1 Kings 6:23
in 1 Kings 6In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim, each ten cubits high, out of olive wood.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And in the oracle he made two cherubim of olive-wood, each ten cubits high.
KJV
And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.
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This verse in 1 Kings 6
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Two cherubims - The pattern of the tabernacle was followed (marginal reference), but without servile imitation. The original cherubs were entirely of gold. These, being so much larger, were of wood, merely overlaid with a golden plating. The arrangement of the wings, and the direction of the faces, seem also to have been different. Moses’ cherubim “covered with their wings over the mercy seat;” Solomon’s stretched out theirs to the full 1Ki 6:27, so that the four wings, each five cubits long 1Ki 6:24, extended across the whole sanctuary, the width of which was twenty cubits 1Ki 6:
This site's exposition
two cherubims of olive tree
on 1 Kings 6:23-28
The two olive wood cherubim stand ten cubits high with wings five cubits each, so that spread wing to wing they span the whole twenty cubit width of the oracle, one outer wing touching each wall and the two inner wings touching one another in the middle. The tabernacle's cherubim were a single small pair beaten out of one piece of gold and worked into the mercy seat itself at Exodus 25:18-20; these stand freestanding, carved of wood and overlaid with gold, built to the room's own scale. The image given a worshipper is of the whole space held under outstretched wings.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Cherubim," as the prophet Ezekiel explicitly declares, is a title of dignity, and in the singular number the form cherub is used, but cherubim in the plural. Hence the figures of the cherubim that were made in the oracle can be appropriately taken to mean …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Cherubim - Besides those two made by Moses, Exod. xxv, 18, which were of gold, and far less than these. The Heathens set up images of their gods, and worshipped them. These were designed to represent the servants and attendants of the God of Israel, the holy angels, not to be worshipped themselves, but to shew how great he is whom we worship.
This most holy place was much larger than that in the tabernacle, and therefore the ark would have seemed lost in it, and the dead wall would have been unsightly, if it had not been thus adorned.
And within the oracle he made two cherubim of olive tree,....
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֣עַשׂ | vaiyaas | and he made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| בַּדְּבִ֔יר | badevir | in the innermost room | H1687 → | 16 times |
| שְׁנֵ֥י | shenei | two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| כְרוּבִ֖ים | kheruvim | cherubim | H3742 → | 91 times |
| עֲצֵי־ | ʾatzei- | wood<s> of | H6086 → | 328 times |
| שָׁ֑מֶן | shamen | olive | H8081 → | 193 times |
| עֶ֥שֶׂר | ʾeser | [was] ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| אַמּ֖וֹת | ʾamot | cubits | H520 → | 247 times |
| קוֹמָתֽוֹ׃ | komato | height its | H6967 → | 45 times |
וַיַּ֣עַשׂand he made
vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times
בַּדְּבִ֔ירin the innermost room
badevirH1687 →16 times
שְׁנֵ֥יtwo
sheneiH8147 →768 times
כְרוּבִ֖יםcherubim
kheruvimH3742 →91 times
עֲצֵי־wood<s> of
ʾatzei-H6086 →328 times
שָׁ֑מֶןolive
shamenH8081 →193 times
עֶ֥שֶׂר[was] ten
ʾeserH6235 →176 times
אַמּ֖וֹתcubits
ʾamotH520 →247 times
קוֹמָתֽוֹ׃height its
komatoH6967 →45 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 1:12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from…
it leads to
- John 15:26
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
- 1 Corinthians 2:10
But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
- Ephesians 3:10
His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
- Hebrews 11:39–40
These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.
- 1 Peter 1:25
but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
- John 15:26
Through
Genesis 3:24So He drove out the man and stationed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden, along with a whirling sword of flame to guard the way to the tree of life.
it leads to
- Hebrews 1:7
Now about the angels He says: “He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire.”
- Psalms 104:4
He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.
- Exodus 25:18–22
Make two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat,
- Hebrews 1:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Of the Temple of Solomon 1.13.1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.