2 Chronicles 3

Temple Construction Begins// 1 Kings 6:1–4

¹Then Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ²Solomon began construction on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

• 2CH 3:1[ALLUDED TO]The New Testament refers to this → ACTS 7:47
• 2CH 3:1[FULFILLS]A ram died in Isaac's place on the mountain where Yahweh would provide ← GEN 22:13-14MEDIUM
• 2CH 3:1[NOTE]MOUNT MORIAH. The only other Moriah in the Bible is where Abraham went to offer Isaac, Genesis 22:2. Many believe it is the same hill.

³The foundation that Solomon laid for the house of God was 90 feet long and 30 feet wide, by the old standard of measure. ⁴The portico at the front, extending across the width of the temple, was 30 feet long and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold.

• 2CH 3:3[FIELD NOTES]See the Solomon's Temple and Ain Dara Field Notes page in 1 Kings.
• 2CH 3:4[TEXT]HOW HIGH? In the Hebrew the porch's height is 120, about 180 feet. Some Greek and Syriac copies say 20, about 30 feet. This Bible follows them, like the NIV and CSB. The KJV and ESV keep 120.

The Temple’s Interior// 1 Kings 6:14–22

⁵He paneled the main room with cypress, which he overlaid with fine gold and decorated with palm trees and chains. ⁶He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and its gold was from Parvaim. ⁷He overlaid its beams, thresholds, walls, and doors with gold, and he carved cherubim on the walls.

⁸Then he made the Most Holy Place; its length corresponded to the width of the temple—30 feet long and 30 feet wide. And he overlaid the inside with 45,000 pounds of fine gold. ⁹The weight of the nails was 20 ounces of gold. He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold.

The Cherubim// 1 Kings 6:23–30

¹⁰In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of sculptured work, and he overlaid them with gold. ¹¹The total wingspan of the cherubim was 30 feet. One wing of the first cherub was 7½ feet long and touched the wall of the temple, and its other wing was 7½ feet long and touched the wing of the other cherub. ¹²The wing of the second cherub also measured 7½ feet and touched the wall of the temple, while its other wing measured 7½ feet and touched the wing of the first cherub. ¹³So the total wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet. They stood on their feet, facing the main room.

The Veil and Pillars// 1 Kings 7:13–22

¹⁴He made the veil of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim woven into it.

¹⁵In front of the temple he made two pillars, which together were 52½ feet high, each with a capital on top measuring 7½ feet.

• 2CH 3:15[TEXT]HOW TALL? In the Hebrew the number here is 35, about 52½ feet. 1 Kings 7:15 says each pillar was about 27 feet, 18 in the Hebrew. 35 is close to two times 18, so many think this counts both pillars.

¹⁶He made interwoven chains and put them on top of the pillars. He made a hundred pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork. ¹⁷Then he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south and one on the north. The pillar on the south he named Jachin, and the pillar on the north he named Boaz.

• 2CH 3:17[NOTE]JAKIN AND BOAZ. Jakin probably means He establishes, and Boaz probably means in Him is strength.