Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 6:18

And the cedar of the house within [was] carved with knops and open flowers: all [was] cedar; there was no stone seen.

18. And the cedar of the house within ] Better more literally, with R.V. ‘And there was cedar upon the house within.’ He is now describing the wainscot of the holy place.

carved with knops ] There is a feminine form of the word here rendered ‘knops,’ which in 2Ki 4:39 is used of ‘wild gourds.’ Hence ‘gourds’ is put on the margin of A.V. and R.V. The ornaments were in relief, and were perhaps somewhat of that shape. The Targum describes them as ‘egg-shaped.’ The Vat. LXX. (not Alex.) omits the verse altogether.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Knops and open flowers – Rather, gourds and opening flower-buds. Imitations of the vegetable world are among the earliest of architectural ornaments. They abound in the architecture of Egypt and Persia. In that of Assyria they occur more sparingly.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

1Ki 6:18

No stone seen.

The temple of God flawless

All was cedar; there was no stone seen. Take stone in the type for that which was really so, and in the antitype for that which is so mystically, and then it may import to us, that in heaven, the antitype of this holiest, there will never be anything of hardness of heart in them that possess it for ever. All imperfection ariseth from the badness of the heart, but there will be no bad hearts in glory. No shortness in knowledge, no crossness of disposition, no workings of lusts, no corruptions will be there. Here, alas, they are seen, and that in the best of saints, because here our light is mixed with darkness; but there will be no night there, nor any stone seen (John Bunyan.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

All was cedar, i.e. all the house was covered with cedar.

Quest. How was this true, when it was covered with fir, 2Ch 3:5?

Answ. 1. It was done with cedar and fir; of which See Poole “1Ki 6:15“.

2. It may be said to be all cedar, because the greatest part was so, universal particles being oft so used.

3. Cedar is here named, not to exclude all other wood, but stone only, as the following words show.

4. Or, all was of cedar; that is, all the carving was of cedar.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And the cedar of the house within,…. With which the inside of the place was lined:

[was] carved with knops; of an oval form; so the Targum says, they had the appearance of eggs; and Ben Gersom likewise, that they were in the form of eggs:

and open flowers; not in the figure of buds, but flowers blown, and open, as lilies and others; so the Targum:

all [was] cedar; the wainscotting of the house, the sides of it at least, if not the floor, and the carved work of it; and this was done, that the gold might be laid upon it, which could not be done on stone as on wood: and all was so covered, that

there was no stone seen; of which the outward walls were built: all this denotes the inward beauty of the church, and the curious workmanship of the Spirit of God in the hearts of his people, whereby they become all glorious within, adorned with the graces of the blessed Spirit, their stony hearts being kept out of sight, yea, taken away.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

18. Carved with knops Or, gourds, as in margin, and as the kindred word is rendered in 2Ki 4:39. The carving was an artificial imitation of wild gourds or cucumbers.

Open flowers Flowers in full bloom. Hence probably a carved imitation of festoons or garlands.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

1Ki 6:18 And the cedar of the house within [was] carved with knops and open flowers: all [was] cedar; there was no stone seen.

Ver. 18. Carved with knops and open flowers. ] To show the multifarious flourishing graces that are in Christ and Christians. For in this piece of Scripture, by a specialty, we may say with Possevine, Tot esse sacramenta quot literas, tot mysteria quot puncta, tot arcana quot apices; a there are so many words, so many mysteries.

a Biblioth. Select.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)