.
SOLOMON'S FLAWS (FROM DANIEL GROTHE, NEW LIFE CHURCH, CO SPRINGS, CO SEPT 2023)
He stopped defending the poor. He started acting like an Egyptian Pharoah. He started with wisdom, ended as a fool. He lost Biblical morality. Don't put on a facade of piety.
Hiram’s Work in the Temple
13 Now King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. 14 He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work.
15 He fashioned the two pillars of bronze; eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits [b]measured the circumference of both. 16 He also made two capitals of molten bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five [c]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 top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars, and two rows around on the one network to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and so he did for the other capital. 19 The capitals which were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily design, four cubits. 20 There were capitals on the two pillars, even above and close to the [d]rounded projection which was beside the network; and the pomegranates numbered two hundred in rows around [e]both capitals. 21 Thus he set up the pillars at the porch of the nave; and he set up the right pillar and named it [f]Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it [g]Boaz. (IN IT IS STRENGTH) 22 On the top of the pillars was lily design. So the work of the pillars was finished.
23 Now he made the sea of cast metal ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits, and [h]thirty cubits in circumference. 24 Under its brim gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, completely surrounding the sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast [i]with the rest. 25 It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward. 26 It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, as a lily blossom; it could hold two thousand baths.
27 Then he made the ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was four cubits and its width four cubits and its height three cubits. 28 This was the design of the stands: they had borders, even borders between the [j]frames, 29 and on the borders which were between the [k]frames were lions, oxen and cherubim; and on the [l]frames there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 30 Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports; beneath the basin were cast supports with wreaths at each side. 31 Its opening inside the crown at the top was a cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its opening there were engravings, and their borders were square, not round. 32 The four wheels were underneath the borders, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of 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; its supports were part of the stand itself. 35 On the top of the stand there was a circular form half a [m]cubit high, and on the top of the stand its [n]stays and its borders were part of it. 36 He engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders, cherubim, lions and palm trees, according to the clear space on each, with wreaths all around. 37 He made the ten stands like this: all of them had one casting, one measure and one form.
38 He made ten basins of bronze, one basin held forty baths; each basin was four cubits, and on each of the ten stands was one basin. 39 Then he set the stands, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house; and he set the sea of cast metal on the right side of the house eastward toward the south.
40 Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of the Lord: 41 the two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; 42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars; 43 and the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands; 44 and the one sea and the twelve oxen under the sea; 45 and the pails and the shovels and the bowls; even all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the Lord were of polished bronze. 46 In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because they were too many; the weight of the bronze could not be ascertained.
48 Solomon made all the furniture which was in the house of the Lord: the golden altar and the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence; (LIKE THE LORD'S SUPPER) 49 and the lampstands, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs, of gold; 50 and the cups and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and the firepans, of pure gold; and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, that is, of the nave, of gold.
51 Thus all the work that King Solomon performed in the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things dedicated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.
Footnotes
1 Kings 7:2 I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
1 Kings 7:15 Lit went around the other pillar
1 Kings 7:16 I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
1 Kings 7:20 Lit belly
1 Kings 7:20 Lit on the other capital
1 Kings 7:21 I.e. he shall establish
1 Kings 7:21 I.e. in it is strength
1 Kings 7:23 Lit a line of 30 cubits went around it
1 Kings 7:24 Lit in its casting
1 Kings 7:28 Or crossbars
1 Kings 7:29 Or crossbars
1 Kings 7:29 Or crossbars
1 Kings 7:35 I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
1 Kings 7:35 Lit hands
The Ark Brought into the Temple
8:1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion. 2 All the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 Then all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4 They brought up the ark of the Lord and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils, which were in the tent, and the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing [a]so many sheep and oxen they could not be counted or numbered. 6 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles from above. 8 But the poles were so long that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; they are there to this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. I PRAY I SEE THIS SOMEDAY. WE CAN'T STAND IN GOD'S PRESENCE.
