[If we keep in mind the various portions of the temple-porch, holy place, holy of holies, and the side-structure-it would seem that the vision of the completed so-called Gothic-Church, must have dawned upon the mind of some cloistered architect after he had familiarized his mind with the constituent parts and divisions of the temple. Each has a porch the nave corresponds with the holy place, the aisles with the side-structure, the sanctuary and choir with the holy of holies. In the temple, partition walls separated these portions from each other; in the Christian church-building, all partition walls disappear, and the parts are connected by the use of the pointed arch, and other devices of architectural skill.-E. H.]

embraces them in, and must have the arrangement | dazzle and intoxicate the senses; everything was and contrivance which corresponds with the being full of meaning, and referred to higher, divine and the needs of the congregation as the commu- things; it was not meant to render sensual man nion of the faithful. still more sensual, but to draw him nearer to the supersensuous, and thus to elevate him. Empty parade is unseemly for any house of God; rather must everything which wealth and art can accomplish serve to raise the heart and mind to God, so that each one shall say: This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven (Gen. xxviii. 17)!-The temple of Solomon shows what the house of God should ever be: (a) a place of testimony: the testimony or word of God forms its heart and centre; (b) a sanctuary, where we hallow God, and he sanctifies us through Christ (Heb. x. 14; Sacrament); (c) an heavenly place where, far from all worldly cares, peace and rest reign, and all are united in prayer, in the praise and glory of God (see Historical and Ethical).-(2) The dwelling of God in the midst of his people (a) in the old, (b) in the new covenant (2 Cor. vi. 16).-The temple of God a prophecy of Christ and of His church (see Historical and Ethical), or, the typical and the true temple of God (1 Pet. ii. 5). The former is built by men's hands, the latter out of living stones, whose foundation and corner-stone is Christ; there were brought gifts and sacrifices, which could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience (Heb. ix. 9, 10); here are offered spiritual sacrifices, pleasing to God through Christ; the former is an house of external sanctity and purity, the latter an indwelling of God in the soul, a temple of the Holy Ghost, who purifies the conscience from dead works; there God speaks through the law, here through the gospel.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL.

Vers. 1 and 38. Why was the time for the building of the temple so exactly specified? (1) Because it was a most important event for Israel. It points to the final aim of the leading out of Egypt, the land of bondage. The time of the wandering, of unrest, and of battle, is over. Israel is in possession of the whole of the promised land; the time of the kingdom of peace is come. The temple is a memorial of the truth and mercy of God, who ever fulfils His promises, albeit after many long years (Ex. iii. 17), supplies all wants, and governs all things excellently. The word of the Lord is sure. After long wandering, after many a cross, many a tribulation and trouble,Vers. 11-13. OSIANDER: We ever need, especially comes the promised time of peace; the Lord helps His people, even as he preserves every single being unto his heavenly kingdom (2 Tim. iv. 18). (2) Because it is a world-historical event. The temple of Solomon is the first and only one, in the whole ancient world, which was erected to the one, true, and living God. Darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people (Is. Ix. 2). Heathendom had here and there greater temples, but they were the abodes of darkness; this temple is the abode of light and life; from it, light breaks forth over all nations (Is. ii. 3; Jer. iii. 17; Mic. iv. 2). What avails the greatest, most glorious temple, if darkness instead of light proceeds from it, and, amid all the prayers and praises, the Knowledge of the living God is wanting?

