He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with cypress boards.
Parallel Translations
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He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with cypress boards.
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And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the cieling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
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And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house unto the joists of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress.
Cross-references (1)
Passages linked to 1 Kings 6:15 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Kings 7:7 He made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (17 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Meaning, unto the roof which was also ceiled.
Meaning, unto the roof which was also ceiled.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Ki 6:15 And he built the walls of the…
1Ki 6:15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the cieling: [and] he covered [them] on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
Ver. 15. And he built the walls of the house.] He lined or wainscoted them.
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With boards of cedar.] Which is strong and durable, and for the dryness of it, besides the sweetness, the timber does not split or rot: yea, it hath a property to preserve other things from putrefaction. The Church is also stable and cannot be ruinated. The temple was destroyed, the Church can never be, {Mat 16:10} it is insuperable.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Both the floor, or rather, from the floor, as…
Both the floor, or rather, from the floor, as it is in the Hebrew; for the floor itself was not covered with cedar, but with fir, as it here follows.
And the walls of the ceiling, or rather, as it is in the Hebrew, unto the walls of the ceiling, or of the roof, i.e. unto the top of the wall, which was even with the roof; for the roof itself was not of stone, but wood. Or,
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unto the walls of the ceiling, i.e. unto the ceiling itself; which performing the office of a wall, may well be called by that name. For the name of a wall is not appropriated to stone or brick, because we read of a brasen wall, Jer 15:20, and a wall of iron, Eze 4:3. And that wall into which Saul smote his javelin, 1Sa 19:10, seems more probably to be understood of wood than of stone; especially, considering that it was the room where the king used to dine. So by this periphrasis, from the floor of the house unto the walls of the ceiling, he designs all the side walls of the house.
He covered them, to wit, the side walls of the house, now mentioned.
With wood, i.e. with other kind of wood, even with fir, as appears from 2Ch 3:5, wherewith the floor is here said to be covered.
The floor of the house: this is here spoken only concerning the floor, because there was nothing but planks of fir; whereas there was both cedar and fir in the sides of the house, the fir being either put above or upon the cedar, or intermixed with or put between the boards or ribs of cedar, as may be gathered from the said parallel place, 2Ch 3:5.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain Here, I. We have a particular account of the…
Here, I. We have a particular account of the details of the building.
1. The wainscot of the temple. It was of cedar (Kg1 6:15), which was strong and durable, and of a very sweet smell. The wainscot was curiously carved with knops (like eggs or apples) and flowers, no doubt as the fashion then was, Kg1 6:18.
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2. The gilding. It was not like ours, washed over, but the whole house, all the inside of the temple (Kg1 6:22), even the floor (Kg1 6:30), he overlaid with gold, and the most holy place with pure gold, Kg1 6:21. Solomon would spare no expense necessary to make it every way sumptuous. Gold was under foot there, as it should be in all the living temples: the abundance of it lessened its worth.
3. The oracle, or speaking-place (for so the word signifies), the holy of holies, so called because thence God spoke to Moses, and perhaps to the high priest, when he consulted with the breast-plate of judgment. In this place the ark of the covenant was to be set, Kg1 6:19. Solomon made every thing new, and more magnificent than it had been, except the ark, which was still the same that Moses made, with its mercy-seat and cherubim; that was the token of God's presence, which is always the same with his people whether they meet in tent or temple, and changes not with their condition.
4. The cherubim. Besides those at the ends of the mercy-seat, which covered the ark, (1.) Solomon set up two more, very large ones, images of young men (as some think), with wings made of olive-wood, and all overlaid with gold, Kg1 6:23, etc. This most holy place was much larger than that in the tabernacle, and therefore the ark would have seemed lost in it, and the dead wall would have been unsightly, if it had not been thus adorned. (2.) He carved cherubim upon all the walls of the house, Kg1 6:29. The heathen set up images of their gods and worshipped them; but these were designed to represent the servants and attendants of the God of Israel, the holy angels, not to be themselves worshipped (see thou do it not), but to show how great he is whom we are to worship.
5. The doors. The folding doors that led into the oracle were but a fifth part of the wall (Kg1 6:31), those into the temple were a fourth part (Kg1 6:33); but both were beautified with cherubim engraven on them, Kg1 6:32, Kg1 6:35.
