Ver. 1. But Solomon was building his own house.] Here he took greater leisure, and had less help, both for materials ready prepared, and for the people’s forwardness to help it on. Add hereunto, that in these thirteen years Solomon had three houses to build; sc., his own, the queen’s, and the house of the forest of Lebanon: which, because they stood near together, were called Solomon’s own house, or palace royal.
Ver. 2. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon.] For public feasts, games, pastimes, and delights, (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6) for a magazine also. (1 Kings 10:16,17 Isaiah 22:8) Framed it might be in Lebanon, (1 Kings 9:19) but built it was in Jerusalem, Solomon’s dwelling house and throne not far from it. (1 Kings 7:6-8) It seemeth to have been called “the house of the forest of Lebanon,” not because it stood in that forest, as William, bishop of Tyre, and Junius hold: but partly because it was made of the cedars of Lebanon, in which regard also the temple is called Lebanon, (Zechariah 11:1) and partly because it was a kind of abridgment of that famous forest, and contained in it, and in the gardens and groves about it, all the delights and pleasures of that forest, in solitary walks, sweet smells, music of birds, and sight of wild beasts, &c., whence the Hebrews call it domum refrigerii, the house of refreshing. Lib. xviii, belli sacri.
Ver. 3. Upon the beams.] Heb., Ribs: for beams are to a building what ribs are to a living creature. In Africa they make, if not beams, yet rafters for houses, of the whale’s ribs.
Ver. 4. In three rows,] i.e., In three stories, called also ranks here. And light was against light.] Fenestrae ex diametro, through lights, we call them.
Ver. 5. With the windows.] All were square: and so this house was, ad elegantiam, amaenitatem et recreationem tota comparata, very pleasant.
Ver. 6. Were before them.] Or, According to them: all was suitable, and sightly.
Ver. 7. Then he made a porch for the throne.] That stately throne of ivory. (1 Kings 10:18-20) Even the porch of judgment.] Built for the conveniency of such as came to the king for judgment.
Ver. 8. Had another court.] Called “the middle court.” (2 Kings 20:4) Like unto this porch.] All was uniform and spacious.
Ver. 9. According to the measure of hewed stones.] Though costly, yet as great as other hewed stones. Unto the coping,] i.e., The top of the wall, whereon the beams were laid.
Ver. 10. And the foundatlon was of costly stones.] Heb., Precious; yet not of emeralds, carbuncles, sapphires, as Isaiah 54:11, but of marble, porphyry, &c., which were longlasting. Even great stones.] Which therefore were the closer together, and the surer.
Ver. 11. And above were costly stones.] Above ground, as well as under.
Ver. 12. And the great court round about.] Surrounding the king’s house. Both for the inward court of the house of the Lord,] i.e., Like that inward court, 1 Kings 6:36. And for the porch, &c.] The king’s house had the like porch before it, as God’s house had.
Ver. 13. And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram.] He had done so long since; viz., when he first set upon temple work, (2 Chronicles 2:14 3:15) to the description whereof the history here returneth.
Ver. 14. He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali.] His father was of that tribe, but his mother of the tribe of Dan, (2 Chronicles 2:14) unless the king there mistook the one tribe for the other. And cunning to work all works.] Not in brass only, but in gold, silver, iron, stone, timber, purple, &c., (2 Chronicles 4:16) so that Solomon, for respect’s sake, called him his father. (2 Chronicles 4:16)
Ver. 15. Of eighteen cubits high apiece.] Thirty-five cubits high, saith another prophet, (2 Chronicles 3:15) that is, saith Pellican, both of them together were thirty-five cubits high, and each one almost eighteen, for which it is said to be eighteen cubits; the Scripture useth not to express such broken measures.
Ver. 16. To set upon the tops of the pillars.] Hence they were called chapiters, or heads, coronamenta, epistylia; crowns they are called. (Jeremiah 52:22)
Ver. 17. And nets of checker work.] These were very pleasant to the eye, and in adition significant: not such toilsome toys as nec ignoranti nocent, nec scientem iuvant. Sen.
Ver. 18. And he made the pillars.] That is, He thus decked them. Peter Martyr saith that these pillars resembled a man, the nether part setting forth his feet, the second the trunk of his body, the third his head, and the fourth his hat: and that they signified God’s protection over this house, as of old the pillar of fire, and pillar of smoke, showed his protection over them in the wilderness.
Ver. 19. Were of lily work.] As also of other flowers, leaves, and fruits, implexu coronario incursantibus. In the porch.] That was before the holy place; for there these pillars were set, (1 Kings 7:21) to show the stability of this house, and of the spiritual temple for ever: the Rabbis say, of the house of David.
Ver. 20. And the pomegranates were two hundred.] On each side a hundred, hanging down front the rows or borders upon the networks, which yet they hid not. (2 Chronicles 3:16 Jeremiah 52:23) This might signify the strengthening of our faith by the two sacraments, unto holiness and fruitfulness in good works; but especially by Christ, who is a double pillar unto his Church.