Ver. 2. The exceeding glory and pomp of the temple. (1) The idea, to which it bore witness. No house, no palace in Israel compared, for splendor and glory, with the house of God. Everything in the shape of costly material and treasure which the age permitted, all toil and all art, were lavished upon it. To the Most High were given the noblest and dearest of men's possessions. How many princes, how many nations, how many cities, build gorgeous palaces, and adorn with gold and all treasures the buildings designed to minister to the pride of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and to a haughty manner of life, but yet have no money, no sacrifice, for the temples which either are entirely wanting, or are poor and miserable in appearance! (2) The purpose which it served. Its magnificence was no empty, dead show, to

in high affairs, divine consolation and help, so that thereby we may be animated to more activity in the performance of our duties. He who has begun and undertaken a work according to the will of God, and for His glory, may rest assured of divine support, may build upon God's promises, and will not suffer himself to shrink from, or tire of, the obstacles which meet him by the way (Matt. xxiv. 13).-Ver. 13. I will not leave my people: a glorious word of consolation, but also a solemn word of warning.-Ver. 14. STARKE: When the word of God is received with faith, it gives new strength to the heart, and urges us on to all goodness (Jas. i. 21).—Vers. 15–22. All the adorning of the house was within; there was the light and the brightness of gold, there also the symbols of life. Ye are the temple of God (1 Cor. iii. 17). The adorning of the faithful shall not be outward, but inward; the "hidden man of the heart" is manifest only to the Lord, and not to the eyes of the world; the gold of faith, and the life hidden with Christ in God, is the glory of the man. - - Vers. 23-28. STARKE: To make and set up symbols is not, in itself, idol atry, nor against the first commandment, and images are also allowable in churches, if they are not made objects of worship. If, indeed, in the holy of holies, the greatest and noblest carvings are placed, we cannot, in the wish to see all works of art removed from the churches, and merely seats and benches remaining, appeal to Scripture, and least of all to the man to whom God gave wise and understanding heart (chap. iii, 12).

O-The accomplishment of the building of the palace, and the preparation of the vessels of the temple.

CHAPTER VII. 1–51.

2

6

1 But' Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished ali 2 his house. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was a hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon 3 the pillars. And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams [side cham4 bers'], that lay on forty-five pillars, fifteen [i. e., chambers] in a row. And there were windows [beams '] in three rows, and light [front'] was against light [front] 5 in three ranks. And all the doors and posts were square with the windows 6 [beams] and light [front] was against light [front] in three ranks. 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 7 and the thick beam [threshold '] were before them. 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 [from the floor to the 8 floor]. And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also a house for Pharaoh's daugh9 ter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch. 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 10 [from the outside even to '] the great court. And the foundation was of costly 11 stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. And 12 above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars. 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 [Jehovah], and for the porch of the house.

13, 14 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. 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

10

For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece; 10 and a line of 16 twelve cubits did compass either of them about. And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapi17 ter was five cubits," and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits: and nets of checker work [lace-work], and wreaths of chain-work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven " for the one chapiter, and seven " 18 for the other chapiter. And he made the pillars [pomegranates"], and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top with pomegranates [top of the pillars]: 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 20 porch, four cubits. And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates 1 also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pome21 granates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter. 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 22 name thereof Boaz. 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 [from lip to lip]: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line 24 of thirty cubits did compass it round about. And under the brim of it round about there were knops "compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round

25 about the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 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 26 was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with 15 flowers of lilies: it contained two 16 thousand baths.

27

22

23

And he made ten bases of brass: four" cubits was the length of one base, 28 and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three " cubits the height of it. And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders [panels"], and 29 the borders [panels] were between the ledges: and on the borders [panels] that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: " and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions 30 made of thin work [were wreaths of hanging work 20]. And every base had four brazen wheels, and plates [axletrees] of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters [four feet thereof had shoulders]: under the laver were under31 setters [the shoulders] molten, at the side of every addition [wreath]. 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 a half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders [panels], foursquare, not 32 round. And under the borders [panels] were four wheels;" and the axletrees [holders] of the wheels were joined to [were in the base] the base: and the height of 33 a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and 34 their spokes, were all molten. And there were four undersetters [shoulders] to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters [shoulders] were of the very 35 base itself. 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 [holders] thereof and the 36 borders [panels] thereof were of the same. For [And] on the plates of the ledges [holders] thereof, and on the borders [panels] thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm-trees, according to the proportion [room] of every one, and additions 37 [wreaths] round about. After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them 38 had one casting, one measure, and one size [form]. Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: " and 39 upon every one of the ten bases one laver. 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 40 the right side of the house eastward over against the south. And Hiram made the lavers [pots 2], and the shovels, and the basins.

