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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>2 Chronicles 3:4 The portico at the front, extending across the width of the temple, was twenty cubits long and twenty cubits high. 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He overlaid the inside with pure gold. <a href="/nlt/2_chronicles/3.htm">New Living Translation</a> The entry room at the front of the Temple was 30 feet wide, running across the entire width of the Temple, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. <a href="/esv/2_chronicles/3.htm">English Standard Version</a> The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and its height was 120 cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. <a href="/bsb/2_chronicles/3.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a> The portico at the front, extending across the width of the temple, was twenty cubits long and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. <a href="/kjv/2_chronicles/3.htm">King James Bible</a> 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. <a href="/nkjv/2_chronicles/3.htm">New King James Version</a> And the vestibule that was in front of the sanctuary was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was one hundred and twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. <a href="/nasb_/2_chronicles/3.htm">New American Standard Bible</a> The porch which was in front of the house was as long as the width of the house, twenty cubits, and the height twenty; and inside he overlaid it with pure gold. <a href="/nasb/2_chronicles/3.htm">NASB 1995</a> The porch which was in front of the house was as long as the width of the house, twenty cubits, and the height 120; and inside he overlaid it with pure gold. <a href="/nasb77/2_chronicles/3.htm">NASB 1977 </a> And the porch which was in front of the house was as long as the width of the house, twenty cubits, and the height 120; and inside he overlaid it with pure gold. <a href="/lsb/2_chronicles/3.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a> And the porch which was in front of the house was as long as the width of the house, 20 cubits, and the height 120; and inside he overlaid it with pure gold. <a href="/amp/2_chronicles/3.htm">Amplified Bible</a> The porch in front of the house was as long as the width of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was 120 cubits. He overlaid it inside with pure gold. <a href="/csb/2_chronicles/3.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a> The portico, which was across the front extending across the width of the temple, was thirty feet wide; its height was thirty feet; he overlaid its inner surface with pure gold. <a href="/hcsb/2_chronicles/3.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a> The portico, which was across the front extending across the width of the temple, was 30 feet wide; its height was 30 feet; he overlaid its inner surface with pure gold. <a href="/asv/2_chronicles/3.htm">American Standard Version</a> And the porch that was before the house, the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. <a href="/cev/2_chronicles/3.htm">Contemporary English Version</a> Across the front of the temple was a porch 9 meters wide and 9 meters high. The inside walls of the porch were covered with pure gold. <a href="/erv/2_chronicles/3.htm">English Revised Version</a> And the porch that was before the house, the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold. <a href="/gwt/2_chronicles/3.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a> The entrance hall in front of [the main room] was 30 feet wide (the same as the width of the temple) and 30 feet high. He covered its inside walls with pure gold. <a href="/gnt/2_chronicles/3.htm">Good News Translation</a> The entrance room was the full width of the Temple, 30 feet, and was 180 feet high. The inside of the room was overlaid with pure gold. <a href="/isv/2_chronicles/3.htm">International Standard Version</a> A portico extended in front of the Temple for its entire width of 20 cubits, and was 120 cubits high. Inside he had it overlaid with pure gold. <a href="/msb/2_chronicles/3.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a> The portico at the front, extending across the width of the temple, was twenty cubits long and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. <a href="/net/2_chronicles/3.htm">NET Bible</a> The porch in front of the main hall was 30 feet long, corresponding to the width of the temple, and its height was 30 feet. He plated the inside with pure gold. <a href="/nheb/2_chronicles/3.htm">New Heart English Bible</a> The porch that was in front of the house was the same as the width of the house, thirty-four feet and five inches, and the depth was seventeen feet and three inches; and he overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. <a href="/wbt/2_chronicles/3.