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.
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.
- KJV 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.
- 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.
- 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 27:5–6There you shall build an altar to Yahweh your God, an altar of stones. You shall not use any iron tool on them.
- 1 Pet 2:5You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
- Exod 20:25If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.
- Prov 24:27Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.
- 1 Kgs 5:17–18The king commanded, and they cut out large stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone.
- Acts 9:31So the assemblies throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
- Rom 9:23and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,
- Col 1:12giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;
- 2 Cor 5:5Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit.
- Isa 42:2He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
- Jas 3:17–18But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
- Jas 1:20for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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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