26

27

So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king" Solomon 41 for the house of the Lord [Jehovah]: 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 42 the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; 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 3o pil43, 44 lars; and the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases; and one sea, and twelve 45 oxen under the sea; 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 [Jehovah], 46 were of bright [burnished "2] brass. In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, 47 in the clay ground [compact soil] between Succoth and Zarthan. And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.

48

31

And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord [Jehovah]: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread 49 was, 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 51 most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple. So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the Lord [Jehovah].

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 [Jehovah].

TEXTUAL AND GRAMMATICAL.

1 Ver. 1.-[The twelve verses at the beginning are transferred to the end of this chapter in the Sept.

* Ver. 2.-[The Sept. read three rows; the Arab. in ver. 8, sixty pillars.

Ver. 3.-[So the author translates ny, and so also Keil. This translation is undoubtedly correct; but the VV.

are in much confusion over these architectural details.

♦ Ver. 4.—[So the author correctly translates D' supported by the Sept., and adds in parenthesis] í. 6., over cach of the three rows of chambers roof-beams were laid.

Ver. 4.-I. e., so that the chambers stood over against one another, vis-à-vis.—Bähr. [The Heb. word in occurs only here, and is of very doubtful signification. None of the old versions give the meaning window, nor can that sense be derived with any certainty from the etymology-root. Our author concurs with Keil in giving the meaning as aspectus or prospectus, “view to or from " (Keil). The English expression "front to front" conveys the idea.

Ver. 5.-Viz., of the chambers.-Bähr.

Ver. 6.—[So our author translates, Schwelle, following the Chald. Nipp.

Ver. 7.-[ppy 7p. This expression has much puzzled expositors. Notwithstanding the explanations of the author and of Keil, the best sense seems to be the simplest and most literal, from the floor to the floor, i. e., from the floor on one side all over the walls, ceiling, and opposite walls, to the floor on the other side.

Ver. 9.-[So the author and Keil, sustained by all the VV.

10 Ver. 15.-[Lit. the height of one pillar,

compass the other. The A. V. expresses the sense. 2 Chron. iii.

15 gives the height as 85 cubits-a manifest error. Cf. 2 Kings xxv. 17; Jer. lii. 21.

11 Ver. 16.-[There is here no Var. lect., so that the height given in 2 Kings xxv. 17-three cubits-must have been an error of transcription, as indeed sufficiently appears from Jer. 1. 22.

11 Ver. 17.—[The Sept. have rų èribéμari, doubtless from reading

instead of My.

[pomegranates] here, just as afterwards D'

is transposed for ', as also some MSS. have it, and as the connection absolutely demands.-Bähr. [So also the Sept., while the Chald. and Syr. follow the text as we now have it.

13 Ver. 20.-[The words in italics in the A. V. are unnecessary. Our anthor translates thus:] And the chapiters upon the two pillars were also above, close (i. e., immediately) on the belly (belly-like swelling) which was beyond (i. e., behind) the net-work, and the two hundred pomegranates in two rows round about (as on the one so) on the second chapiter.-Bähr.

14 Ver. 24.—['p here (as in vi. 18), is an architectural ornament in the form of the wild gourd, which bursts open on ripening. 2 Chron. iv. 8 has 7, the likeness of cattle. This is evidently an error.

15 Ver. 26.-[Our author translates: in the form of a lily-flower. The Heb. is open to either interpretation, and the reasons for preferring this are given in the Exeg. Com.

