Question 1

What is meant by the four hundred and eightieth year after Israel left Egypt?

Accepted Answer

The four hundred and eightieth year marks the time between God bringing Israel out of Egypt and Solomon beginning to build the temple. It shows that God’s plan moved slowly but surely. During those years Israel went through the wilderness, entered the land, lived under judges, and then had kings. The careful dating reminds us that this temple did not appear suddenly, but came after many years of God leading, correcting, and settling his people in the land he had promised.

Question 2

Why did Solomon begin building the house of the Lord in the month Zif?

Accepted Answer

The month Zif was the second month of the year, roughly our late spring. It was a good time for building work, with better weather and longer days. By the fourth year of his reign, Solomon had dealt with early troubles and had time and resources ready for this project. The timing shows order and planning. God was not in a hurry for a grand building, but when the time was right and the king was settled, the work on the house of the Lord began.

Question 3

What were the basic measurements of the house Solomon built for the Lord?

Accepted Answer

The main part of the house of the Lord was about sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. A cubit was roughly the length from a man’s elbow to the tip of his fingers. The length included the holy place and the most holy place together. These clear measurements show that God’s house was not random but carefully planned, fitting for ordered worship. The size was larger than the old tent they had used before, fitting a nation that had grown and become settled.

Question 4

What was the porch in front of the temple, and how big was it?

Accepted Answer

The porch stood in front of the main temple building, on the east side. Its length was twenty cubits, matching the width of the house, so it stretched right across the front. Its breadth out from the front of the house was ten cubits. This porch formed an entrance area before you reached the larger inside rooms. It marked the move from the outside world into the space set apart for God’s worship. The porch helped show that drawing near to God was not casual but a step into holy ground.

Question 5

What are “windows of narrow lights” in the house of the Lord?

Accepted Answer

The “windows of narrow lights” were small, shaped openings made for the temple. The wording suggests they were narrow on the outside and wider on the inside, or had shutters that could be opened and shut. This design let in some light while still guarding the inside from weather and outside eyes. Some readers picture these windows in the main holy area, while others think the innermost room had no windows. In any case, the windows show that light entered, but in a controlled, modest way.

Question 6

Why are the temple’s details like measurements and windows recorded so carefully?

Accepted Answer

These details show that God’s worship was not left to guesswork. The temple was built with clear size, shape, and features, fitting what God had already shown for his dwelling place. The careful record also lets later readers see that this was a real building in a real time, not a vague story. It reminds us that God cares about how his people worship him, not only about good feelings. Order, care, and obedience marked the way this house was planned and built.

Question 7

What does this passage show about God’s plan for Israel’s worship?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God moved his people from a movable tent to a fixed house for his name. For many years they worshiped in a simple tent, and God was content with that. Only after they were settled in the land, and after many generations, did he allow a stone temple to be built. The timing and care in building show that worship was meant to be steady, ordered, and centered on God’s presence, not on human pride. The temple was for God’s honour, not just a display of royal power.

Question 8

How is this temple different from the tabernacle Israel used before?

Accepted Answer

Earlier, Israel had a tent for worship that could be taken down and carried as they moved. Here, the house of the Lord is a permanent structure with larger measurements. The temple is about twice as long and wide and much higher than the old tent. This matches Israel’s move from wandering to living firmly in the land. The change shows not that God changed, but that the form of worship grew as the people grew in number and stability, while still following God’s pattern for his dwelling place.

1 Kings 6:1

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

Temple Construction Begins

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1 Kings 6:1

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

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Temple Construction Begins

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