6. The inner court, in which the brazen altar was at which the priests ministered. This was separated from the court where the people were by a low wall, three rows of hewn stone tipped with a cornice of cedar (Kg1 6:36), that over it the people might see what was done and hear what the priests said to them; for, even under that dispensation, they were not kept wholly either in the dark or at a distance.
7. The time spent in this building. It was but seven years and a half from the founding to the finishing of it, Kg1 6:38. Considering the vastness and elegance of the building, and the many appurtenances to it which were necessary to fit it for use, it was soon done. Solomon was in earnest in it, had money enough, had nothing to divert him from it, and many hands made quick work. He finished it (as the margin reads it) with all the appurtenances thereof, and with all the ordinances thereof, not only built the place, but set forward the work for which it was built.
II. Let us now see what was typified by this temple. 1. Christ is the true temple; he himself spoke of the temple of his body, Joh 2:21. God himself prepared him his body, Heb 10:5. In him dwelt the fulness of the Godhead, as the Shechinah in the temple. In him meet all God's spiritual Israel. Through him we have access with confidence to God. All the angels of God, those blessed cherubim, have a charge to worship him. 2. Every believer is a living temple, in whom the Spirit of God dwells, Co1 3:16. Even the body is such by virtue of its union with the soul, Co1 6:19. We are not only wonderfully made by the divine providence, but more wonderfully made anew by the divine grace. This living temple is built upon Christ as its foundation and will be perfected in due time. 3. The gospel church is the mystical temple; it grows to a holy temple in the Lord (Eph 2:21), enriched and beautified with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, as Solomon's temple with gold and precious stones. Only Jews built the tabernacle, but Gentiles joined with them in building the temple. Even strangers and foreigners are built up a habitation of God, Eph 2:19, Eph 2:22. The temple was divided into the holy place and the most holy, the courts of it into the outer and inner; so there are the visible and the invisible church. The door into the temple was wider than that into the oracle. Many enter into profession that come short of salvation. This temple is built firm, upon a rock, not to be taken down as the tabernacle of the Old Testament was. The temple was long in preparing, but was built at last. The top-stone of the gospel church will, at length, be brought forth with shoutings, and it is a pity that there should be the clashing of axes and hammers in the building of it. Angels are ministering spirits, attending the church on all sides and all the members of it. 4. Heaven is the everlasting temple. There the church will be fixed, and no longer movable. The streets of the new Jerusalem, in allusion to the flooring of the temple, are said to be of pure gold, Rev 21:21. The cherubim there always attend the throne of glory. The temple was uniform, and in heaven there is the perfection of beauty and harmony. In Solomon's temple there was no noise of axes and hammers. Every thing is quiet and serene in heaven; all that shall be stones in that building must in the present sate of probation and preparation be fitted and made ready for it, must be hewn and squared by divine grace, and so made meet for a place there.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he built twenty cubits on the sides of…
And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house,.... At the end or extremity of it, as the Targum; that is, he built the most holy place, which was twenty two cubits long, at the end of the holy place, which he wainscotted as the other:
both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar; or from the floor, including that, to the walls on each side, from wall to wall, and taking in them, they were all lined with cedar wood:
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he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place; which explains what building is spoken of, and that the inside of that was covered with cedar from bottom to top.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Walls - The name of a wall is not…
Walls - The name of a wall is not appropriated to stone or brick, because we read of a brazen wall, Jer. xv, 20, and a wall of iron, Ezek iv, 3. And that wall into which Saul smote his javelin, 1 Sam. xix, 10, seems more probably to be understood of wood, than of stone; especially, considering that it was the room where the king used to dine. By this periphrasis, from the floor of the house, unto the walls of the ceiling, he designs all the side-walls of the house. Them - The side-walls of the house. Wood - With other kind of wood, even with fir; as appears from 2 Chron. iii, 5, wherewith the floor is here said to be covered. Floor - This is spoken only concerning the floor, because there was nothing but planks of fir; whereas there was both cedar and fir in the sides of the house, the fir being either put above, or upon the cedar; or intermixed with, or put between the boards or ribs of cedar: as may be gathered from, 2 Chron. iii, 5.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 15. The walls of the ceiling] 1Kg 6:9.
