Solomon’s Palace
1King Solomon also built a palace for himself. It took 13 years to build Solomon’s palace. 2He also built the building called the “Forest of Lebanon.” It was 100 cubits#7:2 100 cubits 170' 5/8" (51.83 m). long, 50 cubits#7:2 50 cubits 85' 5/16" (25.92 m). Also in verse 6. wide, and 30 cubits#7:2 30 cubits 51' 3/16" (15.55 m). Also in verses 6, 23. high. It had four rows of cedar columns. On top of each column was a cedar capital. 3There were cedar beams going across the rows of columns. There were 15 beams for each section of columns, making a total of 45 beams. On top of these beams there were cedar boards for the ceiling. 4There were three rows of windows across from each other on the side walls. 5There were three doors at each end. All the door openings and frames were square.
6Solomon also built the Porch of Columns. It was 50 cubits long and 30 cubits wide. Along the front of the porch, there was a covering supported by columns.
7He also built a throne room where he judged people. He called this the Judgment Hall. The room was covered with cedar from floor to ceiling.
8Behind the Judgment Hall was a courtyard. The palace where Solomon lived was built around that courtyard and looked like the Judgment Hall. He also built the same kind of palace for his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt.
9All these buildings were made with expensive blocks of stone. The stones were cut to the right size with a saw and then smoothed on front and back. These expensive stones went from the foundation all the way up to the top layer of the wall. Even the wall around the yard was made with expensive blocks of stone. 10The foundations were made with large, expensive stones. Some of the stones were 10 cubits#7:10 10 cubits 17' 1/16" (5.18 m). Also in verse 23. long and the others were 8 cubits#7:10 8 cubits 13' 7 1/4" (4.2 m). long. 11On top of these stones there were other expensive stones and cedar beams. 12There were walls around the palace yard and around the yard and porch of the Lord’S Temple. The walls were built with three rows of stone and one row of cedar timbers.
13King Solomon sent for a man named Huram#7:13 Huram Or “Hiram.” Also in verses 15, 23, 27, 37, 38, 40-45. who lived in Tyre and brought him to Jerusalem. 14Huram’s mother was an Israelite from the tribe of Naphtali. His dead father was from Tyre. Huram made things from bronze. He was a very skilled and experienced builder. So King Solomon asked him to come, and Huram accepted. King Solomon put him in charge of all the bronze work, and Huram did all the work he was given to do.
15Huram made two bronze columns for the porch. Each column was 18 cubits#7:15 18 cubits 30' 7 5/16" (9.33 m). tall and 12 cubits#7:15 12 cubits 20' 4 7/8" (6.22 m). around. The columns were hollow and their metal walls were 3 inches#7:15 3 inches Literally, “1 handbreadth” (7.4 cm). Also in verse 26. thick.#7:15 The columns … 3 inches thick This is from the ancient Greek version. 16He also made two bronze capitals that were 5 cubits#7:16 5 cubits 8' 6" (2.6 m). Also in verses 19, 23. tall. He put these capitals on top of the columns. 17He made two nets of chain to cover the capitals on top of the two columns. 18Then he made two rows of bronze pomegranates. He put the bronze pomegranates on the nets of each column to cover the capitals at the top of the columns. 19The capitals on top of the columns were shaped like flowers. 20The capitals were on top of the columns, above the bowl-shaped net. There were 200 pomegranates in rows all around the capitals. 21Huram put these two bronze columns at the porch of the Temple. One column was put on the south side of the entrance and one was put on the north side of it. The column on the south was named Jakin. The column on the north was named Boaz. 22They put the flower-shaped capitals on top of the columns, and the work on the two columns was finished.
23Then Huram melted bronze and poured it into a huge mold to make a tank,#7:23 tank A very large container for water. which was called “The Sea.” The tank was about 30 cubits around. It was 10 cubits across and 5 cubits deep. 24There was a rim around the outer edge of the tank. Under this rim there were two rows of bronze gourds all around the tank. The bronze gourds were made in one piece as part of the tank. 25The tank rested on the backs of 12 bronze bulls. All 12 of the bulls were looking out, away from the tank. Three were looking north, three east, three south, and three west. 26The sides of the tank were 3 inches thick. The rim around the tank was like the rim of a cup or like the petals on a flower. The tank held about 11,000 gallons#7:26 11,000 gallons Literally, “2000 baths” (44,000 l). of water.
27Then Huram made ten bronze carts. Each cart was 4 cubits#7:27 4 cubits 6' 9 5/8" (2.1 m). Also in verse 38. long, 4 cubits wide, and 3 cubits#7:27 3 cubits 5' 1 3/16" (1.55 m). high. 28The carts were made with square panels set in frames. 29On the panels and frames were bronze bulls, lions, and Cherub angels. There were designs of flowers hammered into the bronze above and below the bulls and lions. 30Each cart had four bronze wheels with bronze axles. At the corners there were bronze supports for a large bowl. The supports had designs of flowers hammered into the bronze. 31There was a frame around the top with an opening for the bowl. The frame was 1 cubit#7:31 1 cubit 20 3/8" (51.83 cm). tall, and the opening was 1 1/2 cubits#7:31 1 1/2 cubits 30 5/8" (77.75 cm). in diameter. There were designs carved into the bronze on the frame. The frame was square, not round. 32There were four wheels under the frame. The wheels were 1 1/2 cubits in diameter. The axles between the wheels were made as one piece with the cart. 33The wheels were like the wheels on a chariot. Everything on the wheels—the axles, the rims, the spokes, and the hubs were made from bronze.
34There were supports at each of the four corners of the carts. They were made as one piece with the cart. 35There was a strip of bronze around the top of each cart. It was made as one piece with the cart. 36The sides of the cart and the frames had pictures of Cherub angels, lions, and palm trees carved into the bronze. These pictures were carved all over the carts—wherever there was room. And there were flowers carved on the frame around the cart. 37Huram made ten carts, and they were all the same. Each cart was made from bronze. The bronze was melted and poured into a mold. So all the carts were the same size and shape.
38Huram also made ten bowls. There was one bowl for each of the ten carts. Each bowl was 4 cubits across and could hold about 230 gallons.#7:38 230 gallons Literally, “40 baths” (880 l). 39He put five carts on the south side of the Temple and five carts on the north side. He put the large tank in the southeast corner of the Temple. 40-45Huram also made pots, small shovels, and small bowls. He finished making all the things King Solomon wanted him to make. This is a list of the things that Huram made for the Temple of the Lord:
2 columns;
2 capitals shaped like bowls for the top of the columns;
2 nets to go around the capitals;
10 carts with a bowl on each cart;
the large tank with 12 bulls under it;
the pots, small shovels, small bowls, and all the dishes for the Lord’S Temple.
Huram made everything King Solomon wanted. They were all made from polished bronze. 46-47Solomon never weighed the bronze that was used to make these things. There was too much to weigh. So the total weight of all the bronze was never known. The king ordered these things to be made near the Jordan River between Succoth and Zarethan. They made them by melting the bronze and pouring it into molds in the ground.
48-50Solomon also commanded that all these things be made from gold for the Temple:
the golden altar;
the golden table that held the special bread offered to God;
the lampstands of pure gold (five on the south side and five on the north side in front of the Most Holy Place);
the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs;
the pure gold bowls, lamp snuffers, small bowls, pans, and dishes for carrying coals;
51So King Solomon finished all the work he wanted to do for the Lord’S Temple. Then he took everything his father David had saved for this special purpose and put them in the Temple. He put the silver and gold in the special storage rooms in the Lord’S Temple.