I Kings 6:14-22 · Bible study
1 Kings 6:14-22 Commentary: Overlaid with Gold
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the author repeat Solomon's completion of the temple? The gold, cedar, and inner sanctuary point to God's presence among His people.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The temple’s interior, cedar paneling and gold overlay, prepares a dwelling for God’s presence, fulfilling the promise of 1 Kings 6:11-13.
- Key words: d'vir (innermost room, oracle), tzafah (to overlay), zahav sagur (pure/refined gold), peka'im (gourds/knops).
- Main debate: Whether the gold overlay was purely decorative or also carried theological weight about the inaccessibility of God’s glory.
- Theological theme: God’s holy presence among His people requires preparation, cost, and separation.
- Best use: A sermon series on God’s dwelling, typology of the church as God’s temple, or a study on worship and beauty.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
14So Solomon built the temple and finished it.
15He lined the interior walls with cedar paneling from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and he covered the floor with cypress boards.
16He partitioned off the twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.
17And the main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long.
18The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen.
19Solomon also prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there.
20The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.
21So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold.
22So he overlaid with gold the whole interior of the temple, until everything was completely finished. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.
WEB World English Bible 2000
14So Solomon built the house and finished it.
15He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood. He covered the floor of the house with cypress boards.
16He built twenty cubits of the back part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling. He built this within, for an inner sanctuary, even for the most holy place.
17In front of the temple sanctuary was forty cubits long.
18There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar. No stone was visible.
19He prepared an inner sanctuary in the middle of the house within, to set the ark of Yahweh’s covenant there.
20Within the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height. He overlaid it with pure gold. He covered the altar with cedar.
21So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold. He drew chains of gold across before the inner sanctuary, and he overlaid it with gold.
22He overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. He also overlaid the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary with gold.
KJV King James Version 1769
14So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
15And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the cieling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
16And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
17And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.
18And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
19And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
20And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
21So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.
22And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
14So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
15And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house unto the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of fir.
16And he built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor unto the walls of the ceiling: he built them for it within, for an oracle, even for the most holy place.
17And the house, that is, the temple before the oracle, was forty cubits long.
18And there was cedar on the house within, carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
19And he prepared an oracle in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah.
20And within the oracle was a space of twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.
21So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.
22And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle he overlaid with gold.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
14And Solomon buildeth the house and completeth it;
15and he buildeth the walls of the house within with beams of cedar, from the floor of the house unto the walls of the ceiling; he hath overlaid with wood the inside, and covereth the floor of the house with ribs of fir.
16And he buildeth the twenty cubits on the sides of the house with ribs of cedar, from the floor unto the walls; and he buildeth for it within, for the oracle, for the holy of holies.
17And forty by the cubit was the house, it is the temple before it .
18And the cedar for the house within is carvings of knobs and openings of flowers; the whole is cedar, there is not a stone seen.
19And the oracle in the midst of the house within he hath prepared, to put there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah.
20And before the oracle is twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits is its height; and he overlayeth it with gold refined, and overlayeth the altar with cedar.
21And Solomon overlayeth the house within with gold refined, and causeth it to pass over in chains of gold before the oracle, and overlayeth it with gold.
22And the whole of the house he hath overlaid with gold, till the completion of all the house; and the whole of the altar that the oracle hath, he hath overlaid with gold.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
14And Solomon built the house and finished it.
15And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, from the floor of the house to the walls of the roof; he overlaid [them] on the inside with wood, and overlaid the floor of the house with boards of cypress.
16And he built twenty cubits of the innermost part of the house, both floor and walls, with boards of cedar; and he built [them] for it within, to [be] the oracle, the most holy place.
17And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits [long].
18And the cedar of the house within was carved with colocynths and half-open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
19And he prepared the oracle in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah.
20And the oracle within was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure gold; and he overlaid the cedar-wood altar —
21and Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold, and shut off the oracle in front with chains of gold, and overlaid it with gold.
22And the whole house he overlaid with gold, the whole house entirely; also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
14So Solomon built the house, and finished it.
15And he built the walls of the house on the inside, with boards of cedar, from the floor of the house to the top of the walls, and to the roofs, he covered it with boards of cedar on the inside: and he covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
16And he built up twenty cubits with boards of cedar at the hinder part of the temple, from the floor to the top: and made the inner house of the oracle to be the holy of holies.
17And the temple itself, before the doors of the oracle, was forty cubits long.
18And all the house was covered within with cedar, having the turnings, and the joints thereof artfully wrought, and carvings projecting out: all was covered with boards of cedar: and no stone could be seen in the wall at all.
19And he made the oracle in the midst of the house, in the inner part, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
20Now the oracle was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in height. And he covered it, and overlaid it with most pure gold. And the altar also he covered with cedar.
21And the house before the oracle he overlaid with most pure gold, and fastened on the plates with nails of gold.