Verse 15. The walls of the ceiling] 1Kg 6:9.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Ki 6:15. He built the walls within with boards…
1Ki 6:15. He built the walls within with boards of cedar — He wainscoted the house, as we now speak, with cedar. Both the floor of the house and the walls of the ceiling — Or, from the floor unto the ceiling; that is, from the bottom to the top. And he covered the floor with planks of fir — Or, with another sort of cedar, which was a great deal firmer and more lasting than fir. See 1Ki 5:8.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The description of this verse applies to the main…
The description of this verse applies to the main chamber of the temple, the holy place, only. The writer in 1Ki 6:16 describes the holy of holies.
The marginal rendering of this verse is right, and not the rendering in the text.
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Fir - Rather, “juniper.” See 1Ki 5:6 note.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Fir. Or perhaps of another species of cedar, resembling…
Fir. Or perhaps of another species of cedar, resembling the juniper-tree. It is found in Phœnecian and in Lycia. See chap. v. 8. It is doubted whether the sanctuary was also boarded, as we read that it was paved with marble. Hebrew, "with precious and costly stones," 2 Paralipomenon iii. 6. But boards might be laid upon them, as they were on other parts of the temple. The magnificence of Solomon appears in his using such costly things, even where they would not be exposed to view. The floor was again covered with plates of gold, ver. 30.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain THE CEILING AND ADORNING OF IT. (Kg1 6:15-22)
THE CEILING AND ADORNING OF IT. (Kg1 6:15-22)
he built the walls of the house within--The walls were wainscotted with cedar-wood; the floor, paved with cypress planks; the interior was divided (by a partition consisting of folding doors, which were opened and shut with golden chains) into two apartments--the back or inner room, that is, the most holy place, was twenty cubits long and broad; the front, or outer room, that is, the holy place, was forty cubits. The cedar-wood was beautifully embellished with figures in relievo, representing clusters of foliage, open flowers, cherubims, and palm trees. The whole interior was overlaid with gold, so that neither wood nor stone was seen; nothing met the eye but pure gold, either plain or richly chased.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 15. The walls of the house within — The…
15. The walls of the house within — The wainscot. The inside of the walls was panelled with cedar boards, so that no stone was visible within.
Both the floor… and the walls — Rather, From the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling. The side walls were wainscotted from bottom to top with cedar wood, and so too, apparently, the ceiling; but the floor was of fir planks. On the fir-tree, see 1Ki_5:8.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 15. And he built] The Hebrew uses the same…
15. And he built] The Hebrew uses the same word for the erection of the stone structure and for the work described in this verse, which was to fit the house with a wainscot of cedar.
both the floor of the house, and the walls of the cieling] More literally, and better, with R.V., ‘from the floor of the house unto the walls of the cieling.’ The expression means from top to bottom, but ‘the walls of the cieling’ is a singular description of that portion of the wall which touches the cieling. The difference between the Hebrew word for ‘walls’ קירות and for ‘beams’ קורות is so slight that we can hardly help accepting the reading of the LXX. in the next verse, and apparently here too, of ‘beams.’
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and he covered them] It is better to omit the conjunction for which, as A.V. indicates, there is no Hebrew, and join with the previous clause, ‘from the floor of the house to the walls (beams?) of the cieling he covered them &c.’
Thus the whole sides, roof and floors on the inside were of wood.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (15) Both the floor.—The true reading is that of…
(15) Both the floor.—The true reading is that of the margin, agreeing generally with the LXX. and the Vulgate: that “from the floor to the walls of the ceiling” (including in this phrase the surface of the ceiling itself) “he covered all with cedar, and laid the floor with planks of cypress.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And he built i.e. , constructed, covered the walls…
And he built i.e. , constructed, covered the walls of the house within but not without also, as Stanley affirms, "Its massive stonewalls were entirely cased in cedar, so as to give it the appearance of a rough log house" with boards or beams (twOlx): same word as in vers. 5-8 of cedar Heb. cedars. The practice of covering stone walls with a lining of wood, which in turn was ornamented with gold or colour, (Jer_22:14) seems to have had its origin in Phoenicia (Bahr), and may have been suggested to Solomon by his Zidonian workmen (Cf., 2Ch_2:14) both the floor of the house and the walls of the cieling This gives no sense and is against the Hebrew, which is as the marg. from the floor unto the walls," etc. The expression walls of the cieling," though it may be taken to mean "the walls where they join the cieling," is peculiar, and the suggestion that for twOryqi walls, we should read twrwq beams the word of the parallel verse in 2 Chronicles has everything in its favour. The LXX reads ew (v twn dokwn) : and omit he covered them on the inside with wood This is apparently a mere repetition. The A.V would lead us to suppose that a fresh particular was stated. We learn from, 2Ch_3:6 that not only were the walls, or their wooden lining, covered with plates of gold, "gold of Parvaim," but they were likewise ornamented with precious stones and he covered the floor of the house with planks of fir. (see on 1Ki_5:8)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain The Ornamentation of the Temple
The Ornamentation of the Temple
v. 15. And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, veneering the stone walls with this fine lumber, both the floor of the house and the walls of the ceiling, literally, "from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling"; and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir, with cypress-flooring.
