VII. The first section of this chapter (1 Kings 7:1) describes briefly, but with some technical details (not always easy of interpretation), the building of the royal palace, including in this the hall of state, or “the house of the forest of Lebanon,” with its porch (1 Kings 7:2), the hall (or porc... [ Continue Reading ]
A PORCH OF PILLARS, although by some authorities it is held to be a separate building, seems by the exact agreement of dimensions — its “length” being just the breadth of the hall — to have been a propylæon, or entrance vestibule, to the hall of state (like the porch, or vestibule, of the Temple), p... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PORCH (or hall) OF JUDGMENT was clearly a separate building, not described in the text, except as having been floored and ceiled with cedar. Mr. Fergusson, comparing it “with the remains of Assyrian and Persian examples,” supposes it to have been square, supported on four pillars in the centre,... [ Continue Reading ]
(8-11) The residence of the king, and the separate palace for the queen, distinct from the apartments of the inferior wives and concubines, are not described; except that they lay “within the porch,” that is, in the rear in another court, and were of “like work.” This is further explained by saying... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GREAT COURT. — Finally, “the great court” round about is said to have resembled the “inner court” of the Temple, having an enclosure of three rows of stones, probably of large size, with a cedar coping. It seems evidently to have enclosed the whole palace, and may have contained quarters for the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KING SOLOMON SENT. — The record in the Chronicles (2 Chronicles 2:7; 2 Chronicles 2:13) gives what is evidently a more exact description of the facts here briefly alluded to. In Solomon’s first letter to King Hiram he asks for “a man cunning to work,” and with the answer the artificer Hiram is s... [ Continue Reading ]
(13-50) The exceedingly graphic and elaborate description of the work of Hiram on the vessels and furniture of the Temple, and on the great pillars, bears on the very face of it the most evident marks of historical accuracy and of the use of contemporary documents, and it has, moreover, great antiqu... [ Continue Reading ]
(15-22) With regard to the two pillars, _Jachin_ (“He shall establish”) and _Boaz_ (“In it is strength”), the text gives no account of their destination, except that they were set up in the porch of the Temple (1 Kings 7:21). Mr. Fergusson considers that they were supports to the roof of the vestibu... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN FOR... — This is probably an erroneous reading. It should be “a net-work (or lattice-work) for the one chapiter, and a net-work for the other.”... [ Continue Reading ]
OVER AGAINST (or rather, close to) THE BELLY WHICH WAS BY THE NETWORK. — The “belly” here (like the “bowls” or “globes” of the chapiters in 1 Kings 7:41) seems to signify the rounded form of the capital, where it comes down to join the shaft. At this junction the bands of pomegranate ornament ran ro... [ Continue Reading ]
(23-26) A MOLTEN SEA — a gigantic laver for the ablution of the priests — corresponding to the laver of brass in the Tabernacle (Exodus 30:18; Exodus 38:8). It had a diameter of 15 feet, and a height of 7½ feet; but as it held 2,000 baths, that is, 17,000 gallons (or, as in 2 Chronicles 4:3; 2 Chron... [ Continue Reading ]
(27-29) The smaller lavers of brass for washing the sacrifices, and the movable bases on which they rested, are described still more elaborately. Some of the details of the description are obscure, and it is clear that our translators were very much at fault about them. Generally, however, it appear... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MOUTH. — This is most obscure, and in our version unintelligible. Keil renders it: “And the mouth of it (the laver) was within the chapiter, and in a cubit above it; and the mouth of it (the chapiter) was round, after the manner of pedestal, a cubit and a half; and upon the mouth was carved... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SEA. — This was placed on the south-eastern side of the Temple, on one side of the great altar; the ten smaller lavers were ranged five on each side.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAVERS. — These should be (as in 1 Kings 7:45) “pots.” The verse describes the completion of Hiram’s work by the making of the smaller vessels. It is curious that no mention is made of the construction of the brasen altar. It has been supposed by some that the old altar reared by David (2 Samue... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE PLAIN OF JORDAN DID THE KING CAST THEM. — The casting was done in the Jordan valley. Succoth is on the east side of Jordan, in the territory of Gad (see Genesis 33:17; Joshua 13:27; Judges 8:5) — the place of the halt of Jacob on his way from Padan-aram, and of the insult offered to Gideon an... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLOMON LEFT ALL THE VESSELS UNWEIGHED. — The brass for these vessels had (1 Chronicles 18:8) been taken by David from Tibhath and Chun, cities of the territory of Zobah, and laid up with other stores for the purpose of the Temple. How these cities were so rich in brass we are not told; but there ar... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ALTAR OF GOLD. — The altar of gold (1 Kings 6:20; 1 Kings 6:22) is the altar of incense. On it (see Exodus 30:1) incense was to be burnt morning and evening. The horns of the altar were to be touched with the blood of the sin offering (Leviticus 4:7; Leviticus 4:18) offered for the priests or th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CANDLESTICKS OF PURE GOLD. — Whether these ten candlesticks were to supersede the one seven- lighted candlestick made for the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:31; Exodus 37:17), or were to be used in addition to it, we are not told. The latter supposition is, however, far more probable, both because it see... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THINGS WHICH DAVID HIS FATHER HAD DEDICATED. — For the account of the dedication of various treasures, by David and by the princes of Israel, for the House of the Lord, see 1 Chronicles 18:8; 1 Chronicles 18:10; 1 Chronicles 22:3; 1 Chronicles 22:14; 1 Chronicles 28:14; 1 Chronicles 29:2. The ac... [ Continue Reading ]