1 Kings 7

Solomon's Palace Complex

¹Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

²For he built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was one hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars.

³It was covered with cedar above over the forty-five beams that were on the pillars, fifteen in a row.

⁴There were beams in three rows, and window was facing window in three ranks.

⁵All the doors and posts were made square with beams; and window was facing window in three ranks.

⁶He made the hall of pillars. Its length was fifty cubits and its width thirty cubits, with a porch before them, and pillars and a threshold before them.

⁷He 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.

⁸His house where he was to dwell, the other court within the porch, was of the same construction. He made also a house for Pharaoh’s daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), like this porch.

⁹All these were of costly stones, even of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside, even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court.

¹⁰The foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits.

¹¹Above were costly stones, even cut stone, according to measure, and cedar wood.

¹²The great court around had three courses of cut stone with a course of cedar beams, like the inner court of the LORD’s house and the porch of the house.

Temple Furnishings by Hiram

¹³King Solomon sent and brought Hiram out of Tyre.

¹⁴He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill to work all works in bronze. He came to King Solomon and performed all his work.

¹⁵For he fashioned the two pillars of bronze, eighteen cubits high apiece; and a line of twelve cubits encircled either of them.

¹⁶He made two capitals of molten bronze to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits.

¹⁷There were nets of checker work and wreaths of chain work for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars: seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital.

¹⁸So he made the pillars; and there were two rows of pomegranates around the one network, to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and he did so for the other capital.

¹⁹The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work, four cubits.

²⁰There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network. There were two hundred pomegranates in rows around the other capital.

²¹He set up the pillars at the porch of the temple. He set up the right pillar and called its name Jachin; and he set up the left pillar and called its name Boaz.

²²On the tops of the pillars was lily work. So the work of the pillars was finished.

²³He made the molten sea ten cubits from brim to brim, round in shape. Its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encircled it.

²⁴Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The buds were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

²⁵It stood on 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 was set on them above, and all their hindquarters were inward.

²⁶It was a hand width thick. Its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.

²⁷He made the ten bases of bronze. The length of one base was four cubits, four cubits its width, and three cubits its height.

²⁸The work of the bases was like this: they had panels; and there were panels between the ledges;

²⁹and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the ledges there was a pedestal above; and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work.

³⁰Every base had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze; and its four feet had supports. The supports were cast beneath the basin, with wreaths at the side of each.

³¹Its opening within the capital and above was a cubit. Its opening was round like the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its opening were engravings, and their panels were square, not round.

³²The four wheels were underneath the panels; and the axles of the wheels were in the base. The height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.

³³The work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all of cast metal.

³⁴There were four supports at the four corners of each base. Its supports were of the base itself.

³⁵In the top of the base there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the base its supports and its panels were the same.

³⁶On the plates of its supports and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, each in its space, with wreaths all around.

³⁷He made the ten bases in this way: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one form.

³⁸He made ten basins of bronze. One basin contained forty baths. Every basin measured four cubits. One basin was on every one of the ten bases.

³⁹He set the bases, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house. He set the sea on the right side of the house eastward and toward the south.

⁴⁰Hiram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he worked for King Solomon in the LORD’s house:

⁴¹the two pillars; the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars;

⁴²the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars;

⁴³the ten bases; the ten basins on the bases;

⁴⁴the one sea; the twelve oxen under the sea;

⁴⁵the pots; the shovels; and the basins. All of these vessels, which Hiram made for King Solomon for the LORD’s house, were of burnished bronze.

⁴⁶The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan.

⁴⁷Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them. The weight of the bronze could not be determined.

⁴⁸Solomon made all the vessels that were in the LORD’s house: the golden altar and the table that the show bread was on, of gold;

⁴⁹and the lamp stands, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold;

⁵⁰the cups, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, of the temple, of gold.

⁵¹Thus all the work that King Solomon did in the LORD’s house was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the vessels—and put them in the treasuries of the LORD’s house.

Previous 1 Kings 6

Next 1 Kings 8

This chapter details Solomon's extensive building projects, beginning with his own palace complex that took thirteen years to complete, including the House of the Forest of Lebanon, judgment hall, and residence for Pharaoh's daughter. The narrative then shifts to the skilled craftsman Hiram of Tyre, who created elaborate bronze furnishings for the temple, including two massive pillars named Jachin and Boaz, along with intricate capitals decorated with pomegranates and lily work. These projects demonstrate both Solomon's wealth and power as king, as well as the careful attention given to creating sacred objects worthy of God's temple.

Context

Following the temple construction in chapter 6, this chapter completes Solomon's major building achievements before the temple dedication in chapter 8.

Key Themes

Outline

1-12
Solomon's Palace Complex Detailed description of Solomon's thirteen-year building project including multiple structures made with costly materials.
13-22
Hiram the Craftsman Introduction of the skilled bronze worker from Tyre who created the temple's bronze pillars and furnishings.
23-37
The Bronze Sea and Stands Description of the massive bronze basin and ten ornate wheeled stands for temple worship.
38-47
Additional Temple Vessels Completion of bronze basins, pots, shovels, and other implements needed for temple service.
48-51
Gold Furnishings and Completion Summary of golden temple items and the final placement of David's dedicated treasures.

Solomon's Palace Complex

7:1–7:12

narrative narration contemplative

Solomon constructs his elaborate palace complex over thirteen years, including buildings for administration and his residence. The passage details the luxurious materials and grand scale of the royal buildings.

person_contrast

Solomon's thirteen-year palace construction contrasts sharply with the seven years spent building God's temple, revealing his shifting priorities from divine worship to royal magnificence.

Temple Furnishings by Hiram

7:13–7:51

narrative narration contemplative

Hiram the craftsman creates the bronze furnishings for the temple, including pillars, the molten sea, and various vessels. The detailed descriptions emphasize the skilled workmanship and sacred nature of these temple implements.

person_contrast

Solomon's wisdom, typically displayed through judicial decisions and administrative prowess, here manifests through his recognition and commissioning of Hiram's superior bronze-working expertise.

Insight Character Study

Solomon's thirteen-year palace construction contrasts sharply with the seven years spent building God's temple, revealing his shifting priorities from divine worship to royal magnificence.

Insight Character Study

Solomon's wisdom, typically displayed through judicial decisions and administrative prowess, here manifests through his recognition and commissioning of Hiram's superior bronze-working expertise.