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a> 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 hight was a hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold. <a href="/web/2_chronicles/3.htm">World English Bible</a> The porch that was in front, its length, across the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. <div class="vheading2">Literal Translations</div><a href="/lsv/2_chronicles/3.htm">Literal Standard Version</a> As for the porch that [is] on the front, the length [is] by the front of the breadth of the house—twenty cubits, and the height one hundred and twenty [[or twenty]], and he overlays it within with pure gold. <a href="/ylt/2_chronicles/3.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a> As to the porch that is on the front, the length is by the front of the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty, and he overlayeth it within with pure gold. <a href="/slt/2_chronicles/3.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a> And the porch which was upon the face of the length, upon the face of the breadth, twenty cubits, and its height, a hundred and twenty: and he will overlay it from within with pure gold.<div class="vheading2">Catholic Translations</div><a href="/drb/2_chronicles/3.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a> And the porch in the front, which was extended in length according to the measure of the breadth of the house, twenty cubits: and the height was a hundred and twenty cubits: and he overlaid it within with pure gold. <a href="/cpdv/2_chronicles/3.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a> Truly, at the front, the portico, which was extended in length according to the measure of the width of the house, was of twenty cubits. Then the height was of one hundred twenty cubits. And he overlaid it on the interior with the purest gold. <a href="/nabre/2_chronicles/3.htm">New American Bible</a> the front porch along the width of the house was also twenty cubits, and it was twenty cubits high. He covered its interior with pure gold. <a href="/nrsvce/2_chronicles/3.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a> The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, across the width of the house; and its height was one hundred twenty cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold.<div class="vheading2">Translations from Aramaic</div><a href="/lamsa/2_chronicles/3.htm">Lamsa Bible</a> And he made a porch in the front thereof; the length of it was the same as the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and its height twenty cubits; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. <a href="/hpbt/2_chronicles/3.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a> And he made a porch on its face; its length on the face of the open place of the house, twenty cubits, and its height, twenty cubits, and he overlaid it from within with pure gold.<div class="vheading2">OT Translations</div><a href="/jps/2_chronicles/3.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a> And the porch that was before [the house], the length of it, according to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold. <a href="/sep/2_chronicles/3.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a> And the portico in front of the house, its length in front of the breadth of the house was twenty cubits, and its height a hundred and twenty cubits: and he gilded it within with pure gold. <a href="/parallel/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv">Audio Bible</div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zGrb4955Tvs?start=465" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="vheadingv">Context</div><a href="/bsb/2_chronicles/3.htm">Temple Construction Begins</a> …3The foundation that Solomon laid for the house of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide, according to the old standard. 4<a href="/hebrew/197.htm" title="197: wə·hā·’ū·lām (Conj-w, Art:: N-ms) -- A porch. Or, ulam; from 'alam; a vestibule.">The portico</a> <a href="/hebrew/834.htm" title="834: ’ă·šer (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that. A primitive relative pronoun; who, which, what, that; also when, where, how, because, in order that, etc."></a> <a href="/hebrew/5921.htm" title="5921: ‘al- (Prep) -- Properly, the same as al used as a preposition; above, over, upon, or against in a great variety of applications.">at</a> <a href="/hebrew/6440.htm" title="6440: pə·nê (N-cpc) -- Face, faces. Plural of an unused noun; the face; used in a great variety of applications; also as a preposition.">the front,</a> <a href="/hebrew/753.htm" title="753: hā·’ō·reḵ (Art:: N-ms) -- Length. From 'arak; length."></a> <a href="/hebrew/5921.htm" title="5921: ‘al- (Prep) -- Properly, the same as al used as a preposition; above, over, upon, or against in a great variety of applications.">extending across</a> <a href="/hebrew/6440.htm" title="6440: pə·nê (N-cpc) -- Face, faces. Plural of an unused noun; the face; used in a great variety of applications; also as a preposition."