Poole on 1 Kings 7:6-8: Solomon's Lavish Living Quarters, Part 1

[A fundraising update:

While we give thanks to God for the progress and provision made, we have stalled out at about 30% of the way to our fundraising goal. We could use your help. If you are being blessed by the translation work, please consider supporting the work and speeding it on its way.  Click here to watch a brief video on the project.]

Verse 6:[1]  And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits:  and the porch was before them (or, according to them[2]):  and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them (or, according to them[3]).

[And he made a porch of pillars (thus Jonathan, Syriac, Pagnine, Tigurinus, Montanus, Junius and Tremellius), ‎אוּלָ֤ם הָֽעַמּוּדִים֙]  A porch pillared (Castalio), or, having pillars (Arabic), that is, consisting of many pillars (Piscator out of Junius, similarly Vatablus), and with a roof placed upon them (Piscator out of Junius); or, from the columns (Strigelius), or next to the columns bearing the house (Munster).  The porch was near to the entrance of the house; 1.  so that there they might avoid, both the rain, and the heat of the sun; 2.  so that the prætorian soldiers might be in it (Martyr); 3.  so that the courtiers, especially the less, might eat there.  And this porch was not tall, lest it obscure the house (Osiander).

A porch of pillars, that is, supported by divers pillars, for the more magnificent entrance into the house; upon which also it is thought there were other rooms built, as in the house.

[Of fifty cubits in length]  So that its length might be extended unto the breadth of the house (Piscator and Malvenda out of Junius).

[Of thirty…in breadth]  This was attached to the length of the house, which thence was made one hundred and thirty cubits long (Lapide).

[And another porch on the face of the greater porch, and pillars, and the crossbeam upon the pillars, ‎וְאוּלָם֙ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וְעַמֻּדִ֥ים וְעָ֖ב עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃]  And that porch was before the face (upon the faces [Montanus], or over against [Mariana, Osiander]) of those, and pillars and the beams (or the thick beam [Montanus], or lintel [Jonathan) before the face of (or over against [Mariana, Osiander]) those (Pagnine, Vatablus, Mariana), understanding, pillars (Vatablus, Mariana), namely, of the house of the forest (Vatablus), or doors and windows, concerning which immediately preceding.  And so this house was not joined to the house of the forest, nor to its pillars, but set over against them, and placed upon other pillars (Mariana).  The sense:  That porch was opposite to that house which had so many pillars, namely the house of the forest of Lebanon (Vatablus); or the sense is, This porch had its own pillars and beams, no less than the great house (Osiander).  The porch was upon those pillars; and before these the atrium (Syriac).  He placed this porch over against the pillars, but the atrium before the porch (Arabic).  In such a way that the porch was according to the appearance of those; that is, the pillars and the roof according to the appearance of those, understanding, doors, concerning which in verse 5 (Junius, Piscator).  And that vestibule was standing upon the face of those, and other, pillars; for the thick beam was placed on the top of those (Munster).  This beam was resting upon the pillars of the house, and was partially bearing the porch (Munster).  And the porch, that is, another one, upon the faces of those; that is, in front of those prior pillars of the interior porch; and the pillars and beams of this exterior porch, upon the faces of those; that is, in front of those pillars of the interior atrium (Malvenda).  No mention is made of the height, order, and number of [these] pillars; I think, because it was the same with the manner and arrangement of the interior house.  And hence it is twice set down, עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם, that is, according to the arrangement and manner of those things that had already been said concerning that house (Martyr).

The porch, now mentioned, which is said to be before them, that is, before the pillars on which the house of Lebanon stood, or before the doors and posts mentioned verse 5; or, a porch, that is, another and a lesser porch, which was before them, that is, before the pillars of the greater porch now mentioned.  And the other pillars, or, and pillars, that is, fewer and lesser pillars for the support of the lesser porch.  The thick beam; which was laid upon these pillars, as the others were, verse 2.

Verse 7:  Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment:  and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other (Heb. from floor to floor[4]).

[The porch of the throne, in which was the judgment seat, he made,‎וְאוּלָ֤ם הַכִּסֵּא֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשְׁפָּט־שָׁ֔ם אֻלָ֥ם הַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט עָשָׂ֑ה]  And the porch of the throne (or of the judgment seat [Vatablus, Junius and Tremellius, Syriac]), on which he would judge there (Montanus, Pagnine, Tigurinus), the porch of judgment he made (Montanus), or, even the porch of judgment, he made (Pagnine, Tigurinus), the porch, I say, for holding court, he made (Syriac).  He made also the porch of the throne, where he was judging, which was the porch of judgment.  The latter clause is a repetition of the former (Munster); that is to say, he designed this porch for holding court (Osiander).  Here was that throne, concerning which in 1 Kings 10:18 (Tostatus and Pineda in Lapide).  And this was the third porch, not vestibular, but judicial; and so not, like the rest, attached to the house of the forest, but separated (Lapide).  This was in Jerusalem (Martyr, Junius), near the palace (Martyr), before his own house.  And to this forum was conjoined a courtyard for the people, as it is gathered from the following verse (Piscator out of Junius).

