Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 6:5
And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, [against] the walls of the house round about, [both] of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:
5. And against the wall of the house he built chambers ] The A. V. points out by its margin that the word here translated ‘chambers’ is not the same as that so rendered in the latter part of the verse. For the former it gives ‘floors’ as an alternative, for the latter ‘ribs.’ The first seems to embrace the whole structure and the latter to describe single rows of the same. What Solomon erected was three stories (as given by R.V.) of small chambers running all round two sides and one end of the Temple. The floors of these were supported on the stone work of the main building in the way described in the next verse, but were not let into the Temple-building. That wall was intact. The R.V. gives he built stories round about. Of this environment of chambers the Chronicler makes no mention.
both of the temple and of the oracle ] i.e. Of the holy place and of the most holy place. The whole erection was enclosed on three sides in a casework of chambers.
and he made chambers round about ] The R.V. has side chambers. This word seems to refer to the several floors one above another which formed this casework of chambers. There were three stories, each five cubits high. The Scripture record does not tell us into how many chambers each floor was divided. Josephus says there were thirty in all, he also states that they were reached by going through one to another, .
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Chambers – (Margin, floors). Rather, a lean-to, which completely surrounded three sides of the building, the north, the west, and the south.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Against the wall; or, upon it; or, joining to it; for the beams of the chambers were not fastened into the wall, but leaned upon the buttresses of the wall. He built chambers, for the laying the priests garments and other utensils belonging to the temple, or to the worship of God, therein: see 2Ki 11:2; 1Ch 28:12; Eze 42:13,14.
Round about; not simply, for there were none on the, east side; and it may seem that there were some spaces left for the windows, which being narrow outwardly, little spaces would suffice; but in a manner, i.e. on all the sides except the east, where the porch was, and except some very small passages for the light. And yet these lights might be in the five uppermost cubits of the wall, which were above all these chambers; for these were only fifteen cubits high, and the wall was twenty cubits high.
He made chambers, Heb. ribs, i.e. either other chambers above and besides the former; or rather, long galleries, which encompassed all the chambers, as the ribs do mans body; and which were necessary for passage to all the several chambers.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. against the wall of the house hebuilt chambersOn three sides, there were chambers in threestories, each story wider than the one beneath it, as the walls werenarrowed or made thinner as they ascended, by a rebate being made, onwhich the beams of the side floor rested, without penetrating thewall. These chambers were approached from the right-hand side, in theinterior of the under story, by a winding staircase of stone, whichled to the middle and upper stories.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about,…. Or near it, as Jarchi interprets it, for the beams of them were not fastened in in it, 1Ki 6:6; or rather “upon” it p; and when they are said to be round about the house, it must be understood of the two sides, north and south, and of the west end only, for at the east end, where the porch was, there were none:
[against] the walls of the house round about, [both] of the temple and of the oracle; that is, both of the holy and the most holy place:
and he made chambers round about; the said buildings; which is repeated that it might be observed; how many chambers there were, is not said; Josephus says q there were thirty of them, and over them others of the same measure and number, and over them others also; so that there were three stories of them, and in all ninety; and which is countenanced by what follows in 1Ki 6:6, and agrees with
Eze 41:6; the Jewish doctors say r, there were thirty eight of them, fifteen on the north, fifteen on the south, and eight on the west; they that were to the north and south were five upon five, and five over them; and they that were to the west were three upon three, and two over them; upper rooms or chambers were rare in Heathen temples s: these chambers were for the priests, where they lodged and laid up their garments, and ate their holy things; and were emblems of congregated churches, where the true members thereof, who are priests to God, have communion with him, and partake of divine things.
p “super parietem”, V. L. Montanus. q Antiqu. l. 8. c. 3. sect. 2. r Misn. Middot, c. 4. sect. 3. s Pausan. Laconic. sive. l. 3. p. 190.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(5-10) The general meaning of these verses is clear, though some of the words are doubtful. Round three sides of the Temple was built a kind of aisle, opening, however, outwards and not into the Temple, having three storeys of low chambers (each only five cubits high), so arranged that the beams of their roofs were supported on rests on the outside of the wall (each rest being a cubit wide), leaving the wall itself intact. Thus the chambers of the lowest storey were narrowestfive cubits broad; the second storey six cubits, and the highest storey seven cubits broad. The higher storeys (see 1Ki. 6:8), in which the chambers no doubt opened into one another, were approached by a staircase, having an external entrance on the right side of the building; the chambers of the lowest storey probably had external doors of their own. Above the highest storey were still five cubits of wall, which would give room for the windows (like clerestory windows) previously mentioned. Nothing is said of the use of these chambers; but they would be, no doubt, for residence of the priests, stores for the Temple, and furniture.
