The place and time of building the temple, 1, 2. The measure and ornaments of the house, 3-10. The cherubim, 11-13. The veil and pillars, 14-17.
1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on mount Moriah where the LORD appeared to David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build on the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3 Now these are the things in which Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God: The length by cubits after the first measure was sixty cubits and the breadth twenty cubits. 4 And the porch that was in the front of the house, its length was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was one hundred and twenty. And he overlaid it inside with pure gold. 5 And the greater house he ceiled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold and set on it palm trees and chains. 6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty. And the gold was gold of Parvaim. 7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, its walls, and its doors with gold and engraved cherubim on the walls.
8 And he made the most holy house, the length of which was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits. And he overlaid it with fine gold amounting to six hundred talents. 9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubim of image work and overlaid them with gold. 11 And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long. One wing of one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house, and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. 12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house, and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim spread themselves forth twenty cubits. And they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward. 14 And he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubim upon it.
15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars. And he made one hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. 17 And he erected the pillars before the temple: one on the right hand and the other on the left. And he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin and the name of the one on the left Boaz.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 2nd Chronicles, Chapter 3[➚]