Useful Bible Studies > 1 Kings Commentary > chapter 7
The temple, God’s house in Jerusalem, did not stand alone. It was one of a series of great buildings that Solomon built during the first half of his rule. The cost of each of these buildings was immense. They were all beautiful and impressive; and each one had a different design, suitable for its purpose. The same workmen who had built the temple, worked on these other buildings too.
They used the same materials: the best wood, stone and metal that it was possible to buy. It astonished even the richest visitors to Jerusalem to see how wonderful these buildings were (10:6-7).
The temple was at the highest place on the hill. Together, we can refer to the other buildings, below it, as the king’s palace. However, the palace was not just one building. It was a series of separate buildings that, together, covered much of the capital city. Of course, most of the buildings were for practical purposes; this was where the king’s servants and his guards lived and worked. The author does not mention those buildings here. He only mentions the truly splendid buildings where the king carried out his work to govern the nation.
Those great buildings were firstly, the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. This building alone was four times the size of the temple in its floor space. Then there was a great hall with columns, about the same size as the temple. The Hall of Judgment was where Solomon had his throne (royal seat) - 1 Kings 10:18-20. Then, there were the royal houses where Solomon and his principal queen lived.
Next part: The Palace of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 7:2-5)
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