></a> <a href="/hebrew/7341.htm" title="7341: rō·ḥaḇ- (N-msc) -- Breadth, width. From rachab; width.">the width</a> <a href="/hebrew/1004.htm" title="1004: hab·ba·yiṯ (Art:: N-ms) -- A house. Probably from banah abbreviated; a house.">of the temple,</a> <a href="/hebrew/6242.htm" title="6242: ‘eś·rîm (Number-cp) -- Twenty. From eser; twenty; also twentieth.">was twenty</a> <a href="/hebrew/520.htm" title="520: ’am·mō·wṯ (N-fp) -- Prolonged from 'em; properly, a mother (below the elbow), i.e. A cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance).">cubits long</a> <a href="/hebrew/3967.htm" title="3967: mê·’āh (Number-fs) -- Hundred. Or metyah; properly, a primitive numeral; a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction.">and</a> <a href="/hebrew/6242.htm" title="6242: wə·‘eś·rîm (Conj-w:: Number-cp) -- Twenty. From eser; twenty; also twentieth.">twenty cubits</a> <a href="/hebrew/1363.htm" title="1363: wə·hag·gō·ḇah (Conj-w, Art:: N-ms) -- Height. From gabahh; elation, grandeur, arrogance.">high.</a> <a href="/hebrew/6823.htm" title="6823: way·ṣap·pê·hū (Conj-w:: V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms:: 3ms) -- To lay out, lay over. A primitive root; to sheet over.">He overlaid</a> <a href="/hebrew/6441.htm" title="6441: mip·pə·nî·māh (Prep-m:: Adv) -- Toward the side or inside, within. From paniym with directive enclitic; faceward, i.e. Indoors.">the inside</a> <a href="/hebrew/2889.htm" title="2889: ṭā·hō·wr (Adj-ms) -- Clean, pure. Or tahor; from taher; pure.">with pure</a> <a href="/hebrew/2091.htm" title="2091: zā·hāḇ (N-ms) -- Gold. From an unused root meaning to shimmer; gold, figuratively, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky.">gold.</a> <div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div> <a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><a href="/1_kings/6-3.htm">1 Kings 6:3</a> The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple was twenty cubits long, extending across the width of the temple and projecting out ten cubits in front of the temple. <a href="/1_kings/6-2.htm">1 Kings 6:2</a> The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. <a href="/1_kings/7-21.htm">1 Kings 7:21</a> Thus he set up the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jachin, and the pillar to the north he named Boaz. <a href="/1_kings/6-17.htm">1 Kings 6:17</a> And the main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long. <a href="/1_kings/6-20.htm">1 Kings 6:20</a> The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. <a href="/1_kings/6-36.htm">1 Kings 6:36</a> Solomon built the inner courtyard with three rows of dressed stone and one row of trimmed cedar beams. <a href="/1_kings/6-29.htm">1 Kings 6:29</a> Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. <a href="/1_kings/6-15.htm">1 Kings 6:15</a> He lined the interior walls with cedar paneling from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and he covered the floor with cypress boards. <a href="/1_kings/6-5.htm">1 Kings 6:5</a> Against the walls of the temple and the inner sanctuary, Solomon built a chambered structure around the temple, in which he constructed the side rooms. <a href="/1_kings/6-9.htm">1 Kings 6:9</a> So Solomon built the temple and finished it, roofing it with beams and planks of cedar. <a href="/1_kings/6-10.htm">1 Kings 6:10</a> He built chambers all along the temple, each five cubits high and attached to the temple with beams of cedar. <a href="/1_kings/6-16.htm">1 Kings 6:16</a> He partitioned off the twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. <a href="/1_kings/6-19.htm">1 Kings 6:19</a> Solomon also prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. <a href="/1_kings/6-22.htm">1 Kings 6:22</a> So he overlaid with gold the whole interior of the temple, until everything was completely finished. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary. <a href="/1_kings/6-23.htm">1 Kings 6:23-28</a> In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim, each ten cubits high, out of olive wood. / One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing was five cubits long as well. So the full wingspan was ten cubits. / The second cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same size and shape, ...</div> <a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div>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.the porch<a href="/john/10-23.htm">John 10:23</a> And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.<a href="/acts/3-11.htm">Acts 3:11</a> And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.<a href="/acts/5-12.htm">Acts 5:12</a> And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.