Lectionary Calendar
Monday, December 22nd, 2025
the Fourth Week of Advent
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

1 Kings 6:20

This sanctuary was thirty-five feet long, wide and high; and it was overlaid with pure gold. In front of it he set an altar, which he covered with cedar.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Altar;   Gold;   Temple;   Thompson Chain Reference - Solomon;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Holy of Holies;   Temple, the First;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - New Jerusalem;   Revelation, Theology of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Altar;   Cedar;   Gold;   Oracle;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Gold;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Art and Aesthetics;   Temple of Jerusalem;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Altar;   Israel;   Jerusalem;   Palm Tree;   Shewbread;   Solomon;   Temple;   Text, Versions, and Languages of Ot;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - House (2);   New Jerusalem;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Oracle;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Tabernacle, the;   Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Altar;   Forepart;   Gold;   Goldsmith;   Incense;   Shewbread, Table of;   Temple;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Altar;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Incense;   Metals;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The interior of the sanctuary was thirty feet long, thirty feet wide, and thirty feet high; he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the cedar altar.
Hebrew Names Version
Within the oracle was [a space of] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height of it; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.
King James Version
And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
English Standard Version
The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid an altar of cedar.
New Century Version
This inner room was thirty feet long, thirty feet wide, and thirty feet high. He covered this room with pure gold, and he also covered the altar of cedar.
New English Translation
The inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold, as well as the cedar altar.
Amplified Bible
The Holy of Holies was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height (a cube), and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the cedar altar [with gold].
New American Standard Bible
The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height; and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also paneled the altar with cedar.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the place of the oracle within was twentie cubites long, and twentie cubites broad, and twentie cubites hie, and hee couered it with pure golde, and couered the altar with cedar.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the altar with cedar.
Contemporary English Version
This room was thirty feet long, thirty feet wide, and thirty feet high, and it was lined with pure gold. There were also gold chains across the front of the most holy place. The inside of the temple, as well as the cedar altar in the most holy place, was covered with gold.
Darby Translation
And the oracle within was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure gold; and he overlaid the cedar-wood altar—
Easy-to-Read Version
This room was 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 20 cubits high. Solomon covered this room with pure gold. He also covered the cedar altar with gold.
George Lamsa Translation
And the length of the holy place was twenty cubits, and the breadth was twenty cubits, and the height was twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with pure gold; and he covered the altar with gold.
Good News Translation
This inner room was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high, all covered with pure gold. The altar was covered with cedar panels.
Lexham English Bible
In front, the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold and covered the altar with cedar.
Literal Translation
And the face of the Holy of Holies was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in height. And he overlaid it with refined gold, and overlaid the altar with cedar.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And before the quere (which was twentye cubites longe, twentye cubytes brode, and twentye cubytes hye, and ouerlayed with pure golde) he syled the altare with Ceder.
American Standard Version
And within the oracle was a space of twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.
Bible in Basic English
And the inmost room was twenty cubits square and twenty cubits high, plated over with clear gold, and he made an altar of cedar-wood, plating it with gold.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the quier before was twentie cubites long, & twentie cubites in breadth, and twentie cubites in height: And he couered it with pure golde, and boorded the aulter with Cedar.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And before the Sanctuary which was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof, overlaid with pure gold, he set an altar, which he covered with cedar.
King James Version (1611)
And the Oracle in the forepart, was twenty cubits in length and twentie cubites in breadth, and twentie cubites in the height thereof: and hee ouerlayd it with pure golde, and so couered the Altar which was of Cedar.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and a chamber over both the pillars, and above the sides an addition equal to the chamber in width.
English Revised Version
And within the oracle was [a space of] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.
Berean Standard Bible
The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli Goddis answeryng place hadde twenti cubitis of lengthe, and twenti cubitis of breede, and twenti cubitis of hiyte; and he hilide, and clothide it with pureste gold; but also he clothide the auter with cedre.
Young's Literal Translation
And before the oracle [is] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits [is] its height; and he overlayeth it with gold refined, and overlayeth the altar with cedar.
Update Bible Version
And in front of the oracle was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the oracle in the forepart [was] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the hight of it, and he overlaid it with pure gold; and [so] covered the altar [which was of] cedar.
World English Bible
Within the oracle was [a space of] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height of it; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.
New King James Version
The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid it with pure gold, and overlaid the altar of cedar.
New Living Translation
This inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with solid gold. He also overlaid the altar made of cedar.
New Life Bible
The most holy place was as long as ten long steps, as wide as ten long steps, and more than five times taller than a man. He covered it with pure gold. And he covered the altar with cedar.
New Revised Standard
The interior of the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high; he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the altar with cedar.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the interior of the shrine, was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid it, with pure gold, - and overlaid the altar with cedar.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the oracle was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in height. And he covered it, and overlaid it with most pure gold. And the altar also he covered with cedar.
Revised Standard Version
The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high; and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also made an altar of cedar.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the altar with cedar.

