The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen.
Parallel translations
- WEB There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar. No stone was visible.
- KJV And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
- NKJV The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open flowers. All was cedar; there was no stone to be seen.
- NASB There was cedar inside the house, carved in the shape of gourds and open flowers; everything was cedar, there was no stone visible.
- NLT Cedar paneling completely covered the stone walls throughout the Temple, and the paneling was decorated with carvings of gourds and open flowers.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The interior cedar was carved with gourds and open flowers, so no stone showed. Beauty and craftsmanship adorned the sanctuary.
Overview
The carved buds and blossoms gave the interior the beauty of a garden, perhaps recalling Eden, where God walked with man. That no stone was visible shows the thorough care taken to beautify God's house. Such artistry honored the Lord and reflected the loveliness of His dwelling.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- 1 Kgs 7:24Below the rim, ornamental buds encircled it, ten per cubit all the way around the Sea, cast in two rows as a part of the Sea.
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
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Original language
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