Topical Encyclopedia
Introduction:Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, holds a significant place in biblical history as the central place of worship for the Israelites. Constructed under the reign of King Solomon, the son of King David, it served as the dwelling place of the Ark of the Covenant and the center of Jewish religious life until its destruction.
Biblical Account:The construction of Solomon's Temple is detailed in
1 Kings 5-8 and
2 Chronicles 2-7. King David, Solomon's father, had desired to build a house for the Lord, but God chose Solomon for this task. As recorded in
1 Kings 5:5 , Solomon declared, "Behold, I intend to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will put on the throne in your place, will build the house for My Name.’"
Construction:The temple's construction began in the fourth year of Solomon's reign and took seven years to complete. It was built on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, a site of profound significance, as it was where Abraham had been willing to sacrifice Isaac (
2 Chronicles 3:1). The temple was constructed using the finest materials, including cedar from Lebanon, gold, silver, and precious stones. Skilled laborers, including craftsmen from Tyre, were employed to ensure the temple's magnificence.
Design and Features:Solomon's Temple was renowned for its grandeur and intricate design. The structure included the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies), where the Ark of the Covenant was housed. The temple's dimensions and furnishings were meticulously detailed, with the interior overlaid with gold. The entrance featured two bronze pillars named Jachin and Boaz (
1 Kings 7:21). The temple also included an altar for burnt offerings, a bronze basin known as the "Sea," and various other implements for worship.
Dedication:The dedication of the temple was a momentous event, marked by Solomon's prayer and the offering of sacrifices. In
1 Kings 8:22-23 , Solomon stood before the altar and prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below, keeping Your covenant of loving devotion with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts." The glory of the Lord filled the temple, signifying His presence among His people (
1 Kings 8:10-11).
Significance:Solomon's Temple was not only a physical structure but also a symbol of God's covenant with Israel. It represented God's dwelling among His people and was the focal point of Jewish worship and sacrifice. The temple played a central role in the religious, cultural, and political life of Israel.
Destruction and Legacy:The temple stood for approximately four centuries before its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC, as a consequence of Israel's disobedience and idolatry. This event marked a significant turning point in Jewish history, leading to the Babylonian exile. Despite its destruction, the memory and significance of Solomon's Temple endured, influencing the construction of the Second Temple and remaining a symbol of hope and restoration for the Jewish people.
Conclusion:Solomon's Temple remains a profound testament to the glory and majesty of God, as well as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness and obedience to His covenant. Its legacy continues to inspire and inform the faith and practices of believers throughout history.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Solomon's Porch
(John 10:23;Acts 3:11;5:12), a colonnade, or cloister probably, on the eastern side of the temple. It is not mentioned in connection with the first temple, but Josephus mentions a porch, so called, in Herod's temple (q.v.).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PORCH, PORTICO, SOLOMON'Spor'-ti-ko, (he stoa he kaloumene Solomontos): This important element of Herod's temple, preserving in its name a traditional connection with Solomon, is thrice referred to in the New Testament, namely, inJohn 10:23Acts 3:11, "the porch that is called Solomon's"; andActs 5:12. In these passages the Greek word stoa is translated "porch" but in the Revised Version margin ofActs 3:11 more correctly "portico". In architecture a "porch" is strictly an exterior structure forming a covered approach to the entrance of a building; a "portico" is an ambulatory, consisting of a roof supported by columns placed at regular intervals-a roofed colonnade. The portico bearing Solomon's name was that running along the eastern wall in the Court of the Gentiles of Herod's temple. It had double columns, while that on the South known as the Royal Portico had four rows (compare Josephus, Ant, XV, xi, 3; BJ, V, v, and see TEMPLE, HEROD'S). The portico was the scene of Christ's teaching at the Feast of the Dedication (John 10:23), and was flocked to by the multitude after the healing of the lame man (Acts 3:11). There the apostles preached and wrought other miracles (Acts 5:12).
W. Shaw Caldecott
SOLOMON'S SERVANTS
('adbhedhe shelomoh; douloi Salomon): "The children of Solomon's servants" constituted a company or guild of the Jewish exiles who returned with Zerubbabel from Babylonia to Jerusalem in 537 B.C., pursuant to the decree of Cyrus; they are mentioned 5 times (Ezra 2:55, 58 parallelNehemiah 7:57, 60Nehemiah 11:3). As the prime purpose of the returning exiles was the rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of Yahweh's worship (Ezra 1:2, 3), it was important that those who held the privileges of sanctuary service as a family heritage should go back to their duties. This included, besides priests and Levites, the NETHINIM (which see) and Solomon's Servants. In every reference to them, Solomon's Servants are connected with the Nethinim, who had been "given" or dedicated (nethinim or nethunim is pass. participle of nathan, "to give," "to appoint") by David "for the service of the Levites (Ezra 8:20); so Solomon's Servants traced their official beginning back to Solomon's appointment, as their name indicates. In the joint references they always fall into the natural chronological order, i.e. following the Nethinim. It is possible, therefore, that they are referred to inEzra 7:24 also, under the title "servants of this house of God," which immediately follows "Nethinim" in the list of those exempt from taxation and tolls.