22And there was nothing in the temple that was not covered with gold: the whole altar of the oracle he covered also with gold.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Kings 6:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that 1 Kings 6:14-22 describes the interior finishing of Solomon’s temple, with two main movements: (1) the wooden paneling of the walls, floor, and ceiling, and (2) the lavish gold overlay. The passage forms a coherent unit that resumes the narrative after God’s promise to dwell among Israel (vv.11-13). Keil and Delitzsch note that the description emphasizes that no stone was visible, only cedar carved with gourds and flowers, then entirely covered with gold. This is not mere decoration; Barnes observes that the gold was applied as thin plates fastened with nails, a technique common in ancient Near Eastern palaces. The inner sanctuary, or d'vir, is a perfect cube of twenty cubits, echoing the dimensions of the tabernacle’s Most Holy Place but scaled up. Gill calculates the value of the gold at over three million pounds sterling, underscoring the temple’s unparalleled splendor. But as Cambridge Bible notes, the chains of gold across the entrance to the inner sanctuary served as a barrier, marking the boundary between the holy place and the Most Holy. All agree that this elaborate preparation was for one purpose: to house the ark of the covenant, where God promised to meet with His people.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal-historical reading: The details are factual—Solomon built a real building with specific materials and dimensions, which can be compared to archaeological and textual sources.
- Typological reading: The temple prefigures Christ and the church; the gold speaks of divinity, the cedar of humanity, the inner sanctuary of heaven.
- Theological-symbolic reading: The golden interior, carved flora, and divided space symbolize God’s holiness, creativity, and the order of worship.
What is clear: All Christians agree that the passage describes Solomon preparing a physical dwelling place for God’s presence, centered on the ark of the covenant, and that this preparation involved great cost and beauty.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose of the gold overlay | All traditions see it as expressing the glory and holiness of God, and as a fitting house for His name. | Some emphasize the sheer expense as a sign of devotion; others focus on the symbolism of gold as purity and divinity, while a third view sees it as reflecting the throne room of heaven. |
| Meaning of d'vir (oracle) | The term designates the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, where the ark rested. | Whether d'vir means 'oracle' (place of speaking) from davar, or 'back part' (from Arabic meaning hinder room). Keil and Delitzsch discuss both options; the context favors a location, but the Septuagint and Vulgate understand it as a place of divine communication. |
| The altar of incense (v.20,22) | This is the altar that stood before the inner sanctuary, overlaid with gold. | Some, following Poole, argue that Solomon made a new altar of cedar, covered with gold, differing from the tabernacle’s acacia-wood altar. Others say the existing altar was simply covered with cedar for gilding. The text is ambiguous. |
| Chains of gold as a partition | The chains separated the holy place from the Most Holy, a clear boundary. | Whether these chains were a permanent barrier (like a veil) or a decorative element. Barnes calls them a barrier; others see them as a support for a curtain or as a decorative chain that marked the threshold. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The temple described here stood on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, built during a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity under Solomon (c. 970-930 BC). The use of cedar from Lebanon, cypress from Phoenicia, and gold from Ophir reflects the extensive trade networks Solomon established (1 Kings 5). Barnes points out that overlaying walls with gold plates was a feature of royal palaces in Babylonia and Assyria, Solomon’s temple both borrowed and transcended those models. The carving of gourds and open flowers (or “knops and flowers” in older translations) is an imitation of the vegetable world, a common motif in Egyptian and Persian architecture. More importantly, the interior design consciously mirrors the tabernacle: the holy place is forty cubits long, the holy of holies twenty cubits in each dimension. But unlike the portable tent, this structure is permanent, built of stone and cedar, then hidden under gold. The phrase “no stone was seen” signals that the temple’s rough exterior (stone) gave way to a rich interior that spoke of glory and holiness. The altar of incense, which stood just before the veil (or chain barrier), is also overlaid with gold, linking the daily offerings to the presence of God within. This lavish expense was not mere opulence; it expressed the worth of the One who would dwell there.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants in these verses. The key term d'vir is read consistently across manuscripts, though its translation varies (oracle, inner sanctuary, hinder room). The reading for verse 20, “the oracle in the forepart,” is difficult in the Hebrew but is retained in all major traditions. The text is stable.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this description has been read as a foreshadowing of Christ and the church. Early Christian writers saw the gold as a type of the divine nature covering human flesh, and the inner sanctuary as heaven itself. Medieval exegetes allegorized the cedar paneling as the virtues of saints and the carved gourds as the fruits of the Spirit. Reformation-era commentators focused on the temple as a place of promise, not of human achievement, God’s presence made the building holy, not the other way around. Modern scholars often study the architectural details in light of ancient Near Eastern parallels, noting that Solomon’s temple drew on Phoenician and Egyptian styles while transforming them into a unique sanctuary for Yahweh. The passage continues to shape how Christians think about sacred space, beauty, and the cost of worship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Completion after Promise. Verse 14 resumes the building story right after God’s covenant promise (vv.11-13). The house is finished because God has pledged to dwell there, the building is a response to grace.
- The Hidden Glory. The wood paneling and gold overlay conceal all stone. No rough material is left visible. This pictures how grace covers our flaws and how God’s presence transforms what is ordinary into what is precious.
