Then he carved all the walls of the temple all around, both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.
Parallel translations
- WEB He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, inside and outside.
- KJV And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
- BSB Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.
- NASB Then he carved all the surrounding walls of the house with engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, for the inner and outer sanctuaries.
- NLT He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, 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
All the temple walls were carved with cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, inside and out. Rich carvings adorned the whole sanctuary.
Overview
The carved cherubim, palms, and blossoms covered the walls with garden-like imagery, perhaps evoking Eden restored. The motifs combined God's holy attendants with symbols of life and beauty. This artistry portrayed the temple as a place of God's life-giving presence, anticipating the paradise of God's eternal dwelling.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Kgs 6:32So he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold. He spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.
- 2 Chr 4:2–5Also he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim. It was round, five cubits high, and thirty cubits in circumference.
- 1 Kgs 6:18There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar. No stone was visible.
- Rev 7:9After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
- Rev 5:11–14I saw, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands;
- Luke 2:13–14Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,
- Ps 92:12–15The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
- Ps 103:20Praise Yahweh, you angels of his, who are mighty in strength, who fulfill his word, obeying the voice of his word.
- Eph 3:10to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,
- Exod 36:8All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, with cherubim, the work of the skillful workman, they made them.
- Ps 148:2Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all his army!
- 2 Chr 3:14He made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim.
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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.
How 1 Kings 6:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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