THIRTEEN YEARS - The thirteen years, i. e., counting from the end of the seven 1 Kings 6:38. Solomon’s buildings thus occupied him twenty years 1 Kings 9:10; 2 Chronicles 8:1, from the fourth year of his reign to the twenty-fourth. The difference in the time taken by the temple and the palace is to... [ Continue Reading ]
Many have supposed that the buildings mentioned in 1 Kings 7:1, 1 Kings 7:8, were three entirely distinct and separate buildings. But it is perhaps best to consider the “house” of 1 Kings 7:1 as the palace proper - Solomon’s own dwelling-house (see 1 Kings 7:8); the house of 1 Kings 7:2, as the stat... [ Continue Reading ]
Either three ranges of windows, one above the other, on either side of the house; or perhaps the three ranges were one in either side wall, and the third in a wall down the middle of the hall, along the course of the midmost row of pillars. The windows were directly opposite one another, giving what... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE DOORS AND POSTS - The doorways, and the posts which formed them, seem to be intended. These were square at top, not arched or rounded. In Assyrian buildings arched doorways were not uncommon. The doorways also, like the windows, exactly faced one another.... [ Continue Reading ]
Probably the porch of the “House of the Forest.” Porches of columns immediately in front of columnar chambers were a favorite feature of Persian architecture. The whole verse should be translated, “And he made the porch of the pillars in length 50 cubits, and in breadth 30 cubits, and a porch before... [ Continue Reading ]
The porch or gate of justice still kept alive the likeness of the old patriarchal custom of sitting in judgment at the gate; exactly as the “Gate of justice” still recalls it at Granada, and the Sublime Porte - “the Lofty Gate” - at Constantinople.... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKE UNTO THIS PORCH - i. e., of similar materials, hewn stone and cedar. The zenana could not have been a mere portico.... [ Continue Reading ]
The stones were uniform - all cut to certain fixed measures of length, breadth, and thickness. They were not squared only on the face which showed, but also on the sides which fell within the wall and were not seen. Saws appear in Assyrian sculptures of the age of Sennacherib; and fragments of an ir... [ Continue Reading ]
See the 1 Kings 5:17 note.... [ Continue Reading ]
The palace, like the temple, had two courts 1 Kings 6:36, not, however, one immediately within the other. The lesser court of the palace seems to have been a private inner court among the buildings 1 Kings 7:8. The greater court was outside all the buildings, surrounding the palace on every side. As... [ Continue Reading ]
HIRAM - A man who bore the same name as the king of Tyre, a master workman, known as Hiram Ab, i. e. Master Hiram 2Ch 2:13; 2 Chronicles 4:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
Hiram’s mother, while by birth of the tribe of Dan, had had for her first husband a man of the tribe of Naphtali. (Compare this verse and margin reference.) ALL HIS WORK - The work that he personally did for Solomon seems to have been limited to metal-work, and indeed to works in brass. (See below,... [ Continue Reading ]
These famous pillars, which were broken in pieces by the Babylonians when they destroyed Jerusalem 2 Kings 25:13; Jeremiah 52:17, were probably for ornament, standing by themselves under or in front of the porch. It is certain that the Phoenicians used isolated metal columns as sacred ornaments, so... [ Continue Reading ]
The general character of the “chapiters” or capitals, their great size in proportion to the shaft, which is as one to two, and their construction of two quite different members, remind us of the pillars used by the Persians in their palaces, which were certainly more like Jachin and Boaz than any pi... [ Continue Reading ]
NETS ... - Rather “Nets chequerwise, and festoons chainwise,” - probably a fine network over the whole, and chainwork hanging in festoons outside. SEVEN FOR THE ONE CHAPITER - The Septuagint reading is preferable. “A net for the one chapiter and a net for the other chapiter.” Compare 1 Kings 7:41.... [ Continue Reading ]
The pomegranate was one of the most common ornaments in Assyria. It was used on quivers, on spear-shafts, and maceheads, in patterns on doorways and pavements, etc. It is doubtful whether a symbolic meaning was attached to it, or whether it was merely selected as a beautiful natural form.... [ Continue Reading ]
There is a cornice of (so-called) lilywork at Persepolis, consisting of three ranges of broadish rounded leaves, one over the other. Lilies are also represented with much spirit on a bas-relief from Koyunjik.... [ Continue Reading ]
In this verse also a portion of the original text is supposed to have fallen out in consequence of the repetition of words. The full phrase of the original has been retained in 1 Kings 7:16. It may be restored thus: “And the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the one chapiter, an... [ Continue Reading ]
