The portico at the frontThe portico, or porch, was a prominent architectural feature in ancient Near Eastern temples, serving as an entrance or vestibule. It symbolized the transition from the secular to the sacred. In Solomon's Temple, the portico was a place of gathering and preparation for worship, reflecting the importance of approaching God with reverence.
extending across the width of the temple
The width of the temple was significant, as it demonstrated the grandeur and majesty of the house of God. The temple's dimensions were carefully planned to reflect divine order and symmetry, mirroring the heavenly temple described in visions such as those inEzekiel 40-48.
was twenty cubits long
A cubit is approximately 18 inches, making the portico about 30 feet long. This measurement highlights the temple's impressive size and the importance of precise dimensions in its construction, as instructed by God to David and Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:11-19).
and twenty cubits high
The height of the portico, also about 30 feet, emphasizes the temple's towering presence and the awe it inspired. The vertical dimension draws the eyes upward, symbolizing the worshippers' focus on God above. This height also aligns with the grandeur of other ancient temples, underscoring the temple's significance as a place of divine encounter.
He overlaid the inside with pure gold
The use of pure gold signifies the temple's holiness and the wealth dedicated to God's house. Gold was a symbol of purity, divinity, and kingship, pointing to the temple's role as the dwelling place of the King of kings. This lavish use of gold prefigures the heavenly city described inRevelation 21:18, where the New Jerusalem is made of pure gold, symbolizing God's eternal glory and presence.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
SolomonThe king of Israel who was tasked with building the temple, fulfilling his father David's vision.
2.
The TempleThe holy place in Jerusalem where God's presence was to dwell among His people, serving as a central place of worship.
3.
The PorticoThe entrance or porch of the temple, which was a significant architectural feature symbolizing the grandeur and holiness of the temple.
4.
JerusalemThe city where the temple was built, considered the spiritual center for the Israelites.
5.
Gold OverlaySymbolizes purity, divinity, and the immense value placed on the worship of God.
Teaching Points
The Significance of the TempleThe temple was not just a physical structure but a symbol of God's presence and covenant with His people. It reminds us of the importance of having a dedicated space for worship and communion with God.
Symbolism of GoldGold in the temple signifies the purity and holiness required in worship. It challenges us to examine the purity of our own worship and devotion to God.
The Role of Beauty in WorshipThe detailed and beautiful construction of the temple reflects the value of beauty in worship. It encourages us to consider how we can honor God through the beauty and order in our worship spaces and practices.
God's Faithfulness to His PromisesThe completion of the temple under Solomon's reign is a testament to God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to David. It reassures us of God's faithfulness in our lives.
Preparation for WorshipJust as the temple was meticulously prepared for worship, we are called to prepare our hearts and lives for worship, ensuring that we approach God with reverence and awe.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 3:4?
2.How does the temple's "portico" reflect God's majesty and holiness in worship?
3.What significance does the "twenty cubits" measurement hold in biblical architecture?
4.How can we honor God in our church buildings like Solomon in 2 Chronicles 3:4?
5.What other biblical structures emphasize height, like the "hundred and twenty cubits" here?
6.How can we apply the dedication seen in Solomon's temple to our lives?
7.What is the significance of the temple's dimensions in 2 Chronicles 3:4?
8.How does 2 Chronicles 3:4 reflect God's glory and majesty?
9.Why is the height of the temple porch important in 2 Chronicles 3:4?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from 2 Chronicles 3?
11.2 Chronicles 3:4 – How could the porch realistically be 120 cubits high when no known structures of that era matched such a height?
12.How can we reconcile the extravagant wealth of Solomon described in 2 Chronicles 9 (especially verses 13-28) with the lack of corresponding archaeological evidence?
13.How do we reconcile the apparent capacity discrepancy of the bronze sea between 1 Kings 7:26 (2,000 baths) and 2 Chronicles 4:5 (3,000 baths)?
14.2 Chronicles 3:5-6 - Is there any historical or archaeological evidence that so much gold was ever used in a single building project?What Does 2 Chronicles 3:4 Mean
The portico at the front• The portico (or porch) served as the grand entrance to Solomon’s temple, an intentional place of welcome and orientation before anyone stepped into the Holy Place (cf.1 Kings 6:3).