- The Sacred Center. The inner sanctuary is a cube of gold, housing the ark. The gold chains mark a boundary that draws near but cannot be crossed. Here we see both the invitation and the awe of approaching a holy God.
Five-Point Outline
- Finished by Promise (v.14), God’s word drives the work.
- Covered with Wood (vv.15-16), Cedar paneling hides the stone, creating a warm interior.
- Carved with Life (v.18), Gourds and flowers bring creation into the sanctuary.
- Divided by Gold (vv.20-21), The chains separate yet invite, showing both distance and access.
- Overlaid Entirely (v.22), Nothing left un-gilded; the whole house testifies to the worth of God.
Illustration Hooks
- Think of a room you prepare for a special guest, fresh paint, clean floors, the best furnishings. The temple is that room on an infinite scale.
- Gold leaf is delicate and costly; it can be hammered paper-thin. Solomon’s gold plates were “fastened with nails” (Barnes). The beauty of God’s dwelling is both lavish and secure.
- A friend who renovates an old house might cover ugly ductwork with beautiful wood paneling. The temple’s stone walls were not removed but concealed, grace does not destroy our nature but covers it.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why did God want such an expensive building? Doesn’t He already have heaven?
- What does the gold mean for us today, should we have ornate churches or simple ones?
- How do the temple’s two rooms (holy and most holy) relate to our access to God through Christ?
Leading a Discussion
This passage describes the interior of Solomon’s temple, its cedar paneling, carved decorations, and gold overlay. It comes right after God’s promise to dwell among Israel if they obey. As you study, consider how the physical space reflects spiritual realities. The details are not random; they express something about God’s character and His desire to be with His people.
Discussion Questions
- Read 1 Kings 6:14. Why do you think the author repeats that Solomon “finished” the house, when he already said that in verse 9? What changed between those verses?
- In verses 15-18, the stone walls are completely covered with cedar and no stone is visible. What might this “covering” signify about how God deals with what is rough or flawed?
- The inner sanctuary (Most Holy Place) is a perfect cube of twenty cubits, overlaid with pure gold. What does the cube shape and the gold tell you about God’s nature or presence?
- Verse 21 mentions gold chains before the inner sanctuary. Some see these as a barrier, others as a partition. How does the idea of a boundary, something that both separates and connects, help us understand holiness?
- The whole house is overlaid with gold “until all the house was finished” (v.22). Why is it important that the gold covering comes after the wood paneling? What does the sequence say about preparation for God’s dwelling?
- How does this temple point forward to Jesus, who said “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19)? What shifts from a building of stone and gold to a person?
- If you were to “build” your life as a place where God dwells, what materials (character, habits, priorities) would you want to use? What might need to be covered or transformed?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 6:9 | So he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar. |
| I Kings 6:38 | In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts and according to all its specifications. So he spent seven years building it. |
| Acts 7:47 | But Solomon built him a house. |
| Acts 7:48 | However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says, |
| I Kings 7:7 | He made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor. |
| Exodus 25:21 | You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the covenant that I will give you. |
| Exodus 25:22 | There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the covenant, all that I command you for the children of Israel. |
| Exodus 26:23 | You shall make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far side. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that the quantity of gold used to overlay the entire temple is beyond calculation. He finds the expense impossible to estimate, drawing attention to the sheer, almost unimaginable wealth devoted to this sacred building.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the verse describes only the holy place, correcting the translation of "fir" to "juniper" and "knops and open flowers" to "gourds and opening flower-buds." He notes that Solomon built a partition 20 cubits from the end wall to create the holy of holies, then covered the stone incense altar with cedar and hung gold chains as a barrier between the two chambers.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary focuses on the precise architectural details of the Temple's inner rooms: the cedar wainscoting covering every surface from floor to ceiling, and the twenty-cubit space at the far end separated for the Most Holy Place. It carefully explains the Hebrew terms and translation issues behind phrases like "oracle" and "chains of gold."
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads every physical detail of the temple's construction as a spiritual emblem. The cedar covering the stone walls signifies the Spirit's work making believers inwardly glorious, hiding their stony hearts. The perfect square of the oracle points to the perfection of heaven, while the golden altar symbolizes Christ's effectual intercession.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights how the temple's entire interior was overlaid with gold, so that no wood or stone remained visible. Cedar wainscoting, cypress floors, and carved cherubim and palm trees were all covered with pure gold, plain or richly chased. The result was a single gleaming surface, with every structural element hidden.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insists the Bible never says the temple's outer walls were covered with wood; only the interior was paneled. They also clarify that the altar mentioned alongside the Most Holy Place is the altar of incense, which the Pentateuch places directly before the inner curtain, giving it a unique connection to that room.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that God sent Solomon a personal word during the temple work to encourage him, assuring him that no labor for God goes unnoticed. Yet the promise of God's lasting presence was tied to a condition: continued obedience. Without it, even the finest temple would lose its glory.