1 Reis 7
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
1 Reis 7
NJB (MT versing) Solomon's Palace Solomon's Other Buildings Details of Solomon's Building Operations Solomon's Palace Solomon's Palace 7:1-5 7:1-5 7:1 7:1-5 7:1-8 7:2-5 7:6 7:6-8 7:6 7:6 7:7 7:7 7:7 7:8 7:8 7:8 7:9 7:9-12 7:9-12 7:9-12 7:9-12 7:10-12 Hiram's Work in the Temple Hiram the Craftsman Hiram's Task The Bronze-worker 7:13-14 7:13-14 7:13-14 7:13-14 7:13-14 The Bronze Pillars for the Temple The Bronze Columns The Bronze Pillars 7:15-22 7:15-22 7:15-22 7:15-18 7:15-22 7:19-20 7:21-22 The Sea and the Oxen The Bronze Tank The Bronze Sea 7:23-26 7:23-26 7:23-26 7:23-26 7:23-26 The Carts and the Laver The Bronze Tank The Wheeled Stands 7:27-37 7:27-37 7:27-37 7:27-37 7:27-37 The Bronze Basins 7:38-39 7:38-39 7:38-39 7:38-39 7:38-39 Furnishings of the Temple Summary List of Temple Furnishings The Utensils Summary 7:40-47 7:40-51 7:40-44 7:40-47 7:40 7:45-47 7:41-47 7:48-50 7:48-50 7:48-50 7:48-50 7:51 7:51 7:51 7:51 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS Solomon built (ABD, vol. 6, H, pp. 109-110) a house for himself ‒ 1 Kgs. 7:1; 9:1,10,15; 10:4 the house of the Lord ‒ 1 Kings 6; 9:10,15 the house of the forest of Lebanon (i.e., a public house for judgment where his throne was located, v. 7) ‒ 1 Kings 7; 10:17,21 a house for Pharaoh's daughter ‒ 1 Kgs. 3:1; 7:8; 9:24 stables for his horses ‒ 1 Kgs. 4:26; 9:19; 10:26 fortified cities ‒ 1 Kgs. 3:1; 9:15,24 fleet of ships ‒ 1 Kgs. 9:26; 10:22 There are many rare architectural terms in 1 Kings 6-7. It is hard to visualize the form of much of Solomon's temple. He enlarged and elaborated the basic design of the tabernacle. The temple resembled Phoenician temples of the same period.
1 Reis 7:1-5
7:1-8 For Solomon's building projects see Contextual Insights. 7:1 "cubits" See SPECIAL TOPIC: CUBIT. 7:2 NASB, NKJV, NRSV, TEV, Peshitta "cedar beams" "lengths of cedars" "hewn cedar beams" Apparently there were cedar pillars and on top of them were cedar beams. The term "hewn beams" (KB 501) occurs only in 1 Kgs. 6:30; 7:2,12. 7:4-5 Apparently there were three framed windows on each side, matching the three on the opposite side (see NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 66, #3,e). 7:5 NASB, NKJV, NRSV, JPSOA "doorposts" TEV, NJB, REB, LXX "windows" "posts" The MT has "doorposts" (BDB 265) but the LXX has "windows." and the door posts ‒ והמזוזוח and the windows ‒ והמחזות The UBS Text Project, p. 302, gives the MT a "B" rating (some doubt).
1 Reis 7:6
7:6 NASB, NRSV, Peshitta "porch" NKJV, JPSOA "portico" "a covered porch" NJB, REB "cornice" The MT has the NOUN (BDB 17 I, KB 41) which means "porch." ▣ "threshold" NKJV, NRSV, JPSOA "canopy" "court" This term (BDB 712 I) is uncertain in meaning. Many translations combine the term above with this one for "a projecting roof" or some type of wood covering. This is one of many uncertain architectural terms.
1 Reis 7:7
7:7 This verse shows that "the house of the forest of Lebanon" was a separate throne-judgment building. It was so named because its numerous wooden pillars resembled a forest. ▣ NASB, NRSV, JPSOA "floor to floor" NKJV, Peshitta "floor to ceiling" TEV, REB, NET "floor to rafters" "floor to beams" The MT has "floor to floor." The NET Bible suggests an emendation to the second use of "floor" (p. 562). the floor ‒ הקרקע (BDB 903) the rafter ‒ הקורות (see 1 Kgs. 6:16; BDEB 885 I, and Ezek. 41:25)
1 Reis 7:8
7:8 This verse refers to Solomon's palace (cf. 1 Kgs. 7:1). ▣ "a house. . .for Pharaoh's daughter" See Contextual Insights, A. 4.
1 Reis 7:9
7:9-12 These verses describe the enclosure that surrounded the complex of royal and sacred buildings. The symbolism seems to be that the reigning Davidic King was YHWH's representative on earth (i.e., connected to His Temple). There were two enclosures. around the temple (cf. 1 Kgs. 6:36) around the whole building complex (cf. 9:12, royal and sacred) 7:9 NASB, NRSV, NJB, REB, JPSOA, Peshitta "the coping" NKJV, TEV "the eaves" NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 680 (Egyptian plural root) "roof" The MT has the term (BDB 381, KB 378) which could mean span (cf. Ps. 39:6) hand-breadth (cf. 2 Chr. 4:5) coping KB 378 II suggests "horizontal crossbeam" Akkadian, parapet see guess by Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, p. 316 The term is obviously in contrast to the foundation, therefore, some structure above.