• Standing “at the front” highlights its role as the public face of the sanctuary, much like the bronze altar stood at the front of the tabernacle courtyard inExodus 40:6.
• For worshipers, the portico marked the threshold between common ground and holy ground, echoingPsalm 100:4, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”
extending across the width of the temple• Unlike the tabernacle’s smaller doorway, this porch spanned the entire façade (about thirty feet, matching 20 cubits), emphasizing God’s gracious invitation to His covenant people (Isaiah 55:1).
• The full-width design mirrored the breadth of the temple walls themselves (2 Chronicles 3:3), displaying unity and completeness—nothing about God’s dwelling was piecemeal or makeshift (Hebrews 3:4).
was twenty cubits long• Twenty cubits (approx. 30 ft) matched the internal width of both the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (1 Kings 6:17, 20), reinforcing symmetry from entrance to inner sanctum.
• This dimension also doubled the ten-cubit front curtains of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1–2), signaling a step up in permanence and glory as God moved His earthly throne from tent to stone (2 Samuel 7:6–13).
and twenty cubits high• Height mattered: the portico rose as high as it was wide, forming a perfect square. In Scripture, the square often signifies wholeness (Ezekiel 40:47;Revelation 21:16).
• A twenty-cubit elevation drew the eye upward, calling worshipers to lift their hearts toward the Lord (Psalm 121:1;Colossians 3:1).
• This height also provided space for the two future bronze pillars, Jachin and Boaz, which stood “in front of the temple porch” (2 Chronicles 3:17), preaching stability and strength.
He overlaid the inside• Solomon furnished the interior surfaces—beams, thresholds, walls, and doors (1 Kings 6:18-22)—so that worshipers entering saw no bare stone, only a seamless, radiant finish.
• Covering everything inside underscores God’s perfection; nothing flawed or unfinished belongs in His presence (Leviticus 22:20;Ephesians 5:27).
with pure gold• Gold in Scripture represents both divine glory and incorruptibility (Exodus 25:11;Revelation 1:12-13). By sheathing the portico with “pure” gold, Solomon affirmed that God’s holiness is untarnished.
• The lavish use—nearly 600 talents for the whole temple (2 Chronicles 3:8)—prefigures the heavenly city where “the city was pure gold, like clear glass” (Revelation 21:18).
• Every glint of gold testified that Israel’s God was worth the finest material on earth (Haggai 2:8), inviting His people to bring Him their best (Proverbs 3:9).
summaryThe seemingly simple architectural note in2 Chronicles 3:4 paints a vivid portrait of God’s dwelling: an inviting porch that spans the temple’s width, perfectly proportioned in length and height, and covered in pure gold. Literally and historically, it describes the construction details of Solomon’s temple. Spiritually, it invites us to see a God who welcomes His people, surrounds them with glory, and calls them higher into His holy presence—anticipating the ultimate, eternal dwelling where His radiance fills everything.
(4)
And the porch . . . twenty cubits.--Heb.,
and the porch that was before the length (
i.e., that lay in front of the oblong main building),
before the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits (
i.e., the porch was as. long as the house was broad). This curious statement answers to what we read in
1Kings 6:3 :
"And the porch before the hall of the house, twenty cubits was its length, before the breadth of the house." But the Hebrew is too singular to pass without challenge, and comparison of the versions suggests that we ought to read here: "
And the porch which was before it (Syriac), or
before the house (LXX.),
its length before the breadth of the house was twenty cubits." This would involve but slight alteration of the Hebrew text. (Comp.
2Chronicles 3:8.)
And the height was an hundred and twenty. This would make the porch four times the height of the main building, which was thirty cubits. The Alexandrine MS. of the LXX., and the Arabic version, read "twenty cubits;" the Syriac omits the whole clause,, which has no parallel in Kings, and is further suspicious as wanting the word "cubits," usually expressed after the number (see2Chronicles 3:3). The Hebrew may be a corruption of the clause, "and its breadth ten cubits." (Comp.1Kings 6:3.)
And he overlaid it within with pure gold.--See1Kings 6:21. . . .
