Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · 1 Kings · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
ANd it came to passe, that in the 480. year after the comming out of the children of V. 1.Israel from Egypt, the fourth year of the reign of Solomon in the monethmonth Zif, which is the second monethmonth, he began to build the house of the Lord.] Iunius reckoneth Junius.these years thus; 40. in the wildernesse, under Ioshuah 17. the other Iudges 299. Hely 40. Samuel and Saul 40. David 40. Solomon 4. for all these together make 480. Pellican ascribeth no yeares to Ioshuah, because they are not set down; Pellican.not to Samuel, but saith, they are included in the years of others, Ioshuahs in Oth… niels, and Samuels in Sauls. Touching the speech of Iephtah, which may seem to make against it, see before upon Iudg. 11. and what is to be thought of the time, that Ioshuah ruled, Iosh. 23. and Iosh. 24. 32. VntoUnto this reckoning agreeth Lyra, P. Martyr, and others. OnelyOnly Iosephus differing from the holy history here, Joseph. antiq. l. 8. c. 2.as in many other places, for 480 hath 500. yeares, and according to some interpreters of his more, reckoning the yeares of the Israelites servitudes, besides the years of their judges. But they are all included within the yeares of their judges, as was before shewed, Iosh. 24. 32. Now this computation of the time is made here, saith Pellican, because after this the reckoning was to be made from the building Pellican.of the Temple, to the destruction thereof, which Iosephus saith was 470. yeares, 6. moneths, and 10. dayes after. The cause, why Solomon began to build the temple no sooner, hath been already shewed to be for that so great preparation was made before. For the monethmonth Ziph, which is said to be the second monethmonth, it is not to be understood, according to some, of the second monethmonth of Solomon's fourth year, but of the second monethmonth of the year; and that not, as some would have it, beginning the year in Autumn, according to the first common reckoning, but as Mercator. Genebrard. Lyra.the civill year is appointed to be begun, Exod. 12. 2. c. 13. 4. in the monethmonth Abib or Nisan, which answereth to April, and Ziph to May. And the building began not till the second monethmonth, because the Passeover was kept in the first. Some determine also the day, as Scaliger the 29, Capellus the 8, Setbus the 6. But to leave this, as uncertain, the place, where, which is not here spoken of, is said 2 Chr. 3. 1. to be mount Moriah, in the threshing-floor of Araunah; which was shewed to David. This mount, according to Adriconius, stood on the East side of the city Ierusalem 2 Sam. 24. 18.near unto the wall, and was rocky, saith Iosephus; towards the West of it, was mount Zion, Northward mount Bezetha, and Southward mount Acra, and mount Calvary. And it seemeth, that all together was called Moriah at the first, because the Lord bad Abraham go into the land of Moriah and sacrifice his sonne Gen. 22.upon one of the mountains, that he would shew him there; but after the Lords appearing to Abraham there, this mount onelyonly carried this name of Moriah or vision. And it was within the tribe of Benjamin according to some, but according to others of Iudah, the reason of which difference is, because sometimes it is spoken of in holy Scripture, as being in the one tribe and sometime in the other. Some therefore hold, that this mount was divided by a line between these two tribes, and so part of the temple stood in the one tribe, and part in the other. Whereas the temple is sometime spoken of, as standing upon mount Zion, it is because mount Moriah was contiguous unto it, and it was more known, and therefore under that name Moriah is to be understood as an appurtenance to it.
