And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
Parallel translations
- WEB The house, when it was under construction, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and no hammer or ax or any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was under construction.
- BSB The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.
- NKJV And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.
- NASB The house, while it was being built, was built of stone finished at the quarry, and neither hammer, nor axe, nor any iron tool was heard in the house while it was being built.
- NLT The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site.
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 temple was built of stone finished at the quarry, so no iron tools were heard at the site. The construction proceeded in reverent silence.
Overview
Preparing the stones offsite kept the holy ground free from the noise of hammers and axes. This may echo the principle that no iron tool was to be used on God's altar (Exodus 20:25), honoring the sacredness of the place. The quiet, reverent building reflects the holiness of the house being raised for the Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Deut 27:5–6And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.
- 1 Pet 2:5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
- Exod 20:25And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
- Prov 24:27Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.
- 1 Kgs 5:17–18And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.
- Acts 9:31Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
- Rom 9:23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
- Col 1:12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
- 2 Cor 5:5Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
- Isa 42:2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
- Jas 3:17–18But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
- Jas 1:20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
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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 6:7 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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