1 Reis 7:10-12
7:12 This verse seems to refer to the house for Pharaoh's daughter. 7:13 "Hiram from Tyre" This is not Hiram, King of Tyre, but one of the workmen sent from Phoenicia (cf. 2 Chr. 2:13-14) to Israel. This man was half Israelite and had a special God-given skill (like those who built the tabernacle, cf. Exod. 28:3; 36:1; 37:1). The list of all Hiram made is found in 1 Kgs. 7:40-47. The seeming contradiction between v. 14 and the parallel in 2 Chr. 2:14, where Hiram's mother is from Dan, can be explained by the fact that in Solomon's day the city of Dan was considered to be in the tribal allocation of Napthali (see Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 71).
1 Reis 7:15-22
7:15-22 This paragraph describes the two large pillars in front of the temple (cf. 2 Kgs. 25:17; 2 Chr. 3:15-17). From Jer. 52:21 it seems these tall bronze pillars were hollow. 7:15 NASB, NKJB, NRSV, JPSOA, Peshitta "seven" "chains" "filigree" "a band of network" NEB, LXX "lattice work" "a net" This term (BDB 987 I), like so many of the architectural terms in this chapter, is uncertain. 7:18 There is confusion in the translations between "pillars" and "pomegranates." pillars ‒ העמודים pomegranates ‒ הרמנים The MT is not clear in this description. 7:20 NASB, NRSV "rounded projection" "convex surface" "all around" "raised moulding" "the bulge" The MT has the word "belly" (BDB 105) used metaphorically but exactly how is uncertain, as the translations show. 7:21 "Jachin" This (BDB 467) means "he will establish." The LXX in 2 Chr. 3:17 translates this as "strength." These two pillars were for decoration, not structural support. ▣ "Boaz" This (BDB 126) could be "in strength," which would match the LXX translation of 2 Chr. 3:17. Some scholars see the two names being taken together as "YHWH established in strength." Other temples in this area in this time period have these decorative pillars.
1 Reis 7:23-26
7:23-26 This is a description of the water holder for washings of the priests (cf. Exod. 30:20-21; 2 Chr. 4:6). It took the place of the laver of the tabernacle. Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 319-320, suggests the large laver was for the priest to wash and the small portable ones for the washing of sacrifices. This water container was called by three names. the bronze sea ‒ 2 Kgs. 25:13; 1 Chr. 18:8; Jer. 52:17 the molten sea ‒ 1 Kgs. 7:23; 2 Chr. 4:2 in Exod. 30:18; 38:8, it is called "a laver of bronze" SPECIAL TOPIC: LAVER 7:24 "gourds" See 1 Kgs. 6:18 for this same symbolism. 7:26 "handbreadth" See #4 in SPECIAL TOPIC: CUBIT, that shows how the human body was used for measurements. ▣ "baths" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES.
1 Reis 7:27-37
3:27-29 These "stands" (BDB 467) were the supports for ten portable lavers (cf. 2 Chr. 4:6). These stands are mentioned in 2 Kgs. 16:17; 25:13,16; 2 Chr. 4:14; Jer. 27:19; 52:17,20. 3:27 "ten" See SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE, #5. ▣ "cubits" See SPECIAL TOPIC: CUBIT. 7:29 "lions" See SPECIAL TOPIC: LIONS. ▣ "cherubim" See SPECIAL TOPIC: CHERUBIM. 7:36 "palm trees" This tree (BDB 1071; NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 308-309; UBS Fauna and Flora of the Bible, pp. 160-162) was sacred in the ANE. It symbolized prosperity ‒ Ps. 93:13 vitality (i.e., evergreen and lived up to 200 years) beauty ‒ Song of Songs 7:8 leadership ‒ Isa. 9:14; 19:15 It decorated Solomon's temple Ezekiel's temple early Jewish coins
1 Reis 7:40-47
7:40 NASB, NRSV, TEV, REB "basins" NKJV, JPSOA, Peshitta "lavers" "ash containers" "caldrons" The MT has a MASCULINE NOUN (BDB 468, KB 492) which has several distinct meanings. lavers ‒ Exod. 30:18,28; 31:9; 35:16; 38:8; 39:39; 40:7,11,30; Lev. 8:11; 2 Kgs. 16:17; 2 Chr. 4:6,16 cooking pot ‒ 1 Sam. 2:14 (also DSS) pails ‒ 2 Chr. 4:11,16 platform of bronze ‒ 2 Chr. 6:13 firepot ‒ Zech. 12:6 The best guess is #2, used to boil some sacrifices (cf. Lev. 7:15-18). ▣ "bowls" This term (BDB 284) is repeated in 1 Kgs. 7:45. It refers to bronze pots used to remove ashes from the altar of sacrifice (cf. Exod. 27:3; 38:3; see NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 245).
1 Reis 7:48-50
7:48-50 A summary of the furnishings of Solomon's temple. ▣ "the golden altar" See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ALTAR OF INCENSE. ▣ "the golden table" See SPECIAL TOPIC: SHOW BREAD or BREAD OF THE PRESENCE. ▣ "the lampstand" See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE LAMPSTAND. ▣ "the inner sanctuary" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TABERNACLE OF THE WILDERNESS. Remember, there is symbolism in the metals (gradations of holiness). bronze for those things outside the inner shrine gold for those things in the inner shrine 7:50 NASB, NKJV, TEV, Peshitta "hinges" NJB, REB "panels" "sockets" "doorways" This NOUN (BDB 874) occurs only twice in the OT. Isa. 3:17, "foreheads" here (see NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 712) There are so many rare architectural terms in chapters 6-7!
1 Reis 7:51
7:51 Many of the precious metals of the temple came from David's military conquests and taxation (cf. 2 Sam. 8:11; 1 Chr. 29:2-5; 2 Chr. 5:1).