Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

THE TEMPLE WAS FINISHED AFTER SEVEN YEARS

"In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Jehovah laid, in the month Ziv. In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it."

We are passing all of this chapter with very little comment. No engineer could build it from the dimensions and instructions given here, and the wisest scholars have never agreed on the various details, but the view of this writer is that they simply are lacking of any vital Christian interest. It was an extravagantly costly and beautiful structure, but that ancient Temple carries no mandate whatever for the people of God in the twentieth century.

This writer was privileged to lead in building a church house in the heart of Manhattan, and the average cost per workman per day was about $100.00. On that basis, if we calculate the cost of Solomon's Temple on the basis of the labor alone during a period of seven and one-half years, at present day rates, the labor alone would have amounted to more than $28,000,000,000.00! And that says nothing of the pure gold!

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid,.... The fourth year of Solomon's reign:

in the month Zif; See Gill on 1 Kings 6:1.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

1 Kings 6:37, 1 Kings 6:38. The time taken to build it.

In the fourth year was the foundation laid — The building was begun in the second month of the fourth year and completed in the eighth month of the eleventh year of Solomon‘s reign, comprising a period of seven and a half years, which is reckoned here in round numbers. It was not a very large, but a very splendid building, requiring great care, and ingenuity, and division of labor. The immense number of workmen employed, together with the previous preparation of the materials, serves to account for the short time occupied in the process of building.

Scofield's Reference Notes

Zif

Second month, i.e. May.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

1 Kings 6:37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif:

Ver. 37. In the fourth year,] sc., Of Solomon’s reign. See 1 Kings 6:1.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

37.The month Zif — See on 1 Kings 6:1.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Zif. The second month.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif:

In the fourth year was the foundation ... laid. Josephus says ('Antiquities,' b. 8:, ch. 4:, sec. 9) that the summit of the mount was leveled with incredible labour, in order that the lower parts might be raised 400 cubits, to the same height with the top of the hill upon which the temple was to stand. The building was begun in the second month of the fourth year, and completed in the eighth month of the eleventh year of Solomon's reign, comprising a period of seven and a half years, which is reckoned here in round numbers. It was not a very large, but a very splendid building, requiring great care, and ingenuity, and division of labour. The immense number of workmen employed, together with the previous preparation of the materials, serves to account for the short time occupied in the process of building.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(37) Zif (the “brightness of flowers”) corresponds to about May;

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1; 2 Chronicles 3:2; Among chronologists there is a great diversity of opinion respecting the time of the building of the temple. The Septuagint has 440; years; Glycas, 330; Josephus and Moeslinus, 592; Melchius Canus, 590; Sulpicius Severus, 588; Clemens Alexandrinus, 570; Cedrenus, 672; Codomus, 598; Vossius and Capellus, 580; Serarius, 680; Nicholas Abraham, 527; Petavius and Valtherus, 520. After all, that in the common Hebrew text is more likely to the true one, than any of the others.