The big picture
2 Chronicles 3 opens in verse 1 with “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 9 with “And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper…”, and closes in verse 17 with “And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on…” Repeated or prominent terms include cubits, house, gold, twenty, five. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
2 Chronicles · King James Version · 172 Chronicles 3:1-6
1–6: Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount…
2 Chronicles 3:1–6 opens with “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the \+nd…” and reaches “And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Chronicles 3 develops its own movement around cubits, house, gold, twenty, five, with particular weight carried by house, cubits, gold.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the \+nd Lord\+nd appeared unto…” Naming David and Jebusite keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.” The line’s distinctive content terms include second, began, build. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.
2 Chronicles 3:1-6
King James Version1Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the \+nd Lord\+nd appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
2And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.
3Now 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.
4And 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.
5And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.
6And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.
2 Chronicles 3:7-12
7–12: He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof…
2 Chronicles 3:7–12 opens with “He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof…” and reaches “And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Chronicles 3 develops its own movement around cubits, house, gold, twenty, five, with particular weight carried by cubits, house, wing.
Context that brings the passage to life
“He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved…” The line’s distinctive content terms include walls, beams, cherubims. Its relationship to verses 8 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the…” The number twenty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
2 Chronicles 3:7-12
King James Version7He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls.
8And 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.
9And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.
10And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold.
11And 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.
12And 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.
2 Chronicles 3:13-17
13–17: The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and…
2 Chronicles 3:13–17 opens with “The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their…” and reaches “And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on 2 Chronicles 3 develops its own movement around cubits, house, gold, twenty, five, with particular weight carried by cubits, pillars, chains.
Context that brings the passage to life
“The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were…” The number twenty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
2 Chronicles 3:13-17
King James Version13The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.
14And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.
15Also 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.
16And 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.
17And 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
2 Chronicles 3:1 begins with “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the \+nd Lord\+nd appeared unto David his father, in the place that…”
Where the chapter turns
2 Chronicles 3:3 forms a natural hinge: “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…”
The final note
2 Chronicles 3:17 leaves the reader with “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…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words cubits, house, gold, twenty, five, overlaid help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How does blame move through the conversation?
The man points to the woman and indirectly to God; the woman points to the serpent. Neither response repairs trust.
Where does mercy appear?
Continued life, the promise involving offspring, and clothing accompany the expulsion.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.