MPV Commentary

The Ceiling and Adorning of It.

Solomon built the walls of the temple with cedar wood, lining them from floor to ceiling. The floor was made of cypress planks, and the interior space was divided into two rooms by a partition that could be opened and closed with golden chains. The inner room, or most holy place, measured twenty cubits long and wide, while the outer room, or holy place, was forty cubits in size.

The cedar wood used for the walls was intricately carved with figures of foliage, flowers, cherubim, and palm trees. The entire interior was overlaid with gold, so that neither wood nor stone could be seen; only pure gold, plain or ornate, met the eye.

The door to the most holy place was made from solid olive tree wood and adorned with carvings. In contrast, the door to the holy place was crafted from cypress wood, with its sides made of olive wood.

The inner court, reserved for the priests, had a wall with a cedar coping that was so low people could see over it.

In the fourth year of Solomon's reign, the foundation of the temple was laid. The construction began in the second month of that year and was completed eight months later, in the eleventh year of his reign. This remarkable feat took seven and a half years to complete, which is roughly equivalent to saying it took about eight years. The temple was not large, but its grandeur required great skill, organization, and division of labor among the many workers involved.