2 Chronicles 3:1

“Solomon began to build the house of YHWH in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where he had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had prepared, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”

2 Chronicles 3:1 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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1

Theme · Genesis 22:2

Go to Genesis 22:2

Moriah appears only in these two verses. In Genesis 22:2 it is “the land of Moriah”; in 2 Chronicles 3:1, the mountain in Jerusalem where Solomon built the house of YHWH.

The same term appears in both passages.

  • מּוֹרִיָּהmoriyaH4179מֹּרִיָּהmoriyaH4179“Moriah”

2 Chronicles 3:1, word by word

Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelomo

Solomon

Solomon: son of David and Bathsheba, who reigned after him and built the temple. His name comes from "peace" (shalom).

Where else “shelomo” appears
beganיָּחֶלyachel

begin

To start doing something.

Where else “yachel” appears
to buildבְנוֹתvenot

build

To raise a house, a city or an altar, setting stone on stone.

Where else “venot” appears
the houseבֵּיתbet

temple

The temple: "the house of YHWH".

Where else “bet” appears
of YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears
in Jerusalemירוּשָׁלִַםyrushalaim

Jerusalem

See it on the mapWhere else “yrushalaim” appears
on Mountהַרhar

mountain

A great rise of land, like Sinai or Zion.

Where else “har” appears
Moriahמּוֹרִיָּהmoriya

Moriah

See it on the mapWhere else “moriya” appears
he had appearedנִרְאָהnira

appear

To let oneself be seen: YHWH let Abram see him.

Where else “nira” appears
to Davidדָוִידdavid

David

David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."

Where else “david” appears
his fatherאָבִיavi

father

The man who begets a child and heads his household.

Where else “avi” appears
at the placeמְקוֹםmekom

place

A place, a spot.

Where else “mekom” appears
had preparedהֵכִיןhechin

prepare

To get something set and done beforehand.

Where else “hechin” appears
on the threshing floorגֹרֶןgoren

threshing floor

Threshing floor: flat ground where grain is threshed; also any open, level place.

Where else “goren” appears
of Ornanאָרְנָןarnan

Ornan

Ornan: the Jebusite who owned the threshing floor where David built the altar, at the place where the house of YHWH was later built (2 Chronicles 3:1). In 2 Samuel 24 he is called Araunah.

Where else “arnan” appears
the Jebusiteיְבוּסִיyevusi

Jebusite

Jebusite: a people of Canaan that lived in Jerusalem before David.

Where else “yevusi” appears

Translation note

The Hebrew does not say who appeared to David; the account is in 1 Chronicles 21. The order of the Hebrew words (“that he prepared at the place of David”) is difficult.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

The building of the temple

1 Kings 6:1-38

An account told more fully or more briefly in one of the books.

See them side by side

2 Chronicles 3:1-14

1Solomon began to build the house of YHWH in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where he had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had prepared, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2He began to build in the second month, on the second day, in the fourth year of his reign. 3These are the measures with which Solomon laid the foundations for building the house of Elohim: the length, in cubits of the old measure, was sixty cubits, and the width twenty cubits. 4The portico that was at the front, along the length, across the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it inside with pure gold. 5The great house he covered with cypress wood, and covered it with good gold, and put on it palm trees and chains. 6He overlaid the house with precious stone for beauty; and the gold was gold of Parvaim. 7He covered the house —the beams, the thresholds, its walls and its doors— with gold, and he engraved cherubim on the walls. 8He made the house of the Most Holy Place: its length, across the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits; and he covered it with good gold, amounting to six hundred talents. 9The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And the upper rooms he covered with gold. 10He made in the house of the Most Holy Place two cherubim, a work of sculpture, and they overlaid them with gold. 11The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in length: the wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house; and the other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub. 12And the wing of the one cherub, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house; and the other wing, of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the other cherub. 13The wings of these cherubim spread out twenty cubits; and they stood on their feet, with their faces toward the house. 14He made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and put on it cherubim.

1 Kings 6:1-38

1And it happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the going out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, in the fourth year in the month of Ziv, that is the second month, of Solomon’s reign over Israel, that he built the house for YHWH. 2And the house that King Solomon built for YHWH — sixty cubits was its length, and twenty its width, and thirty cubits its height. 3And the portico in front of the temple of the house: twenty cubits was its length, along the width of the house; ten cubits was its width in front of the house. 4And he made for the house windows with closed frames. 5And he built against the wall of the house an annex all around, against the walls of the house all around the temple and the inner sanctuary; and he made side chambers all around. 6The lower annex was five cubits wide, and the middle one six cubits wide, and the third seven cubits wide; for he had put offsets on the house all around on the outside, so as not to fasten into the walls of the house. 7And the house, when it was built, was built of whole stone from the quarry; and hammer or axe, any tool of iron, was not heard in the house while it was being built. 8The entrance of the middle side chamber was on the right side of the house; and by spiral stairs they went up to the middle one, and from the middle one to the third. 9So he built the house and finished it, and he roofed the house with coffers and rows of cedar. 10And he built the annex against all the house, five cubits its height, and it fastened onto the house with timbers of cedar. 11And the word of YHWH came to Solomon, saying, 12“As for this house that you are building, if you walk in my statutes and put into practice my rules and keep all my commandments by walking in them, then I will confirm my word with you that I spoke to David your father; 13and I will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel, and I will not abandon my people Israel.” 14So Solomon built the house and finished it. 15And he built the walls of the house on the inside with boards of cedar; from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling he overlaid them with wood on the inside; and he overlaid the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16And he built the twenty cubits at the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the walls; and he built them for it on the inside as an inner sanctuary, as the Most Holy Place. 17And forty cubits was the house, that is the temple in front. 18And the cedar of the house inside had carvings of gourds and open flowers; all was cedar; no stone was seen. 19And the inner sanctuary in the midst of the house on the inside he prepared, to put there the ark of the covenant of YHWH. 20And the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits its height; and he overlaid it with fine gold; and he overlaid an altar of cedar. 21And Solomon overlaid the house on the inside with fine gold; and he drew chains of gold across the front of the inner sanctuary and overlaid it with gold. 22And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished; and the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold. 23And he made in the inner sanctuary two cherubim of olive wood, ten cubits was its height. 24And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: ten cubits from the tip of its wings to the tip of its wings.

Places in this verse

JerusalemMoriah?
Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.
  • 1Jerusalem

    Today: Old City of Jerusalem

    A city in the hills of Judea, about 22 miles (35 km) west of the Dead Sea and 35 miles (55 km) east of the Mediterranean.

    David took it and made it his city (2 Sam 5:7); Solomon built the temple there (1 Kgs 8:1). Jesus was presented there, and the apostles' witness began from it (Luke 2:22; Acts 1:8).

    2 Samuel 5:61 Kings 8:1Luke 2:22Acts 1:8

  • 2Moriah ?

    Today: disputed; traditionally the Temple Mount, Jerusalem

    A land or mountain in the Jerusalem region; exactly which one is not certain.

    God told Abraham to go to Moriah to offer Isaac, and stopped his hand (Gen 22:2, 12). Later Solomon built the temple on Mount Moriah (2 Chr 3:1).

    Genesis 22:22 Chronicles 3:1

The context

1 · This verse (above)

2He began to build in the second month, on the second day, in the fourth year of his reign.

Read all of 2 Chronicles 3

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