Solomon Addresses the People
12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. 13 “I have surely built You a lofty house, A place for Your dwelling forever.” 14 Then the king [b]faced about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hand, saying, 16 ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 Now it was [c]in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was [d]in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was [e]in your heart. 19 Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who [f]will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord [g]promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with our fathers when He brought them from the land of Egypt.”
The Prayer of Dedication (I was asked to do this for new buildings in the Army.)
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. 23 He said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, 24 who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have [h]promised him; indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand as it is this day. 25 Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have [i]promised him, saying, ‘[j]You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk before Me as you have walked.’ 26 Now therefore, O God of Israel, let Your word, I pray, be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant, my father David.
27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the [k]highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28 Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today; 29 that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. 30 Listen to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and forgive. GOD LISTENS TO PRAYER.
31 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 32 then hear in heaven and act and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked by bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. 33 “When Your people Israel are [l]defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned against You, if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and make supplication to You in this house, 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.
35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land, which You have given Your people for an inheritance.
Rain Down Song by Jesus Culture:
Looks like tonight, the sky is heavy
Feels like the winds are gonna change
Beneath my feet, the earth is ready
And I know it's time for heaven's rain
It's gonna rain, yeah, yeah
'Cause it's living water, we desire
To flood our hearts with holy fire
Rain down, all around the world we're singing (4x)
Back to the start, my heart is heavy
Feels like it's time to dream again
And I see the clouds, and yes I'm ready
To dance upon this barren land
Open my hands, yeah, yeah
'Cause it's living water, we desire
To flood our hearts with holy fire
Rain down, all around the world we're singing (3x)
And do not shut, do not shut
And do not shut the heavens
But open up, open up
Open up my heart
37 “If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their [m]cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38 whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, [n]each knowing the [o]affliction of his own heart, and spreading his [p]hands toward this house; 39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men, 40 that they may [q]fear You all the days that they live [r]in the land which You have given to our fathers. THESE ARE DUE TO SIN.
41 “Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake 42 (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, (JEWS PRAYED TOWARDS TEMPLE, MUSLIMS IMITATED THIS BY PRAYING TOWARDS MECCA.)
43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to [s]fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that [t]this house which I have built is called by Your name.
44 “When Your people go out to battle against [u]their enemy, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to the Lord [v]toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their [w]cause. LUKE 19 – CHRIST WEPT FOR JERUSALEM
46 “When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that [x]they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near; 47 if they [y]take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly’; 48 if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; 49 then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their [z]cause, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You, and make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 (for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought forth from Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace), 52 that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53 For You have separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord [aa]God.” YAHWEH (YHWH)
Solomon’s Benediction
54 When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his [ab]hands spread toward heaven. 55 And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: 56 “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He [ac]promised; not one word has [ad]failed of all His good [ae]promise, which He [af]promised through Moses His servant. 57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us, 58 that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the [ag]cause of His servant and the [ah]cause of His people Israel, [ai]as each day requires, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else. 61 Let your heart therefore be [aj]wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”
Dedicatory Sacrifices
62 Now the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the Lord. 63 Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. 64 On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, because there he [ak]offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.
65 So Solomon observed the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, for seven days and seven more days, even fourteen days. 66 On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had [al]shown to David His servant and to Israel His people. ARE WE GLAD BECAUSE OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US?
