The United Kingdom of Israel:
Saul, David & Solomon
Foreshadow Christ the King

Lesson 25 Solomon Builds the Temple
the First Book of the Kings 5:1—7:51

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for The United Kingdom of Israel
cross references in The United Kingdom of Israel
next lesson: Solomon Dedicates the Temple

This material coordinates with Lesson 25 on pages 149–156 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”
—the Second Book of Samuel 7:12–13

welcome to our in-depth study of Saul, David & Solomon
We invite interested groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson from this 28-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. These online study pages link to our free lesson videos, as well as to a glossary and cross references in the biblical text. Other study aids include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King has been granted an imprimatur and may be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-study question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the First Book of the Kings 3:1—4:34
In Lesson 24 The Wisdom of Solomon, Solomon makes an alliance with Egypt when he marries Pharaoh’s daughter. Because there isn’t yet a Temple in Jerusalem, many descendants of Jacob are continuing to offer sacrifices to the LORD on high places. Solomon also offers many sacrifices to God at at Gibeon. When the LORD appears to Solomon in a dream, Solomon asks to be able to discern between good and evil in order to better govern God’s people. The LORD is pleased, and God promises to give Solomon riches and honor as well as wisdom. In addition, the LORD promises long life if Solomon will honor the commandments as David did. Solomon returns to Jerusalem where he offers sacrifices before the ark of the covenant. Solomon’s reputation for wisdom is established after he makes a perceptive decision about which of two women claiming an infant is the child’s mother. Those who backed Solomon’s claim to the throne and members of their families are well-represented in Solomon’s cabinet of advisers, which includes more religious appointments than David’s cabinet. Solomon also establishes officers to rule specific regions of the kingdom and to ensure that the king receives provisions throughout the year. There’s peace on all sides of Solomon’s extensive kingdom, and Solomon maintains a large stable of horses to support his large military. Solomon becomes famous for wisdom in his own time and is credited with writing many songs and uttering many proverbs.

what did Solomon’s temple look like?
A discussion of how the house for the LORD’s name came to be referred to as a temple, originally a pagan term, is included with this illustration of Solomon’s temple (right) created by Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino. Clicking on the illustration will enlarge it. The original is on page 156 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

The First Book of the Kings 7:1–12 lists other buildings that Solomon had constructed in Jerusalem.

?  What are these other buildings, and what is their purpose?
?  Consider which of Solomon’s building projects appears to have the highest priority for the king.
?  The First Book of the Kings 6:7 includes the information that all of the stone used to construct the Temple was prepared where it was quarried instead of on site. What spiritual significance might this suggest?
?  Consider the way that your parish church is decorated. How does the art in that building encourage worship?

whose idea is it to build a house for God? (23:56)
In the video overview for Lesson 25, “Solomon Builds the Temple,” Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps points out questions that we should be asking when we read about the construction of Solomon’s temple. The first question is whose idea is it to build a house for God? Originally, it was Solomon’s father David who first suggested building a house for the LORD, and he was talked out of it by God through the prophet Nathan. Instead, the LORD made significant promises to David, including that a descendant of David would later build a house for the LORD. Matthew addresses two additional questions. Is the Temple that Solomon is building really the house that God intends? More to the point, is Solomon really the descendant of David that God intended to build a dwelling for the LORD? 


The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study from Turning to God’s Word match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.. You can follow along as author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 25, “Solomon Builds the Temple,” on pages 149–156 in the study book.

a meditation on the mystery of the sacrament of Baptism
The First Book of the Kings 7:23–26 describes the bronze sea that Solomon had placed outside the house for the name of the Lord. It was to serve as a reminder of God leading his people through the Red Sea—out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. That Old Testament event, recorded in the book of Exodus 14:1–31, serves as a type of the sacrament of Baptism, foreshadowing the way in which Jesus leads his followers out of slavery to sin. The following thought-provoking description of the sacrament is from a homily by Basil of Seleucia, a bishop who lived in the 4th century.

“Consider what Baptism is and proclaim its grace. All blessings are contained in it. It purifies the world; it restores nature. It is a speedy redemption, a simple remedy, a liquid fire that burns away sin, a sponge that purifies conscience, a garment that never wears out. It is a womb that conceives without passion, a tomb in which those who are buried are born again. It is the ocean in which sins are drowned, the element that witnesses to the devil’s defeat. It is the seal of him who takes possession of the fortress, the unfailing advocate before the Judge. It is the stream that extinguishes the fires of hell, the grace that gives admission to the supper of the Lord. It is a mystery, both old and new, foreshadowed even in the time of Moses. To Christ our God be glory forever, through endless ages.”

the idea of the bronze sea in our present-day churches
The fonts for holy water located at the entrances to Catholic churches date to the idea of the bronze sea at the entrance to Solomon’s Temple. The bronze sea is patterned on the bronze laver associated with the tabernacle in the book of Exodus 30:17–21. The purpose of the bronze laver was to provide a basin of water in which Aaron and his sons (the priests) could wash their hands and feet to purify themselves before approaching the tabernacle. The large container of water at the entrance to Solomon’s temple reminded descendants of Jacob about how the LORD led them safely through the Red Sea when they escaped from Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Christians understand the passage through the Red Sea as a foreshadowing of the sacrament of Baptism, and the holy water fonts at the entrance to our churches are to remind us of our Baptismal promises. In addition to professing our faith in God, do you know what renunciations are included in your baptismal promises?

