Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Kings · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Verſ. 1. ANd it came to paſſe in the four hundred and fourſcore yeare. &c.] Here the time is noted when Solomon began to bind the Temple, to wit, in the fourth yeare of his reigne, in the ſecond monethmonth, the monethmonth Zif, (which was the April moon, and comprehended part of our April, and part of May: the fitteſt time in the yeare to begin a building) and how long it was after the Iſraelites came out of Egypt, which was the firſt beginning of the commonwealth of Iſrael; namely four hundred and fourſcore years, and how this ſumme agrees with the ſeverall years of the government of ſuch Judges and Kings, as had ſince that time ruled over Iſrael, we may ſee in the notes upon Joſh. 24.29. three years and upward, had been ſpent in ſettling the affairs of the kingdome, againſt the oppoſition of thoſe that looked with a malignant eye upon Solomons advancement to the crown, and in taking order for making ſuch further proviſion as was neceſſary (beſides what David had prepared) both for the Temple, and for his own palace; and now in the fourth yeare the foundations of the Temple were laid: in 2. Chron. 3.1. the place is alſo expreſſed where the Temple was built, to wit, that it was at Jeruſalem in mount Moriah (the very place in which Abraham was commanded to ſacrifice his ſonne, Gen. 22.2.) where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threſhing floore of Ornan the Jebuſite. Now both the place and the time when the foundation of this houſe was firſt laid, are thus punctually expreſſed, not onelyonly becauſe it was indeed the moſt glorious and ſumptuous building that ever was in the world, but alſo eſpecially becauſe it was the houſe of the Lord, as it is here called, the place which he choſe for his ſettled habitation, amongſt the children of Iſrael, and ſo was a type or figure, firſt, of Chriſt, for in him dwelleth al the fulneſſe of the God-head bodily, Col. 2.9. ſecondly, of every true Chriſtian and that becauſe God dwells in them by his holy ſpirit, Know ye not that your bodie is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you? 1. Cor. 6.19. and thirdly, of the Church of Chriſt: Ye alſo as living stones, ſaith Peter, are built up a ſpiritual houſe to offer up ſpirituall ſacrifices, acceptable to God through Jeſus Chriſt 1. Pet. 2.5. but eſpecially of the Church triumphant in heaven, (for indeed as the tabernacle did principally ſignifie the Church in her militant condition, when ſhe is in an unſettled reſtleſſe eſtate, travelling up and down in the world towards the heavenly Canaan, ſo the Temple did chiefly ſignifie the Church in her reſt, when ſhe comes to be ſettled in heaven) whence it was alſo that the Temple was farre larger and farre more magnificent then was the tabernacle, to ſignifie that the glory of the Church there, ſhould wonderfully exceed that ſhe hath here, even then when ſhe is in her greateſt glory.
Verſ. 2. The length thereof was threeſcore cubits, &c.] Here the dimenſions of the Temple are ſet down, firſt, the length thereof threeſcore cubits, that is, the length of the whole Temple containing both the holy, and the moſt holy place, which is therefore called the length by cubits, after the firſt meaſure, 2. Chron. 3.3. for, firſt, they meaſured out ſixty cubits of ground for the whole houſe, and then afterwards divided it, aſſigning twenty cubits to the oracle, or the moſt holy place, and fourty to the Temple before it, as verſ. 17. ſo that the Temple therefore was double the length of Moſes tabernacle; for that was but thirty cubits long: ſee Exod. 26.18. ſecondly, the breadth thereof twenty cubits, which was alſo double the breadth of the tabernacle, for that was but ten cubits broad, Exod. 26.24. and thirdly, the height thereof thirty cubits, that is, at leaſt on the outſide; for ſome gather from verſ. 20. that the moſt holy place was but twentie cubits high within, and it is moſt likely that the roof of the whole houſe was of the ſame height; ſo that by this it might appear, that the Temple was on the inſide twice as high alſo as was the tabernacle (for that was but ten cubits high, Exod. 26.16.) and on the outſide thrice as high, ſee the note verſ. 20. and all this was thus ordered by Gods direction, 2. Chr. 3.3. Now theſe are the things wherein Solomon was inſtructed for the building of the houſe of God, &c.
