1 Kings 7
World English Bible
WEB1Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. 2For he built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was one hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. 3It was covered with cedar above over the forty-five beams that were on the pillars, fifteen in a row. 4There were beams in three rows, and window was facing window in three ranks. 5All the doors and posts were made square with beams; and window was facing window in three ranks. 6He made the hall of pillars. Its length was fifty cubits and its width thirty cubits, with a porch before them, and pillars and a threshold before them. 7He made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor. 8His house where he was to dwell, the other court within the porch, was of the same construction. He made also a house for Pharaoh’s daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), like this porch. 9All these were of costly stones, even 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. 10The foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 11Above were costly stones, even cut stone, according to measure, and cedar wood. 12The great court around had three courses of cut stone with a course of cedar beams, like the inner court of Yahweh’s house and the porch of the house. 13King Solomon sent and brought Hiram out of Tyre. 14He was the son of a widow of 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 to work all works in bronze. He came to King Solomon and performed all his work. 15For he fashioned the two pillars of bronze, eighteen cubits high apiece; and a line of twelve cubits encircled either of them. 16He made two capitals of molten bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17There were nets of checker work and wreaths of chain work for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars: seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital. 18So he made the pillars; and there were two rows of pomegranates around the one network, to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and he did so for the other capital. 19The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work, four cubits. 20There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network. There were two hundred pomegranates in rows around the other capital. 21He 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 the left pillar and called its name Boaz. 22On the tops of the pillars was lily work. So the work of the pillars was finished. 23He made the molten sea ten cubits from brim to brim, round in shape. Its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encircled it. 24Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The buds were in two rows, cast when it was cast. 25It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set on them above, and all their hindquarters were inward. 26It was a hand width thick. Its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths. 27He made the ten bases of bronze. The length of one base was four cubits, four cubits its width, and three cubits its height. 28The work of the bases was like this: they had panels; and there were panels between the ledges; 29and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the ledges there was a pedestal above; and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 30Every base had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze; and its four feet had supports. The supports were cast beneath the basin, with wreaths at the side of each. 31Its opening within the capital and above was a cubit. Its opening was round like the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its opening were engravings, and their panels were square, not round. 32The four wheels were underneath the panels; and the axles of the wheels were in the base. The height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. 33The work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all of cast metal. 34There were four supports at the four corners of each base. Its supports were of the base itself. 35In the top of the base there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the base its supports and its panels were the same. 36On the plates of its supports and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, each in its space, with wreaths all around. 37He made the ten bases in this way: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one form. 38He made ten basins of bronze. One basin contained forty baths. Every basin measured four cubits. One basin was on every one of the ten bases. 39He set the bases, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house. He set the sea on the right side of the house eastward and toward the south. 40Hiram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he worked for King Solomon in Yahweh’s house: 41the two pillars; the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; 42the four 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 pillars; 43the ten bases; the ten basins on the bases; 44the one sea; the twelve oxen under the sea; 45the pots; the shovels; and the basins. All of these vessels, which Hiram made for King Solomon for Yahweh’s house, were of burnished bronze. 46The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them. The weight of the bronze could not be determined. 48Solomon made all the vessels that were in Yahweh’s house: the golden altar and the table that the show bread was on, of gold; 49and the lamp stands, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50the cups, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans, 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, of the temple, of gold. 51Thus all the work that King Solomon did in Yahweh’s house was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the vessels—and put them in the treasuries of Yahweh’s house.
World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org
Overview
1 Kings Chapter 7 provides a detailed account of King Solomon's construction projects, particularly focusing on the building of the temple and his own palace. The chapter begins with the description of Solomon's palace, which took thirteen years to complete, showcasing his wealth and the grandeur of his reign. The text emphasizes the use of fine materials, such as cedar and precious stones, reflecting the glory of God and the importance of the temple as a place of worship. Solomon's architectural achievements are not just for personal glory but serve to honor the Lord and fulfill the promise made to David regarding the temple's construction. This chapter highlights the significance of #Solomon as a wise and prosperous king, chosen by God to lead His people.
The chapter also details the construction of various furnishings for the temple, including the two bronze pillars named #Jachin and #Boaz, which symbolize strength and stability. The intricate designs and craftsmanship of the temple's items, such as the bronze sea and the ten lavers, illustrate the importance of holiness and reverence in worship. Each element serves a purpose in the sacrificial system and the worship of Yahweh, emphasizing the need for a sacred space where God's presence dwells among His people. Overall, 1 Kings 7 reflects the fulfillment of God's promises and the establishment of a central place for worship, pointing to the future significance of the temple in the life of Israel.
Referenced by
- Exodus 31:3v14Exodus 31:3 describes Bezalel being filled with the Spirit of God for craftsmanship, similar to how Hiram is described in 1 Kings 7:14 as being endowed with wisdom and understanding for building the temple.
- 2 Chronicles 4:2v232 Chronicles 4:2 describes the making of the 'Sea' of cast metal, a large basin for the priests' ritual washing, which is also detailed in 1 Kings 7:23-26.
- 2 Chronicles 5:1v512 Chronicles 5:1 describes the completion of the work Solomon did for the house of the Lord, paralleling 1 Kings 7:51, which also records the completion and the bringing in of the dedicated items.
Topics in this chapter
- Temple
- Solomon
- Wisdom
- Worship
- Craftsmanship
- Holiness
- God's Presence
- Purification
- Service
- Covenant
- Dedication
- Hiram
- Jachin and Boaz
- Jerusalem
- Molten Sea
- Solomon's Temple
- Attention to Detail in Scripture
- Beauty
- Biblical Architecture
- Biblical Imagery
- Bronze
- Capital
- Cedar
- Cherubim
- Cleansing
- Community
- Completion of the Christian Life
- Continuity
- Craftsman
- Creativity
- Davidic Covenant
- Diligence
- Divine Beauty
- Divine Inspiration
- Divine Majesty
- Divine Order
- Divine Presence
- Divine Provision
- Divinecraftsmanship
- Dynasty
- Excellence
- Faithfulness
- Fulfillment
- Glory
- Glory to God
- Guidance in the Bible
- Heavenly Sanctuary
- House
- Immanuel
- King
- Lebanon
- Light
- Palace
- Partnership
- Presence of God
- Priorities in the Christian Life
- Prosperity
- Ritual Cleansing
- Sovereignty of God
- Stability
- Strength
- Symbolism in the Bible
- Talents
- Temple Artistry
- Temple Completion
- Temple Construction
- Temple Furnishings
- Tyre
- Worship Through Art
Related chapters
- 2 Chronicles 4Temple FurnishingsBronzeCraftsman
- 2 Chronicles 3CherubimCraftsmanshipSolomon's Temple
- 2 Chronicles 2HiramPartnershipTalents
- 1 Kings 6CherubimSolomon's TempleTemple Construction
- Exodus 31CreativityCraftsmanTalents
- 2 Chronicles 8HiramSolomon's TempleTemple Construction
- Exodus 25BeautyExcellenceDiligence
- 1 Kings 5HiramSolomon's TempleTemple Construction
- Exodus 36CraftsmanDivine InspirationAttention to Detail in Scripture
- Exodus 38BronzeCraftsmanTalents
- Exodus 26Attention to Detail in ScriptureCherubimCraftsmanship
- 2 Samuel 7DynastyHouseDavidic Covenant
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