The Septuagint in the parallel passage (margin reference), translate Jachin and Boaz by Κατόρθωσις _Katorthōsis_ and Ἰσχύς _Ischus_ - “Direction” and “Strength.” The literal meaning of the names is given in the margin. The meaning was probably “God will establish in strength” (i. e. firmly) the... [ Continue Reading ]
The “molten sea “of Solomon, so called from its great size, took the place of the laver of the tabernacle Exodus 30:18, which was required for the ablutions of the priests. It was ten cubits, or fully fifteen feet, in diameter at top, and therefore forty-seven feet in circumference, with a depth of... [ Continue Reading ]
KNOPS - literally, “gourds,” - i. e. a boss or ball ornament encircled the rim of the bowl in two rows.... [ Continue Reading ]
Josephus charged Solomon with a breach of the Commandment Exodus 20:4, on account of the oxen here and the lions for his throne. The charge expresses the prohibition which some Jews have conceived the Commandment to urge against the arts of sculpture and painting.... [ Continue Reading ]
The palm or hand-breadth seems to have a little exceeded three inches. WITH FLOWERS OF LILIES - Rather, “in the shape of a lily flower.” The rim was slightly curved outward, like the rim of an ordinary drinking-cup, or the edge of a lily blossom. See 2 Chronicles 4:5 margin.... [ Continue Reading ]
TEN BASES OF BRASS - These were for the ten lavers (1 Kings 7:38. See 2 Chronicles 4:6). In general terms the bases were square stands, 6 feet each way, and 4 12 feet high, elaborately ornamented on their four sides, and resting upon four wheels, 2 14 feet in diameter. Each stand supported a laver 6... [ Continue Reading ]
BORDERS - Rather, “panels” (so 1 Kings 7:32, 1 Kings 7:35), a set of square compartments between the “ledges” or borders, or mouldings. Below the panelling, with its ornamentation of lions, oxen (the two animal forms which occur most frequently in Assyrian decoration), and cherubim, was a space deco... [ Continue Reading ]
PLATES OF BRASS - Rather, “brazen axletrees.” The “undersetters” (literally, “shoulders”) are conjectured to have been four brackets, or bars, proceeding from the four upper corners of the bases, and stretching upward to the outer rim of the laver, which thus rested partly upon them. AT THE SIDE O... [ Continue Reading ]
It seems impossible to determine what is meant by the “mouth” of the laver, or what by its “chapiter.”... [ Continue Reading ]
With the diameter (2 14 ft.) of the wheel here, may be compared that of the earliest Assyrian chariot-wheels, which was under 3 feet; and that of the front wheels seen in representations of Assyrian close carriages, which scarcely exceed 14th of the height of the entire vehicle. The wheels of these... [ Continue Reading ]
The undersetters were cast with the base, not afterward attached to it, and were therefore stronger and better able to support the laver.... [ Continue Reading ]
A ROUND COMPASS - A circular elevation, half a cubit high, rather than a circular depression, half a cubit deep. Compare 1 Kings 7:29. The “ledges” and “borders” of the top of the base were its “hands” and its “panels.” These “hands,” distinct from the “shoulders” 1 Kings 7:30, were probably support... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO THE PROPORTION OF EVERY ONE - i. e. “as large as the room left for them allowed,” implying that the panels were smaller than those on the sides of the base, and allowed scant room for the representations.... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY LAVER WAS FOUR CUBITS - Assuming height to be intended, and taking the cubit at 20 inches, the entire height of the lavers as they stood upon their wheeled stands would seem to have been 13 ft. 9 in. It is evident, therefore, that the water must have been drawn from them, as from the “molten s... [ Continue Reading ]
LAVERS - Rather, according to the true reading, “pots.” (Compare 1 Kings 7:45; 2 Chronicles 4:16.) The “pots” were the caldrons in which it was usual to boil the peace-offerings. See 1 Samuel 2:13,... [ Continue Reading ]
SUCCOTH AND ZARTHAN - See Judges 7:22; Judges 8:5, note.... [ Continue Reading ]
The brass of which the two pillars, Jachin and Boaz, the brass sea, and the various vessels were made had been taken by David from two cities belonging to Hadadezer, king of Zobah 1 Chronicles 18:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
See the note to 1 Kings 6:20 and notes at 2 Chronicles 4:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
See the notes to Exodus 25:31. The “bowls” of 1 Kings 7:50 were the “bowls” for the tables Exodus 37:16, large vases containing oil for the lamps.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THINGS WHICH DAVID HAD DEDICATED - Not only the things described in 1 Chronicles 28:14, but also the spoil of the nations which he had subdued (margin reference), and also the vessels of gold, silver, and brass, sent him by Toi king of Hamath, on his victory over Hadadezer. Solomon now brought t... [ Continue Reading ]