10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees, and fir trees, according to all his desire.

17 And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.

18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stone-squarers; so they prepared timber and stones to build the

W

15 And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains;

16 Besides the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work, three thousand and

q Heb. send.-r See Ezra 3. 7. Ezek. 27. 17. Acts 12 20.-s See 2 Chron. 2. 10. t Heb. cors-u Chap. 3. 12-v Heb. tribute of men.-w Chap. 4. 6. Verse 9. Shall bring them down from Lebanon unlo the sea. As the river Adonis was in the vicinity of the forest of Lebanon, and emptied itself into the Mediterranean sea, near Biblos, Hiram could transport the timbers all squared, and not only cut to scantling, but cut so as to occupy the place it was intended for in the building, without any farther need of axe or saw. It might readily be sent down the coast on rafts, and landed at Joppa, or Jamnia, just opposite to Jerusalem, at the distance of about twenty-five miles. See 2 Chron. ii. 16. The carriage could not be great, as the timber was all fitted for the building where it was hewn down. The materials had only to be put together when they arrived at Jerusalem. See ch. vi. 7

Verse 11. And Solomon gave Hiram, &c.] The information in this verse, of the annual stipend paid to Hiram, is deficient; and must be supplied out of 2 Chron. ii. 10. Here twenty thousand measures of wheat, and twenty measures of pure oil, is all that is promised; there, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, twenty thousand measures of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and troenty thousand baths of oil is the stipulation; unless we suppose the first to be for Hiram's own family, the latter for his workmen. Instead of twenty measures of oil, the Syriac, Arabic, and Septuagint, have twenty thousand measures, as in Chronicles. In 2 Chron. instead of cors of oil, it is baths. The bath was a measure much less than the cor.

Verse 13. The levy was thirty thousand men.] We find, from the following verse, that only ten thousand were employed at once, and those only for one month at a time: and having rested two months, they again resumed their labour. These were the persons over whom Adoniram was superintendent; and were all Israelites.

Verse 15. Threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens] These were all strangers or proselytes, dwelling among the Israelites; as we learn from the parallel place, 2 Chron. ii. 17, 18.

Verse 16. Besides-three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people] In the parallel place, 2 Chron. ii. 19. it is three thousand six hundred. The Septuagint has here the same number.

Verse 17. Great stones] Stones of very large dimensions.

Costly stones] Stones that cost much labour and time to cut them out of the rock.

Hewed stones] Every where squared and polished. Verse 18. And the stone-squarers] Instead of stonesquarers, the margin very properly reads Giblites, an ha-giblim, and refers to Ezek. xxvii. 9. where we find the inhabitants of Gebal celebrated for their knowledge in ship-building. Some suppose that these Giblites were the inhabitants of Biblos, at the foot of mount Libanus, northward of Sidon, on the coast of the Mediterranean sea; famous for its wines; and now called Gacta. Both Ptolemy and Stephanus Byzantinus speak of a town called Gebala, to the east of Tyre; but this was different from Gebal or Biblos. It seems more natural to understand this of a people, than of stone-squarers; though

CHAPTER VI.

In the four hundred and eightieth year from the Exodus, in the fourth year of Salemon's reign, and in the second month, he laid the foundations of the temple; the length sirty cubits, the breadth twenty, and the height thirty cubiu; besides the porch, which was twenty cubits in length, and ten cubits in beight, 1-3. A descrip tion of its different external parts, 4-10. God's promise to Solomon, 11–6 Description of its internal parts and contents, 14-36 Temple finished in the eplek month of the eleventh year of Solomon's reign; being seven years in budding, 37, 38.

A. M 2902.
B. CHIL

Exo lar.

4:0 Anno ante

AND it came to pass, in the four hundred and eightieth year after An the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year L. Olymp 25 of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

d

b

2 And the house which King Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.

x Chap. 9. 21. 2 Chron. 2 17, 18-y 1 Chron. 22. 2- Or, Giblites: as Enck. 21. 9-a 2 Chron. 3 1, 2-b Acts 1. 47-c Heb, built. See Ezek. 41. 1, &c.

most of the versions have adopted this idea, which we follow in the text. NOTES ON CHAPTER VI.

