Bible Discussion Thread

Can you please explain the verses 1king 6:7

Benson Commentary

1 Kings 6:7. The house - was built of stone made ready - Hewed and squared, and so fitted for their several uses and places, according to the direction of the architect, that they might be joined together without any other labour than the putting them one by or upon another. So that there was neither hammer nor axe. The stones were laid without any noise, there being nothing to be done but to join them together. Thus it was ordered, partly for the ease and convenience of carriage; partly for the magnificence of the work, and commendation of the workmen's skill and diligence; and partly for mystical signification. And as this temple was a manifest type, both of Christ's church upon earth, and of the heavenly Jerusalem; so this circumstance signified, as to the former, that it is the duty of the builders and members of the church, as far as in them lies, to take care that all things be transacted there with perfect peace and quietness; and that no noise of contention, or division, or violence, be heard in that sacred building; and for the latter, that no spiritual stone, no person, shall bear a part in that heavenly temple, unless he be first hewed, and squared, and made meet for it in this life.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:1-10 The temple is called the house of the Lord, because it was directed and modelled by him, and was to be employed in his service. This gave it the beauty of holiness, that it was the house of the Lord, which was far beyond all other beauties. It was to be the temple of the God of peace, therefore no iron tool must be heard; quietness and silence suit and help religious exercises. God's work should be done with much care and little noise. Clamour and violence often hinder, but never further the work of God. Thus the kingdom of God in the heart of man grows up in silence, Mt 5:27.

Work done by the Holy Spirit

Hello Sobha. In this chapter on the building of the Temple, verse seven tells us that the stones required for this building was cut & shaped outside of this building's precincts. This was so because there was to be no use of such tools in this construction that would cause excessive noise & clamour in this holy place.

We remember a similar injunction given to Moses ( Exodus 20:24,25) to construct an altar for burnt offerings, with natural un-shaped stones & not to use any tool to shape it. So it seems that it was not only the unnecessary noise that would result from using tools, but also (in the Solomon's Temple's matter), that man's skills for stone preparation were to be utilized away from the building site; and that once at the site, the workers had to do their work carefully & mindfully, knowing that this was to be the House of the LORD according to the LORD's design which was to be followed to the minutest detail.

I think it just means that all the wood and stone used in the building was already cut to the correct size and shape before it got to the building site . Therefore there wasn't any noise of cutting or hammering heard at the site .