And the house which King Solomon built unto the Lord, was 60. cubits long, 20. cubits broad, and 30. cubits high, v. 3. and the porch before it was 20. cubits long, and V. 2, 3.10. bread.] The height of it here omitted, is said 2 Chron. 3. 4. to be 120. cubits, so that the porch stood as an high tower farre above the temple; wherein, saith 2 Chron. 3. 4.Pellican, there were chambers to keep the treasures of the temple. This porch stood Pellican.Eastward, and the most holy place; towards which they prayed, West: which was so ordered, saith Martyr, that they might not in praying be like unto heathen idolaters, who worshipped Eastwards the Sunrising, for which cause they amongst the Israelites, who worshipped with their faces to the East are taxed, Ezek. 8. 16. and Cicero and Vitruvins do testifie, that the heathen worshipped towards the East. But christians have alwayes their temples so built, that they might worship towards the East, and herein they were so farre from being blame-worthy, as that Basil saith, he thinketh, that they were directed thus to do by the tradition of the Apostles; first, to shew their desire to come into Paradice, and secondly, to shew that the God whom they worshipped, was Lord of the Sun, which riseth there. For the dimensions of this house, Martyr saith, it held a proportion with the tabernacle, and yet speaking of them in particular, he saith, that the most holy place in it P. Martyr.was but 10. cubits long, the holy place 20. but this is said to be 60. And who so shall look back to Exod. 26. shall finde, that in every dimension the tabernacle was much lesse; as indeed the necessity of that time required, when it was to be carried from place to place. Whereas the porch is said to be 120. cubits high, and the house but 30, some will have this to be understood of the first story, affirming Sallianus.it to be so high within, but without upwards 20. cubits more; which together make 50. and another story above that forty, and a third thirty, being all. together 120. likewise. Iosephus saith, that the temple was 60. cubits high, and above that Joseph. antiq. l. 8. c. 2. Lyra.another building of 60. cubits, making together 120. But that of Lyra is more probable, that next unto the first story of 30. cubits, there was another of 30. and a third above it of 60. cubits; the two upper buildings serving to lay up the holy vestments and treasures of the temple. And to shew this to be the height of the whole building, both of the porch and holy place, he alledgeth 2 Chron. 3. where the height of the temple is not mentioned severally, but onelyonly the length and breadth; and then speaking of the porch, the text saith it was 20. cubits long, and then is added in the vulgar Latin, moreover the height was 120. cubits, and Hebr. and the height 120. which may be referred to the porch and temple also. And the temple was 40. cubits long and 20. cubits broad unto the most holy place; which V. 17. V. 20. 2 Chron. 3. 8.was 20. cubits broad, 20. long, and 20. high. So that, as was said at the first, when the height of the temple is said to be 30. cubits, but afterwards 120, the first is to be understood of the lowest story, where incense was burnt, the last of the whole fabrick comprehending both it and the chambers above, of which nothing is said, but onelyonly of the lower story, because those upper rooms were not for any religious use, but for stowage onelyonly. But I rest in the first, as Pellican.
And he made windows in the house,] But because v. 5, 6. galleries are spoken V. 4.of, which were made against the wall of the house, round about, that is, on the North and South sides and the East end, and of these there were three stories, each one being 5. cubits high. The windowes of the Lords house could not but be abore 15. cubits high, from the pavement to the nethermost part, and these windowes were broad within and narrow without; although Hebrew Expositours affirm the contrary, because the temple had no need of the light to come in by the windows, seeing there were in it lights alwayes burning. Pagnius rendreth it open Pagnin. Junius.within and shut without, that is, narrow. Iunius shut, that is, with glasse, according to R. Iehuda, a most ancient Writer. Wherefore he rendreth it prospectui accommodas clausas, according to the signification of the word, foreign
Touching the galleries made round about against all the parts of the temple, but onelyonly the East end where the entrance was, there were of them three stories, each V. 5, 6.one being in height 5. cubits, and for the breadth of the lowest it was 5. cubits, the middlemost sixe, and the highest seven, which might so be made, as is conceived by making the wall of the temple, which was six cubits broad, one cubit narrower against the middle story, and two against the highest, and these galleries were devided into 30. chambers, twelve on the South side, twelve on the North, and sixe on the East. But some, saith Martyr, imagine, that between the lowest P. Martyr.and the middle story, there was a space of 7. cubits and an half, and likewise between the middle and the highest, in which space there being open galleries to walk in, the windowes of the temple stood, and so the top of the highest story, was equall with the top of the temple; but he disliketh this, and holdeth rather, that this whole building was but 15. cubits high, and that the windowes were all made above it, because the sacred history saith nothing of such spaces, and if there had been such, the light could not have come into the tepmle, so well. Thus Martyr, who yet justly maketh a question whether any chambers were built at the Westend, where the most holy place stood, because Ezekiel speaketh only of chambers on the two sides, the south and the north, placing 15. on the one side, and 15. on the other.
