Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Chronicles 3

1 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 threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Which Place the Lord had Consecrated by his gracious Appearance there, 1 Chron. 21. 26. Or, which was shewed unto David, to wit, to be the Place where the Temple should be built; which God pointed out to him partly by his Appearance, and principally by his Spirit suggesting this to David at that time.

By pulling down the Buildings which were upon it or near it, by levelling the Ground, and possibly by marking it out for the Temple and Courts, the Dimensions whereof he very particularly and exactly understood by the Spirit of God.

i. e. In the place where that Threshing-floor formerly stood.

Marginal references: 1 Kin. 1, &c.; Or, [illegible: 1 word] was [illegible: 1 word] if David [illegible: 1 word].; 1 Chr. [illegible: 1+ letters]1. [illegible: 1 word]. & 22. 1.; Or, [illegible: 1 word], 2 Sam. 24. 25.

2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month , in the fourth year of his reign.

Of this Verse and the rest of this Chapter see my Notes on 1 King. 6.

3 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.

Partly by his Father David; and partly by the Spirit of God which inspired and guided him in the whole Work. Or, these were Solomons Foundations, the Hebrew verb being put for the noun, as it is elsewhere. The Sence is, These were the Measures of the Foundations, upon which he intended to build the Temple.

i. e. According to the Measure of the first and ancient Cubit. By which it is evident that there were Cubits of different sorts and sizes; which also appears from Ezek. 40. 5. and 43. 13. But how big those Cubits were, and how much larger than the common Cubits, and whether this was the Cubit used by Moses in the building of the Tabernacle, which seems most probable, or some other and yet larger Cubit, is not agreed among Learned Men, and cannot now be exactly known, nor is it of any great moment for us to know.

Marginal references: 1 Kin. 6. 2.; Heb. [illegible: 1 word].

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.

This being a kind of Turret to the Building. The breadth of it here omitted is expressed to be ten Cubits, 1 King. 6. 3.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span].

5 And the greater house he ceiled with fir-tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm-trees and chains.

i. e. The Holy Place, which was thrice as large as the lesser house or the Holy of Holies, which is called the most Holy House, v. 8. See the notes on 1 Chron. 28. 11.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span].

6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim .

See the Notes on 1 King. 9. 26, &c.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span].; [illegible: 1 span].

9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold: and he overlayed the upper chambers with gold.

i. e. Of each of the Nails or Heads of those Nails whereby the Pla[illegible: 1+ letters]es were fastned to the Boards.

Of which see on 1 Chro. 28. 11.

10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image-work , and overlaid them with gold.

Made in the shape of Young Men or Boyes, as they commonly are. Or, of moveable work, so called because they were not fixed to the Mercy-seat, as the Mosaical Cherubims were, but stood upon their Feet, as it is said here v. 13. in a moving posture.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span] ▪

13 The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward n.

Heb. Towards the House, or rather, that House, not the Holy House, as divers understand it; for then their backs must have been turned towards the Ark, which was indecent and directly contrary to the posture of Moses his Cherubims which looked towards it, but the Most Holy House, which was last named, v. 8. and of which he continues yet to speak; this Posture being most agreeable to their Use, which was with their Wings to close in the Ark and cover it, as it is expresly affirmed below, ch. 5. 8.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span].

14 And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.

To wit, the Inner Vail before the Most Holy Place, by comparing this with Exod. 26. 31. 1 King. 6. 21.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span].; [illegible: 1 span] ▪

15 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.

i. e. Before the Holy House, or before the Temple, as this is explained, v. 17. lest it should be understood of the Most Holy House, of which he had spoken before.

To wit, both of them: of which see the Notes on 1 King. 7. 15.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] ▪ [illegible: 1+ letters]. 15▪ 21; [illegible: 1 span].

16 And he made chains, as in the oracle , and put them on the heads of the pillars, and made an hundred pomegranats , and put them on the chains.

As he had done, or like unto those which he made, in the Oracle; of which see 1 King. 6. 21. The particle, as, is oft understood, as Gen. 49. 9. Deut. 33. 22, &c.

In each Row; or 200 in all, as it is said 1 King. 7. 20.