“Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. where: or, which was seen of David his father”
Moria, which signifies vision; (Calmet) the place pointed out to Abraham, (Genesis xxii. 2.; St. Augustine, de C.[City of God?] xvi. 32.) and to David, 1 Paralipomenon xxi. 15., and xxii. 1.
“And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.”
Second. Hebrew adds, (Du Hamel) “in the second day of the second month.” (Protestants, &c.) (Haydock)
“Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. instructed: Heb. founded”
By the first, or ancient measure, used before the captivity. The Babylonian cubit was a hand smaller, as Ezechiel (xl. 3.) intimates. (Calmet) — Solomon used the same cubit as Moses, but doubled the proportions. (Menochius)
“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.”
A hundred. The Arabic and some copies of the Septuagint read only twenty. Capellus and Toinard would substitute, ten cubits. A small change in the Hebrew might occasion these variations. (Calmet) — In 3 Kings vi. 2., we find the height was thirty cubits: but that might be only to the first floor. Many think that the temple was 120 cubits high: but Salien (the year of the world 3024) explains it of the four-square tower, (Menochius) in the front. (Calmet)
“And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.”
House, between the most holy place and the porch, (Tirinus) or it may comprise all but the porch. Hebrew, “he covered (or boarded) all this great house.” (Calmet) — Deal boards interspersed with those of cedar, 3 Kings vi. 9. (Tirinus) — Fine, (obrizi.) Hebrew, “of Parvaim, which is probably the same as Sepharvaim, Ophir, &c., not far from Media and Colchis. (Calmet)
“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.”
Amounting to about, is not in Hebrew. (Haydock)
“And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.”
Sicles. This weight seems enormous for each nail. Mariana supposes every nail weighed one sicle. But who will believe that only fifty were used? Hebrew, “And the weight of the nails was fifty,” &c. The Syriac and Arabic omit this verse entirely. — Chambers, or rather “the ceiling.”
“And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold. image: or, (as some think) of moveable work”
Work. Hebrew, “of the work of young men,” or resembling them. (Munster) — Septuagint, “the work of wood.” Vulgate literally, “of sculpture work,” (Haydock) as Le Clerc renders the original. Some moderns translate, “of a work like men in motion.” (Mariana, Buxtorf) — The cherubims were in an erect posture.
“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.”
Cubits, comprising the breadth of their body. Each occupied ten cubits.
“The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward. inward: or, toward the house”
Toward. Hebrew, “inward;” looking at each other, (Exodus xxv. 20.) or towards the altar of holocausts.
“And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon. wrought: Heb. caused to ascend”
A veil. Abulensis places it between the court and the holy: but Jansenius would have it before the holy of holies. It seems rather that there was a veil in both places, (Barad. t. ii. b. iii. 23.; Menochius) as Josephus ([Antiquities?] viii. 2., and xii. 10.) clearly intimates; and St. Paul speaks of the second veil, Hebrews ix. 3. It is not certain which of them was torn at the death of Jesus Christ, Matthew xxvii. 51. Cherubims; extraordinary figures. (Calmet)
“Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. high: Heb. long”
Five. 3 Kings vii. 15., we read each was eighteen cubits. It is probable that each was 17½ and the other half was for the crown, (Calmet) or cornice. (Haydock)
“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.”
In, or “as in.” (Sa) (Menochius) — Protestants supply as. (Haydock) — Hundred, for one row, or 200 for both, 3 Kings. (Du Hamel)
“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, and the name of that on the left Boaz. Jachin: that is, He shall establish Boaz: that is, In it is strength”
Booz. “Stability and strength” are derived from God alone. Thus Solomon designed to insinuate that God established the harmony of the universe. (Haydock) — An orrery, or globe, was therefore placed on each of these pillars. (Parkhurst, in con.)