Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, July 24th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Good News Translation

1 Kings 6:8

The entrance to the lowest story of the annex was on the south side of the Temple, with stairs leading up to the second and third stories.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Temple;   Thompson Chain Reference - Solomon;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Temple, the First;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Temple;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Temple, Solomon's;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Temple;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Temple of Jerusalem;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - House;   Israel;   Jerusalem;   Palm Tree;   Solomon;   Temple;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Oracle;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Chamber;   Temple;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The door for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the temple. They went up a stairway to the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third.
Hebrew Names Version
The door for the middle side- chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle [story], and out of the middle into the third.
King James Version
The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.
English Standard Version
The entrance for the lowest story was on the south side of the house, and one went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third.
New Century Version
The entrance to the lower rooms beside the Temple was on the south side. From there, stairs went up to the second-floor rooms. And from there, stairs went on to the third-floor rooms.
New English Translation
The entrance to the bottom level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up to the middle floor and then on up to the third floor.
Amplified Bible
The entrance to the lowest side chamber was on the right [or south] side of the house; and they would go up winding stairs to the middle [level], and from the middle to the third.
New American Standard Bible
The doorway for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by a winding staircase to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The doore of the middle chamber was in the right side of the house, & men went vp with winding stayres into the middlemost, and out of the middlemost into the third.
Legacy Standard Bible
The doorway for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.
Contemporary English Version
The entrance to the bottom storage rooms was on the south side of the building, and stairs to the other rooms were also there.
Complete Jewish Bible
The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the house; a spiral staircase went up to the middle floor and on to the third.
Darby Translation
The entrance to the side-chambers of the middle [floor] was in the right side of the house; and they went up by winding stairs into the middle [floor], and out of the middle into the third.
Easy-to-Read Version
The entrance to these rooms was on bottom floor at the south side of the Temple. Inside there were stairs that went up to the second floor and from there to the third floor.
George Lamsa Translation
The door of the middle chamber was on the south side of the house; and it went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.
Lexham English Bible
The doorway of the side room in the middle of the side of the temple was on the south; they went up with a stairway to the middle and from the middle to the third floor.
Literal Translation
The door for the middle side section was in the right side of the house. And they went up with winding stairs into the middle one; and from the middle one into the third.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But on the righte syde of the myddes of the house there was a dore, so yt they might go vp to the myddest stacion by a turne grese, & from the myddest stacion vnto ye thirde.
American Standard Version
The door for the middle side-chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle story, and out of the middle into the third.
Bible in Basic English
The door to the lowest side rooms was in the right side of the house; and they went up by twisting steps into the middle rooms, and from the middle into the third.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The doore of the middle chamber was in the ryght syde of the house: and men went vp with wineding stayres into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The door for the lowest row of chambers was in the right side of the house and they went up by winding stairs into the middle row, and out of the middle into the third.
King James Version (1611)
The doore for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went vp with winding staires into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the porch of the under side was below the right wing of the house, and there was a winding ascent into the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third story.
English Revised Version
The door for the middle side–chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle [chambers], and out of the middle into the third.
Berean Standard Bible
The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The dore of the myddil side was in the wal of the riythalf hows; and bi a vijs thei stieden in to the myddil soler, and fro the myddil soler in to the thridde soler.
Young's Literal Translation
The opening of the middle side [is] at the right shoulder of the house, and with windings they go up on the middle one, and from the middle one unto the third.
Update Bible Version
The entrance for the middle story was on the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle [story], and out of the middle into the third.
Webster's Bible Translation
The door for the middle chamber [was] in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle [chamber], and out of the middle into the third;
World English Bible
The door for the middle side- chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle [story], and out of the middle into the third.
New King James Version
The doorway for the middle story [fn] was on the right side of the temple. They went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.
New Living Translation
The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the Temple. There were winding stairs going up to the second floor, and another flight of stairs between the second and third floors.
New Life Bible
The door for the first floor room was on the right side of the house. They would go up steps to the second floor, and from the second to the third.
New Revised Standard
The entrance for the middle story was on the south side of the house: one went up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The entrance of the lowest story, was on the right side of the house, - and, by winding stairs, went they up unto the middle story , and, out of the middle, into, the third.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The door, for the middle side, was on the right hand of the house: and by winding stairs they went up to the middle room, and from the middle to the third.
Revised Standard Version
The entrance for the lowest story was on the south side of the house; and one went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third.
THE MESSAGE
The entrance to the ground floor was at the south end of The Temple; stairs led to the second floor and then to the third. Solomon built and completed The Temple, finishing it off with roof beams and planks of cedar. The supporting structure along the outside walls was attached to The Temple with cedar beams and the rooms in it were seven and a half feet tall.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The doorway for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

