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.

1 KINGS 6:3KJV
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1 Kings 6:3 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 6:3 mean?

1 Kings 6:3 describes the size of the porch (entrance hall) in front of Solomon’s temple, stating that it was twenty cubits long, matching the width of the temple itself, and ten cubits wide in front of the building. This verse gives specific measurements for the temple’s front area, highlighting its proportions and design.

In this part of 1 Kings, the writer is recording the details of Solomon’s construction of the temple in Jerusalem. The verse focuses on the architectural layout, showing how the entrance porch was designed to match the width of the main building, which helps readers picture the temple’s appearance and scale.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 6:3

  • פּוֹרְךָ (porch, H197): This word refers to the entrance hall or vestibule. Its use here points to a distinct, covered area at the front of the temple, not just an open doorway.
  • הֵיכָל (temple, H1964): This term often means the main sanctuary or holy place. In this verse, it clarifies that the porch is attached to the main sacred structure.
  • בַּיִת (house, H1004): Used several times, this word means “house” but here refers specifically to the temple as God’s dwelling, emphasizing its importance.
  • אַמָּה (cubits, H520): The measurement unit “cubit” (roughly 18 inches or 45 centimeters) helps modern readers understand the actual size being described.

Why 1 Kings 6:3 matters

  • This verse helps clear up confusion about the temple’s layout by giving exact measurements, showing that the entrance was as wide as the temple itself but only half as deep.
  • The focus on the porch’s size and placement highlights the importance of the temple’s entrance, suggesting it was a significant and prominent feature.
  • By connecting the porch directly to the main sanctuary, the verse shows how every part of the temple was carefully planned, fitting into the larger description of Solomon’s careful and grand construction project.

Where else these words appear

“porch” Hebrew H197 · used in 29 verses

  • 1 Kings 7:6 And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.
  • 2 Chronicles 15:8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.
  • Ezekiel 40:40 And at the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables.

“temple” Hebrew H1964 · used in 76 verses

  • 1 Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
  • Nehemiah 6:11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
  • Ezekiel 41:1 Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.

“breadth” Hebrew H7341 · used in 89 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 7:2 He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.
  • Ezekiel 41:3 Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.

“length” Hebrew H753 · used in 90 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
  • Ezekiel 40:36 The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.