Verse 1. In the four hundred and eightieth year] The Septuagint has the four hundred and fortieth year. It need scarcely be noticed, that among chronologists there is a great difference of opinion concerning this epochs. Glycas, has 330 years; Melchios Canus, 590 years; Josephus, 592 years; Sulpicius Severus, 588; Clemens Alexandrinus, 570; Cedrenus, 672; Codomanus, 598; Vossius and Capellus, 580; Serarius, 680; Nicholas Abraham, 527; Mastlinus, 592; Petarius and Valtherus, 520. Here are more than a dozen of different opinions; and after all, that in the common Hebrew text is as likely to be the true one as any of the others.

The month Zif] This answers to a part of our April and May; and was the second month of the sacred year, but the eighth month of the civil war. Before the time of Solomon, the Jews do not appear to have had any names for their months, but mentioned them in the order of their consecutive occurrence, first month, second month, third month, &c. In this chapter, we find Zif and Bu!; and in ch. viii. ver. 2. we find another, Ethanim; and these are supposed to be borrowed from the Chaldeans; and, consequently, this book was written after the Babylonish captivity. Before this time, we find only the word Abib mentioned as the name of a month, Exod. xiii. 4. Whether there were any others at that time, or whether Abib were really intended as the name of a month, we cannot absolutely say. The present names of the Hebrew months are:- Tisri, (answering to a part of September and October,) Marchesvan, Cisleu, Thebet, Shebet, Adar, Nisan, Ijar, Sivan, Thammuz, Ab, and Elul.

Verse 2. The length thereof was threescore cubits] A cubit, according to Bishop Cumberland, is 21 inches, and 838 decimals, or 1 foot, 9 inches, and 888 decimals.

Yds. Ft. Inch.

12 0 5-76

According to this, the length, 60 cubits, was 36 1 5-29
The breadth, 20 cubits, was
The height, 30 cubits, was

13 0 864

This constituted what was called the temple, or house, the house of God, &c. But, besides this, there were courts and colonnades, where the people might assemble to perform their devotions, and assist at the sacrifices, without being exposed to the open air. The court surrounded the temple, or holy place, into which the priests alone entered. Sometimes the whole of the building is called the temple; at other times that, the measurement of which is given above. But as no proper account can be given of such a building in notes; and as there is a great variety of opinions concerning the temple, its structure, ornaments, &c. as mentioned in the books of Kings and Chronicles, in Ezekiel, and by Josephus; and as modern writers, such as Vilalpandus, Dr. Lightfoot, and Dr. Prideaux, profess ing to be guided by the same principles, have produced very different buildings; I think it best to hazard nothing on the subject, but give that description at the end of the chapter which Calmet with great pains and industry has collected at the same time pledging myself to no parti

1 Or, leaves of the door.-m Heb. openings of flowers.-n Or, four square. o Ezek. 41. 23, 21, 55.

palm trees, and open flowers: and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.

36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams. 37 P In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif: 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. So was he "seven years in building it.

p Ver. 1.--r Or, with all the appurtenances thereof, and with all the ordinances thereof-s Compare ver. 1.

"But Ezekiel has supplied this defect, by the exact plan he has delineated of these necessary parts. Indeed, it must be owned, that the temple, as described by Ezekiel, was never restored after the captivity of Babylon, accordgiven of it. But, as the measures he sets down for the sanctum and the sanctuary are, within a small matter, the same as those of the temple of Solomon; and as this prophet, who was himself a priest, had seen the first temple; it is to be supposed that the description he gives us of the temple of Jerusalem is the same as that of the temple of Solomon.

Verse 38. In the eleventh year-was the house finished] It is rather strange that this house required seven years and about six months to put all the stones and the timbers in their places for we have already seen, that they were all prepared before they came to Jerusalem: but the ornamenting, gilding, or overlaying with gold, making the carved work, cherubim, trees, flowers, &c. must have consumed a considerable time. The month Bul answers to a part of our October and November; as Zif, in which it was begun, answers to a part of April and May.

The dedication did not take place till the following year, the twelfth of Solomon; because that then, according to Archbishop Ussher, the jubilee happened.

So he was seven years in building of it.] Properly, seven years and six months: but the Scripture generally expresses things in round numbers.

Diana's temple, at Ephesus, was one of the seven won

ders of the world. It is said that almost all Asia was employed in the building of it, for about two hundred years but it was certainly more extensive than the temple at Jerusalem; for it may be justly questioned, notwithstanding the profusion of gold, silver, precious stones, &c. employed in the temple of Solomon, whether it cost any thing like the money expended on the temple of Diana.

