2 Chronicles Chapter 3

At a Glance

  • 2 CHRONICLES CHAPTER 3.
  • 2 Chronicles 3 is the temple-building chapter, detailing Solomon’s work on the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah.
  • The most holy place is characterized by cherubim, gold, and precise measurements—an image of divine majesty and holiness.
  • The chapter ends with a focus on sanctifying space—the most holy room, the cherubim’s wings, and the inner sanctum—signaling access to God’s presence through worship.
  • Historical & Literary Context.

2 CHRONICLES CHAPTER 3

Chapter Overview

2 Chronicles 3 is the temple-building chapter, detailing Solomon’s work on the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. The chapter moves from the logistics of construction to the precise architectural specifications that bring the sacred space to life. The porch, the inner sanctuary, the gold overlay, cherubim imagery, and the precise weights and dimensions underscore the sacred exactness with which God’s dwelling place is to be prepared.

The most holy place is characterized by cherubim, gold, and precise measurements—an image of divine majesty and holiness. The careful description communicates that God’s presence is not casual decoration but a profound cosmic reality that requires reverent design. The chronology ties Solomon’s craftsmanship to the covenantal purpose: this house will be the locus for sacrifice, worship, and the administration of God’s covenant with his people.

The chapter ends with a focus on sanctifying space—the most holy room, the cherubim’s wings, and the inner sanctum—signaling access to God’s presence through worship. The overall arc reaffirms that the temple is both a dwelling place for God and a stage for the people’s worship life, a space where heaven touches earth and the people meet with their God.

Historical & Literary Context

Date and setting: Part of the early temple-building narrative, aligning with the broader motif of temple-centric worship in Chronicles.

Genre: Detailed architectural description combined with liturgical purpose; it serves to sanctify the temple in the reader’s imagination.

Placement within the book: This chapter follows the organizational and diplomatic groundwork and precedes the temple’s dedication. It is the technical and aesthetic culmination of the temple project.

Key Themes

- Sacred space as a meeting point with God

- Holiness and meticulous attention to divine instruction

- The fusion of artistry and reverence in worship

- The temple as the center of covenant life

- Divine presence as the ultimate goal of worship infrastructure

Modern Application

- Sacred design and reverence: Modern worship spaces benefit from intentional design that invites reverence rather than mere usefulness.

- Attention to worship details: The emphasis on precise measurements can translate into careful planning for liturgy, ritual, and community rhythm.

- Holiness and accessibility: Balancing beauty with a sense of divine holiness challenges contemporary churches to create spaces that honor God while welcoming people into worship.

- The place matters: Recognizing that space shapes spiritual experience can influence how communities invest in places of gathering and mission.

- Exodus 25-31 (tabernacle blueprints and symbolism)

- 1 Kings 6-7 (Solomon’s temple details)

- 2 Chronicles 5-7 (dedication and divine presence)

- Psalm 132 (temple imagery and divine favor)

Recommended Personas

- Solomon (for architectural imagination and leadership)

- Moses (for covenant worship and divine instruction)

- Jesus (for fulfillment of temple imagery)

- Paul (for the body as temple metaphor)

Chapter Text

1

Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

2

And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

3

Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.

4

And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

5

And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.

6

And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.

7

He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls.

8

And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.

9

And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

10

And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold.

11

And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.

12

And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.

13

The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.

14

And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.

15

Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

16

And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.

17

And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

Discuss This Chapter with Biblical Personas

Explore 2 Chronicles Chapter 3 with Biblical figures who can provide unique perspectives grounded in Scripture.

Ask Apostle PaulAsk MosesAsk King DavidAsk Jesus Christ
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