Ver. 21. And he set up the pillars in the porch.] For within the temple was nothing but golden. And called the name thereof Jachin.] As the other he called Boaz; showing not only by the matter—brass—but by the names of these pillars, what steadfastness the elect stand in before God, both for present and future. For present, they have strength in themselves—Boaz, i.e., in it is strength; for future, God will so direct and establish them with his grace—Jachin, i.e., he shall direct, or establish that they shall never wholly depart from him. “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out.” (Revelation 3:12)
Ver. 22. And upon the pillars was lily work] To show the beauty and sweetness of Christ and his people, those especially that are more eminent, the glory of the churches; such as were James, Cephas, and John, who “seemed to be pillars.” (Galatians 2:9)
Ver. 23. And he made a molten sea.] As a large laver for the priests to wash in. (2 Chronicles 4:6) the Hebrews used to call the gathering together of much water a sea. It signifieth both the exceeding filthiness of sin, requiring a sea for the cleansing of it, and the infinite virtue of Christ’s blood, &c.
Ver. 24. Ten in a cubit.] Three hundred knops under the lily work, on the brim of the sea. (2 Chronicles 4:3)
Ver. 25. It stood upon twelve oxen.] Figuring out the twelve apostles and their successors, who went into all parts of the world, teaching “the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
Ver. 26. It contained two thousand baths.] This it held ordinarily; but if filled up to the brim, it could hold three thousand baths. (2 Chronicles 4:5) Out of this molten sea, or lake—as Junius rendereth it—the priests, by cocks or otherwise, drew water to wash themselves and other things with.
Ver. 27. And he made ten bases of brass.] To bear up so many lesser layers. (1 Kings 7:38)
Ver. 28. They had borders.] Around the vessel, like panes of wainscotting; whereon were engraven lions, oxen, and cherubims; to teach the priests courage, painfulness, and prudence.
Ver. 29. See on 1 Kings 7:28.
Ver. 30. And every base had four brazen wheels.] To remove the laver from place to place, as occasion required.
Ver. 31. And the mouth of it within the chapiter.] The round hollow place of the base, into which the lower part of the laver was put to the upper, was a cubit.
Ver. 32. And under the borders were four wheels.] Whereby the laver was trusatile sive ambulatorium. See 1 Kings 7:30.
Ver. 33. Like the work of a chariot wheel,] i.e., Curiously wrought, and as having axle-tree, naves, felloes, spokes, all cast together in their moulds.
Ver. 34. And there were four undersetters.] Heb., Shoulders, sc., to uphold the vessel.
Ver. 35. Was there a round compass.] Which was made, it should seem, to receive the water which came out at the cocks.
Ver. 36. According to the proportion of every one.] Heb., According to the nakedness; that is, the true resemblance. Truth is like our first parents, most beautiful when naked. And additions round about.] Round about the base were certain fillings and finishings, on the uppermost edgings.
Ver. 37. All of them had one casting.] To teach uniformity about the things of God. It is a sweet thing when “with one mind and one mouth God is glorified” as “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 15:6) and men’s prayers come before him “as the sound of many waters.”
Ver. 38. Then made he ten lavers of brass.] And all to show the filthiness of sin, and the necessity of Christ’s blood, (1 John 1:7 Zechariah 13:1) wherewith the holy priesthood of his chosen must be washed and sanctified in action and affection, before their service can be accepted. (Ephesians 5:26)
Ver. 39. On the right side of the house.] That is, Of the priests’ court, who had hereby plenty of water, wherein they might wash so soon as they entered to minister in the holy place. “Holiness becometh God’s house for ever.”
Ver. 40. And the shovels.] Which were to gather up the ashes, and to carry coals from the altar to put into the censers in the temple, for the incense. And the basons.] Which were to receive the blood of the sacrifices, and the drink offerings.
Ver. 41. Here is a recapitulation of the forementioned particulars; whereunto Josephus addeth many more; as ten thousand golden tables, ten thousand golden candlesticks, twenty thousand vials of gold, forty thousand of silver, &c.
Ver. 42. See Trapp on “1Ki 7:41”.
Ver. 43. See Trapp on “1Ki 7:41”.
Ver. 44. See Trapp on “1Ki 7:41”.
Ver. 45. See Trapp on “1Ki 7:41”.
Ver. 46. In the plain of Jordon.] Where Christ afterwards was baptized; to show, saith an expositor, that by these lavers and vessels there cast, baptism was prefigured. In the clay ground.] Which was most fit for moulds.
Ver. 47. Solomon left all the vessels unweighed.] Many men deal with their preservations, saith one, as Solomon did with the brass of the temple: it was so much, he weighed it not. See 1 Chronicles 22:3,14.
Ver. 48. The altar of gold, and the table of gold.] Yea, tables, as it is in 2 Chronicles 4:19, ten tables for one made by Moses; to set forth the superabundant grace under Christ, figured by Solomon.
Ver. 49. With the flowers and the lamps.] The ornaments and the instruments thereof. Here some note that every table had its candlestick for light, to show that unless light from above goeth along with every ordinance appointed for the feeding of men’s souls, it will be to them of no advantage.
Ver. 50. And the hinges of gold.] Hinges and hooks, and all were of gold: to teach us that in a holy and religious soul dedicated to God, there should be nothing found but what is pure, solid, and precious. “The tongue of the just is as choice silver; the heart of the wicked is little worth.” (Proverbs 10:20)
Ver. 51. So was ended all the work.] Solomon’s temple was finished in the year of the world three thousand. Hence some gather that the spiritual temple shall be consummated in three thousand more. Christ was born in the four thousandth year of the world. The temple was destroyed together with the city by the Romans, in the year of the world exactly four thousand and seventy-three. The things which David his father had dedicated.] Partita factas partita infectas, quae ex opere superfuerant. For that of the Rabbis is not likely to be true—viz., that Solomon made no use of the treasure gathered by his father, as not worthy, but only of that which himseff had gotten together in those four years. Ussher.