pray with the Psalms—location, location, location
Psalm 87 attests that the LORD loves the gates of the city of Zion, the place chosen as the site of Solomon’s Temple. The Psalmist calls this location “the city of God” and describes it in maternal terms. Because all people are born there and find a home there, Christians interpret the city of God in Psalm 87 to represent the Church. Prayed at Monday Lauds (Week II), Psalm 87 is included as part of Lesson 18 What God Is As Great As Our God? in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers.

size matters—humanity loves to measure things
The section of the First Book of the Kings describing construction of Solomon’s Temple contains a number of references to measurement, but scholars are unable to determine precisely how some of these units of measurement translate into present-day quantities.

cors of wheat & cors of oil—The First Book of the Kings 5:11 records that in exchange for cedar to build the Temple in Jerusalem, each year Solomon sent 20,000 cors of wheat and 20,000 cors of oil to feed the household of the king of Tyre. A cor (sometimes spelled kor) was a round container that could be used to measure dry or liquid ingredients. Estimates of how much a cor contained vary from 45 to 87 gallons, with most estimates landing somewhere around 59 gallons.

a cubit—Pinning down the exact length of a cubit is complicated by the fact that the ancient world seems to have had two different standards. Originally, a cubit was a length measured from a person’s elbow to their fingertips. Although convenient (it would be unnecessary to carry around a measuring stick), the obvious problem with measuring in cubits is the discrepancy in body types. The need for consistent measurements led to standardization of the cubit. There seem to have been two different cubits that were considered standard, one about 17.5 inches long and the other about 20.4 inches. Most scholars interpret the Second Book of the Chronicles 3:3 as an indication that the cubit used in constructing Solomon’s temple was 20.4 inches.

men—In the First Book of the Kings 5:13, however, the 30,000 men conscripted to construct the Temple probably is a straightforward number.

materialism isn’t a new thing
All this emphasis on quantifying things suggests that our present-day obsession with accumulating large amounts of material goods is nothing new. Jesus addresses the underlying problem of materialism in the parable of the rich fool in the Gospel According to Luke 12:13–21. In that parable, God says to a rich man who’s planned to build bigger barns to store his wealth: “Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” Jesus goes on to teach that we also need to prioritize what we consider to be wealth when he warns: “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Temple—you could look it up in our archives
In the Gospel According to John 2:13–22, Jesus appropriates the word “Temple” to describe his own body. To learn more about the precise meaning of the word Jesus uses, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

the seven species
The book of Deuteronomy 8:8 lists seven agricultural products—two grains and five fruits—as special products of the land of Canaan. In Hebrew tradition, the first fruits that could be offered at the Temple in Jerusalem were limited to these seven species. Wheat, barley, grapes, figs, and pomegranates are obvious offerings. Olives were offered in the form of oil, and dates were offered as the “honey” mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy. 

some chapter & verse numbering discrepancies
There are a few places in Scripture that are numbered differently depending on whether the translators followed the Greek or the Hebrew numbering system for the Old Testament. In this lesson, the numbering in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) translation differs rather significantly from that in the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) reprinted in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. When doing our studies, most people will find it less confusing to use one of the Revised Standard Version Catholic editions (either the RSV2CE, which we reprint in our study books, or the original Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE], which we link to online). The following list identifies discrepancies in the NABRE related to this lesson. Discrepancies also are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and in the online sample.

First Book of the Kings 5:1–5 (RSVCE) is 5:15–19 (NABRE)
First Book of the Kings 5:6 (RSVCE) is 5:20 (NABRE)
First Book of the Kings 5:7–12 (RSVCE) is 5:21–26 (NABRE)
First Book of the Kings 5:13–18 (RSVCE) is 5:27–32 (NABRE)

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however.

the First Book of the Kings 6:23–28—paragraph 2130
the First Book of the Kings 7:23–26—paragraph 2130

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the First Book of the Kings 5:1—7:51 (NIV)

round black doveclose with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on the biblical text in this lesson in the study book The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King

O God, you allowed Solomon to build a house for your name.
Increase our longing for you to dwell with us,
and teach us to sanctify our lives to your service 
in order that we may make more room for you to live in our hearts.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
whose sacrificial Passion and death
makes possible such intimacy
between our humanity and your divinity.  Amen.

Lesson 26 Solomon Dedicates the Temple—the First Book of the Kings 8:1–66
Lesson 24 The Wisdom of Solomon—the First Book of the Kings 3:1—4:34

you also may like our study of the book of Exodus
You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provides an in-depth look at how significant events in biblical history that occurred thousands of years ago to descendants of Jacob remain relevant and even critical for present-day Christians to understand. The deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and the giving of Ten Commandments are examined along with the development of Moses’ relationship to God. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus—but the same books aren’t found in existing Hebrew manuscripts, which aren’t as old as the oldest version of the Septuagint. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces those with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.