Footnotes
1 Kings 8:5 Lit sheep and oxen...numbered for multitude
1 Kings 8:14 Lit turned his face about
1 Kings 8:17 Lit with
1 Kings 8:18 Lit with
1 Kings 8:18 Lit with
1 Kings 8:19 Lit will come forth from your loins
1 Kings 8:20 Lit spoke
1 Kings 8:24 Lit spoken to
1 Kings 8:25 Lit spoken to
1 Kings 8:25 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man from before Me
1 Kings 8:27 Lit heaven of heavens
1 Kings 8:33 Lit smitten
1 Kings 8:37 Lit gates
1 Kings 8:38 Lit who shall know each
1 Kings 8:38 Lit plague
1 Kings 8:38 Lit palms
1 Kings 8:40 Or revere
1 Kings 8:40 Lit on the face of the land
1 Kings 8:43 Or reverence
1 Kings 8:43 Lit Your name is called upon this house which I have built
1 Kings 8:44 Lit his
1 Kings 8:44 Lit in the way of
1 Kings 8:45 Lit right or justice
1 Kings 8:46 Lit their captors take them captive
1 Kings 8:47 Lit return to their heart
1 Kings 8:49 Lit judgment
1 Kings 8:53 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
1 Kings 8:54 Lit palms
1 Kings 8:56 Lit spoke
1 Kings 8:56 Lit fallen
1 Kings 8:56 Lit word
1 Kings 8:56 Lit spoke
1 Kings 8:59 Lit judgment
1 Kings 8:59 Lit judgment
1 Kings 8:59 Lit the thing of a day in its day
1 Kings 8:61 Lit complete with
1 Kings 8:64 Lit made
1 Kings 8:66 Lit done
God’s Promise and Warning
9:1 Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all [a]that Solomon desired to do, 2 that the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 The Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 4 As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I [b]promised to your father David, saying, ‘[c]You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ THIS CHURCH HAS HIS NAME THERE FOREVER.
6 “But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will [d]cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 8 And this house will become [e]a heap of ruins; everyone who passes by will be astonished and hiss and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 9 And they will say, ‘Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them, therefore the Lord has brought all this adversity on them.’” SOME JEWS DON’T WORSHIP THE LORD.
Cities Given to Hiram
10 It came about at the end of twenty years in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king’s house 11 (Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold according to all his desire), then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 So Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they [f]did not please him. 13 He said, “What are these cities which you have given me, my brother?” So [g]they were called the land of [h]Cabul (AFGHANISTAN?) to this day. 14 And Hiram sent to the king 120 talents of gold. 1 TALENT = 1 MILLION!
15 Now this is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon levied to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the [i]Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire, and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 So Solomon rebuilt Gezer and the lower Beth-horon 18 and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah, 19 and all the storage cities which Solomon had, even the cities for [j]his chariots and the cities for [k]his horsemen, and [l]all that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land [m]under his rule. 20 As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of the sons of Israel, 21 their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel were unable to destroy utterly, from them Solomon levied forced laborers, even to this day. 22 But Solomon did not make slaves of the sons of Israel; for they were men of war, his servants, his princes, his captains, his chariot commanders, and his horsemen.
23 These were the [n]chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people doing the work. 24 As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter came up from the city of David to her house which Solomon had built for her, then he built the Millo. 25 Now three times in a year (TRIMESTER) Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to the Lord, burning incense with them on the altar which was before the Lord. So he finished the house.
26 King Solomon also built a fleet of ships in Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the [o]Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 27 And Hiram sent his servants with the fleet, sailors who knew the sea, along with the servants of Solomon. 28 They went to Ophir and took four hundred and twenty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.
Footnotes
1 Kings 9:1 Lit Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do
1 Kings 9:5 Lit spoke
1 Kings 9:5 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man
1 Kings 9:7 Lit send
1 Kings 9:8 Heb high
1 Kings 9:12 Lit were not right in his sight
1 Kings 9:13 Lit he called them
1 Kings 9:13 I.e. as good as nothing
1 Kings 9:15 I.e. citadel
1 Kings 9:19 Lit the
1 Kings 9:19 Lit the
1 Kings 9:19 Lit the desire of Solomon which he desired to build in Jerusalem
1 Kings 9:19 Lit of
1 Kings 9:23 Or officers of the deputies
1 Kings 9:26 Lit Sea of Reeds
The Queen of Sheba
10:1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with difficult questions. 2 So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and very much gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 3 Solomon [a]answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not [b]explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and [c]his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. 6 Then she said to the king, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 Nevertheless I did not believe the [d]reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. 8 How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. 9 Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” 10 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold (120M!) , and a very great amount of spices and precious stones. Never again did such abundance of spices come in as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.
11 Also the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug trees and precious stones. 12 The king made of the almug trees supports for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again nor have they been seen to this day. 13 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested, besides what he gave her according to [e]his royal bounty. Then she turned and went to her own land [f]together with her servants.