Contextual Overview

15 The insides of the walls of the house he built with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the joists of the ceiling he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16 The thirty-five-foot back portion of the house he built with boards of cedar from the floor to the joists and reserved this part of the house to be a sanctuary, the Especially Holy Place; 17 while the rest of the house, that is, the temple in front, was seventy feet long. 18 The cedar covering the house was carved with gourds and open flowers; all was cedar; no stone was visible. 19 In the inner part of the house he set up the sanctuary, so that the ark for the covenant of Adonai could be placed there. 20 This sanctuary was thirty-five feet long, wide and high; and it was overlaid with pure gold. In front of it he set an altar, which he covered with cedar. 21 Shlomo overlaid the interior of the house with pure gold and had chains of gold placed before the sanctuary, which itself he overlaid with gold. 22 The entire house he overlaid with gold until it was completely covered with it. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the sanctuary. 23 Inside the sanctuary he made two k'ruvim of olive-wood, each seventeen-and-a-half feet high. 24 Each of the two wings of one of the k'ruvim was eight-and-three quarters feet long, so that the distance from the end of one wing to the end of the other was seventeen-and-a-half feet.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

twenty cubits: 1 Kings 6:2, 1 Kings 6:3

pure: Heb. shut up

the altar: 1 Kings 6:22, 1 Kings 7:48, Exodus 30:1-3

Reciprocal: Exodus 25:11 - General Exodus 25:24 - General 1 Kings 5:6 - cedar trees 1 Kings 6:16 - built them 2 Chronicles 3:7 - overlaid 2 Chronicles 3:8 - the most holy 2 Chronicles 29:16 - the inner part Ezekiel 41:4 - twenty cubits Ezekiel 41:22 - altar Haggai 2:8 - General Revelation 21:21 - pure

Cross-References

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them: God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth."
Genesis 2:19
So from the ground Adonai , God, formed every wild animal and every bird that flies in the air, and he brought them to the person to see what he would call them. Whatever the person would call each living creature, that was to be its name.
Genesis 6:8
But Noach found grace in the sight of Adonai . Haftarah B'resheet: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 42:5–43:10 (A); 42:5–21 (S) B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah B'resheet: Mattityahu (Matthew) 1:1–17; 19:3–9; Mark 10:1–12; Luke 3:23–38; Yochanan (John) 1:1–18; 1 Corinthians 6:15–20; 15:35–58; Romans 5:12–21; Ephesians 5:21–32; Colossians 1:14–17; 1 Timothy 2:11–15; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 1:1–3; 3:7–4:11; 11:1–7; 2 Kefa (2 Peter) 3:3–14; Revelation 21:1–5; 22:1–5 Here is the history of Noach. In his generation, Noach was a man righteous and wholehearted; Noach walked with God. Noach fathered three sons, Shem, Ham and Yefet. The earth was corrupt before God, the earth was filled with violence. God saw the earth, and, yes, it was corrupt; for all living beings had corrupted their ways on the earth. God said to Noach, "The end of all living beings has come before me, for because of them the earth is filled with violence. I will destroy them along with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gofer-wood; you are to make the ark with rooms and cover it with pitch both outside and inside. Here is how you are to build it: the length of the ark is to be 450 feet, its width seventy-five feet and its height forty-five feet. You are to make an opening for daylight in the ark eighteen inches below its roof. Put a door in its side; and build it with lower, second and third decks. "Then I myself will bring the flood of water over the earth to destroy from under heaven every living thing that breathes; everything on earth will be destroyed. But I will establish my covenant with you; you will come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your sons' wives with you. "From everything living, from each kind of living being, you are to bring two into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they are to be male and female. Of each kind of bird, each kind of livestock, and each kind of animal creeping on the ground, two are to come to you, so that they can be kept alive. Also take from all the kinds of food that are eaten, and collect it for yourself; it is to be food for you and for them." This is what Noach did; he did all that God ordered him to do.
Genesis 6:11
The earth was corrupt before God, the earth was filled with violence.
Genesis 6:12
God saw the earth, and, yes, it was corrupt; for all living beings had corrupted their ways on the earth.
Genesis 6:16
You are to make an opening for daylight in the ark eighteen inches below its roof. Put a door in its side; and build it with lower, second and third decks.
Genesis 6:20
Of each kind of bird, each kind of livestock, and each kind of animal creeping on the ground, two are to come to you, so that they can be kept alive.
John 5:40
but you won't come to me in order to have life!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the oracle in the forepart,.... Which stood in the forepart of the temple, before a man's face as he entered into it, and went on; or the forepart of the holy of holies, next to the holy place, was of the dimensions as follows, when the back part of it might be higher at least, and be equal to the holy place, even thirty feet; the forepart being lower, and left open to let in the light of the candlesticks, and the smoke of the incense, out of the holy place: this

[was] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and was a perfect square, and as the most holy place may be an emblem of the church triumphant, it may denote the perfection of its heavenly state; so the new Jerusalem is a foursquare, Revelation 21:16;

and he overlaid it with pure gold; make it rich, glorious, and magnificent, and may denote the glory of the heavenly state, Revelation 21:21; and so Florus z, the Roman historian, calls it the golden heaven, as it were, into which Pompey went, and saw the great secret of the Jewish nation, the ark:

and [so] covered the altar [which was of] cedar; the altar of incense, which is here mentioned, because it was near the most holy place, 1 Kings 6:22; this altar by Moses was made of shittim wood, but Solomon's was of cedar it seems; unless, as the words will bear to be rendered, "he covered the altar with cedar" a; though made of shittim wood, it had a covering of cedar over it; or if of stone, such a covering was on it, that it might better receive the gold which was afterwards put upon it.

z De Gest. Roman. l. 3. c. 5. a יצף ארז "operuit cedro", Montanus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The fore part - Perhaps “the interior.”

And so covered ... - Rather, “and he covered the altar (of incense) with cedar.” The altar was doubtless of stone, and was covered with cedar in preparation for the overlaying with gold. This overlaying was not gilding, but the attachment of thin plates of gold, which had to be fastened on with small nails. Such a mode of ornamentation was common in Babylonia, in Assyria, and in Media.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile