1 Kings Chapter 6

The Construction of the Temple

A. Basic dimensions and structure.

1. (1 Kings 6:1-6) Basic dimensions of the temple.

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord. Now the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was sixty cubits, its width twenty, and its height thirty cubits. The vestibule in front of the sanctuary of the house was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the width of the vestibule extended ten cubits from the front of the house. And he made for the house windows with beveled frames. Against the wall of the temple he built chambers all around, against the walls of the temple, all around the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary. Thus he made side chambers all around it. The lowest chamber was five cubits wide, the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide, for he made narrow ledges around the outside of the temple, so that the support beams would not be fastened into the walls of the temple.

This timestamp marks one of the most important chronological statements in the Old Testament. Israel had lived in the land for nearly five centuries with only the tabernacle. The tabernacle carried them through the wilderness, the conquest, the judges, and the reign of David. This proves that the building of a temple was driven by the revealed will of God rather than human necessity. The date also helps establish the timing of the Exodus since Solomon’s reign is reliably placed between 971 and 931 BC. If the temple began in 967 BC in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, then the Exodus took place approximately in 1447 BC which agrees with the early date view and aligns with conservative literal interpretation.

Solomon began the actual construction during the fourth year of his reign, but preparations began much earlier. Historical evidence suggests that cutting and transporting the cedars from Lebanon required years of organization. Solomon began planning immediately upon ascending the throne, but even this was not the beginning of the project. David had already drawn out God given architectural plans. According to 1 Chronicles 28:11-12, David entrusted Solomon with the design for the vestibule, the chambers, the treasuries, the inner sanctuary, and everything pertaining to the courts and sacred rooms. Scripture says these plans were given to David by the Spirit, therefore the temple was not a human invention but a divinely revealed structure. Although the author of Kings does not state the exact location, 2 Chronicles 3:1 confirms that Solomon built the temple on Mount Moriah, the same region where Abraham prepared to offer Isaac and the same mountain ridge on which Jesus would be crucified. This ties the temple to the unfolding redemptive plan of God.

The description in this chapter outlines four main structures. First was the temple proper which contained the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. Second was the vestibule that stood at the eastern entrance which measured twenty cubits wide and ten cubits deep and matched the height of the main sanctuary. Third were the side chambers which were arranged in three stories and wrapped around the north, south, and west sides. Fourth was the larger inner courtyard which will be described later in the chapter. These structural elements formed a complex designed for sacred worship and reflected continuity with the earlier tabernacle system.

The basic measurements of the temple proper were sixty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and thirty cubits in height. Using an eighteen inch cubit, the structure measured approximately ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty five feet high. This was not particularly large when compared to temples of other ancient nations, but the glory of Israel’s temple lay not in its size but in the presence of God who chose to place His name there. Taking the full structure into account including the outer chambers, the vestibule, and the wall thickness, the total footprint likely extended to one hundred ten feet in length and seventy five feet in width. The dimensions also show that Solomon intentionally modeled the temple after the tabernacle but doubled its scale. This continuity demonstrates that Solomon understood the temple not as a replacement of the tabernacle but as its divinely sanctioned expansion.

The side chambers were built around the exterior of the temple, but the beams were not inserted into the temple walls. Instead, a narrowing ledge system supported the beams which allowed for three levels of rooms that increased in width as they ascended. The lowest chamber measured five cubits, the middle six, and the upper seven. These rooms served as storage and administrative spaces for temple service but were not part of the sacred interior. The New International Version clarifies that these were external structures constructed against the walls of the main hall and inner sanctuary. This arrangement illustrates both efficiency and reverence. The sacred walls of the sanctuary were not penetrated by structural beams which maintained the integrity and sanctity of the inner holy spaces.

2. (1 Kings 6:7-10) Details of the construction.

And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built. The doorway for the middle story was on the right side of the temple. They went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third. So he built the temple and finished it, and he paneled the temple with beams and boards of cedar. And he built side chambers against the entire temple, each five cubits high, they were attached to the temple with cedar beams.