Here is one thing most remarkable in the building of this house set forth, the V. 7.stone-work was all so prepared, that when they came to be joyned together to make the wals, neither hammer nor hatchet nor any iron tool was heard, that is, saith Martyr, either in sawing, or polishing, or carving, for otherwise it was impossible, P. Martyr.that all things should be put and fastened together, without knocking; this served mystically to shew, that there should be no contentions in the church of God, but peace, and consent. Pellican and others think, that the stone-work Pellican.onelyonly is meant, which was with such skill prepared in the mountains, that there was no noise made by knocking when they were joyned together in the wals, to shew, that although here the spirituall temple in the living stones thereof be pierced with the sawes and iron tools of afflictions, yet hereafter we shall be disposed according, to grace and mercy, all afflictions ceasing.
The door of the midle chamber was on the right side of the house, unto which they V. 28.ascended by staires, and from thence to the third.] Here the history returneth again to speak more of the galleries on the side of the Temple, on the right side, that is the South, there was a doore by which they entred into the lowest story, and from thence ascended by stayres to both the stories above, so as that there was no passage through the Temple into them, nor door into the Temple but at the East end P. Martyr. Lyra.only, where the porch stood; as Martyr gathereth. But Lyra saith that this doore was through the South side of the wall of the Temple from whence they ascended to the midle story above it, and so to the highest; but forasmuch as no mention hath been made hitherto of any chambers above the Temple, it is not probable that this hath any reference to such, but onelyonly to those that were before spoken of on the sides of the Temple.
Thus Solomon finished this house and covered it with Cedar beams arch-wise, and V. 9.Cedar boards, which roof within is said v. 22. to have been covered with gold, and the walls likewise being first covered with Cedar, were overlaid with gold, v. 15. 21. 22. and the pavement being covered with firre, was overlaid with gold, v. 30. which sheweth the magnificence of this, farre surpassing all other houses of former ages, although since a Temple was built unto Diana in Ephesus much longer and broader, for the length was 425 feet, and the breadth 220, and it had 127 pillers, each one 60 foot high, and for bright shining within it was so glorious, that it dazeled the eyes of the beholders; for which it was written at the entrance to such as went in, tenete oculos.
But the word of the Lord came to Solomon, &c.] Before the declaration of the V. 11. P. Martyr.ornaments of this house, here is shewed, what incouragement God gave unto Solomon, when he was in building it: for so Martyr thinketh that this passage comes in in the proper place, now the work not being yet perfected, but in that forwardnesse which was before spoken of, this word came to Solomon, and that most probably by a Prophet; yet some think that it was after all the works finished, and is here inserted by anticipation. But the verb here used of the present tense, the house which thou buildest, and not, hast built, sheweth the contrary. The speech here used is imperfect, the house which thou buildest, if thou keepest my Commandement; Iunius supplyeth it thus, this which thou buildest is the house of which I spake unto David; Martyr, shall stand. But I think rather it may be supplyed thus, the house which thou buildest will not establish my favour towards thee, although a work that I do greatly accept of, but if thou wilt keep my statutes, then I will doe as I promised to David thy father; that is, make thy kingdome prosperous and stable to thy seed after thee; so that meerly building of Temples will not procure Gods favour, but when such builders are godly, and persist in holy obedience alwayes. And I will saith the Lord dwell among the children of Israel; which is so promised, because commonly like Prince like People, and dwelling amongst them is meant nothing else, but with his favour, and being ready to hear the prayers made in that house, and ordinances and oracles and blessings, whereby they should become more famous then any other nation, otherwise God is every where.
And he built the wals of the house within with Cedar boards, &c.] All the house V. 15.within both roof and walls were covered first with Cedar, and the floore with Firre, then all was overlaid with gold; 2 Chron. 3. 5. it is said that the greater house was covered with Firre boards, unto which plates of gold were fixed, and the pavement was spread with marble. Thus indeed the Vulg. Lat. but the Hebr. which Iunius followeth'is, and he covered the house with precious stones for ornament, Junius.expounding the covering with Firre of the floore, as 1 King. and this with precious stones of the spaces between the plates of gold.
He built also on the sides of the house 20 cubits with Cedar,] This place is V. 16.obscure, because he had said before, that he covered the walles with cedar boards, and these were 30. cubits high, but here it is said 20. cubits high. Lyra and Comestor Lyra. Scholast. histor.clear it thus, the West wall which was next unto the most holy place, is hereby meant, and this it is to be thought, was but 20. cubits high, the ten cubits above being left void for the fume of the incense to passe through into the most holy place. Others think, that so much of the walles was set with precious stones, Martyr followeth Lyra, and that indeed is most probable. If it be objected v. 20. the height of the most holy place was but 20. cubits, so that if the wall next unto it were 20 cubits high, there could be no space above that for the fume to passe through; Martyr answereth, that the whole house is said at the first to be 30. cubits high and 60. long, wherefore the most holy place being a part of that 60, was certainly 30. cubits high also, and whereas v. 20. it is said to be 20. as the breadth and the length was, Martyr saith, it is to be understood of the East part next unto the temple onelyonly, which was built up no higher for the reason before said.
