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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 7:1-12

Never had any man so much of the spirit of building as Solomon had, nor to better purpose; he began with the temple, built for God first, and then all his other buildings were comfortable. The surest foundations of lasting prosperity are those which are laid in an early piety, Matt. 6:33. 1. He built a house for himself (1 Kgs. 7:1), where he dwelt, 1 Kgs. 7:8. His father had built a good house; but it was no reflection upon his father for him to build a better, in proportion to the estate... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:2

He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon ,.... Besides the temple, his own palace, and the queen's; so called, not because it was built on Mount Lebanon, which lay at the northern border of the land, at a great distance from Jerusalem, whereas this was both a magazine of arms, and a court of judicature, 1 Kings 7:7 ; see 1 Kings 10:17 ; neither of which can be supposed to be far from Jerusalem; but because not only it was built of the cedars of Lebanon, but in a situation, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:3

And it was covered with cedar above the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row. On the second floor were three rows of pillars, fifteen in a row, which made forty five, that stood to east, north, and south; and upon these pillars beams, which were the floor of the third story, over which was a roof of cedar wood. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:4

And there were windows in three rows ,.... Both in the second and third stories, east, north, and south, there being none in the west, where the porch stood: and light was against light in three ranks ; or the windows, through which light was let, answered to each other. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:5

And all the doors and posts were square with the windows ,.... The doors into the several stories and apartments, and the posts and lintel of them, and the windows over them, were all square: and light was against light in three ranks ; they answered one another as before. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:6

And he made a porch of pillars ,.... At the west end of the house: and the length thereof was fifty cubits ; answerable to the breadth of the house: and the breadth thereof thirty cubits : which, added to the length of the house, made it one hundred and thirty: and the porch was before them ; the four rows of cedar pillars of the house, 1 Kings 7:2 this porch was either for his guards to keep watch in; or for his courtiers to walk in, sheltered from rain or the like; or perhaps... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:7

Then he made a porch for the throne ,.... The ivory throne on which he sat to hear and try causes, 1 Kings 10:18 , where he might judge, even the porch of judgment : which had its name from thence; this was either in his house in the forest of Lebanon, or in his palace at Jerusalem; the former seems best: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor unto the other ; that is, the whole floor. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Kings 7:2

The house of the forest of Lebanon - It was not built in Lebanon, but is thought to have been on Mount Sion. And why it was called the house of the forest of Lebanon does not appear; probably it was because it was built almost entirely of materials brought from that place. See the following verses. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Kings 7:7

A porch for the throne - One porch appears to have been devoted to the purposes of administering judgment, which Solomon did in person. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 7:2

He built also [Heb. and he built. The A.V. rendering almost contradicts the view just advanced, viz; that the house of the forest of Lebanon was part of "all the house" (verse 1)] the house of the forest of Lebanon [so called, not because it was a summer residence in Lebanon, as some have supposed, nor yet merely because it was built of Lebanon cedar, but because it displayed, a perfect thicket or forest ( יַעַר ) of cedar pillars]; the length thereof was one hundred cubits ... read more

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