2 Chronicles 3:1-17 (September 17, 2025)

Solomon Builds the Temple

3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord[a] had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. 3 These are Solomon's measurements[b] for building the house of God: the length, in cubits[c] of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. 4 The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house,[d] and its height was 120 cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. 5 The nave he lined with cypress and covered it with fine gold and made palms and chains on it. 6 He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parvaim. 7 So he lined the house with gold—its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors—and he carved cherubim on the walls.

8 And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length, corresponding to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth was twenty cubits. He overlaid it with 600 talents[e] of fine gold. 9 The weight of gold for the nails was fifty shekels.[f] And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

10 In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of wood[g] and overlaid[h] them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub; 12 and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits. The cherubim[i] stood on their feet, facing the nave. 14 And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and he worked cherubim on it.

15 In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. 16 He made chains like a necklace[j] and put them on the tops of the pillars, and he made a hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. 17 He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Boaz.

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 3:1 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks the Lord

2 Chronicles 3:3 Syriac; Hebrew foundations

2 Chronicles 3:3 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

2 Chronicles 3:4 Compare 1 Kings 6:3; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

2 Chronicles 3:8 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms

2 Chronicles 3:9 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

2 Chronicles 3:10 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

2 Chronicles 3:10 Hebrew they overlaid

2 Chronicles 3:13 Hebrew they

2 Chronicles 3:16 Hebrew chains in the inner sanctuary

Summary

The Chronicler records where Solomon began to build the temple. It was built on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, where the Lord had appeared to David, and on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, the very place where David had built an altar to stop the plague (v. 1). The site was associated with Abraham’s offering of Isaac (Gen. 22) and David’s intercession in 1 Chronicles 21.

Solomon lays the foundation in the second month of the fourth year of his reign (v. 2). The dimensions are given: sixty cubits long and twenty wide (v. 3). He overlays the inside with pure gold, inlaid with precious stones, and adorned with palm trees and chains (vv. 4–9). The Most Holy Place is built, a perfect cube of twenty cubits, overlaid with gold and guarded by two massive cherubim whose wings span across the room (vv. 8–14). The chapter concludes with a description of the two great bronze pillars, Jachin (“He establishes”) and Boaz (“In Him is strength”), set at the entrance of the temple (vv. 15–17).

Who is God?

God is the holy King who chooses to dwell with His people at the very place where He had shown covenant mercy. Mount Moriah reminds Israel of Abraham’s substitute sacrifice, and Ornan’s threshing floor reminds Israel of David’s altar where wrath was stayed.

God shows that His dwelling is built upon the foundation of His gracious dealings with His people in the past. His presence is glorious, surrounded by gold and guarded by cherubim, signifying His majesty and holiness. Yet He also provides access. Pillars named “He establishes” and “In Him is strength” declare that God Himself makes His people secure in His presence. True worship acknowledges both His transcendent holiness and His Emanuel grace.

What is our guilt?

Our guilt is that we forget the cost of approaching God’s holy presence. The gold and the cherubim declared that no one could casually enter, yet we often treat worship as casual. The temple site itself testified to substitutionary atonement and God’s mercy, but we are quick to presume on grace without reverence. Like Israel, we often focus on outward splendor, such as the pillars, beauty, and traditions, while forgetting God who makes His dwelling among us. Our sin is not only irreverence but also pride, thinking we can come to God on our own terms rather than through His appointed way.

How does grace shine?

The temple pointed forward to Christ, who is the true temple and the greater meeting place of God and man. The site on Mount Moriah, where Abraham’s son was spared, now finds its fulfillment in God’s own Son offered for us as the substitutionary death. The Most Holy Place, barred by cherubim, is now opened through the torn veil of Christ’s flesh (Matt. 27:51; Heb. 10:19–20). The pillars, Jachin and Boaz, whisper of Him in whom God establishes His people and provides strength. Where gold and cherubim once testified to God’s glory, now Christ Himself embodies both God’s holiness and God’s mercy. We do not walk between bronze pillars into a golden chamber but to come by faith into the presence of the living Christ, who is greater than the temple (Matt. 12:6).

Prayer

O Lord, you are holy and majestic, greater than all we can imagine. You chose Mount Moriah to remind your people that your dwelling is always grounded in mercy and sacrifice. We confess that we often forget your holiness and treat worship lightly, seeking beauty and tradition more than reverence and awe. Forgive us. Thank you for Jesus Christ, the true temple and the once-for-all sacrifice, who opens the way into your presence. Establish us in Him and strengthen us by His Spirit, that our lives may reflect your holiness and your grace. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.