Verſ. 3. And the porch before the Temple of the houſe, twenty cubits was the length thereof, &c.] This was joyned to the houſe in the front thereof, 2. Chron. 3.4. whence is that Joel 2.17. Let the prieſts, the miniſters of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; and let them ſay, Spare thy people, O Lord, &c. there is mention of a porch called Solomons porch, wherein Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and the people, did ſo uſually meet, Joh. 10.23, 24. and Acts 3.11. and 5.12. but that porch was neither built by Solomon (for Solomons Temple was burnt by the Chaldeans) nor was it in the ſame place; for this joyned to the Temple within the prieſts Court, whither none but the prieſts might come; as for the dimenſions of this porch, firſt, twenty cubits was the length, according to the breadth of the houſe, that is, from north to ſouth, for though the length of the reſt of the Temple is counted from eaſt to weſt; yet becauſe this porch was larger from north to ſouth, then from eaſt to weſt; therefore this is counted the length of it: ſecondly, ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the houſe, the breadth therefore of this porch being added to the length of the Temple, the whole houſe (porch and all) was threeſcore and ten cubits long; how high this porch was, it is not here expreſſed, but 2. Chron. 3.4. that is added, to wit, that it was one hundred and twenty cubits high, ſo that it was as a tower to the reſt of the houſe.
Verſ. 4. And for the houſe, he made windows of narrow lights.] That is, broad within, and narrow without; or elſe, as ſome conceit, broad both without and within, but narrowed in the midſt of the wall: ſome Expoſitours underſtand by the houſe in this place, only the holy place, concluding, that the moſt holy place had no windows: but there is no great waight in any of the reaſons they give to prove this; for conſidering firſt the thickneſſe of the wall: ſecondly, the faſhion of the windows above deſcribed, purpoſely no doubt ſo made, both to keep out birds, and the gazing in of any that ſhould attempt to looke in at them: and thirdly, the place where theſe windows were made, which was toward the roof of the houſe, at leaſt above fifteen cubits high in the wall (for ſo high the chambers were built, on the outſide of the wall,) and there were three ſtories of chambers one over the other, verſe 8. and verſe 10. and fourthly, that the Tabernacle had no windows at all, neither in the holy, nor in the moſt holy place, ſince it is expreſly ſaid, that in this houſe which Solomon built, he made windows for the houſe, I ſee no reaſon why it ſhould be reſtrained only to the holy place.
Verſ. 5. And againſt the wall of the houſe, hee built Chambers round about, &c.] That is, weſtward, northward, and ſouthward, round about the houſe he built Chambers, (for on the eaſt ſide before the porch, where was the court of the prieſts, there could be no chambers built) and becauſe theſe chambers were built up cloſe to the houſe on the outſide of the walls, ſo that the beams of the upper floores of theſe Chambers were laid on that ſide towards the Temple, upon the very wall of the Temple, therefore it may be well ſaid, that theſe Chambers were built againſt the wall of the houſe, that is, cloſe adjoyning thereto, or, as it is in the margin, upon the wall of the houſe; there were of theſe Chambers three ſtories or rows, each above the other, and each of them five Cubits high, verſe 10. and they were doubtleſſe provided for the lodging of the prieſts, for the laying up of the holy things of the Temple, and ſuch other uſes, for of theſe partly is that ſpoken, 1 Chro. 28.11, 12. Then David gave to Solomon his ſonne the pattern of the porch, and of the houſes thereof, and of the treaſuries thereof, and of the upper Chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy ſeat: And the pattern of all that he had by the ſpirit, of the Courts of the houſe of the Lord, &c.
Verſ. 6. For without in the wall of the houſe he made narrowed reſts round about, &c.] This is added to ſhew, how it came to paſſe that the middle Chambers were broader than the undermoſt, and the third loft, broader by a Cubit than the middle ones; the reaſon was, becauſe to the end that the beams might not be faſtened in the wall of the Temple, but might be only laid upon the outlets of the wall, and ſo if occaſion were, might be removed without any dammage to the wall, at every five Cubits high, (for that was the height of the Chambers, verſe 10.) he narrowed the Temple walls a cubit in breadth; as ſuppoſe the wall was at the ground ſix cubits broad, (according to that Ezek. 41.5. He meaſured the wall of the houſe ſix cubits,) when they had built it five cubits high, there they narrowed the wall a cubit in breadth, and built it up five cubits broad, and on that outlet of the wall, was the beams of the firſt floore laid, and by that means, the Chambers there were a cubit broader than thoſe beneath, and ſo likewiſe it was againe at the third floore, there they left a cubit ſpace for the beams of the third floore to reſt upon, and built up the wall but foure Cubits broad, and ſo thoſe Chambers were ſeven Cubits broad.
Verſ. 7. There was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any toole of Iron, heard in the houſe while it was in building.] To wit, becauſe all the ſtones and timber were hewed and fitted for the building, before they were brought to the the place where the Temple was built; and this was done, partly out of a reverent reſpect, to the ends for which the houſe was built, and partly to ſignifie, firſt, that in the Church, the houſe of God, all ſhould be carried on in a peaceable way, without any of thoſe jarres and tumults that are in the world: ſecondly, to ſignifie the everlaſting peace of the Church in heaven, whereof the Temple was eſpecially a type; here the beſt are ſometimes at variance, but there they ſhall live in perfect peace, here they are hewed, and ſquared, and fitted for the Temple of God in heaven, partly by the word, I have hewed them by the Prophets, ſaith the Lord, Hoſ. 6.5. and partly by afflictions, which is for paring away their corruptions, but when they come to be joyned to the Church triumphant in heaven, there will be no need of any ſuch thing.
Verſ. 8. The doore for the middle chamber was in the right ſide of the houſe, &c.] That is, in the ſouth ſide, for that in the Scripture is called the right ſide of the world, as is evident, Pſalm. 89.12, where that which is tranſlated the North and the South, thou haſt created them, is in the Originall, the North and the right ſide thou haſt created them; and the right ſide of the Temple, to wit, as they came out of the Temple, with their faces eaſtward: It ſeemes therefore, that in the ſide of the Temples wall, either in the holy place, or elſe rather in the porch, there was a doore whereby they turned into the loweſt floore of the chambers, built on the outſide of the houſe, from whence they went up with winding ſtaires (which were happely in the thickneſſe of the Temples wall) into the middle chamber, that is, the middle ſtory, which was divided doubtleſſe into ſeverall chambers, and ſo out of the middle into the third: now if there were no other doore with ſtaires to goe up, but this on the ſouth, it muſt needs be yielded, that from hence they went to the furtheſt chambers on the North ſide; and that by ſome void place, after the manner of a cloyſter below, and galleries above, that went round about the houſe between the chambers and the wall of the Temple: but indeed, the moſt that have written concerning the fabrick of the Temple, hold, that there was another doore alſo, with winding ſtaires, going up on the North ſide, though it be not here expreſſed, which they would alſo prove by the deſcription of the doores that led to theſe chambers, Ezek. 41.11.
Verſ. 9. So he built the houſe and finiſhed it, &c.] To wit, the bulk and body of the houſe, for it was not yet cieled and boarded, &c.
Verſ. 10. And they reſted on the houſe with timber of Cedar.] That is, the ſide chambers. See the note above verſe 6.
Verſ. 12. Concerning this houſe which thou art in building, if thou wilt walke in my Statutes, &c.] When Solomon had only yet ſet up the frame or body of the houſe, the Lord ſpake to him, either by ſome revelation, or by the miniſtery of ſome Prophet, thereby to encourage him the better to goe on in the work, and aſſured him, that he would performe the word which he ſpake unto David, to wit, in making that houſe his ſettled dwelling place, and in ſettling him and his poſteritie to ſit on the throne of Iſrael, onelyonly withall he added this condition, If thou wilt walk in my Statutes, and execute my judgements, and keep all my commandments, thereby giving him to underſtand, that however glorious the work was which he had in hand for the ſervice of God, yet it would be of no avail to him, except he were carefull to live holily and righteouſly in all other reſpects.
Verſ. 15. And he built the walls of the houſe within, with boards of Cedar, both the floore of the houſe, and the walls, &c.] That is, the whole wall, from the floore to the cieling, as it is in the margin; or elſe the meaning is, that both floore and roof and all, was on the outſide cedar; for though it is manifeſt that the holy place was cieled with boards of firre, 2. Chron. 3.5. And the greater houſe he cieled with firre tree, &c. and floored with the ſame, as it is in the laſt clauſe of this verſe, he covered the floore of the houſe with planks of firre; yet perhaps the firre was next the ſtones, and then they were overlaid with cedar.
Verſ. 16. And he built twenty cubits on the ſides of the houſe, both the floore, and the walls, &c.] That is, as he did to the holy place, ſo alſo in thoſe twenty cubits which were ſet out, he covered there alſo, both floore and walls with cedar.
Verſ. 20. And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length and twenty cubits in breath, and twenty cubits in the height thereof.] So that the oracle or moſt holy place, was every way ſquare: but how is it then ſaid, verſ. 2. of the whole houſe, containing in length threeſcore cubits, that the height thereof was thirty cubits? I anſwer, ſome conceive that the oracle was thirty cubits high, as was the reſt of the Temple, but that it is ſaid here to be but twenty cubits high in the forepart of it, becauſe the wall in the forepart of it, whereby the holy place was divided from the moſt holy, was indeed but twenty cubits high, and ſo there was a ſpace of ten cubits above that wall, left open (onelyonly the vail hung before it) at which the incenſe might enter into the moſt holy place, and indeed, ſay they, why ſhould it be thus expreſſed, that the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in height, but to diſtinguiſh the height of the wall on that ſide, from the height of the wall on the other ſides? but, firſt, becauſe theſe words in the forepart, have clearly reference to the length and breadth of the oracle, as well as to the height, And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, &c. and ſecondly, becauſe the holy place might be ſaid to be twenty cubits high, as well as the moſt holy, in relation to the wall that divided the one from the other, therefore I think it more probable which others ſay, for the reſolving of this difficultie, to wit, that where it is ſaid, verſ. 2. that the houſe was thirty cubits high, the roof is alſo there included, which went up vault-wiſe, ten cubits higher then the walls, which were but twenty cubits high, neither in the moſt holy, nor in the holy place, and that theſe words are added not to make any difference betwixt the height of the walls in the holy place, and the height of the walls in the oracle (for they were all round about twenty cubits high) but to ſhew that the oracle in the forepart, that is, which was in the forepart of the Temple, the furtheſt part weſtward (for that is here called the forepart of the houſe) was every way ſquare, twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits broad, and twenty cubits high, which could not be ſaid of the Temple or holy place; yea and perhaps too, there went a floore over, from wall to wall in the oracle, whereas the vault-covering of the Temple lay open, and there was no floore over it.
And he overlaid it with pure gold, and ſo covered the altar which was of cedar.] That is, as he covered the oracle it ſelf with gold, to ſhadow forth the majeſty of God, and the exceeding glory of heaven, ſo alſo he covered the altar with gold, which is therefore called the golden altar, chap. 7.48. being otherwiſe made of cedar-wood, as that in the tabernacle was of Shittim wood, Exod. 30.13. concerning which, ſee the note there.
Verſ. 21. So Solomon overlaid the houſe within with pure gold.] The gold that was ſpent in overlaying the moſt holy place, amounted to ſix hundred talents, 1. Chron. 3.8. and yet beſides, it was garniſhed with precious ſtones, verſ. 6. And he garniſhed the houſe with precious ſtones for beauty, and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
And he made a partition, by the chains of gold before the oracle.] That is, the chains whereon the vails hung, before this partition, betwixt the holy and the moſt holy place, 2. Chron. 3.14. And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimſon, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon: that which was made in ſtead of this, at the rebuilding of the Temple, was rent in twain at the death of Chriſt, Matth. 27.51. of the like vail, ſee Exod. 26.31.
Verſ. 22. And the whole houſe he overlaid with gold.] That is, not onelyonly the moſt holy place, but alſo the holy, and the upper chambers alſo; yea, and the very nails wherewith the plates were faſtned, had at leaſt heads of gold, the weight whereof was fifty ſhekels of gold, 2. Chron. 3.9. and the hinges of the doores, chap. 7.50. Now all this was to ſignifie the precious, and glorious gifts and graces of the ſpirit of Chriſt, wherewith every member of Chriſt muſt be adorned.
Alſo the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.] That is, that was by the entrance into the oracle, in the holy place, not the moſt holy; ſo was the altar of incenſe placed in the tabernacle, Exod. 30.6. and ſo alſo it was doubtleſſe placed here in the Temple; for into the moſt holy place the high prieſt entered onelyonly once a yeare, Heb. 9.6, 7. but the other prieſts uſed to burn incenſe upon this altar, Luke 1.6. and that twice every day, Exod. 30.7, 8. ſee the notes concerning that altar of incenſe that was in Moſes tabernacle.