Contextual Overview

1 Four hundred and eighty years after the people of Israel left Egypt, during the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the second month, the month of Ziv, Solomon began work on the Temple. 2 Inside it was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 3 The entrance room was 15 feet deep and 30 feet wide, as wide as the sanctuary itself. 4 The walls of the Temple had openings in them, narrower on the outside than on the inside. 5 Against the outside walls, on the sides and the back of the Temple, a three-storied annex was built, each story 7½ feet high. 6 Each room in the lowest story was 7½ feet wide, in the middle story 9 feet wide, and in the top story 10½ feet wide. The Temple wall on each floor was thinner than on the floor below, so that the rooms could rest on the wall without having their beams built into it. 7 The stones with which the Temple was built had been prepared at the quarry, so that there was no noise made by hammers, axes, or any other iron tools as the Temple was being built. 8 The entrance to the lowest story of the annex was on the south side of the Temple, with stairs leading up to the second and third stories. 9 So King Solomon finished building the Temple. He put in a ceiling made of beams and boards of cedar. 10 The three-storied annex, each story 7½ feet high, was built against the outside walls of the Temple, and was joined to them by cedar beams.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

side: Heb. shoulder

went up: Ezekiel 41:6, Ezekiel 41:7

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 11:2 - in the bedchamber Ezekiel 40:6 - stairs Ezekiel 40:38 - the chambers Ezekiel 42:6 - General Ezekiel 43:17 - look toward

Cross-References

Genesis 6:12
God looked at the world and saw that it was evil, for the people were all living evil lives.
Genesis 6:17
I am going to send a flood on the earth to destroy every living being. Everything on the earth will die,
Genesis 19:19
You have done me a great favor and saved my life. But the hills are too far away; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die before I get there.
Psalms 84:11
The Lord is our protector and glorious king, blessing us with kindness and honor. He does not refuse any good thing to those who do what is right.
Psalms 145:20
He protects everyone who loves him, but he will destroy the wicked.
Proverbs 3:4
If you do this, both God and people will be pleased with you.
Proverbs 8:35
Those who find me find life, and the Lord will be pleased with them.
Proverbs 12:2
The Lord is pleased with good people, but condemns those who plan evil.
Jeremiah 31:2
In the desert I showed mercy to those people who had escaped death. When the people of Israel longed for rest,
Luke 1:30
The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The door of the middle chamber [was] in the right side of the house,.... The south side of it:

and they went up with winding stairs into the middle [chamber]; which were outside the chambers, and which winded about for the sake of taking up less room, and which led up to the door of the middle chamber, on the south of which they went into it; according to the Vulgate Latin and Tigurine versions, they went up in the forth of a cockle, or the shell of a snail; in like manner as was the ascent of the temple of Pan at Alexandria, as Strabo u relates:

and out of the middle into the third; the third chamber, and by winding stairs up to that; and the like might be on the north side, though not expressed, and on the west: the Jews say w, that in the second temple, these winding stairs went from the northeast to the northwest, whereby they went up to the roof of the chambers, and so to the south and west; with this compare Ezekiel 41:7; and which may represent the windings and turnings of God's people in this present state, their many afflictions and tribulations, through which they pass from one state to another.

u Geograph. l. 17. p. 547. w Misn. Middot, c. 4. sect. 5. See Lightfoot's Prospect of the Temple, &c. c. 12. p. 1071.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The door for the middle chamber - i. e., the door which gave access to the mid-most “set of chambers.” The chambers on the ground-floor were possibly reached each by their own door in the outer wall of the lean-to. The middle and upper floors were reached by a single door in the right or south wall, from which a winding staircase ascended to the second tier, while another ascended from the second to the third. The door to the stairs was in the outer wall of the building, not in the wall between the chambers and the temple. That would have desecrated the temple far more than the insertion of beams.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile