As,
in the story of David, one chapter of wars and victories follows another,
so, in the story of Solomon, one chapter concerning his buildings follows
another. In this chapter we have, I. His fitting up several buildings for
himself and his own use, ver. 1-12. II. His furnishing the temple which he
had built for God, 1. With two pillars, ver. 13-22. 2. With a molten sea,
ver. 23-26. 3. With ten basins of brass (ver. 27-37), and ten layers upon
them, ver. 38, 39. 4. With all the other utensils of the temple, ver. 40-50.
5. With the things that his father had dedicated, ver. 51. The particular
description of these things was not needless when it was written, nor is it
now useless.
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The
Building of the Temple.
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B.
C. 1004.
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1 But Solomon was building his own house
thirteen years, and he finished all his house. 2 He built also
the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was a hundred
cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty
cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the
pillars. 3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the
beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.
4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was
against light in three ranks. 5 And all the doors and
posts were square, with the windows: and light was against
light in three ranks. 6 And he made a porch of pillars;
the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty
cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars
and the thick beam were before them. 7 Then he made a
porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of
judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to
the other. 8 And his house where he dwelt had another
court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also
a house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto
this porch. 9 All these were of costly stones, according
to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even
from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the
great court. 10 And the foundation was of costly stones,
even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.
11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones,
and cedars. 12 And the great court round about was with
three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner
court of the house of the LORD,
and for the porch of the house.
Never had any man so much of the spirit of building as Solomon had, nor to
better purpose; he began with the temple, built for God first, and then all
his other buildings were comfortable. The surest foundations of lasting
prosperity are those which are laid in an early piety, Matt. vi. 33. 1. He
built a house for himself (v. 1), where he dwelt, v. 8.
His father had built a good house; but it was no reflection upon his father
for him to build a better, in proportion to the estate wherewith God had
blessed him. Much of the comfort of this life is connected with an agreeable
house. He was thirteen years building this house, whereas he built the
temple in little more than seven years; not that he was more exact, but less
eager and intent, in building his own house than in building God's. He was
in no haste for his own palace, but impatient till the temple was finished
and fit for use. Thus we ought to prefer God's honour before our own ease
and satisfaction. 2. He built the house of the forest at Lebanon (v.
2), supposed to be a country seat near Jerusalem, so called from the
pleasantness of its situation and the trees that encompassed it. I rather
incline to think that it was a house built in the forest of Lebanon itself,
whither (though far distant from Jerusalem) Solomon (having so many chariots
and horses, and those dispersed into chariot-cities, which probably were his
stages) might frequently retire with ease. It does not appear that his
throne (mentioned v. 7) was at the house of the forest of Lebanon,
and it was not at all improper to put his shields there as in a magazine.
Express notice is taken of his buildings, not only in Jerusalem, but in
Lebanon (ch. ix. 19), and we read of the tower of Lebanon, which
looks towards Damascus (Cant. vii. 4), which probably was part of this
house. A particular account is given of this house, that being built in
Lebanon, a place famed for cedars, the pillars, and beams, and roof, were
all cedar (v. 2, 3), and, being designed for pleasant prospects,
there were three tiers of windows on each side, light against light (v.
4, 5), or, as it may be read, prospect against prospect. Those whose
lost i cast in the country may be well reconciled to a country life by this,
that some of the greatest princes have thought those the most pleasant of
their days which they have spent in their country retirements. 3. He built
piazzas before one of his houses, either that at Jerusalem or that in
Lebanon, which were very famous--a porch of pillars (v. 6), perhaps
for an exchange or a guard-house, or for those to walk in that attended him
about business till they could have audience, or for state and magnificence.
He himself speaks of Wisdom's building her house, and hewing out her
seven pillars (Prov. ix. 1), for the shelter of those that, three verses
before (ch. viii. 34), are said to watch daily at her gates and to
wait at the posts of her doors. 4. At his house where he dwelt in
Jerusalem he built a great hall, or porch of judgment, where was set the
throne, or king's bench, for the trial of causes, in which he himself was
appealed to (placita coram ipso rege tenenda--causes were to be adjusted
in the king's presence,) and this was richly wainscoted with cedar, from
the floor to the roof, v. 7. He had there also another court
within the porch, nearer his house, of similar work, for his attendants
to walk in, v. 8. 5. He built a house for his wife, where she kept
her court, v. 8. It is said to be like the porch, because
built of cedar like it, though not in the same form; this, no doubt, was
nearer adjoining to his own palace, yet perhaps if it had been as near as it
ought to have been Solomon would not have multiplied wives as he did.
The wonderful magnificence of all these buildings is taken notice of, v.
9, &c. All the materials were the best of their kind. The
foundation-stones were costly for their size, four or five yards square, or
at least so many yards long (v. 10), and the stones of the building
were costly for the workmanship, hewn and sawn, and in all respects finely
wrought, v. 9, 11. The court of his own house was like that of the
temple (v. 12, compare ch. vi. 36); so well did he like the
model of God's courts that he made his own by it.
13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram
out of Tyre. 14 He was a widow's son of the tribe of
Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he
was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in
brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work. 15
For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line
of twelve cubits did compass either of them about. 16 And he
made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the
pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the
height of the other chapiter was five cubits: 17 And
nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were
upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the
other chapiter. 18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round
about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the
top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter. 19
And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were
of lily work in the porch, four cubits. 20 And the chapiters
upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the
belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two
hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter. 21 And he
set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right
pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar,
and called the name thereof Boaz. 22 And upon the top of the
pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.
23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it
was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line
of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 24 And under the
brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a
cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two
rows, when it was cast. 25 It stood upon 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 above upon them, and all their hinder parts were
inward. 26 And it was a hand breadth thick, and the brim
thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it
contained two thousand baths. 27 And he made ten bases of brass;
four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth
thereof, and three cubits the height of it. 28 And the work of
the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the
borders were between the ledges: 29 And on the borders
that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims:
and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and
oxen were certain additions made of thin work. 30 And
every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners
thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten,
at the side of every addition. 31 And the mouth of it within the
chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was
round after the work of the base, a cubit and a half: and also upon
the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not
round. 32 And under the borders were four wheels; and the
axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a
wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. 33 And the work of
the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and
their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all
molten. 34 And there were four undersetters to the four
corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very
base itself. 35 And in the top of the base was there a
round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges
thereof and the borders thereof were of the same. 36 For
on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved
cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one,
and additions round about. 37 After this manner he made
the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one
size. 38 Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained
forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every
one of the ten bases one laver. 39 And he put five bases on the
right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set
the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the
south. 40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the
basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon
for the house of the LORD:
41 The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapiters that were
on the top of the two pillars; and the two networks, to cover the two bowls
of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars;
42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows
of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters
that were upon the pillars; 43 And the ten bases, and ten
lavers on the bases; 44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the
sea; 45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all
these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD,
were of bright brass. 46 In the plain of Jordan did the
king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.
47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were
exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.
We have here an account of the brass-work about the temple. There was no
iron about the temple, though we find David preparing for the temple iron
for things of iron, 1 Chron. xxix. 2. What those things were we are not
told, but some of the things of brass are here described and the rest
mentioned.
I. The brasier whom Solomon employed to preside in this part of the work was
Hiram, or Huram (2 Chron. iv. 11), who was by his mother's side an
Israelite, of the tribe of Naphtali, by his father's side a man of Tyre, v.
14. If he had the ingenuity of a Tyrian, and the affection of an Israelite
to the house of God (the head of a Tyrian and the heart of an Israelite), it
was happy that the blood of the two nations mixed in him, for thereby he was
qualified for the work to which he was designed. As the tabernacle was built
with the wealth of Egypt, so the temple with the wit of Tyre. God will serve
himself by the common gifts of the children of men.
II. The brass he made use of was the best he could get. All the brazen
vessels were of bright brass (v. 45), good brass, so
the Chaldee, that which was strongest and looked finest. God, who is the
best, must be served and honoured with the best.
III. The place where all the brazen vessels were cast was the plain of
Jordan, because the ground there was stiff and clayey, fit to make moulds of
for the casting of the brass (v. 46), and Solomon would not have this
dirty smoky work done in or near Jerusalem.
IV. The quantity was not accounted for. The vessels were unnumbered
(so it may be read, v. 47, as well as unweighed), because
they were exceedingly numerous, and it would have been an endless thing
to keep the account of them; neither was the weight of the brass,
when it was delivered to the workmen, searched or enquired into; so honest
were the workmen, and such great plenty of brass they had, that there was no
danger of wanting. We must ascribe it to Solomon's care that he provided so
much, not to his carelessness that he kept no account of it.
V. Some particulars of the brass-work are described.
1. Two brazen pillars, which were set up in the porch of the temple (v.
21), whether under the cover of the porch or in the open air is not certain;
it was between the temple and the court of the priests. These pillars were
neither to hang gates upon nor to rest any building upon, but purely for
ornament and significancy. (1.) What an ornament they were we may gather
from the account here given of the curious work that was about them,
chequer-work, chain-work, net-work, lily-work, and pomegranates in rows, and
all of bright brass, and framed no doubt according to the best rules of
proportion, to please the eye. (2.) Their significancy is intimated in the
names given them (v. 21): Jachin--he will establish;
and Boaz--in him is strength. Some think they were intended
for memorials of the pillar of cloud and fire which led Israel through the
wilderness: I rather think them designed for memorandums to the priests and
others that came to worship at God's door, [1.] To depend upon God only, and
not upon any sufficiency of their own, for strength and establishment in all
their religious exercises. When we come to wait upon God, and find our
hearts wandering and unfixed, then by faith let us fetch in help from
heaven: Jachin--God will fix this roving mind. It is a good thing
that the heart be established with grace. We find ourselves weak and
unable for holy duties, but this is our encouragement: Boaz--in
him is our strength, who works in us both to will and to do. I will
go in the strength of the Lord God. Spiritual strength and stability are
to be had at the door of God's temple, where we must wait for the gifts of
grace in the use of the means of grace. [2.] It was a memorandum to them of
the strength and establishment of the temple of God among them. Let them
keep close to God and duty, and they should never lose their dignities and
privileges, but the grant should be confirmed and perpetuated to them. The
gospel church is what God will establish, what he will strengthen, and what
the gates of hell can never prevail against. But, with respect to this
temple, when it was destroyed particular notice was taken of the destroying
of these pillars (2 Kings xxv. 13, 17), which had been the tokens of its
establishment, and would have been so if they had not forsaken God.
2. A brazen sea, a very large vessel, above five yards in diameter, and
which contained above 500 barrels of water for the priests' use, in washing
themselves and the sacrifices, and keeping the courts of the temple clean, v.
23, &c. It stood raised upon the figures of twelve oxen in brass, so
high that either they must have stairs to climb up to it or cocks at the
bottom to draw water from it. The Gibeonites, or Nethinim, who were to draw
water for the house of God, had the care of filling it. Some think Solomon
made the images of oxen to support this great cistern in contempt of the
golden calf which Israel had worshipped, that (as bishop Patrick expresses
it) the people might see there was nothing worthy of adoration in those
figures; they were fitter to make posts of than to make gods of. Yet this
prevailed not to prevent Jerusalem's setting up the calves for deities. In
the court of the tabernacle there was only a laver of brass provided to wash
in, but in the court of the temple a sea of brass, intimating that by the
gospel of Christ much fuller preparation is made for our cleansing than was
by the law of Moses. That had a laver, this has a sea, a fountain opened,
Zech. xiii. 1.
3. Ten bases, or stands, or settles, of brass, on which were put ten lavers,
to be filled with water for the service of the temple, because there would
not be room at the molten sea for all that had occasion to wash there. The
bases on which the lavers were fixed are very largely described here, v.
27, &c. They were curiously adorned and set upon wheels, that the lavers
might be removed as there was occasion; but ordinarily they stood in two
rows, five on one side of the court and five on the other, v. 39.
Each laver contained forty baths, that is, about ten barrels, v. 38.
Those must be very clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Spiritual
priests and spiritual sacrifices must be washed in the laver of Christ's
blood and of regeneration. We must wash often, for we daily contract
pollution, must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Plentiful provision
is made for our cleansing; so that if we have our lot for ever among the
unclean it will be our own fault.
4. Besides these, there was a vast number of brass pots made to boil the
flesh of the peace-offerings in, which the priests and offerers were to
feast upon before the Lord (see 1 Sam. ii. 14); also shovels, wherewith they
took out the ashes of the altar. Some think the word signifies flesh-hooks,
with which they took meat out of the pot. The basins also were made of
brass, to receive the blood of the sacrifices. These are put for all the
utensils of the brazen altar, Exod. xxxviii. 3. While they were about it
they made abundance of them, that they might have a good stock by them when
those that were first in use wore out and went to decay. Thus Solomon,
having wherewithal to do so, provided for posterity.
48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained
unto the house of the LORD:
the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the showbread was,
49 And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and
five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and
the tongs of gold, 50 And the bowls, and the snuffers,
and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the
hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the
most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of
the temple. 51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made
for the house of the LORD.
And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even
the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of
the house of the LORD.
Here is, 1. The making of the gold work of the temple, which it seems was
done last, for with it the work of the house of God ended. All within doors
was gold, and all made new (except the ark, with its mercy-seat and
cherubim), the old being either melted down or laid by--the golden altar,
table, and candlestick, with all their appurtenances. The altar of incense
was still one, for Christ and his intercession are so: but he made
ten golden tables, 2 Chron. iv. 8 (though here mention is made of that one
only on which the show-bread was, v. 48, which we may suppose
was larger than the rest and to which the rest were as side-boards), and ten
golden candlesticks (v. 49), intimating the much greater plenty
both of spiritual food and heavenly light which the gospel blesses us with
than the law of Moses did our could afford. Even the hinges of the door were
of gold (v. 50), that every thing might be alike magnificent, and
bespeak Solomon's generosity. Some suggest that every thing was made thus
splendid in God's temple to keep the people from idolatry, for none of the
idol-temples were so rich and fine as this: but how little the expedient
availed the event showed. 2. The bringing in of the dedicated things, which
David had devoted to the honour of God, v. 51. What was not expended
in the building and furniture was laid up in the treasury, for repairs,
exigencies, and the constant charge of the temple-service. What the parents
have dedicated to God the children ought by no means to alienate or recall,
but should cheerfully devote what was intended for pious and charitable
uses, that they may, with their estates, inherit the blessing.
