In this and the following chapter we have the account of the building and furnishing of the Temple. In all fundamental essentials it was on the pattern of the Tabernacle which Moses had made. The proportions and relations were identical, but Solomon's Temple was larger. Its symbolism was exactly the same, though its magnificence was far greater. However, ornamentation was admitted which would have interfered with the express command that no likeness of God was to be attempted. It was a dwelling place for the unseen God, and its structure was representative of the way of man's approach to Him rather than revelatory of the nature of Being. That was a mystery beyond the comprehension of the finite mind, and it was a distinguishing element in the Hebrew religion that it made no attempt to explain. Solomon erected this glorious house on the spot chosen by his father. The story is told here in order to give a graphic and comprehensive idea of the splendor of the house itself.
2 Chronicles 3:1-17
1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeareda 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 instructedb 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 an 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 garnishedc 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.
10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of imaged 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.e
14 And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wroughtf cherubims thereon.
15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high,g 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 an 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,h and the name of that on the left Boaz.