And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.
Parallel translations
- WEB He made the larger room with a ceiling of cypress wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and ornamented it with palm trees and chains.
- BSB He paneled the main room with cypress, which he overlaid with fine gold and decorated with palm trees and chains.
- ESV The nave he lined with cypress and covered it with fine gold and made palms and chains on it.
- NKJV The larger room he paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it.
- NASB He overlaid the main room with juniper wood and overlaid it with fine gold; and he ornamented it with palm trees and chains.
- NLT He paneled the main room of the Temple with cypress wood, overlaid it with fine gold, and decorated it with carvings of palm trees and chains.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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 main hall is paneled in cypress, overlaid with fine gold, and decorated with palm trees and chains. The interior is beautifully adorned.
Overview
The Chronicler describes the rich ornamentation of the great room, with gold and garden-like motifs of palms and chains. Such imagery evokes Eden and the beauty of God's presence. The temple's edenic decoration anticipates the restored paradise of God's dwelling with his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- 1 Kgs 6:21–22So 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.
- 1 Kgs 6:15–17And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 3:5 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.