<div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/1_chronicles/29-4.htm">Best</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm">Breadth</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm">Building</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/28-18.htm">Covered</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm">Cubits</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/25-8.htm">Equal</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/1-5.htm">Front</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/2-14.htm">Gold</a> <a href="/2_kings/25-17.htm">Height</a> <a href="/2_kings/19-23.htm">Hight</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm">House</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/2-18.htm">Hundred</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/19-15.htm">Inside</a> <a href="/1_kings/7-27.htm">Length</a> <a href="/1_kings/7-50.htm">Nave</a> <a href="/2_kings/18-16.htm">Overlaid</a> <a href="/1_kings/10-18.htm">Overlayeth</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/28-11.htm">Porch</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/28-11.htm">Portico</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/28-17.htm">Pure</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm">Temple</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm">Twenty</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/28-11.htm">Vestibule</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm">Wide</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm">Width</a> <a href="/1_chronicles/6-54.htm">Within</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/2_chronicles/3-5.htm">Best</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-8.htm">Breadth</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/8-2.htm">Building</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-5.htm">Covered</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-8.htm">Cubits</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/20-12.htm">Equal</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-15.htm">Front</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-5.htm">Gold</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/4-1.htm">Height</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/4-1.htm">Hight</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-5.htm">House</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-8.htm">Hundred</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/21-15.htm">Inside</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-8.htm">Length</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-5.htm">Nave</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-5.htm">Overlaid</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-6.htm">Overlayeth</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/8-12.htm">Porch</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/8-12.htm">Portico</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/4-20.htm">Pure</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-6.htm">Temple</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-8.htm">Twenty</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/8-12.htm">Vestibule</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-8.htm">Wide</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-8.htm">Width</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/29-18.htm">Within</a><div class="vheading2">2 Chronicles 3</div>1. <a href="/2_chronicles/3-1.htm">The place and time of building the temple</a> 3. <a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm">The measure and ornaments of the house</a> 11. <a href="/2_chronicles/3-11.htm">The cherubim</a> 14. <a href="/2_chronicles/3-14.htm">The veil and pillars</a> </div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/2_chronicles/3.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div>The portico at the front The term "portico" refers to a porch or entranceway that is often grand and imposing. In the Hebrew text, the word used is "אוּלָם" (ulam), which signifies a vestibule or a large entrance hall. This architectural feature was not only functional but also symbolic, representing the threshold between the secular and the sacred. In the context of Solomon's Temple, the portico served as a place of transition, preparing the worshiper to enter into the presence of God. Historically, porticos were common in ancient Near Eastern architecture, often used in palaces and temples to convey majesty and authority.extending across the width of the temple This phrase emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the portico, which spanned the entire width of the temple. The temple itself was a microcosm of the universe, and the portico's full width suggests inclusivity and the all-encompassing nature of God's presence. The temple was designed to be a place where all of Israel could come to worship, and the portico's breadth symbolizes the wide embrace of God's covenant with His people.was twenty cubits wide A cubit is an ancient measurement roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 centimeters. Thus, the portico was approximately 30 feet or 9 meters wide. The number twenty in biblical numerology often signifies completeness or a cycle of completeness. The width of the portico, therefore, can be seen as a representation of the complete and perfect access to God that the temple provided to the Israelites.and twenty cubits high The height of the portico, matching its width, creates a sense of symmetry and balance, which is a hallmark of divine order. The height of twenty cubits, or about 30 feet, would have been impressive and awe-inspiring, drawing the eyes of the worshipers upward, symbolically lifting their thoughts and spirits towards heaven. In the ancient world, height was often associated with the divine, as it suggested transcendence and the heavens. The equal dimensions of width and height also reflect the perfection and harmony found in God's creation and His dwelling place.