In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month Zif:

1 KINGS 6:37KJV
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1 Kings 6:37 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 6:37 mean?

1 Kings 6:37 states that the foundation of the temple, called the house of the LORD, was laid in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, specifically in the month named Zif. This verse marks the official beginning of the temple’s construction, giving a precise time reference for when the foundational work started.

The book of 1 Kings is describing the building of Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem. The writer is providing a historical record, noting exactly when the foundation was set. The “house of the LORD” refers to the temple dedicated to the God of Israel, and “Zif” is a Hebrew month roughly corresponding to April–May. This detail helps anchor the temple’s construction in real time, showing the care taken to record significant events in Israel’s history.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 6:37

  • בַּיָּ֣רַח (yareach, “month”) and זִו (Ziv): “Zif” is the old Hebrew name for the second month of the year, which is not commonly used outside of this context. Mentioning the specific month highlights the precision and importance placed on the temple’s construction timeline.
  • יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH, “LORD”): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, showing that the building is not just any house, but one dedicated to YHWH.
  • יָסַד (yasad, “foundation was laid”): This word means to establish or lay a foundation, emphasizing that this was the starting point of a significant and lasting structure.

Why 1 Kings 6:37 matters

  • This verse clarifies the exact timing of the temple’s construction, which helps readers track the chronology of Solomon’s reign and the building process.
  • By naming the month Zif, the verse connects Israel’s history to its own calendar and traditions, grounding the story in the lived experience of the people.
  • The focus on the foundation being laid highlights the importance of beginnings and careful planning in significant undertakings, especially those dedicated to God.

Where else these words appear

“Zif” Hebrew H2099 · used in 2 verses

  • 1 Kings 6:1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

“month” Hebrew H3391 · used in 13 verses

  • Exodus 2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
  • 1 Kings 8:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
  • Job 29:2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

“foundation” Hebrew H3245 · used in 41 verses

  • Exodus 9:18 Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
  • Job 38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
  • Isaiah 14:32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.

“fourth” Hebrew H7243 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
  • 2 Samuel 3:4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
  • 1 Chronicles 27:7 The fourth captain for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him: and in his course were twenty and four thousand.