Wealth, Splendor and Wisdom
14 Now the weight of gold which came in to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 15 besides that from the traders and the [g]wares of the merchants and all the kings of the Arabs and the governors of the country. 16 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, [h]using 600 shekels of gold on each large shield. 17 He made 300 shields of beaten gold, [i]using three minas of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. SO THEY ARE KNIGHTS IN SHINING ARMOR? :) THIS WAS FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE OF MONEY. 18 Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined gold. 19 There were six steps to the throne and a round top to the throne at its rear, and [j]arms [k]on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the [l]arms. 20 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. 21 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None was of silver; it was not considered [m]valuable in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king had at sea the ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.
23 So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24 All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 25 They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.
26 Now Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, (2+ BRIDAGES) and he [n]stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the [o]lowland. 28 Also Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s merchants procured them from Kue for a price. 29 A chariot [p]was imported from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and [q]by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of the Arameans.
Footnotes
1 Kings 10:3 Lit told her all her words
1 Kings 10:3 Lit tell her
1 Kings 10:5 Or his burnt offering which he offered
1 Kings 10:7 Lit words
1 Kings 10:13 Lit the hand of King Solomon
1 Kings 10:13 Lit she and
1 Kings 10:15 Or traffic
1 Kings 10:16 Lit he brought up
1 Kings 10:17 Lit he brought up
1 Kings 10:19 Lit hands
1 Kings 10:19 Lit on this side and on this at the place of the seat
1 Kings 10:19 Lit hands
1 Kings 10:21 Lit anything
1 Kings 10:26 So with ancient versions; Heb led
1 Kings 10:27 Heb Shephelah
1 Kings 10:29 Lit came up and went out from
1 Kings 10:29 Lit in like manner by their hand
Solomon Turns from God
11:1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, “You shall not [a]associate with them, nor shall they [b]associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon held fast to these in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. 4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not [c]wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. BE CAREFUL OF WOMEN TAKING US FROM GOD.
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after [d]Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. (QUEEN OF HEAVEN, MARY PER PETER WAGNER, PhD)
He quoted Jeremiah 7:14. Is it about Ishtar? "The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to arouse my anger." (NIV Gateway)
Jeremiah 44:17 "We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm."(NIV Gateway)
ENCYLOPEDIA OF THE BIBLE: MILCOM (see also Molech) mil’ k?m (Heb. , from mélék, king, with mimation), the national god of the Ammonites. Milcom was one of the foreign gods for whom Solomon built a high place on the Mount of Olives (1 Kings 11:5, 7, 33). This was later destroyed by Josiah (2 Kings 23:13). The Heb. text reads Malcham, “their king,” but scholars are agreed that Milcom was intended (Jer 49:1, 3). The form Malcham denotes a god whose name was melech, “king” (Zeph 1:5). It is not clear whether Malcham (2 Sam 12:30; cf. 1 Chron 20:2) is indeed another designation for Milcom. If so, then this god must have had a human stature of immense proportions, for the crown taken from his head weighed one talent of gold. Most scholars identify Milcom with Molech on the basis of 1 Kings 11:7, where Molech is called the abomination of the Ammonites (cf. 1 Kings 11:5, 33). The best Gr. MSS, however, read Milcom. According to K. Dronkert (De Molochdienst in het OT [1953]) Milcom must not be identified with Molech. They were worshiped separately (cf. 1 Kings 11:5; 11:33; 2 Kings 23:13). One knows nothing in regard to the worship of Milcom.
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Milcom
CHEMOSH ke’ mosh (LXX ?aµ?´?, meaning uncertain; subduer?). The name of the national god of Moab, Chemosh is mentioned eight times in the OT. In Numbers 21:29 the Moabites are called the people of Chemosh (cf. Jer 48:46). However, in Judges 11:24 Chemosh is associated with the Ammonites.
Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, as he did for the gods of several other of his wives, but the text describes Chemosh as the abomination of Moab (cf. 1 Kings 11:7, 33). Josiah destroyed this shrine about three hundred years later (2 Kings 23:13). Jeremiah prophesied that Chemosh and his devotees would be carried into captivity (Jer 48:7), which would bring shame to his worshipers (48:13).