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/2_chronicles/3.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(4) And the porch . . . twenty cubits.--Heb., and the porch that was before the length (i.e., that lay in front of the oblong main building), before the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits (i.e., the porch was as. long as the house was broad). This curious statement answers to what we read in <a href="/1_kings/6-3.htm" title="And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.">1Kings 6:3</a> : "And the porch before the hall of the house, twenty cubits was its length, before the breadth of the house." But the Hebrew is too singular to pass without challenge, and comparison of the versions suggests that we ought to read here: "And the porch which was before it (Syriac), or before the house (LXX.), its length before the breadth of the house was twenty cubits." This would involve but slight alteration of the Hebrew text. (Comp. <a href="/2_chronicles/3-8.htm" title="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.">2Chronicles 3:8</a>.)And the height was an hundred and twenty. This would make the porch four times the height of the main building, which was thirty cubits. The Alexandrine MS. of the LXX., and the Arabic version, read "twenty cubits;" the Syriac omits the whole clause,, which has no parallel in Kings, and is further suspicious as wanting the word "cubits," usually expressed after the number (see <a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm" title="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 three score cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.">2Chronicles 3:3</a>). The Hebrew may be a corruption of the clause, "and its breadth ten cubits." (Comp. <a href="/1_kings/6-3.htm" title="And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.">1Kings 6:3</a>.)And he overlaid it within with pure gold.--See <a href="/1_kings/6-21.htm" title="So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.">1Kings 6:21</a>. . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/2_chronicles/3.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div>Verse 4. - The porch... an hundred and twenty. The "porch" (אוּלָם, Greek, ὁ πρόναος). It is out of the question that the porch should be of this height in itself. And almost as much out of the question that, if it could be so, this should be the only place to mention it by word or. description. There can be no doubt that the text is here slightly corrupt, and perhaps it is a further indication of this that, while the parallel contains nothing of the height, this place fails (but comp. our ver. 8) to give the breadth ("ten cubits"), which the parallel does give. The words for" hundred" and for "cubit" easily confuse with one another. And our present Hebrew text, מֵאָה וְעִשְׂרִים, read עְמות עְשֵׂרִים, will make good Hebrew syntax, and be in harmony with the Septuagint (Alexandrian), and with the Syriac and Arabic Versions. This gives the height of the porch as 20 cubits, which will be in harmony with the general height of the building, which was 30 cubits. Thus far, then, the plan of the temple is plain. The house is 60 cubits long, i.e. 20 for the holy of holies (דְּבִיר or קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים);40 for the holy place (הֵיכָל); and for breadth 20 cubits. The porch was in length the same as the breadth of the house, viz. 20 cubits, but in breadth it was 10 cubits (<a href="/1_kings/6-3.htm">1 Kings 6:3</a>) only, while its height was 20 cubits, against a height of 30 cubits for the "house" (<a href="/1_kings/6-2.htm">1 Kings 6:2</a>). Overlaid it within with pure gold; i.e. covered the planks with gold leaf, or sometimes with plates of gold (Ovid., 'L Epp. ex. Pont,' 1:37, 38, 41, 42; Herod., 1:98; Polyb., 10:27. § 10). The appreciation, as well as bare knowledge, of gold belonged to a very early date (<a href="/genesis/2-12.htm">Genesis 2:12</a>). The days when it was used in ring or lump (though not in coin) for sign of wealth and for purposes of exchange, and also for ornament (<a href="/genesis/13-2.htm">Genesis 13:2</a>; <a href="/genesis/24-22.htm">Genesis 24:22</a>; <a href="/genesis/42-21.htm">Genesis 42:21</a>), indicate how early were the beginnings of metallurgy as regards it, though much more developed afterwards (<a href="/judges/17-4.htm">Judges 