The construction of the temple demonstrates an extraordinary combination of human labor, divine reverence, and meticulous skill. Scripture notes that every stone used in the temple was finished at the quarry before it was brought to Mount Moriah. This ensured that no sound of hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard at the construction site. This detail emphasizes that Solomon wanted the building site itself to reflect the holiness of the structure. The absence of construction noise communicated that the temple belonged to God and was not marked by human commotion. Man labored hard, but that labor was intentionally hidden from the sacred grounds. This arrangement reflects a profound theological truth. God does His most significant work quietly in the unseen places. The quarry was loud, but the temple mount was silent. In a similar way, God shapes His people through the sanctifying work of the Spirit long before their fruit becomes visible. The work is noisy and difficult in the private places where hearts are humbled and character is formed, yet the result is a life that reflects the peace and holiness of God.

The preparation at the quarry also illustrates how God prepares His people for the heavenly Jerusalem. As Clarke observed, the temple serves as a type of the kingdom of God, and believers are the stones prepared on earth for their eternal place. In eternity there will be no cries of repentance or tears of confession because the shaping of the soul takes place in this life. The silence at the construction site points to the finished and perfected state of the redeemed, who will be fully prepared for their place in the presence of God.

The temple’s interior was finished with beams and panels of cedar which were among the finest building materials available in the ancient world. Cedar is durable, aromatic, and resistant to decay which made it the preferred choice for royal and sacred buildings. The use of such premium materials reflects the majesty and permanence of the house of God. The impression conveyed is one of magnificence because the worship of the Lord deserved nothing less than the best.

The temple also contained three levels of side chambers built against the north, west, and south sides. These rooms were five cubits high and attached with cedar beams. They served as necessary support structures for storage, administrative functions, and priestly service. Though not part of the holy interior, they were essential to the functioning of the temple. Their three story arrangement shows intentional architectural complexity and careful consideration of practical needs. This again reflects the orderliness of God. The sacred center was surrounded by supporting spaces, each crafted with precision so that the entire complex would stand in harmony as a unified house dedicated to the worship of the Lord.

B. God’s promise and Solomon’s building.

1. (1 Kings 6:11-13) God’s promise to Solomon.

Then the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.

The Lord interrupted the description of construction to speak directly to Solomon, reminding him that the success of the temple and the enduring blessing of his dynasty depended on obedience. God emphasized that Solomon must walk in His statutes, execute His judgments, and keep all His commandments. This was a conditional covenant. The continuation of divine blessing required continual obedience from Solomon and from the kings who would follow him. The temple would be magnificent in its structure, but the spiritual health of the nation rested not on stone and cedar but on the heart of the king who governed it. God was making it clear that outward worship is meaningless without inward faithfulness.

God promised that if Solomon obeyed, He would fulfill the covenant He made with David in 2 Samuel 7:5-16, which included the establishment of a lasting dynasty. The promise also included the assurance of God’s presence among Israel. His presence was the true glory of the temple. Without it the temple would be nothing more than an impressive building. Yet God did not introduce a new covenant here. He repeated the same conditions and blessings that Israel received at Sinai. The Lord reminded Solomon that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings discipline. Israel’s history demonstrates that these conditions were not abstract. They were the determining factors for the spiritual and national stability of the kingdom.

When God declared that He would dwell among the children of Israel, He was careful in His wording. He did not say that He would live inside the temple as if the building could contain Him. The pagan nations believed their gods inhabited temples as literal dwelling places. The God of Israel is the Creator of heaven and earth and cannot be confined to a structure. The temple served as the chosen place where God would manifest His presence and where Israel could approach Him in sacrificial worship. The focus was always on God living among His people rather than God living inside a building. The temple was the meeting point between God and Israel, but His true dwelling was with His covenant people whom He promised never to forsake.

2. (1 Kings 6:14-38) The finished temple.