Verſ. 23. And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.] So that beſides the two cherubims of beaten gold, at the ends of the mercy-ſeat, made by Moſes, Exod. 25.18. which were part of the propitiatory wherewith the ark was covered, concerning which ſee the note there; there was now for the moſt holy place in the Temple, two other cherubims made, by Solomons appointment, of farre greater ſize, but not of beaten gold, as the other were, but of olive wood, covered with plates of gold; and theſe it ſeems were made after the ſhape of men (as appears by that deſcription of them, 2. Chro. 3.13. They ſtood upon their feet, and their faces were inward, that is, eaſtward toward the holy place) and were to ſtand before the ark, to hide and cover it from the eyes even of the high prieſt, and to repreſent the glorious maieſty of God and of Chriſt, in the continuall attendance and miniſtery of the Angels; and therefore it may well be, that the ſtature of theſe cherubims ſo farre ſurpaſſing the ſtature of men, ten cubits, that is five yards high, was to repreſent of what mighty ſtrength and excellency the Angels are.
Verſ. 24. From the uttermoſt part of the one wing, unto the uttermoſt part of the other, were ten cubits.] So that the wings of the one Cherub, took up ten cubits, which was one half of the breadth of the moſt holy place, verſ. 20. and the other took up the other half: the outer wing of the one touching the South wall, and the outer wing of the other, the North wall, and their inner wings meeting in the middeſt of the houſe. Neither is there any ſpace allowed for the body of the Cherubs, becauſe their wings did ariſe, as it were, out of the middeſt of their backs.
Verſ. 30. And the floore of the houſe he overlaid with gold, within, and without. That is, both in the Oracle, and without in the Temple.
Verſ. 31. The lintell and ſide-poſts were a fift part of the wall.] The partition wall was twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits high, and the doore therefore being a fift part of it, was foure cubits wide, and foure cubits high, narrower by a cubit then the doore of the Temple, which was the fourth part of the wall, verſ. 33. Some read this clauſe thus, the lintell and ſide-poſts were five ſquare, and then the meaning I conceive muſt be, that the upper lintell was made of two pieces, which went up in the midſt like the ridge of a houſe; and ſo the doore was five ſquare.
Verſ. 33. So alſo made he for the doore of the Temple, poſts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.] It was therefore five cubits broad; for the partition muſt needs be twenty cubits, the breadth of the Temple.
Verſ. 36. And he built the inner court with three rowes of hewed ſtone, and a row of Cedar beams.] This Court here mentioned was queſtionleſſe that which is called the court of the Prieſts, 2 Chron. 4.9. but here called the inner Court, in reſpect to that greater Court of the people, which was without this; but concerning theſe rowes of Stone and Cedar, the opinion of Expoſitours is very different; for ſome underſtand it of a low wall raiſed about this Court, not above three cubits high (over which the people might looke and ſee their ſacrifices offered by the prieſts on the altar of burnt offering, which was in this Court) made of three rowes of ſtone, perhaps of ſeverall kinds and colours, and a row of Cedar beames on the top. Againe, others underſtand it of a faire building about this Court, wherein were foure galleries, three of ſtone, and one of Cedar; which may ſeeme moſt probable, firſt, becauſe this phraſe (he built the inner Court) ſeemes to imply more then the raiſing of a low wall: and ſecondly, becauſe in 1 Chron. 28.11.12. it ſeemes apparent, that there were chambers and treaſuries about the Courts of the Temple. Then David gave to Solomon his ſonne, the pattern of the porch, and of the houſes thereof, and of the treaſuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy-ſeat. And the pattern of all that he had by the ſpirit, of the Courts of the houſe of the Lord, and of all the Chambers round about, of the treaſuries of the houſe of God, and of the treaſuries of the dedicate things: and the like expreſſion we have concerning the Temple, Ezra 6.43.
Verſ. 38. So was he ſeven yeares in building it.] From the ſecond monethmonth of the fourth yeare of Solomons reigne, when the foundation of this houſe was laid, verſ. 1. to the eight monethmonth of the eleventh yeare, when this houſe was finiſhed, is ſeven yeares, and ſix moneths, but the odd moneths (as uſually in other places) are not here expreſſed.