1 Kings 6:1
in 1 Kings 6In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, in the month of Ziv, the second month of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, he began to build the house of the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Jehovah.
KJV
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.
⋯
This verse in 1 Kings 6
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
In the four hundred and eightieth year - It is upon this statement that all the earlier portion of what is called the “received chronology” depends. Amid Minor differences there is a general agreement, which justifies us in placing the accession of Solomon about 1000 B.C. (1018 B.C. Oppert.) But great difficulties meet us in determining the sacred chronology anterior to this. Apart from the present statement, the chronological data of the Old Testament are insufficient to fix the interval between Solomon’s accession and the Exodus, since several of the periods which make it up are unestimated.
This site's exposition
the four hundred and eightieth year
The verse dates the temple to “the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt”. The number places the exodus near 1440 BC. Other readers take it as twelve generations of forty years and prefer an exodus nearer 1290 BC.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Where it says, "in the fourth year in the month of Zio, which is the second month of the reign of Solomon over Israel," the intended order is, in the fourth year of the reign of Solomon in the month of Zio, that is, the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
So long it was before that holy house was built, which in less than four hundred and thirty years was burnt by Nebuchadnezzar. It was thus deferred, because Israel had by their sins, made themselves unworthy of this honour: and because God would shew how little he values external pomp and splendour in his service.
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt,....
This gave it its beauty of holiness, that it was the house of the Lord, which far transcended all its other beauties. The time when it began to be built is exactly set down. It was just 480 years after the bringing of the children of Israel out of Egypt.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
In the four hundred and eightieth year - The Septuagint has the four hundred and fortieth year. It need scarcely be noticed, that among chronologists there is a great difference of opinion concerning this epocha. Glycas has 330 years; Melchior Canus, 590 years; Josephus, 592 years; Sulpicius Severus, 588; Clemens Alexandrinus, 570; Cedrenus, 672; Codomanus, 598; Vossius and Capellus, 580; Serarius, 680; Nicholas Abraham, 527; Maestlinus, 592; Petavius and Valtherus, 520. Here are more than a dozen different opinions; and after all, that in the common Hebrew text is as likely to be the true one as any of the others. The month Zif - This answers to a part of our April and May; and was the second month of the sacred year, but the eighth month of the civil year. Before the time of Solomon, the Jews do not appear to have had any names for their months, but mentioned them in the order of their consecutive occurrence, first month, second month, third month, etc. In this chapter we find Zif and Bul; and in 1Ki 8:2, we find another, Ethanim; and these are supposed to be borrowed from the Chaldeans; and consequently this book was written after the Babylonish captivity. Before this time we find only the word Abib mentioned as the name of a month, Exo 13:4. Whether there were any others at that time, or whether Abib was really intended as the name of a month, we cannot absolutely say. The present names of the Hebrew months are: - Tisri, answering to a part of September and October, Marchesvan, Cisleu, Tebeth, Shebat, Adar, Nisan, Ijar, Sivan, Tamuz, Ab, and Elul.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
In the month of Ziv. This is Iyar because the trees have blossoms. And [Targum] Yonoson translated this similarly, “the bloom of the buds.”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֣י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בִשְׁמוֹנִ֣ים | vishmonim | in eighty | H8084 → | 38 times |
| שָׁנָ֣ה | shanah | year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| וְאַרְבַּ֣ע | vearba' | and four | H702 → | 318 times |
| מֵא֣וֹת | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| שָׁנָ֡ה | shanah | year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| לְצֵ֣את | letzet | of [the] coming out of | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מֵאֶֽרֶץ־ | meeretz- | from [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרַיִם֩ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| בַּשָּׁנָ֨ה | bashanah | in the year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| הָרְבִיעִ֜ית | hareviit | <the> fourth | H7243 → | 56 times |
| בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ | bechodesh | in [the] month of | H2320 → | 284 times |
| זִ֗ו | ziv | Ziv | H2099 → | |
| ה֚וּא | hu' | that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ | hachodesh | [was] the month | H2320 → | 284 times |
| הַשֵּׁנִ֔י | hasheni | <the> second | H8145 → | 156 times |
| לִמְלֹ֥ךְ | limlokh | of [the] reigning of | H4427 → | 348 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיִּ֥בֶן | vaiyiven | and he built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| הַבַּ֖יִת | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לַיהוָֽה׃ | layahweh | for Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיְהִ֣יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
בִשְׁמוֹנִ֣יםin eighty
vishmonimH8084 →38 times
שָׁנָ֣הyear
shanahH8141 →877 times
וְאַרְבַּ֣עand four
vearba'H702 →318 times
מֵא֣וֹתhundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
שָׁנָ֡הyear
shanahH8141 →877 times
לְצֵ֣אתof [the] coming out of
letzetH3318 →1067 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] people of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֣לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מֵאֶֽרֶץ־from [the] land of
meeretz-H776 →2504 times
מִצְרַיִם֩Egypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 times
בַּשָּׁנָ֨הin the year
bashanahH8141 →877 times
הָרְבִיעִ֜ית<the> fourth
hareviitH7243 →56 times
בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁin [the] month of
bechodeshH2320 →284 times
זִ֗וZiv
zivH2099 →
ה֚וּאthat
hu'H1931 →1879 times
הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ[was] the month
hachodeshH2320 →284 times
הַשֵּׁנִ֔י<the> second
hasheniH8145 →156 times
לִמְלֹ֥ךְof [the] reigning of
limlokhH4427 →348 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֖הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיִּ֥בֶןand he built
vaiyivenH1129 →376 times
הַבַּ֖יִתthe house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
לַיהוָֽה׃for Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Peter 2:5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:20–22
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
- 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- 1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
- Revelation 5:10
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
- Ephesians 2:20–22
Through
Acts 7:47But it was Solomon who built the house for Him.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 8:20
Now the LORD has fulfilled the word that He spoke. I have succeeded my father David, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised. I have built the house for…
- 1 Kings 8:20
Through
1 Chronicles 29:19And give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your commandments, decrees, and statutes, and to build Your palace for which I have made provision.”
it leads to
- Psalms 72:1
Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9
As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought.…
- Psalms 72:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies12
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Bede, Of the Temple of Solomon 1.5.1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.