What their duties in the house of God may have been is not stated in the records. These must have been more or less menial, the more formal and honorable duties being reserved for "the priests and Levites, the singers, (and) porters" (Ezra 7:24). When the ark was brought to Jerusalem by David and the ceremonial of the sacrificial system was more strictly observed, the services of priests and Levites were greatly increased, and to meet the needs of the new order David appointed the Nethinim (Ezra 8:20; compare1 Chronicles 9:2). Likewise the much greater increase in such duties on the completion of Solomon's Temple was the occasion for the dedication of an additional number of these assistants to the Levites.
The number of those who returned with Zerubbabel was not great, together with the Nethinim being only 392. This does not appear to have been sufficient for the needs of the sanctuary, since Ezra, in preparation for his expedition in 458 B.C., made special appeal for Nethinim to go with him, of whom 220 responded (Ezra 8:15-20). No doubt at the first their service was considered to be lowly; but by the time of the exile, certainly after it, their position had developed into one of considerable honor and constituted them a privileged class in the nation. While many of the people were required by Nehemiah to live in Jerusalem, they were allowed to dwell in their possessions "in the cities of Judah" (Nehemiah 11:3).
A question of some interest and of difference of opinion is whether Solomon's Servants were Levites or non-Israelites. The latter view is the more generally held, for the following reasons; (1) After the completion of the Temple and his other great buildings a large body of workmen, whom Solomon had drafted from the non-Israelite population, were without occupation, and might well have been assigned to the menial duties of the Temple (1 Kings 9), their name in Septuagint (douloi) properly indicating such a class; (2) Ezekiel excludes non-Israelites from the service of his ideal temple, as though they had been allowed in the preexilic Temple (44:9); (3) they are always clearly distinguished from the Levites in the lists of religious bodies.
But, on the other hand, equally strong arguments favor their Levitical descent:
(1) Levites also are called douloi in 1 Esdras; (2) it is more probable that Ezekiel refers to the abuses of Athaliah, Ahaz and Manasseh than to the institutions of David and Solomon;
(3) Ezra specifically classifies the Nethinim as Levites (8:15-20);
(4) there is not the slightest intimation in the text of1 Kings 9:15-22 that the Gentilebondservants were assigned to temple-service after completion of the great building operations; such an interpretation is wholly inferential, while, on the contrary, it is more probable that such an innovation would have been mentioned in the narrative; and
(5) it is not probable that Ezra and Nehemiah, or Zerubbabel, with their strict views of Israelite privilege (compareEzra 2:62), would have admitted non-Israelites to sacred functions, the less so in view of Ezekiel's prohibition. There is more ground, then, for holding that Solomon's Servants, like the porters and singers, were an order of Levites.
Edward Mack
SERVANTS, SOLOMON'S
SeeSOLOMON'S SERVANTS.
SOLOMON'S PORCH
SeePORCH, PORTICO, SOLOMON'S.
Greek
4672.Solomon --Solomon, a son of David and king of Isr.... 4671, 4672.
Solomon. 4673 .
Solomon, a son of David and king of Isr.
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration:
Solomon...Strong's Hebrew
1435. Giddel -- "very great," one of the Nethinim, also one of...... "very great," one of the Nethinim, also one of
Solomon's servants. Transliteration:
Giddel Phonetic Spelling: (ghid-dale') Short Definition: Giddel.
...1125. Ben-abinadab -- "son of Abinadab," one ofSolomon's leaders
... "son of Abinadab," one ofSolomon's leaders. Transliteration: Ben-abinadab Phonetic
Spelling: (ben-ab-ee''-naw-dawb') Short Definition: Ben-abinadab....
1127. Ben-geber -- "son of a man," one ofSolomon's leaders
... Ben-geber. 1128 . "son of a man," one ofSolomon's leaders. Transliteration:
Ben-geber Phonetic Spelling: (ben-gheh'-ber) Short Definition: Ben-geber....
1136. Ben-chesed -- "son of mercy," one ofSolomon's leaders
... Ben-chesed. 1137 . "son of mercy," one ofSolomon's leaders. Transliteration:
Ben-chesed Phonetic Spelling: (ben-kheh'-sed) Short Definition: Ben-hesed....
7894. Shisha -- father ofSolomon's scribes
... 7893, 7894. Shisha. 7895 . father ofSolomon's scribes. Transliteration:
Shisha Phonetic Spelling: (shee-shaw') Short Definition: Shisha....
7331. Rezon -- an Aramean (Syrian) ofSolomon's time
... 7330, 7331. Rezon. 7332 . an Aramean (Syrian) ofSolomon's time. Transliteration:
Rezon Phonetic Spelling: (rez-one') Short Definition: Rezon....
1687. debir -- perhaps (a place of) speaking (the innermost room...
... perhaps (a place of) speaking (the innermost room ofSolomon's temple). Transliteration:
debir Phonetic Spelling: (deb-eer') Short Definition: sanctuary....
1128. Ben-deqer -- "son of Deker," one ofSolomon's leaders
... Ben-deqer. 1129 . "son of Deker," one ofSolomon's leaders. Transliteration:
Ben-deqer Phonetic Spelling: (ben-deh'-ker) Short Definition: Ben-deker....
456. Elichoreph -- "God of autumn," one ofSolomon's scribes
... Elichoreph. 457 . "God of autumn," one ofSolomon's scribes. Transliteration:
Elichoreph Phonetic Spelling: (el-ee-kho'-ref) Short Definition: Elihoreph....
301. Achishar -- "my brother has sung," one ofSolomon's officials
... Achishar. 302 . "my brother has sung," one ofSolomon's officials. Transliteration:
Achishar Phonetic Spelling: (akh-ee-shawr') Short Definition: Ahishar....
Library
Solomon's Repentance
... From Strength to Weakness Chapter 5Solomon's Repentance.... From the joy of divine
communion,Solomon turned to find satisfaction in the pleasures of sense....
Solomon's Reign.
... Chapter XII.Solomon's Reign. I K. Chs.1-12; II Chron. s.1-9. The Riddle
ofSolomon's Character. Few Biblical characters manifested...
Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
...Solomon's Temple Spiritualized. or,... Of all the wonders of the world, the temple of
Solomon was beyond comparison the greatest and the most magnificent....
The Preceding Quotation fromSolomon's Proverbs Receives Further...
... The preceding quotation fromSolomon's Proverbs receives further explanation.? The
preceding quotation fromSolomon's Proverbs receives further explanation....
Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom.
... ORIGINAL HYMNS HYMN LXX.Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom. 8.6.8.6 James Montgomery.
Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom. Almighty God, in humble prayer,....
Behold his Bed, which isSolomon's; Threescore Valiant Men are...
Song of Songs ofSolomon. <.... CHAPTER III. 7. Behold his bed, which isSolomon's;
threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel....
Solomon's Words, "The Lord Created Me," Etc. ...
... Book III. Chapter VII.Solomon's words, "The Lord created Me," etc.?Solomon's
words, "The Lord created Me," etc., mean that Christ's...
Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom.
... DEVOUT EXERCISES. 459. "Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom. 459. CM Montgomery.
Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom. 1 Almighty God! in humble...
Solomon's Infatuation through Women.
... The Second Epistle of the Same Clement. Chapter XII."Solomon's Infatuation
Through Women. Hast thou not read the history ofSolomon...
Further Spiritualizing ofSolomon's Temple-Building.
... Tenth Book. 25. Further Spiritualizing ofSolomon's Temple-Building. It
is worth while to enquire how, on the one hand,Solomon...
Thesaurus
Solomon's (56 Occurrences)... Easton's Bible Dictionary
Solomon's Porch. (John 10:23; Acts
... Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia. PORCH, PORTICO,
SOLOMON'S. por'-ti-ko, (he
...Porch (37 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Porch,Solomon's. A colonnade on the... 5:12. See PORCH,
PORTICO,SOLOMON'S. PORCH, PORTICO,SOLOMON'S. por'-ti...
Servants (763 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible EncyclopediaSOLOMON'S SERVANTS.... This included, besides priests
and Levites, the NETHINIM (which see) andSolomon's Servants....
Portico (37 Occurrences)
... PORCH, PORTICO,SOLOMON'S.... The portico bearingSolomon's name was that running along
the eastern wall in the Court of the Gentiles of Herod's temple....
Nethinims (15 Occurrences)
... KJV WBS). Ezra 2:58 All the Nethinims, and the children ofSolomon's servants,
were three hundred ninety and two. (KJV WBS). Ezra...
Finishing (17 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 8:54 And it cometh to pass, atSolomon's finishing to pray unto Jehovah
all this prayer and supplication, he hath risen from before the altar of Jehovah...
Colonnade (3 Occurrences)
... Colonnade (3 Occurrences). John 10:23 It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the
temple, inSolomon's porch.... They were all with one accord inSolomon's porch....
Covered (325 Occurrences)
... numbering about 5,000. (WEY). John 10:23 And Jesus was walking in the Temple,
inSolomon's covered way. (BBE). Acts 3:11 And while...
Sotai (2 Occurrences)
... SOTAI. so'-ti, so'-ta-i, so-ta'-i (coTay): One of those who returned from captivity,
being descendants ofSolomon's servants (Ezra 2:55 Nehemiah 7:57)....
Four (3139 Occurrences)
... (a) of the tabernacle (Exodus 25; Exodus 26; Exodus 26 27; 28:17:00; 36, etc.);
(b) ofSolomon's temple (1 Kings 7:2 1 Chronicles 9:24); (c) of Ezekiel's...
Resources
What was Solomon's Porch? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was Solomon's temple / the first temple? How many temples were there? | GotQuestions.orgWhy did God allow Solomon to have 1,000 wives and concubines? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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