He made a porch; another porch or distinct room without the house.  For the throne, described 1 Kings 10:18.  Where he might judge the people that brought their causes before him.

[From the pavement to the summit (thus the Septuagint, Osiander, Mariana, Dutch, similarly the Syriac, Arabic), ‎מֵהַקַּרְקַ֖ע עַד־הַקַּרְקָֽע׃]  From the pavement to the pavement (Montanus, Pagnine, similarly Jonathan, Munster, Tigurinus), that is to say, the whole pavement from wall to wall (Munster, similarly Vatablus).  From this end of the throne to that end of the throne (Junius and Tremellius); from floor to floor, a Synecdoche of the whole (Piscator).

From one side of the floor to the other, that is, the whole floor; or, from floor to floor, that is, from the lower floor on the ground, to the upper floor which covered it.

Verse 8:[5]  And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work.  Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh’s daughter, (1 Kings 3:1; 2 Chron. 8:11) whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.

[And a small house, in which he was sitting, etc.,וּבֵיתוֹ֩ אֲשֶׁר־יֵ֙שֶׁב שָׁ֜ם חָצֵ֣ר הָאַחֶ֗רֶת מִבֵּית֙ לָֽאוּלָ֔ם כַּמַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה הָיָ֑ה]  And to his house, in which he was dwelling there (understanding, he made), another atrium within that porch; according to that work it was (Pagnine, thus Montanus, Vatablus, Jonathan), that is, it was made with a craftsmanship similar to that with which the porch of the throne was made.  When he calls it the other, there must have been two porches in the palace.  Therefore, from the royal house one was entering into the court, from the court into the porch, etc. (Vatablus).  Another court, that is, from that external court, which in 2 Kings 20:4 is called the middle court; within that porch; that is, between the porch and the royal house (Junius).  But his house, etc., had another court from the house to the porch, etc. (Tigurinus).  Now, his house, in which he was abiding, and which was in another court outside of the house of the vestibule, was made with a similar craftsmanship (Munster).  And his own house (understanding, he prepared for himself), in which he would dwell; he built it, in the posterior part of the court of the house of the porch; that is, behind that long house, or hall, which was having the three aforementioned porches:  this house was not connected to that house of one hundred cubits, but nevertheless it was a work according to that; that is, it had in its lower part pillars, where they could walk about, and protect themselves from the heat:  For that region was extremely hot (Osiander).  And to his house, where he was dwelling, there was a courtyard farther in than that porch (Dutch).  And his house, etc., in another court (or the hindmost court [Arabic]) on this side of (or within [Arabic]) the porch, etc., he made (Syriac).  This porch was between two courts, inner and outer (Martyr).  The sense:  In this third porch was a little house, in which was the aforementioned throne of Solomon (Lapide); this little house was squared, thirty cubits long and broad (Menochius).  The King was sitting almost enclosed, so that he might be safer from plots.  Which sort were also the thrones of the ancient Latin kings, as Servius notes[6] (Grotius).

Within the porch, that is, between the porch and the house, called therefore the middle court, 2 Kings 20:4.

[A house he made for Pharaoh’s daughter…of such craftsmanship, etc.,כָּאוּלָ֖ם הַזֶּֽה׃]  According to (just like [Jonathan, Tigurinus]) this porch (Montanus, Pagnine); similar to that porch (Junius and Tremellius, similarly the Syriac, Arabic, Munster), which was covered all over with cedar boards (Vatablus).  This house was not joined with the royal house, but was near to it (Vatablus, Junius, Piscator).

A house for Pharaoh’s daughter; of which see 1 Kings 3:1; 2 Chronicles 8:11.  Like unto this porch; not for form or quantity, but for the materials and workmanship, the rooms being covered with cedar, and furnished with like ornaments.

[1] Hebrew: ‎וְאֵ֙ת אוּלָ֤ם הָֽעַמּוּדִים֙ עָשָׂ֔ה חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים אַמָּה֙ אָרְכּ֔וֹ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה רָחְבּ֑וֹ וְאוּלָם֙ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וְעַמֻּדִ֥ים וְעָ֖ב עַל־פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

[2] Hebrew:  ‎עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם.

[3] Hebrew:  ‎עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם.

[4] Hebrew:  ‎מֵהַקַּרְקַ֖ע עַד־הַקַּרְקָֽע׃.

[5] Hebrew: ‎וּבֵיתוֹ֩ אֲשֶׁר־יֵ֙שֶׁב שָׁ֜ם חָצֵ֣ר הָאַחֶ֗רֶת מִבֵּית֙ לָֽאוּלָ֔ם כַּמַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה הָיָ֑ה וּבַ֜יִת יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה לְבַת־פַּרְעֹה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָקַ֣ח שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה כָּאוּלָ֖ם הַזֶּֽה׃

[6] Commentary on Virgil’s Æneid 1:506.  Maurus Servius Honoratius was a fourth-century Roman commentator on Virgil.