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2 Chronicles 3

The temple’s construction joins the place of God’s appearance to David with costly craftsmanship and a distinct most holy place.

Solomon begins building YHWH’s house on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, at the threshing floor David had appointed after YHWH appeared to him. Construction starts in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign. The account moves through the building’s dimensions and gold-covered rooms into the most holy place, where two carved cherubim stretch their wings across the room. It then describes the embroidered veil and the two named pillars standing before the temple.

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1Then Solomon began to build the LORD’s house at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared to David his father, which he prepared in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
3Now these are the foundations which Solomon laid for the building of God’s house: the length by cubits after the first measure was sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits.
4The porch that was in front, its length, across the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
5He made the larger room with a ceiling of cypress wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains.
6He decorated the house with precious stones for beauty. The gold was gold from Parvaim.
7He also overlaid the house, the beams, the thresholds, its walls, and its doors with gold, and engraved cherubim on the walls.
8He made the most holy place. Its length, according to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.
9The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He overlaid the upper rooms with gold.
10In the most holy place he made two cherubim by carving, and they overlaid them with gold.
14He made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim.
15Also he made before the house two pillars thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
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Key verses
2 Chronicles 3:1The opening anchors Solomon’s building work in a specific place where YHWH appeared to David.
2 Chronicles 3:14The veil’s colors and woven cherubim extend the sanctuary’s careful craftsmanship to the boundary of its most holy place.
2 Chronicles 3:5The gold-covered cypress ceiling, palm trees, and chains introduce the rich materials and ornament that fill the building account.
Where this chapter reaches

1 Kings describes the same temple construction, while 1 Chronicles recounts David’s encounter at Ornan’s threshing floor and his preparations for the house. Exodus shares the sanctuary features of gold, cherubim, and a colored veil; Hebrews also discusses the veil and cherubim in its account of the sanctuary.

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How does the opening account of the temple’s location shape your reading of the building details?

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Questions people ask about 2 Chronicles 3

Where did Solomon build the temple in 2 Chronicles 3?

Solomon built the temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Verse 1 identifies it as the place where YHWH appeared to David and where David had appointed the building site. The account ties the location to David before describing Solomon’s work.

What are the cherubim in 2 Chronicles 3?

Cherubim are heavenly beings represented in the temple’s carvings and fabric. Two gold-covered carved figures stand in the most holy place, with wings stretching across its twenty-cubit width and faces turned toward the house. Cherubim also appear on the walls and veil. The chapter does not explain their symbolism.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).