Temple Construction Begins
וַיָּ֣חֶל שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה לִבְנ֤וֹת אֶת־בֵּית־יְהוָה֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם בְּהַר֙ הַמּ֣וֹרִיָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִרְאָ֖ה לְדָוִ֣יד אָבִ֑יהוּ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֵכִין֙ בִּמְק֣וֹם דָּוִ֔יד בְּגֹ֖רֶן אָרְנָ֥ן הַיְבוּסִֽי׃
Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
וַ֠יָּחֶל לִבְנ֞וֹת בַּחֹ֤דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי֙ בַּשֵּׁנִ֔י בִּשְׁנַ֥ת אַרְבַּ֖ע לְמַלְכוּתֽוֹ׃
Solomon began construction on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.
וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הוּסַ֣ד שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה לִבְנ֖וֹת אֶת־בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים הָאֹ֡רֶךְ אַמּ֞וֹת בַּמִּדָּ֤ה הָרִֽאשׁוֹנָה֙ אַמּ֣וֹת שִׁשִּׁ֔ים וְרֹ֖חַב אַמּ֥וֹת עֶשְׂרִֽים׃
The foundation that Solomon laid for the house of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide, according to the old standard.
וְהָאוּלָ֡ם אֲשֶׁר֩ עַל־פְּנֵ֨י הָאֹ֜רֶךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֤י רֹֽחַב־הַבַּ֙יִת֙ אַמּ֣וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וְהַגֹּ֖בַהּ מֵאָ֣ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֑ים וַיְצַפֵּ֥הוּ מִפְּנִ֖ימָה זָהָ֥ב טָהֽוֹר׃
The portico at the front, extending across the width of the temple, was twenty cubits long and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold.
The Temple’s Interior
וְאֵ֣ת׀ הַבַּ֣יִת הַגָּד֗וֹל חִפָּה֙ עֵ֣ץ בְּרוֹשִׁ֔ים וַיְחַפֵּ֖הוּ זָהָ֣ב ט֑וֹב וַיַּ֧עַל עָלָ֛יו תִּמֹרִ֖ים וְשַׁרְשְׁרֽוֹת׃
He paneled the main room with cypress, which he overlaid with fine gold and decorated with palm trees and chains.
וַיְצַ֧ף אֶת־הַבַּ֛יִת אֶ֥בֶן יְקָרָ֖ה לְתִפְאָ֑רֶת וְהַזָּהָ֖ב זְהַ֥ב פַּרְוָֽיִם׃
He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and its gold was from Parvaim.
וַיְחַ֨ף אֶת־הַבַּ֜יִת הַקֹּר֧וֹת הַסִּפִּ֛ים וְקִֽירוֹתָ֥יו וְדַלְתוֹתָ֖יו זָהָ֑ב וּפִתַּ֥ח כְּרוּבִ֖ים עַל־הַקִּירֽוֹת׃ ס
He overlaid its beams, thresholds, walls, and doors with gold, and he carved cherubim on the walls.
וַיַּ֙עַשׂ֙ אֶת־בֵּֽית־קֹ֣דֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁ֔ים אָרְכּ֞וֹ עַל־פְּנֵ֤י רֹֽחַב־הַבַּ֙יִת֙ אַמּ֣וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וְרָחְבּ֖וֹ אַמּ֣וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֑ים וַיְחַפֵּ֙הוּ֙ זָהָ֣ב ט֔וֹב לְכִכָּרִ֖ים שֵׁ֥שׁ מֵאֽוֹת׃
Then he made the Most Holy Place; its length corresponded to the width of the temple—twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. And he overlaid the inside with six hundred talents of fine gold.
וּמִשְׁקָ֛ל לְמִסְמְר֥וֹת לִשְׁקָלִ֖ים חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים זָהָ֑ב וְהָעֲלִיּ֖וֹת חִפָּ֥ה זָהָֽב׃
The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold.
The Cherubim
וַיַּ֜עַשׂ בְּבֵֽית־קֹ֤דֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים֙ כְּרוּבִ֣ים שְׁנַ֔יִם מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה צַעֲצֻעִ֑ים וַיְצַפּ֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם זָהָֽב׃
In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of sculptured work, and he overlaid them with gold.
וְכַנְפֵי֙ הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים אָרְכָּ֖ם אַמּ֣וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֑ים כְּנַ֨ף הָאֶחָ֜ד לְאַמּ֣וֹת חָמֵ֗שׁ מַגַּ֙עַת֙ לְקִ֣יר הַבַּ֔יִת וְהַכָּנָ֤ף הָאַחֶ֙רֶת֙ אַמּ֣וֹת חָמֵ֔שׁ מַגִּ֕יעַ לִכְנַ֖ף הַכְּר֥וּב הָאַחֵֽר׃
The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long and touched the wall of the temple, and its other wing was five cubits long and touched the wing of the other cherub.
וּכְנַ֨ף הַכְּר֤וּב הָאֶחָד֙ אַמּ֣וֹת חָמֵ֔שׁ מַגִּ֖יעַ לְקִ֣יר הַבָּ֑יִת וְהַכָּנָ֤ף הָאַחֶ֙רֶת֙ אַמּ֣וֹת חָמֵ֔שׁ דְּבֵקָ֕ה לִכְנַ֖ף הַכְּר֥וּב הָאַחֵֽר׃
The wing of the second cherub also measured five cubits and touched the wall of the temple, while its other wing measured five cubits and touched the wing of the first cherub.
כַּנְפֵי֙ הַכְּרוּבִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה פֹּֽרְשִׂ֖ים אַמּ֣וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֑ים וְהֵ֛ם עֹמְדִ֥ים עַל־רַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם וּפְנֵיהֶ֥ם לַבָּֽיִת׃ ס
So the total wingspan of these cherubim was twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, facing the main room.
The Veil and Pillars
וַיַּ֙עַשׂ֙ אֶת־הַפָּרֹ֔כֶת תְּכֵ֥לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֖ן וְכַרְמִ֣יל וּב֑וּץ וַיַּ֥עַל עָלָ֖יו כְּרוּבִֽים׃ ס
He made the veil of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim woven into it.
וַיַּ֜עַשׂ לִפְנֵ֤י הַבַּ֙יִת֙ עַמּוּדִ֣ים שְׁנַ֔יִם אַמּ֕וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וְחָמֵ֖שׁ אֹ֑רֶךְ וְהַצֶּ֥פֶת אֲשֶׁר־עַל־רֹאשׁ֖וֹ אַמּ֥וֹת חָמֵֽשׁ׃ ס
In front of the temple he made two pillars, which together were thirty-five cubits high, each with a capital on top measuring five cubits.
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ שַׁרְשְׁרוֹת֙ בַּדְּבִ֔יר וַיִּתֵּ֖ן עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָעַמֻּדִ֑ים וַיַּ֤עַשׂ רִמּוֹנִים֙ מֵאָ֔ה וַיִּתֵּ֖ן בַּֽשַּׁרְשְׁרֽוֹת׃
He made interwoven chains and put them on top of the pillars. He made a hundred pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork.
וַיָּ֤קֶם אֶת־הָֽעַמּוּדִים֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַהֵיכָ֔ל אֶחָ֥ד מִיָּמִ֖ין וְאֶחָ֣ד מֵֽהַשְּׂמֹ֑אול וַיִּקְרָ֤א שֵׁם־הַיְמָנִי֙ יָכִ֔ין וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשְּׂמָאלִ֖י בֹּֽעַז׃ ס
Then he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south and one on the north. The pillar on the south he named Jachin, and the pillar on the north he named Boaz.