17:4</a>; <a href="/proverbs/17-3.htm">Proverbs 17:3</a>; <a href="/isaiah/40-19.htm">Isaiah 40:19</a>; <a href="/isaiah/46-9.htm">Isaiah 46:9</a>); and show it in the time of David and Solomon no rare art, even though foreign workmen, for obvious reasons, were the most skilful workers with it. There are four verbs used to express the idea of overlaying, viz. (a) חָפָה, in hiph. This occurs only in this chapter, vers. 5, 7, 8, 9; but in niph. <a href="/psalms/68-13.htm">Psalm 68:13</a> may be compared. (b) עָלָה in hiph. This occurs in the present sense, though not necessarily staying very closely by it; in <a href="/2_chronicles/9-15.htm">2 Chronicles 9:15, 16</a>, and its parallel (<a href="/1_kings/10-16.htm">1 Kings 10:16, 17</a>); and perhaps in <a href="/2_samuel/1-24.htm">2 Samuel 1:24</a>. The meaning of the word, however, is evidently so generic that it scarcely postulates the rendering "overlay." (c) צָפָה in piel. This occurs in our present verse, as also in a multitude of other places in Chronicles, Kings, Samuel, and Exodus. The radical idea of the verb (kal) is "to be bright." . . . <a href="/commentaries/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a> <a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div>The portico וְהָאוּלָ֡ם (wə·hā·’ū·lām) Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_197.htm">Strong's 197: </a> A vestibule at עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5921.htm">Strong's 5921: </a> Above, over, upon, against the front, פְּנֵ֨י (pə·nê) Noun - common plural construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6440.htm">Strong's 6440: </a> The face extending across עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5921.htm">Strong's 5921: </a> Above, over, upon, against the width רֹֽחַב־ (rō·ḥaḇ-) Noun - masculine singular construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_7341.htm">Strong's 7341: </a> Breadth, width of the temple, הַבַּ֙יִת֙ (hab·ba·yiṯ) Article | Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1004.htm">Strong's 1004: </a> A house [was] twenty עֶשְׂרִ֔ים (‘eś·rîm) Number - common plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6242.htm">Strong's 6242: </a> Twenty, twentieth cubits [long] אַמּ֣וֹת (’am·mō·wṯ) Noun - feminine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_520.htm">Strong's 520: </a> A mother, a cubit, a door-base [and] מֵאָ֣ה (mê·’āh) Number - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3967.htm">Strong's 3967: </a> A hundred twenty [cubits] וְעֶשְׂרִ֑ים (wə·‘eś·rîm) Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6242.htm">Strong's 6242: </a> Twenty, twentieth high. וְהַגֹּ֖בַהּ (wə·hag·gō·ḇah) Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_1363.htm">Strong's 1363: </a> Elation, grandeur, arrogance He overlaid וַיְצַפֵּ֥הוּ (way·ṣap·pê·hū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6823.htm">Strong's 6823: </a> To lay out, lay over the inside מִפְּנִ֖ימָה (mip·pə·nî·māh) Preposition-m | Adverb <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6441.htm">Strong's 6441: </a> Toward the side or inside, within with pure טָהֽוֹר׃ (ṭā·hō·wr) Adjective - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_2889.htm">Strong's 2889: </a> Clean, pure gold. זָהָ֥ב (zā·hāḇ) Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_2091.htm">Strong's 2091: </a> Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky <div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">2 Chronicles 3:4 NIV</a> <a href="/nlt/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">2 Chronicles 3:4 NLT</a> <a href="/esv/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">2 Chronicles 3:4 ESV</a> <a href="/nasb/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">2 Chronicles 3:4 NASB</a> <a href="/kjv/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">2 Chronicles 3:4 KJV</a> <a href="//bibleapps.com/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">2 Chronicles 3:4 BibleApps.com</a> <a href="//bibliaparalela.com/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">2 Chronicles 3:4 Biblia Paralela</a> <a href="//holybible.com.cn/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">2 Chronicles 3:4 Chinese Bible</a> <a href="//saintebible.com/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">2 Chronicles 3:4 French Bible</a> <a href="/catholic/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">2 Chronicles 3:4 Catholic Bible</a> <a href="/2_chronicles/3-4.htm">OT History: 2 Chronicles 3:4 The porch that was before the house (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/2_chronicles/3-3.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="2 Chronicles 3:3"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="2 Chronicles 3:3" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/2_chronicles/3-5.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="2 Chronicles 3:5"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="2 Chronicles 3:5" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>