It was a much larger and more particular account of the building of the
temple which we had in the book of Kings than is here in this book of
Chronicles. In this chapter we have,
I. The place and time of building the temple,
2 Chronicles 3:1,2.
II. The dimensions and rich ornaments of it,
2 Chronicles 3:3-9.
III. The cherubim in the most holy place,
2 Chronicles 3:10-13.
IV. The veil,
2 Chronicles 3:14.
V. The two pillars,
2 Chronicles 3:15-17.
Of all this we have already and an account,
1 Kings 6:1-7:51
The Temple Built.
B. C. 1012.
1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at
Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David
his father, in the place that David had prepared in the
threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2 And he began to build in the second day of the second
month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for
the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the
first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty
cubits.
4 And the porch that was in the front of the house, the
length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty
cubits, and the height was a hundred and twenty: and he
overlaid it within with pure gold.
5 And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he
overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.
6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty:
and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the
walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved
cherubims on the walls.
8 And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was
according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the
breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold,
amounting to six hundred talents.
9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And
he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
Here is,
I. The place where the temple was built. Solomon was neither at liberty
to choose nor at a loss to fix the place. It was before determined
(1 Chronicles 22:1),
which was an ease to his mind.
1. It must be at Jerusalem; for that was the place where God had chosen
to put his name there. The royal city must be the holy city.
There must be the testimony of Israel; for there are
set the thrones of judgment,
Psalms 122:4,5.
2. It must be on Mount Moriah, which, some think, was that very place
in the land of Moriah where Abraham offered Isaac,
Genesis 22:2.
So the Targum says expressly, adding, But he was delivered by the
word of the Lord, and a ram provided in his place. That was typical
of Christ's sacrifice of himself; therefore fitly was the temple, which
was likewise a type of him, built there.
3. It must be where the Lord appeared to David, and answered
him by fire,
1 Chronicles 21:18,26.
There atonement was made once; and therefore, in remembrance of that,
there atonement must still be made. Where God has met with me it is to
be hoped that he will still manifest himself.
4. It must be in the place which David has prepared, not only which he
had purchased with his money, but which he had purchased with his
money, but which he had pitched upon divine direction. It was Solomon's
wisdom not to enquire out a more convenient place, but to acquiesce in
the appointment of God, whatever might be objected against it.
5. It must be in the threshold floor of Ornan, which, if (as a
Jebusite) it gives encouragement to the Gentiles, obliges us to look
upon temple-work as that which requires the labour of the mind, no less
than threshing-work does that of the body.
II. The time when it was begun; not till the fourth year of Solomon's
reign,
2 Chronicles 3:2.
Not that the first three years were trifled away, or spent in
deliberating whether they should build the temple or no; but they were
employed in the necessary preparations for it, wherein three years
would be soon gone, considering how many hands were to be got together
and set to work. Some conjecture that this was a sabbatical year, or
year of release and rest to the land, when the people, being discharged
from their husbandry, might more easily lend a hand to the beginning of
this work; and then the year in which it was finished would fall out to
be another sabbatical year, when they would likewise have leisure to
attend the solemnity of the dedication of it.
III. The dimensions of it, in which Solomon was instructed
(2 Chronicles 3:3),
as he was in other things, by his father. This was the
foundation (so it may be read) which Solomon laid for the
building of the house. This was the rule he went by, so many cubits
the length and breadth, after the first measure, that is,
according to the measure first fixed, which there was no reason to make
any alteration of when the work came to be done; for the dimensions
were given by divine wisdom, and what God does shall be for ever;
nothing can be put to it, or taken from it,
Ecclesiastes 3:14.
His first measure will be the last.
IV. The ornaments of the temple. The timber-work was very fine, and
yet, within, it was overlaid with pure gold
(2 Chronicles 3:4),
with fine gold
(2 Chronicles 3:5),
and that embossed with palm-trees and chains. It was gold of
Parvaim
(2 Chronicles 3:6),
the best gold. The beams and posts, the walls and
doors, were overlaid with gold,
2 Chronicles 3:7.
The most holy place, which was ten yards square, was all overlaid
with fine gold
(2 Chronicles 3:8),
even the upper chambers, or rather the upper floor or
roof--top, bottom, and sides, were all overlaid with gold. Every
nail, or screw, or pin, with which the golden plates were fastened to
the walls that were overlaid with them, weighed fifty shekels, or was
worth so much, workmanship and all. A great many precious stones were
dedicated to God
(1 Chronicles 29:2,8),
and these were set here and there, where they would show to the best
advantage. The finest houses now pretend to no better garnishing than
good paint on the roof and walls; but the ornaments of the temple were
most substantially rich. It was set with precious stones,
because it was a type of the new Jerusalem, which has no temple in it
because it is all temple, and the walls, gates, and foundations of
which are said to be of precious stones and pearls,
Revelation 21:18,19,21.
The Furniture of the Temple.
B. C. 1012.
10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image
work, and overlaid them with gold.
11 And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long:
one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the
wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits,
reaching to the wing of the other cherub.
12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits,
reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five
cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.
13 The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty
cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were
inward.
14 And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and
fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.
15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five
cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of
them was five cubits.
16 And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on
the heads of the pillars; and made a hundred pomegranates, and
put them on the chains.
17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the
right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of
that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left
Boaz.
Here is an account of
1. The two cherubim, which were set up in the
holy of holies. There were two already over the ark, which covered the
mercy-seat with their wings; these were small ones. Now that the most
holy place was enlarged, though these were continued (being
appurtenances to the ark, which was not to be made new, as all the
other utensils of the tabernacle were), yet those two large ones were
added, doubtless by divine appointment, to fill up the holy place,
which otherwise would have looked bare, like a room unfurnished. These
cherubim are said to be of image-work
(2 Chronicles 3:10),
designed, it is likely, to represent the angels who attend the divine
Majesty. Each wing extended five cubits, so that the whole was twenty
cubits
(2 Chronicles 3:12,13),
which was just the breadth of the most holy place,
2 Chronicles 3:8.
They stood on their feet, as servants, their faces inward toward the
ark
(2 Chronicles 3:13),
that it might appear they were not set there to be adored (for then
they would have been made sitting, as on a throne, and their faces
towards their worshippers), but rather as themselves attendants on the
invisible God. We must not worship angels, but we must worship
with angels; for we have come into communion with them
(Hebrews 12:22),
and must do the will of God as the angels do it. The thought that we
are worshipping him before whom the angels cover their faces will help
to inspire us with reverence in all our approaches to God. Compare
1 Corinthians 11:10,Isa+6:2.
2. The veil that parted between the temple and the most holy place,
2 Chronicles 3:14.
This denoted the darkness of that dispensation, and the distance which
the worshippers were kept at; but, at the death of Christ, this veil
was rent; for through him we are made nigh, and have boldness not only
to look, but to enter, into the holiest. On this he was wrought
cherubim. Heb. he caused them to ascend, that is, they were made
in raised work, embossed. Or he made them on the wing in an ascending
posture, as the other two that stood on their feet in an attending
posture, to remind the worshippers to lift up their hearts, and to soar
upwards in their devotions.
3. The two pillars which were set up before the temple. Both together
were somewhat above thirty-five cubits in length
(2 Chronicles 3:15),
about eighteen cubits high a-piece. See
1 Kings 7:15-22,
&c., where we took a view of those
pillars, Jachin and Boaz, establishment and
strength in temple-work and by it.
Matthew Henry "Verse by Verse Commentary for '2 Chronicles' Matthew Henry Bible Commentary".
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