1 Kings 6:17
New International Version
The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long.

New Living Translation
The main room of the Temple, outside the Most Holy Place, was 60 feet long.

English Standard Version
The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long.

Berean Standard Bible
And the main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long.

Berean Literal Bible
And forty by the cubit was the sanctuary; it is the house before it.

King James Bible
And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.

New King James Version
And in front of it the temple sanctuary was forty cubits long.

New American Standard Bible
The house, that is, the main room in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long.

NASB 1995
The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long.

NASB 1977
And the house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long.

Amplified Bible
The [rest of the] house, that is, the temple in front of the Holy of Holies, was forty cubits long.

Berean Annotated Bible
And the main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long <60 ft / 18.3 m>.

Christian Standard Bible
The temple, that is, the sanctuary in front of the most holy place, was sixty feet long.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The temple, that is, the sanctuary in front of the most holy place, was 60 feet long.

American Standard Version
And the house, that is, the temple before the oracle, was forty cubits long.

Contemporary English Version
The temple's main room was 18 meters long, and it was in front of the most holy place.

English Revised Version
And the house, that is, the temple before the oracle, was forty cubits long.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The 60-foot-long room at the front of the temple served as the main hall.

Good News Translation
The room in front of the Most Holy Place was 60 feet long.

International Standard Version
The rest of the main nave in the front was 40 cubits long.

NET Bible
The main hall in front of the inner sanctuary was 60 feet long.

New Heart English Bible
In front of the temple sanctuary was sixty-eight feet and eleven inches.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
And the main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long.

World English Bible
In front of the temple sanctuary was forty cubits long.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And [this area of] the house was forty by the cubit; it [is the area of] the temple before My face.

Berean Literal Bible
And forty by the cubit was the sanctuary; it is the house before it.

Young's Literal Translation
And forty by the cubit was the house, it is the temple before it.

Smith's Literal Translation
And forty by the cubit was the house; it the temple before.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the temple itself before the doors of the oracle was forty cubits long.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the temple itself, before the doors of the oracle, was forty cubits.

New American Bible
The house was forty cubits long, that is, the nave, the part in front.

New Revised Standard Version
The house, that is, the nave in front of the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the house, that is, the inner sanctuary, was forty cubits long.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The house was forty cubits, that is, the inner temple.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the house, that is, the temple before [the Sanctuary], was forty cubits long.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the temple was forty cubits in extent,

Additional Translations ...



Context
The Temple's Interior
16He partitioned off the twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 17 And the main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long. 18The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen.…

Cross References
And the main hall

2 Chronicles 3:4
The portico at the front, extending across the width of the temple, was twenty cubits long and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold.

Ezekiel 40:48
Then he brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the side pillars of the portico to be five cubits on each side. The width of the gateway was fourteen cubits and its sidewalls were three cubits on either side.
in front of this room

Exodus 26:33
And hang the veil from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the veil. So the veil will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

Hebrews 9:2
A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.

Hebrews 9:3
Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,
was forty cubits long

Ezekiel 41:2
The width of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on each side. He also measured the length of the outer sanctuary to be forty cubits, and the width to be twenty cubits.

2 Chronicles 3:3
The foundation that Solomon laid for the house of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide, according to the old standard.
2 Chronicles 3:5-7
He paneled the main room with cypress, which he overlaid with fine gold and decorated with palm trees and chains. / He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and its gold was from Parvaim. / He overlaid its beams, thresholds, walls, and doors with gold, and he carved cherubim on the walls.

1 Kings 8:6-8
Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim. / For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles. / The poles extended far enough that their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.

2 Chronicles 5:7-9
Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim. / For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles. / The poles of the ark extended far enough that their ends were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.

Exodus 25:8-9
And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. / You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you.

1 Kings 7:48-50
Solomon also made all the furnishings for the house of the LORD: the golden altar; the golden table on which was placed the Bread of the Presence; / the lampstands of pure gold in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right side and five on the left; the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs; / the pure gold basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, ladles, and censers; and the gold hinges for the doors of the inner temple (that is, the Most Holy Place) as well as for the doors of the main hall of the temple.

2 Chronicles 4:19-22
Solomon also made all the furnishings for the house of God: the golden altar; the tables on which was placed the Bread of the Presence; / the lampstands of pure gold and their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed; / the flowers, lamps, and tongs of gold—of purest gold; …

Exodus 40:20-21
Moses took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attaching the poles to the ark; and he set the mercy seat atop the ark. / Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the veil for the screen, and shielded off the ark of the Testimony, just as the LORD had commanded him.

1 Kings 8:10-11
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD / so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud. For the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 7:1-2
When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. / The priests were unable to enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled it.


Treasury of Scripture

And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.

Jump to Previous
Cubit Cubits Forty Front Hall Holy House Inner Main Nave Oracle Room Sanctuary Temple
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Cubit Cubits Forty Front Hall Holy House Inner Main Nave Oracle Room Sanctuary Temple
1 Kings 6
1. The building of Solomon's temple
5. The chambers thereof
11. God's promise unto it
15. The ceiling and adorning of it
23. The cherubim
31. The doors
36. The court
37. The time of building it












And the main hall

The main hall, or nave, formed the central chamber of Solomon’s Temple where priests carried out their regular service before the entrance to the inner sanctuary. Its design followed the pattern of the tabernacle, now established in a permanent house for the worship of the God of Israel.

2Ch 3:4 The portico at the front, extending across the width…
Ezk 40:48 Then he brought me to the portico of the temple…

in front of this room

The main hall stood before the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, where the ark of the covenant was kept. The arrangement emphasized the holiness of God’s dwelling place and the restricted access to the innermost room, entered only by the high priest on the Day of Atonement.

Exo 26:33 And hang the veil from the clasps and place…
Heb 9:2 A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were…
Heb 9:3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy…

was forty cubits long.

At about sixty feet long, the hall provided a substantial space for priestly ministry within the temple. Its precise dimensions reflected the ordered construction God required for the house built in Jerusalem.

Ezk 41:2 The width of the entrance was ten cubits,…
2Ch 3:3 The foundation that Solomon laid for the house of God…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
The king of Israel who was responsible for building the temple. His reign is marked by wisdom and prosperity, and the construction of the temple is one of his most significant achievements.

2. The Temple
The temple in Jerusalem, also known as Solomon's Temple, was the first temple built for the worship of Yahweh. It served as the central place of worship for the Israelites.

3. The Inner Sanctuary (Holy of Holies)
The most sacred part of the temple, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. It symbolized God's presence among His people.

4. The Main Hall (Nave)
The larger room in front of the inner sanctuary, used for various temple rituals and activities. It was a place of gathering and worship.

5. Jerusalem
The city where the temple was built, serving as the political and spiritual center of Israel.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Worship
The temple's construction emphasizes the centrality of worship in the life of God's people. Worship should be a priority in our lives, reflecting our reverence and devotion to God.

God's Presence
The inner sanctuary symbolizes God's presence among His people. As believers, we are called to be aware of and cherish God's presence in our lives.

Attention to Detail
The specific dimensions and design of the temple highlight the importance of attention to detail in our service to God. We should strive for excellence in all we do for Him.

Legacy of Faith
Solomon's temple was a lasting legacy of faith and obedience. We are encouraged to consider the legacy we are building through our faith and actions.

Symbolism and Fulfillment
The temple foreshadows the coming of Christ, who is the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to dwell with His people. We are reminded of the greater reality of Christ's presence in our lives.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of 1 Kings 6:17?

2. How does 1 Kings 6:17 reflect Solomon's dedication to God's temple construction?

3. What significance does the temple's inner sanctuary hold in biblical worship practices?

4. How does the temple's design in 1 Kings 6:17 connect to Exodus instructions?

5. How can we prioritize God's presence in our lives, like Solomon's temple focus?

6. What lessons from Solomon's temple construction can we apply to church building today?

7. What is the significance of the dimensions of the inner sanctuary in 1 Kings 6:17?

8. How does 1 Kings 6:17 reflect Solomon's priorities in building the temple?

9. What does 1 Kings 6:17 reveal about ancient Israelite worship practices?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Kings 6?


Verse 17. - And the house, that is, the temple before it [or, the anterior temple. The portion of the structure before the oracle is sometimes called, as here, "the house;" sometimes (as in ver, 5) "the temple; sometimes (as in ver. 4) "the temple of the house;" or, as here again, "the front temple," לִפְנַי is supposed to be an adjective formed from לִפְנֵי. Thenius, however, supposes that דְּבִיר (oracle) has fallen out of the text. Our author now describes the division of the building into holy and most holy place] was forty cubits long.

1 Kings 6:17 situates the forty-cubit main hall directly before the Most Holy Place, revealing God’s carefully ordered house: an inviting yet reverent space where ministry happens daily, preparation precedes deeper communion, and every dimension testifies to His holiness, accessibility, and faithfulness to the pattern He Himself ordained.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And the main hall
הַהֵיכָ֥ל (ha·hê·ḵāl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1964: A large public building, palace, temple

in front of [this room]
לִפְנָֽי׃ (lip̄·nāy)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440: The face

was
הָיָ֣ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

forty
וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים (wə·’ar·bā·‘îm)
Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural
Strong's 705: Forty

cubits [long].
בָּאַמָּ֖ה (bā·’am·māh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 520: A mother, a cubit, a door-base


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OT History: 1 Kings 6:17 The house that is the temple before (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)

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