16 Ver. 26.—[2 Chron. iv. 5 has D', thus adding one-half to the contents, and this number is adopted by Josephus. The VV. retain here the number 2000, but the Alex. Sept. (the Vat. Sept. omits the verse) makes them 2000 xocis, thus giving a capacity as much too small for a hemisphere of the given dimensions as the Heb. measure is too large. 17 Ver. 27.-[The Sept. make the length five, and the height six cubits; thus making all the dimensions unlike.

13 Ver. 28.—[The Heb. in from 3 to enclose, admits either this sense or that of the A. V, but both the connection and the amount of ornament upon the panels require the former.

19 Ver. 29.-[Our author translates and upon the ledges as well above as below," which certainly gives an intelligible sense, but it is at least doubtful if the Heb. will bear it, and certainly it is entirely forbidden by the masoretic punctuation, a base. Our author rejects this,

על וּמִתַּחַת ונו" כֵּן

D'aben-by. The Chald. renders as a noun

which is however adopted by Keil, and has been followed by the A. V. Above the ledges was a base or rest for the laver described afterwards.

20 Ver. 29.—[77i wyp ni. The author's translation, given in the brackets, unquestionably expresses the true

sense.

21 Ver. 31.-I. e., of the laver; or as our author interprets, of the base.

22 Ver. 31.-1. e., was a cubit within the edge-there was a cubit on each side of the opening of the basin. The author expresses it:] from the opening outwards was a cubit.

23 Ver. 31.-In diameter.

24 Ver. 32-So that the whole base could be seen, and nothing of its panels was covered by the wheels.

25 Ver. 85.-1. e, the cover of the base was arched.

26 Ver. 85.-I. e., of this arched upper part.

27 Ver. 88. In diameter at the top.

28 Ver. 40.—Instead of

[lavers] it is necessary to read here

[pots] according to ver. 45; 2 Chron.

fv. 11; 2 Kings xxv. 14; Jer, lii. 18.-Bähr. [Add, such is the reading also of many MSS. and editions, and apparently

of the Sept. and Vulg., although

not certain.

29 Ver. 40.—[Many MSS. have

* Ver. 42.—Upon the two pillars.

with the Syr. and Vulg. read here

sometimes bears so nearly the same meaning (1 Sam. ii. 14) that the inference is

in the nom. So also the Syr. and Arab.

Instead of " is here to be read with the Sept. "Bähr. [But many MSS. by upon the top of, and there is no MS. authority for the Sept. reading.

31 Ver. 45.—That the k'ri

the reading of many MSS. and the VV.

deserves the preference over the k'tib requires no proof.-Bahr. [It is also

32 Ver. 45.-[The Sept., before burnished brass," inserts vai oi σrûdo Teσσapákovтa kaì оKTW TOû Oikov Toù Baσidéws καὶ τοῦ οἴκου κυρίου.-F. G.]

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL.

Ver. 1. But Solomon was building his own house, &c. Ver. 1 forms a heading to the section concluding at ver. 12. The palace consisted of several buildings following upon one another, all of which, i. e., his "whole" house, Solomon finished in thirteen years; but he only required seven years to complete the temple, because, perhaps, there were more buildings in the former, or fewer workmen were employed on them. The place where the palace was built cannot be, according to Ewald, the so-called Ophel, i. e., the continuation of the temple-mount (Moriah), which diminished gradually as it stretched towards the south, but Mount Zion, which was divided from Moriah by the valley of Tyropæon. It is clear from 2 Kings xi. 19, that the way from the temple led immediately "down" to the palace. When Josephus says (Antiq., 8, 5, | 2), that the palace stood opposite to the temple (avrikpuç), it could only have been built on the northeast side of Zion. The palace of the Asmoneans stood there too, from which a bridge led over the valley to the temple on Moriah (see Keil or the place). As to the entire building, the dim intimations of the text do not give us a perfect idea of it. The descriptions of Josephus and those of the Rabbins, especially Judah Leo, contradict the text in many points, and are only arbitrary, un-have been left to pass comfortably between the founded additions. The earlier interpreters of the text could throw no light on it, and archæologists have hitherto been altogether silent, or have attempted no exact description. Thenius alone has succeeded in throwing the greatest light on the subject. The most recent description by Unruh (das Alte Jerusalem und seine Bauwerke, s. 95 sq.) is deserving of no notice.

[In this matter, Ewald (Gesch. iii. s. 339) expresses himself with some hesitation. He says that the palace was built probably upon the southerly continuation of the temple-mount, usually called Ophel, i. e., hill, hillock, or knob. In the recently published work, The Recovery of Jerusalem, the same view is urged upon pp. 222-3, and also upon p. 240 sq. The English and American explorers would seem at least to favor this supposition, and in the work just referred to, on p. 233 there is a plan showing approximately the rock on Mount Moriah, and there the palace is placed to the south of the temple, with the Tyropæon on one side, and the vale of Kedron on the other, this being quite remote from the position assigned the palace by our author. Nor do I think that our author's reasons for supposing it to have been built upon the northeast corner of Mount Zion sufficent to overthrow the general opinion.-E. H.]

Ver. 2. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon, &c. This was the first of the various buildings composing the palace, therefore by no means a separate summer residence apart on Mount Lebanon (Dathe, Michaelis, and others). It was only given the name of Lebanon on account of the multitude of cedars standing alongside of each other. According to 1 Kings x. 16 sq., and Isai. xxii. 8, it seems to have served chiefly, if not altogether, as an armory; the Arabic says, A

66

house for his weapons." The space, 100 cubits long and 50 broad, enclosed, as appears ver. 9, a thick stone wall thirty cubits high, but probably only upon three sides, as we shall presently show. The expression Upon four rows of cedar pillars is to be connected with words at the beginning: he built. The four rows of pillars stood along the surrounding wall, thus forming a peristyle which enclosed a court-yard. The expression says this plainly; for it cannot be understood differently, here, from vers. 4, 18, 20, 24; chap. vi. 36; Ezek. xlvi. 23, where it everywhere means a row enclosing and running round a space. The text does not at all justify Keil's supposition that four rows of pillars stood on the longest sides of the building, but divided, so that but two rows were on each side;" there is no mention of the longest sides in the text. Weiss' view is just as incorrect (Kostüm-kunde, i. s. 357), that is, that there was a row on each of the four sides of the building, four rows of pillars standing together. The number of the pillars is not given, but they could not have been few, as their appearance was that of a forest. It is not necessary, however, to suppose, with Thenius, that there were 400. They must have stood close together, and could not have been very thick, for the breadth of the peristyle did not exceed ten cubits, and enough room must pillars. The Vulgate translates explanatorily: quatuor deambulacra inter columnas cedrinas.-Beams of cedar were placed on the rows of pillars, and formed the foundation for the three-storied superstructure of cedar-wood, which rested against the stone wall, and was probably so joined to it that the beams which formed at the same time the ceiling of the lower part and the floor of the upper part of the building were inserted in it. Each of the three stories had , i. e. (chap. vi. 5, 8; Ezek. xli. 6) side-chambers. The numbers, forty-five, fifteen each row, have been supposed to refer to the immediately preceding y by nearly all the commentators, who have been misled by the masoretic punctuation; but they were which the three-storied structure rested. could quite wrong. It is impossible that the pillars on only have numbered forty-five, divided into three rows. They could not have supported a structure 100 cubits long and 50 broad. Neither could the building have been named "forest of Leba non" from forty-five scattered pillars. Thenius, with whom Keil agrees, rightly refers the numbers to the

as the principal matter, which is further defined by the by, and translated, "and the chambers, forty-five in number, which were built upon the pillars, fifteen in each course, had also coverings of cedar-wood." But if the forty-five rooms were so divided that each of the three surrounding rows of the story had fifteen, we are obliged to admit that the stories only cov ered three sides of the square space, since fortyfive cannot be so divided into four parts as to make twice as many rooms on the two long sides