The word rendered chambers in the former part of 1Ki. 6:5 is a singular noun, signifying the whole of this aisle or side building; the chambers in the latter part of the verseproperly, side pieces. or ribs denote the separate apartments, or perhaps each of the storeys of the building.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Against the wall On the outside of the main building, as the sequel shows, and built up against it, as a lateral building, or lean-to.
Chambers The Hebrew word thus rendered, ( , here and in 1Ki 6:10 construed as masculine, and taken collectively, as the plural rendering shows, but feminine in 1Ki 6:6, where it is rendered in the singular,) comes from a root signifying to spread out, as in spreading a couch, and is used in the sense of a couch or bed in Gen 49:4; 1Ch 5:1; Job 17:13; Psa 63:7; Psa 132:3. It is evidently here used as an architectural term, and designates a wing or side-building, containing three stories of chambers, and extending around three sides of the entire building, namely, on the south, west, and north. Rawlinson translates it a lean-to. Margin, floors. Perhaps the nearest equivalent in our language would be a wing.
Against the walls This expression is repeated, with walls in the plural, to introduce the more precise statement that the wing extended around the entire building; that is, the walls both of the temple and of the oracle. The oracle was the most holy place, the innermost apartment of the house. (C in plan.) See on 1Ki 6:16. Its Hebrew name is , Debir, derived by a number of scholars from , to speak; hence the speaking place; the place where Jehovah spoke with his people. But Gesenius, Furst, and most recent critics, derive it from an Arabic root signifying to be behind; hence the hindmost or inner apartment; the adytum. It is often thus distinguished from the holy place before it, (B in plan,) in which case the latter is called, as here, the temple, (compare 1Ki 6:3; 1Ki 6:17,) “the house,” or “the greater house.” 2Ch 3:5.
Chambers This is in the Hebrew a different word from that rendered chambers above. The margin gives the literal meaning, ribs, ( ,) but there is little doubt that the word, as used here and in Eze 41:6, means side-chambers the different apartments into which the wings above described were partitioned. ( c c c in plan.) The purpose which these side-chambers was designed to serve is nowhere stated in the Scriptures. According to Thenius, they were expensively furnished sleeping apartments for the priests. They may also have been used as store-rooms for depositing consecrated gifts and sacred relics.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 6:5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, [against] the walls of the house round about, [both] of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about:
Ver. 5. He built chambers round about. ] Against all the parts of the temple, but only the entrance, which was at the east end. Of these chambers, or galleries, there were three stories, five cubits high, for the use of the priests that served at the altar.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
oracle. See note on 2Sa 16:23.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
against: or, upon, or joining to
built: 1Ch 9:26, 1Ch 23:28, 1Ch 28:11, 2Ch 31:11, Neh 10:37, Neh 12:44, Neh 13:5-9, Son 1:4, Jer 35:4, Eze 40:44, Eze 41:5-11, Eze 42:3-12
chambers: Heb. floors, These appear to have been what we should now call corridors or galleries; in which were apartments for the use of the priests. They consisted of three stories, and increased one cubit in breadth in every story, the wall of the temple being two cubits thicker at the bottom than at the top; and where the wall diminished, a rest was thus formed for the beams of the chambers to lodge upon.
oracle: 1Ki 6:16, 1Ki 6:19-21, 1Ki 6:31, Exo 25:22, Lev 16:2, Num 7:89, 2Ch 4:20, 2Ch 5:7, 2Ch 5:9, Psa 28:2
chambers: Heb. ribs
Reciprocal: 1Ki 6:21 – by the chains 1Ki 7:3 – beams 2Ki 11:2 – in the bedchamber Neh 6:10 – the house Jer 35:2 – into one Eze 40:7 – General Eze 40:17 – there were
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 6:5. Against the wall of the house he built chambers For the accommodation of the priests, when they were upon duty at the temple. Here they kept their clothes, the sacred vessels not in immediate use, and the treasures belonging to the temple. These chambers are said to have been built against or adjoining to the wall; for their beams were not fastened into the wall, but leaned upon the buttresses of the wall. Round about On all the sides except the east, where the porch was, and except some very small passages for the light. And yet the lights might be in the five uppermost cubits of the wall, which were above all these chambers, for these were only fifteen cubits high, and the wall was twenty cubits high. And he made chambers round about In the Hebrew, He made ribs; by which some understand galleries, which encompassed all the forenamed chambers, and were necessary for passages to them.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6:5 And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, [against] the walls of the house round about, [both] of the temple and of {d} the oracle: and he made chambers round about:
(d) When God spoke between the Cherubim, called also the most holy place.