The house was 40. cubits long, and the cedar boards wherewith the walles were covered, were carved with pictures of wilde cucumbers and flowers, v. 29. and of cherubims V. 17, 18. V. 20, 21. V. 19.and palmes.] And all the house was finally over-laid with gold, and all things therein, and the most holy place with the finest gold. And in the most holy place were two cherubims made of olive wood, the height of each cherubim being 10 cubits, and they had wings extending 20 cubits from one side of the house to the other, that is, the two wings of one 10 cubits, with one of which it touched the wing of the other, and with the other the wall on one side, and the wings of the other likewise on the other side; and their faces stood towards the Temple, 2 Chr. 3. 13. wherein they differed from the cherubims set up by Moses; for they looked with their faces towards one another, Exod. 25. 20. what manner of faces they had is not here said; but Martyr saith, in the book of the Chron. it is said, that they had faces like young men, but Josephus saith it is uncertain what they were like, and they were covered with gold. If it be doubted how their wings could extend 20 cubits, seeing this was the breadth of the house, what roome was left then for their bodies? Kimhi answereth, that their wings covered their bodies behind, and so their bodies took up no room, but their wings onelyonly in the houses breadth. Touching these cherubims and their forme and signification of the word I say no more here, because I have said enough already upon Exod. 25. 19. 20. If any shall make a question, whether Solomon did well in making such images in any part of the Temple, Moses his doing the like before him, justifieth him. Besides, it is to be held, that as of other things about the Temple, so of these he had a pattern from David, and he from God. Touching the matter of which they were made; viz. olive, it is a poore doubt, that is moved and answered by P. Martyr, how Solomon could lawfully cut down olives to make them, seeing that even in besieging a city it is forbidden to cut down such trees. For no man can conceive that hereby it was meant, that it should be alwayes unlawfull to cut down such trees, but only that no wast should be made of them for buildings or making of instruments of warre, as of other trees that bare no fruit. But here was a speciall occasion to take some of them for the use of the Sanctuary, for which use nothing was to be thought too precious, and such wood is observed to be most hard and durable, and so fit for this purpose; besides for the figure that might be herein, this wood might specially be taken.
And he made the walls of this house carved cherubims and palmes, and flowers V. 29.both within and without; that is, upon that wall which was next unto the Temple.
Likewise he is said to have covered the floore of the house within and without V. 30.with gold, that is, both in this inner part called the most holy place, and in that which was called the Temple or holy place, thus Iunius. But the Vulg. lat. agreeing onelyonly about the floore, touching the walls, renders it thus; and divers pictures Iunius.hanging over, and as it were going out: but the first is most agreeable to the Hebrew text.
Touching the doores of the most holy place, it is said that the upper post and the V. 31.side posts were of five sides, that is, as is most probable, with five angles according to the form of the doores, which were neither square not round, as two leaved doores commonly are, but of a different form for greater beauty, thus Lyra; Lyra. Pellican.and Pellican, who also mentioneth another exposition of some, that it is meant, that this was the fift gate; the first being of the peoples court, the second of the Priests, the third of the porch, and the fourth of the temple; and this Martyr P. Martyr.seemeth to favour, because in speaking of the doores into the temple, it is said, he made them of four sides. But Iunius renders it: Were the fift part of the wall; that is, the wall being 20. cubits high, and 20. broad, four cubits high, and four broad, which seemeth to be too little; but Iosephus exceeds as much when he saith, that the doors were the whole breadth and heigth of the wall, v. 33. the V. 33.doors of the temple are also said to have been with four sides, the vulgar Latin, with four corners: as the other doores were with five. And all these doores were c…rved with cherubims, palms and flowers, being done over with gold.