The name, Chemosh, appears twelve times on the Moabite Stone, two apparently in a compound form. On this stone, Mesha is described as “son of Chemosh...”; the last part of the phrase is obliterated but can be compared with the “Kammusunadbi of Moab” on the Taylor Prism which details Sennacherib’s invasion of Pal. in 701 b.c.
The other compound is “Ashtar-Chemosh” which suggests that Chemosh may have been an astral god paired with the goddess Ishtar, who was Venus. Mesha constructed a temple for them at Qrchh, the vocalization of which is unknown, but was prob. located close to Dibon.
Almost nothing is known of the character of Chemosh, but the inscr. on the Moabite Stone indicates that he was a savage war god. While Israel dominated Moab, Chemosh is said to have been angry with his people. With victory, he evidently became quite happy again.
Bibliography J. B. Pritchard, ed. The Ancient Near East, An Anthology of Texts and Pictures (1956); D. W. Thomas, Documents from Old Testament Times, New York (1958); “The Moabite Stone,” 195-199.
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Chemosh
In the Hebrew Bible, Moloch is presented as a foreign deity who was at times illegitimately given a place in Israel's worship as a result of the syncretistic policies of certain apostate kings. The laws given to Moses by God expressly forbade the Jews to do what was done in Egypt or in Canaan.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moloch-ancient-god
6 Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is [e]east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. 8 Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
9 Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, (NOT ONCE) 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord had commanded. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because [f]you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”
God Raises Adversaries IF WE SIN, WE MAY HAVE ENEMIES.
14 Then the Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the [g]royal line in Edom. 15 For it came about, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, and had struck down every male in Edom 16 (for Joab and all Israel stayed there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom), 17 that Hadad fled [h]to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him, while Hadad was a young boy. 18 They arose from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and assigned him food and gave him land. 19 Now Hadad found great favor [i]before Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. 20 The sister of Tahpenes bore his son Genubath, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons of Pharaoh. 21 But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Send me away, that I may go to my own country.” 22 Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that behold, you are seeking to go to your own country?” And he answered, “Nothing; nevertheless you must surely [j]let me go.”
23 God also raised up another adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 He gathered men to himself and became leader of a marauding band, after David slew them of Zobah; and they went to Damascus and stayed [k]there, and reigned in Damascus. 25 So he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, along with the evil that Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Aram.
26 Then Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also [l]rebelled against the king. 27 Now this was the reason why he [m]rebelled against the king: Solomon built the [n]Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of his father David. 28 Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant warrior, and when Solomon saw that the young man was [o]industrious, he appointed him over all the [p]forced labor of the house of Joseph. 29 It came about at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now [q]Ahijah had clothed himself with a new cloak; and both of them were alone in the field. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 He said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes 32 (but he will have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel), 33 because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did. 34 Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him [r]ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes; 35 but I will take the kingdom from his son’s hand and give it to you, even ten tribes. 36 But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name. 37 I will take you, and you shall reign over whatever [s]you desire, and you shall be king over Israel. 38 Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. 39 Thus I will afflict the [t]descendants of David for this, but not always.’” 40 Solomon sought therefore to put Jeroboam to death; but Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
The Death of Solomon
41 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon and whatever he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? 42 Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.
Footnotes
1 Kings 11:2 Lit go among
1 Kings 11:2 Lit go among
1 Kings 11:4 Lit complete with
1 Kings 11:5 In Jer 49:1, 3, Malcam
1 Kings 11:7 Lit before
1 Kings 11:11 Lit this is with you
1 Kings 11:14 Lit king’s seed
1 Kings 11:17 Lit to go into
1 Kings 11:19 Lit in the sight of
1 Kings 11:22 Lit send me away
1 Kings 11:24 Lit in it
1 Kings 11:26 Lit lifted up a hand
1 Kings 11:27 Lit lifted up a hand
1 Kings 11:27 I.e. citadel
1 Kings 11:28 Lit a doer of work
1 Kings 11:28 Lit burden
1 Kings 11:29 Lit he
1 Kings 11:34 Or prince
1 Kings 11:37 Lit your soul desires
1 Kings 11:39 Lit seed