Verse 4. -
The porch... an hundred and twenty. The "porch" (
אוּלָם, Greek,
ὁ πρόναος). It is out of the question that the porch should be of this height in itself. And almost as much out of the question that, if it could be so, this should be the only place to mention it by word or. description. There can be no doubt that the text is here slightly corrupt, and perhaps it is a further indication of this that, while the parallel contains
nothing of the height,
this place fails (but comp. our ver. 8) to give the breadth ("ten cubits"), which the parallel does give. The words for" hundred" and for "cubit" easily confuse with one another. And our present Hebrew text,
מֵאָה וְעִשְׂרִים, read
עְמות עְשֵׂרִים, will make good Hebrew syntax, and be in harmony with the Septuagint (Alexandrian), and with the Syriac and Arabic Versions. This gives the height of the porch as 20 cubits, which will be in harmony with the general height of the building, which was 30 cubits. Thus far, then, the plan of the temple is plain. The house is 60 cubits long,
i.e. 20 for the holy of holies (
דְּבִיר or
קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים);40 for the holy place (
הֵיכָל); and for breadth 20 cubits. The porch was in
length the same as the breadth of the
house, viz. 20 cubits, but in
breadth it was 10 cubits (
1 Kings 6:3) only, while its height was 20 cubits, against a height of 30 cubits for the "house" (
1 Kings 6:2).
Overlaid it within with pure gold;
i.e. covered the planks with gold leaf, or sometimes with plates of gold (Ovid., 'L Epp. ex. Pont,' 1:37, 38, 41, 42; Herod., 1:98; Polyb., 10:27. § 10). The appreciation, as well as bare knowledge, of gold belonged to a very early date (
Genesis 2:12). The days when it was used in ring or lump (though not in coin) for sign of wealth and for purposes of exchange, and also for ornament (
Genesis 13:2;
Genesis 24:22;
Genesis 42:21), indicate how early were the beginnings of metallurgy as regards it, though much more developed afterwards (
Judges 17:4;
Proverbs 17:3;
Isaiah 40:19;
Isaiah 46:9); and show it in the time of David and Solomon no rare art, even though foreign workmen, for obvious reasons, were the most skilful workers with it. There are four verbs used to express the idea of overlaying, viz.
(a)חָפָה, in hiph. This occurs only in this chapter, vers. 5, 7, 8, 9; but in niph.Psalm 68:13 may be compared.
(b)עָלָה in hiph. This occurs in the present sense, though not necessarily staying very closely by it; in2 Chronicles 9:15, 16, and its parallel (1 Kings 10:16, 17); and perhaps in2 Samuel 1:24. The meaning of the word, however, is evidently so generic that it scarcely postulates the rendering "overlay."
(c)צָפָה in piel. This occurs in our present verse, as also in a multitude of other places in Chronicles, Kings, Samuel, and Exodus. The radical idea of the verb (kal) is "to be bright." . . .
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
The porticoוְהָאוּלָ֡ם(wə·hā·’ū·lām)Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 197:A vestibuleatעַל־(‘al-)Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, againstthe front,פְּנֵ֨י(pə·nê)Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440:The faceextending acrossעַל־(‘al-)Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, againstthe widthרֹֽחַב־(rō·ḥaḇ-)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7341:Breadth, widthof the temple,הַבַּ֙יִת֙(hab·ba·yiṯ)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004:A house[was] twentyעֶשְׂרִ֔ים(‘eś·rîm)Number - common plural
Strong's 6242:Twenty, twentiethcubits [long]אַמּ֣וֹת(’am·mō·wṯ)Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 520:A mother, a cubit, a door-base[and]מֵאָ֣ה(mê·’āh)Number - feminine singular
Strong's 3967:A hundredtwenty [cubits]וְעֶשְׂרִ֑ים(wə·‘eś·rîm)Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural
Strong's 6242:Twenty, twentiethhigh.וְהַגֹּ֖בַהּ(wə·hag·gō·ḇah)Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1363:Elation, grandeur, arroganceHe overlaidוַיְצַפֵּ֥הוּ(way·ṣap·pê·hū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6823:To lay out, lay overthe insideמִפְּנִ֖ימָה(mip·pə·nî·māh)Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 6441:Toward the side or inside, withinwith pureטָהֽוֹר׃(ṭā·hō·wr)Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2889:Clean, puregold.זָהָ֥ב(zā·hāḇ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091:Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky
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OT History: 2 Chronicles 3:4 The porch that was before the house (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)