Then he made the inner Court.] 2 Chron. 4. 9. the Priests court, Which is called V. 36.the inner, because it was next unto the temple before the porch; and beyond that Eastward was another Court, into which came the people, and of the inner court the walles were but three cubits high, that the people might look over into it, and see the Altar which stood there, and the Priests offering of their sacrifices thereupon; the outer was called the great court, this, saith Martyr, was so spacious, P. Martyr.that it compassed the inner court and the temple round about, having a wall 30. cubits high, unto which galleries were adjoyned within, wherein the people might stand, and be sheltered in rainy weather, and from the heat of the Sun, and thence behold both what was done in the inner court and see the temple and worship towards it: for into the inner court they might not come, but onelyonly the Priests and Levites to execute their office by preparing and offering their sacrifices upon the Altar, that stood there, and by washing them in the brazen sea, which stood there also, and cutting them out upon tables, of which eight stood there, and washing themselves in ten lavers, placed there also. For this court and the other did both bear the name of the temple, and therefore when as ch. 7. 39. the brazen sea and these are said to have been placed on the sides of the temple, it is to be understood, in this court; And when Iesus is said to have taught in the temple, it was in the outer court. Again, of this there were three parts; first, for men of Israel to come into, that were clean; secondly, for women, which were clean likewise; thirdly, for the unclean and for the Gentiles, which came thither to worship. And forsomuch as the temple stood upon a mount, unto which they ascended by degrees; they which were in any of these courts, might from thence see into the temple, and worship towards it. These distinctions indeed are not here mentioned; but because they were in the temple built by Herod afterwards, it is most probable, that they were now also, seeing that Solomons temple was a pattern propounded in the building of it, and if it had varied herefrom, it would not have been accepted of by the Iewes, whom to please Herod built that so costly.
In the fourth yeare in the month, Ziph this house was begun, and in the eleventh V. 37.yeare in the month Bull, it was finished with all things pertaining unto it.] The month Ziph was the 2. month of the yeare, as was shewed upon v. 1. Bull the eighth month, as is expressed in the text, that is October; so all this great work was ended in 7 yeares and 7 months. Thus the writer of this history, before he hath set forth all the things pertaining to the Temple, concludeth it with the account of the time, & then setting forth the building of Solomons own house c. 7. to v. 15. he returneth to the ornaments of the Temple, but 2 Chr. 3. 15. the history of making these is continued, and then briefly the building of his own house touched ch. 8. 1. after the bringing in of the vessels and dedicated things, and the dedication also ended. But because we are in the Kings, I will proceed according to the order here followed; that is, make some conclusion about the fabrick of the Temple, then speak of the house which Solomon built for himselfe, and lastly of the other appurtenances and Lyra. The Allegory.ornaments of the Temple. And for conclusion about this magnificent building, it is to be understood that it was figurative, as the Tabernacle set up by Moses, figured out the old Church of the Iewes; so this house the Church of the Gentiles, which was built long after in the dayes of Christ the true Solomon, upon mount Moriah in a parcell of ground belonging to Araunah a Gentile; and it was set upon a mount, because this Church was most conspicuous, and there were of it three parts, the doores of which stood all East wards towards the rising of the Sun, that it might shine into them; beginning first in the porch, to shew that the heavenly light whereby the Church is enlightened shone first to those of the primitive times, who lived in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles. Secondly to such as lived in the times immediately succeeding by the ministery of those that were raised up after the Apostles in the times of those greivous persecutions. Thirdly to those that lived in the dayes of Constantine the great, and afterwards; when this Church enjoyed peace. And this house had windowes narrow without, and within wider; to shew the light of teaching, which encreaseth more and more. And all the walls, and all things about it were covered with gold, and set with precious stones, and adorned with divers pictures, to shew the divers vertues which shine in the faithfull. The galleries about the Temple of three stories figured out the divers degrees of the faithfull, and the doore on the right side of the Temple, by which they asscended into all these galleries, the side of Christ pierced with a speare, out of which flowed watter and blood, figures of both our Sacraments, whereby wee ascend to everlasting blessednesse. The pavement of marble covered with f…re did set forth faith in the heart, and an heavenly conversation outwardly; which the firre tree aptly signifieth by the streight and high growth thereof, and the plates of gold above all these, love. The partition between the Temple and the most holy place 20 cubits high; through which none might enter, but the high Preist only once a yeare, yet the fume of the incense went dayly through the void room above this wall into it, and filled it; this shewed that although no man can enter into heaven till death, yet his prayers as a sweet perfume doe continually enter even whilst he liveth here, and are accepted before God.