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v. 16. And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, the rear or western end of the entire Sanctuary, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar, from the floor to the beams of the ceiling; he even built them, this space, for it within, even for the oracle, even for the Most Holy Place, which was thus separated from the Holy Place by a partition of cedar-wood.
v. 17. And the house, that is, the temple before it, the Holy Place, was forty cubits long.
v. 18. And the cedar of the house within, in the walls and ceilings, was carved with knops and open flowers, raised work in flowers and festooning; all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
v. 19. And the oracle, the Most Holy Place, he prepared in the house within to set there the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.
v. 20. And the oracle, this room, in the forepart, was twenty cubits in length and twenty cubits in breadth and twenty cubits in the height thereof, a perfect cubical space, which may have had an unused attic room, if the Sanctuary was thirty cubits high over its entire length; and he overlaid it with pure gold, in the form of thin sheets; and so covered the altar, which was of cedar, this being the altar of incense, which stood against the immediate wall of the Most Holy Place and was almost considered a part of its equipment, Exo 30:6; Exo 40:5-26.
v. 21. So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold; and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle, these chains evidently being fastened to the east wall of the Most Holy Place and serving to hold the bolts of the doors in place; and he overlaid it with gold.
v. 22. And the whole house, both rooms of the Sanctuary, he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house; also the whole altar that was by the oracle, the altar of incense, he overlaid with gold.
v. 23. And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive-tree, of the wood of wild olive-trees, very strong and durable, each ten cubits high, apparently figures resembling human beings, at least in some respect, 2Ch 3:13.
v. 24. And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, as it was stretched out, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
v. 25. And the other cherub was ten cubits; both the cherubim were of one measure and one size.
v. 26. The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.
v. 27. And he set the cherubim within the inner house, in the Most Holy Place; and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubim, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings, as they faced toward the east, touched one another in the midst of the house.
v. 28. And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.
v. 29. And he carved all the walls of the house, the edges being raised and the figures sunken, round about with carved figures of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, buds or flower-work, probably in the nature of festoons, within and without, on both sides of the partition.
v. 30. And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.
v. 31. And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive-tree; the lintel and side-posts were a fifth part of the wall, that is, the entrance was four cubits broad.
v. 32. The two doors, the leaves of the double door, also were of olive-tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, as in the walls, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubim and upon the palm-trees, the thin plates of gold making the entire figures appear as if made of chased gold.
v. 33. So also made he for the door of the Temple, for the entrance to the Holy Place, posts of olive-tree, a fourth part of the wall, the width of this entrance thus being five cubits.
v. 34. And the two doors were of fir-tree, of cypress-wood; the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding, so that only a part of the opening might be in use.
v. 35. And he carved thereon cherubim and palm-trees and open flowers, and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work, carefully fitted over the carving according to the rules of the craft.
v. 36. And he built the inner court, that reserved for the priests, with three rows of hewed stone and a row of cedar-beams, the wall of stones being topped off by the coping of cedar-wood.
v. 37. In the fourth year, namely, of Solomon’s reign, was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month Zif,
v. 38. and in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof and according to all the fashion of it, as it had been planned. So was he seven years in building it, the exact time being seven years and six months. The Temple of God, the Christian Church, of which Solomon’s Temple was a type, is an eternal kingdom, with a divine glory, the glory and majesty of Jehovah’s mercy. It is a paradise on earth, a place of peace and bliss without end.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 6:15-18 paneled with wood: The interior walls were paneled…
6:15-18 paneled with wood: The interior walls were paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling so that no exterior stones could be seen. The effect was exquisitely beautiful, reflecting painstaking care and great expense.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.