CHAPTER SIX

 1Ki 6:1  And it happened in the four hundred and eightieth year from the going out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, in the fourth year, in the month of Zif, it is the second month, in the reigning of Solomon over Israel he built the house for Jehovah. 

1Ki 6:2  As to the house that King Solomon built for Jehovah, its length was sixty cubits, its breadth twenty, and its height thirty cubits. 

1Ki 6:3  As to the porch on the front of the temple of the house, its length was twenty cubits according to the breadth of the house; its breadth on the front of the house was ten cubits. 

1Ki 6:4  And he made windows of narrowing frames for the house. 

1Ki 6:5  And he built a side-structure on the wall of the house all around, against the walls of the house all around; to the temple and to the sanctuary. And he made side sections all around. 

1Ki 6:6  The lowest side-structure was five cubits wide; and the middle was six cubits wide; and the third story side-structure was seven cubits wide. For outside of the house he made narrowed ledges for the house all around, so as not to lay hold of the walls of the house. 

1Ki 6:7  And when it was being built, the house was built of finished stone made ready beforehand. And there was not heard in the house a hammer or an axe, or any iron tool, while it was being built. 

1Ki 6:8  The door for the middle side section was in the right side of the house. And they went up with winding stairs into the middle one; and from the middle one into the third. 

1Ki 6:9  And he built the house and finished it, and covered the house with beams and rows of cedars. 

1Ki 6:10  And he built the side-stories on all the house, each five cubits in height; and they held to the house with cedar wood. 

1Ki 6:11  And the Word of Jehovah came to Solomon, saying, 

1Ki 6:12  As to this house that you are building, if you shall walk in My statutes, and shall do My judgments, and shall do all My commandments, to walk in them, then I shall lift up My word with you which I spoke to your father David. 

1Ki 6:13  And I shall dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel, and shall not forsake My people Israel. 

1Ki 6:14  And Solomon built the house, and finished it. 

1Ki 6:15  And he built the walls of the house inside with beams of cedar, from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling. He overlaid the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with boards of fir. 

1Ki 6:16  And he built the twenty cubits on the back part of the house with boards of cedar, from the floor to the walls. And he built for it inside, for the sanctuary, for the Holy of Holies. 

1Ki 6:17  And the house was forty cubits, that is, the temple before it. 

1Ki 6:18  And the cedar for the house inside was with carvings of gourds and flowers spread out; the whole was cedar; not a stone was seen. 

1Ki 6:19  And he prepared the Holy of Holies in the midst of the house, to place the ark of the covenant of Jehovah there. 

1Ki 6:20  And the face of the Holy of Holies was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in height. And he overlaid it with refined gold, and overlaid the altar with cedar. 

1Ki 6:21  And Solomon overlaid the house inside with refined gold, and caused it to pass over in chains of gold to the face of the Holy of Holies, and overlaid it with gold. 

1Ki 6:22  And he overlaid all of the house with gold, until all of the house was complete. And he overlaid with gold all of the altar that belonged to the Holy of Holies. 

1Ki 6:23  And inside the Holy of Holies he made two cherubs of the olive tree; their height was ten cubits. 

1Ki 6:24  And one wing of the cherub was five cubits; and the second wing of the cherub five cubits; ten cubits from the ends of its wings even to the ends of its wings. 

1Ki 6:25  And the second cherub was ten cubits; one measure and one form to the two cherubs. 

1Ki 6:26  The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the second cherub. 

1Ki 6:27  And he set the cherubs in the middle of the inner house. And they spread out the wings of the cherubs. And the wing of the one touched the wall; and the wing of the second touched the second wall; and their wings were to the middle of the house, coming wing against wing. 

1Ki 6:28  And he overlaid the cherubs with gold. 

1Ki 6:29  And all the walls of the house all around he carved with figures of cherubs and palm trees, and spread out flowers inside and out. 

1Ki 6:30  And he overlaid the floor of the house with gold, inside and out. 

1Ki 6:31  As to the entrance of the Holy of Holies, he made doors of the olive tree; the lintel, the side posts, being a fifty part. 

1Ki 6:32  And the two doors were of olive wood. And he carved on them carvings of cherubs, and palm trees, and spread out flowers; and he overlaid them with gold. And he caused the gold to go down on the cherubs and on the palm trees. 

1Ki 6:33  So also he made side posts for the entrance of the temple from the olive tree, a fourth part. 

1Ki 6:34  And the two doors were of fir wood; the two sides of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. 

1Ki 6:35  And he carved cherubs, and palm trees, and spread out flowers, and overlaid them with gold fitted on the carved work. 

1Ki 6:36  And he built the inner court, three rows of hewn stone, and a row of cedar beams. 

1Ki 6:37  The house of Jehovah was founded in the fourth year, in the month of Zif. 

1Ki 6:38  And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, the eighth month, the house was finished as to all its parts, and according to all its plans. So he built it for seven years. 

Summary:
The temple is built over a seven year span. Again, God reiterates His covenant with Solomon as in chapter three. 

CONTINGENCIES of the covenant: (For Solomon, or for all Israel?) 

"Walk in my statutes" - chûqqâh  - enactment, appointed, custom, manner, ordinance, site, statute.

"Do My Judgments" - mishpâṭ - properly a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially

"Do all my commandments" - mitsvâh - a command, whether human or divine (collectively the Law)

BLESSING:

" I shall dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel, and shall not forsake My people Israel."

Describe the weight of responsibility on the king when we consider this.

Considering all of the effort and wealth that goes into the temple. What is God telling Solomon He wants? What does He always want....even now?

5. Chapter six begins 480 years after Israel had escaped Egypt. This being so, approximately what year is it at the beginning of Solomon's reign? +- 1000 BC