Pliny informs us, Hist. Nat. lib. xxxvi. cap. 12. that, in order to build one of the pyramids in Egypt, no less than three hundred and sixty thousand men were employed for the space of twenty years. But neither was the temple any such work as this. We may also observe, that the temple was never intended to hold a vast concourse of people; it was only for the service of the Lord, and the priests were those alone who were employed in it. The courts, chambers, and other apartments, were far more extensive than the temple itself: it was never designed to be a place to worship in, but a place to worship at. There God was known to have a peculiar residence; and before him the tribes came, and the priests were a sort of mediators between him and the people. In short, the temple was to the Jews in the promised land, what the tabernacle was to the Hebrews in the wilderness; the place where God's honour dwelt, and whither the people flocked to pay their adoration. "Solomon laid the foundation of the temple in the year of the world 2992, before Christ 1003, before the vulgar era 1012; and it was finished in the year of the world 3000, and dedicated in 3001, before Christ 999, before the vulgar era 1003, (1 Kings viii. 2 Chron. v. vii. viii.) The place that was pitched on for erecting this magnificent structure was on the side of mount Sion, called Moriah. Its entrance, or frontispiece, stood toward the east; and the most holy, or the most retired part, was toward the west. The author of the First Book of Kings, and of the Second of Chronicles, has chiefly made it his business to describe the temple, properly so called; that is, the sanctuary, the sanctum, and the apartments belonging to them; as also the vessels, the implements, and the ornaments of the temple; without giving any description almost of the courts and open areas, which, however, made a principal part of the grandeur of this august edifice.

"The ground-plot upon which the temple was built, was a square of six hundred cubits, or twenty-five thousand royal feet, (Ezek. xiv.) This space was encompassed with a wall of the height of six cubits, and of the same breadth. Beyond this wall was the court of the Gentiles, being fifty cubits wide. After this was seen a great wall, which encompassed the whole court of the children of Israel. This wall was a square of five hundred cubits. The court of Israel was a hundred cubits in square; and was encompassed all round with magnificent galleries, supported by two or three rows of pillars. It had four gates of entrances; one to the east, another to the west, a third to the north, and the fourth to the south. They were all of the same form and largeness, and each had an ascent of seven steps. The court was paved with marble of divers colours, and had no covering; but the people, in case of need, could retire under the galleries that were all round about. These apartments were to lodge the priests in, and to lay up such things as were necessary for the use of the temple. There were but three ways to come in, to the east, to the north, and to the south; and they went to it by an ascent of eight steps. Before, and over against the gate of the court of the priests, in the court of Israel, was erected a throne for the king, being a magnificent alcove, where the king seated himself when he came into the temple. Within the court of the priests, and over against the same eastern gate, was the altar of burnt-offerings, of twelve cubits square, according to Ezekiel, xliii. 12, 13. or of ten cubits high, and twenty broad, according to 2 Chron. iv. 1. They went up to it by stairs on the eastern side.

"Beyond this, and to the west of the altar of burntofferings, was the temple, properly so called; that is to say, the sanctuary, the sanctum, and the porch of entrance. The porch was twenty cubits wide, and six cubits deep. Its gate was fourteen cubits wide. The sanctum was forty cubits wide, and twenty deep. There stood the golden candlestick, the table of show-bread, and the golden altar, upon which the incense was offered. The sanctuary was a square of twenty cubits. There was nothing in the sanctuary but the ark of the covenant, which included the tables of the law. The high priest entered here but once a year, and none but himself was allowed to enter. Solomon had embellished the inside of this holy place with palm trees in relief, and cherubim of wood, covered with plates of gold; and, in general, the whole sanctuary was adorned, and as it were, overlaid with plates of gold.

"Round the sanctum and sanctuary were three stories of chambers, to the number of thirty-three. Ezekiel, makes them but four cubits wide; but the First Book of Kings, vi. 5. allows five cubits to the first story, six to the second, and seven to the third.

"Since the consecration or dedication of the temple by Solomon, in the year of the world 3001, this edifice has suffered many revolutions, which it is proper to take notice of here.

"In the year of the world 3033, before Christ 967, before the vulgar era 971, Shishach, king of Egypt, having declared war with Rehoboam, king of Judah, took Jerusalem, and carried away the treasures of the temple, 1 Kings xiv. 2 Chron. xii.