So Solomon built the temple and finished it. And he built the inside walls of the temple with cedar boards, from the floor of the temple to the ceiling he paneled the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the temple with planks of cypress. Then he built the twenty cubit room at the rear of the temple, from floor to ceiling, with cedar boards, he built it inside as the inner sanctuary, as the Most Holy Place. And in front of it the temple sanctuary was forty cubits long. The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open flowers. All was cedar, there was no stone to be seen. And he prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple, to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord there. The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid it with pure gold, and overlaid the altar of cedar. So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold. He stretched gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. The whole temple he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the temple, also he overlaid with gold the entire altar that was by the inner sanctuary. Inside the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub five cubits, ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. And the other cherub was ten cubits, both cherubim were of the same size and shape. The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. Then he set the cherubim inside the inner room, and they stretched out the wings of the cherubim so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. And their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. Also he overlaid the cherubim with gold. Then he carved all the walls of the temple all around, both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. And the floor of the temple he overlaid with gold, both the inner and outer sanctuaries. For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel and doorposts were one fifth of the wall. The two doors were of olive wood, and he carved on them figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and he spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees. So for the door of the sanctuary he also made doorposts of olive wood, one fourth of the wall. And the two doors were of cypress wood, two panels comprised one folding door, and two panels comprised the other folding door. Then he carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers on them, and overlaid them with gold applied evenly on the carved work. And he built the inner court with three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams. In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv. And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.

Solomon completed the entire structure of the temple and its interior with extraordinary craftsmanship. The inside walls were covered with cedar boards from floor to ceiling, and the floor itself was constructed of cypress planks. No stone was visible anywhere inside the sanctuary because the wood paneling covered every part of the walls. This produced an atmosphere of warmth and sacred beauty without diminishing the strength of the underlying stone structure. The inner sanctuary, also called the Most Holy Place, measured twenty cubits in every direction, forming a perfect cube. Solomon paneled this sacred room with cedar and then overlaid it with pure gold. This displayed the supreme value of the Most Holy Place because it was the location where the ark of the covenant was set and where the presence of God dwelled above the mercy seat.

The use of gold throughout the temple was astonishing. The Holy Place and the Most Holy Place were entirely overlaid in gold, including the walls, the floor, and the altar. The chains across the front of the inner sanctuary were also made of gold which highlighted the separation between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. These chains reinforced that this sacred inner chamber was inaccessible except to the High Priest and only on the Day of Atonement. The interior of the Most Holy Place contained two enormous cherubim made of olive wood and overlaid with gold. Each stood ten cubits tall with wings that extended five cubits each. When the cherubim were set in place their wings stretched from wall to wall and touched one another in the center of the room. These impressive figures symbolized the heavenly guardians of the presence of God. When the High Priest entered through the veil he would be confronted immediately by these towering golden cherubim which communicated the holiness and majesty of the Lord.

The carvings throughout the temple unified the design. Every wall was decorated with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. These motifs reflect life, beauty, and the paradise imagery of Eden. The floor was also covered with gold which further magnified the glory of the house dedicated to the Lord. Even the doors were works of art. The entrance to the inner sanctuary was made of olive wood carved with cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers and then overlaid with gold. The sanctuary doors were made of cypress wood designed as two folding panels for each door. These doors were likewise carved and overlaid with gold which tied their appearance to the sacred themes throughout the interior.

Solomon also built the inner court which was constructed with three rows of hewn stone and one row of cedar beams. This was the court of the priests and contained the altar where sacrifices were offered and the laver where ceremonial washing occurred. Outside the inner court was the great court, the place where Israel gathered for prayer and worship. Beyond this were additional courts established in later history. The temple itself was not a gathering place for the people. Only priests entered its sacred spaces while the people worshipped in the outer areas which preserved the holiness of the temple under the Old Covenant.

The temple was completed in the eleventh year of Solomon’s reign which totaled seven years of construction. When finished, the building was magnificent in both scale and sacred beauty. However, Israel was continually tempted to trust the glory of the temple rather than the God whose presence sanctified it. Without continued obedience the temple’s beauty could not protect the nation. This reality became clear shortly after Solomon’s death when Shishak king of Egypt plundered its treasures in 1 Kings 14:25-27. The temple was glorious, but without faithfulness it became vulnerable and eventually would be destroyed. The structure was magnificent, but the covenant relationship with God remained the true foundation of Israel’s blessing.