1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.
2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.
3 And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.
4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.
5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.
6 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.
7 Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.
8 And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.
9 All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.
10 And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.
11 And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.
12 And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.
13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.
14 He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.
15 For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.
16 And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:
17 And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.
18 And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.
19 And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.
20 And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.
21 And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.
22 And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.
23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.
24 And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.
25 It stood upon 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 above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
26 And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
27 And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.
28 And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:
29 And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.
30 And every base had four brazen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.
31 And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.
32 And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.
33 And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.
34 And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.
35 And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.
36 For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.
37 After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.
38 Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.
39 And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.
40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD:
41 The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two networks, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars;
42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars;
43 And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;
44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;
45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basins: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of bright brass.
46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.
47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.
48 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,
49 And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,
50 And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.
51 So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.
Chapter 7 of 1 Kings in the KJV Holy Bible continues the narrative of King Solomon's reign in Israel. It primarily focuses on the construction of the temple and palace during his reign. This chapter also mentions the skilled craftsmen who worked on these projects and the immense wealth that Solomon possessed. Furthermore, it also mentions the alliance between Solomon and King Hiram of Tyre, which played a significant role in the building of the temple and palace. However, this chapter also foreshadows the eventual downfall of Solomon's kingdom due to his excessive wealth and idolatry.
The chapter begins by stating that it took Solomon thirteen years to build his own house and complete the construction of the temple. The temple was built according to the specifications given by God to King David. It was a magnificent structure, made of costly stones and cedar wood. The interior of the temple was overlaid with pure gold, and the walls were adorned with intricate carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. The innermost room, known as the Most Holy Place, housed the ark of the covenant. The entrance to the temple was made of bronze pillars, which were named Jachin and Boaz. The chapter also mentions that the furnishings of the temple were made of gold, including the altar, table of showbread, and lampstands.
This section highlights the grandeur and opulence of the temple, which was a symbol of God's presence among His people. The temple was not only a place of worship but also a physical representation of the glory of God. It was a testament to the power and wealth of Solomon's kingdom, as well as his dedication to fulfilling God's command to build a house for Him. The construction of the temple also fulfilled the promise made to David that his son would build a house for the Lord.
After completing the temple, Solomon turned his attention to building his own palace. This section describes the palace as being even more magnificent than the temple. It was built on a grand scale, with a large courtyard, a hall of justice, and a throne room. The palace was also decorated with expensive materials, such as cedar, gold, and ivory. The chapter also mentions the construction of the palace's separate quarters for Solomon's wife, Pharaoh's daughter, and the daughter of King Hiram.
The construction of the palace further emphasizes the wealth and power of Solomon's kingdom. It was a symbol of his success and prosperity as a king. However, this section also hints at the potential downfall of Solomon's kingdom. The excessive amount of time and resources spent on building his palace could be seen as a display of his pride and vanity. This could lead to his eventual downfall, as God had warned against kings accumulating wealth and horses for themselves (Deuteronomy 17:16-17).
The final section of this chapter discusses the alliance between Solomon and King Hiram of Tyre. King Hiram had provided Solomon with cedar wood, gold, and skilled craftsmen for the construction of the temple and palace. In return, Solomon gave King Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. The chapter also mentions that King Hiram was not pleased with the cities given to him, and he called them "Cabul," meaning "good for nothing." This alliance played a crucial role in the completion of the temple and palace, as well as strengthening the relationship between Israel and Tyre.
This section highlights the importance of alliances and diplomacy in maintaining peace and prosperity in a kingdom. It also shows the mutual benefit gained by both parties in this alliance. However, the naming of the cities as "good for nothing" by King Hiram could also be seen as a foreshadowing of the eventual downfall of Solomon's kingdom. These cities would later become a source of trouble for Israel, as they were located near the border with Tyre and could potentially become a gateway for foreign influence and idolatry.
Chapter 7 of 1 Kings in the KJV Holy Bible serves as a reminder of the importance of obedience to God's commands. The construction of the temple and palace was a fulfillment of God's promise to David, and it symbolized the presence of God among His people. However, it also serves as a warning against the dangers of excessive wealth and pride. Solomon's excessive building projects could be seen as a display of his vanity and disobedience to God's command. This could lead to the eventual downfall of his kingdom, as God had warned against kings amassing wealth and horses for themselves.
The alliance with King Hiram also highlights the importance of maintaining peaceful relationships with other nations. However, the naming of the cities as "good for nothing" could also be seen as a foreshadowing of the potential consequences of this alliance. It serves as a reminder that alliances should not compromise one's values and faith in God.
Furthermore, this chapter also emphasizes the importance of using one's wealth and resources for the glory of God. The construction of the temple and palace was not only a display of Solomon's power and wealth but also a testament to his dedication to fulfilling God's command. It serves as an example for believers to use their resources to build the kingdom of God and bring glory to His name.
In conclusion, chapter 7 of 1 Kings in the KJV Holy Bible is a significant chapter that highlights the construction of the temple and palace during King Solomon's reign. It showcases the grandeur and opulence of these buildings, as well as the alliance between Israel and Tyre. However, it also serves as a reminder of the dangers of excessive wealth and pride, and the importance of obedience to God's commands. Overall, this chapter emphasizes the importance of using one's resources for the glory of God and maintaining a faithful relationship with Him.
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