"In 3146, Joash, king of Judah, got silver together, to go upon the repairs of the temple: they began to work

CHAPTER VII.

Solomon builds his own house, and completes it in thirteen years, 1. He builds another, callel the house of the forest of Lebanon; and a house for Pharaoh's

daughter, 2-12. He brings Hiram, a coppersmith, out of Tyre, who makes much curious work for the temple, 13-20. He makes the two pillars, Jachin and Boaz, 21, 22. The molten sea, and the twelve oxen that bare it, 23-26. And ten brazen bases, and the ten lavers, with pots, shovels, and basins, all of which he cast in the

A. M. 3000

plain of Jordan, 27-46. The bruss too great to be weighed; and the vessels of the temple were all of pure gold, 47-50. Solomon brings into the house the silver and gold which his father had dedicated, 51. UT Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finL Olymp. 228 ished all his house.

-3013

B. C. 1004-991. Anno ante

BUT

a

-215. 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 f 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.

13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.

14 He was m a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a

n

a Ch. 9. 10. 2 Chron. 8. 1.-b Heb. ribs.-c Heb. sight against sight-d Or, spaces and pillars were square in prospect-e Or, according to them.-f Or, ac cording to them-g Heb. from floor to floor.-h Ch. 3. 1. 2 Chron. 8. 11.- John 10. 23. Acts 3. IL-2 Chron. 4. 11, Huram: See Ver. 40.-12 Chron. 2 14. m Heb. the son of a widow woman.

the sacred treasures were applied to this use, that the devotion of the people had brought to the temple from all the provinces of the world. In some places these walls were above three hundred cubits high; and the stones used in these walls were some forty cubits long. They were fastened together by iron cramps and lead, to be able to resist the injuries of time. The platform on which the temple was built was a furlong square, or one hundred and twenty-five paces." Thus far Calmet and Josephus. NOTES ON CHAPTER VII.

Verse 1. Building his own house] This house is said to have been situated in Jerusalem; and probably was, what some call it, his winter's residence. It is called the king's house, chap. ix. 10.

Verse 2. The house of the forest of Lebanon] It was not built in Lebanon, but is thought to have been on mount Sion. And why it was called the house of the forest of Lebanon, does not appear: probably it was because was built almost entirely of materials brought from that place. See the following verses.

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 net-work, 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 net-work: 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 naine thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.

22 And upon the top of the pillars was lilywork: 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 a 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 vas set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

26 And it was a handbreadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with the 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.

n 2 Chron. 4. 16.- Exod. 31. 3. & 36. 1.-p Heb. fashioned - 2 Kus S. 17. 2 Chron. 3. 15. & 4. 12. Jer. 32 21.8 See 2 Chron. 3. 16 & 4. 13. Jer. 22 t 2 Chron. 3. 17-u Ch. 6. 3. That is, He shall establish -w That is, in at m strength.-x 2 Kings 25. 13. 2 Chron. 4. 2. Jec. 52. 17-y Heb. from kis bram m his brim-22 Chron. 4. 3-a 2 Chron. 4. 4, 5. Jer. 52. 20-b See 2 Chron. 4. 5. made but one building; and were in the same place, but distinguished from each other; the first as Solomon's palace; the second as a house of judgment, a court-house; the third, the harem, or apartments for the women.

Verse 13. Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.] This was not the Tyrian king, mentioned before; but a very intelligent coppersmith, of Jewish extraction by his mother's side, who was probably married to a Tyrian. In 2 Chron. ii. 14. this woman is said to be of the daugh ters of Dan; but here of the tribe of Napthtali. The king of Tyre, who gives the account as we have it in Chron:cles, might have made the mistake, and confounded the two tribes: or, she might have been of Naphtali by her father, and of Dan by her mother; and so be indifferently called of the tribe of Naphtali, or of the daughters of Dan. This appears to be the best solution of the difficulty. The versions and MSS. give no help here.

Verse 15. He cast two pillars-eighteen cubits high] That is, nearly thirty feet, in English measure.

Verse 8. A house for Pharaoh's daughter] This appears to have been a third house: probably the whole three

Verse 21. The right pillar-Jachin] That is, he shall establish. The left pillar-Boaz; that is, in strength. These were, no doubt, emblematical: for, notwithstanding