1 Kings 6:7
New International Version
In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.

New Living Translation
The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site.

English Standard Version
When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.

Berean Standard Bible
The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

King James Bible
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

New King James Version
And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

New American Standard Bible
The house, while it was being built, was built of stone finished at the quarry, and neither hammer, nor axe, nor any iron tool was heard in the house while it was being built.

NASB 1995
The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

NASB 1977
And the house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

Legacy Standard Bible
The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.

Amplified Bible
While it was being built, the house was built of stone prepared and finished (precut) at the quarry, and no hammer, axe, or iron tool of any kind was heard in the house while it was under construction.

Christian Standard Bible
The temple’s construction used finished stones cut at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The temple’s construction used finished stones cut at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

American Standard Version
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the house, when being built, was built with whole stones that were transported, and a hammer or a saw or any instrument of iron was not heard in the house as it was built.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the house was built in the construction of it with rough hewn stones: and there was not heard in the house in the building of it hammer or axe, or any iron tool.

Contemporary English Version
Solomon did not want the noise of hammers and axes to be heard at the place where the temple was being built. So he gave orders for the workers to shape the blocks of stone at the quarry.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stones hewed and made ready: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house when it was in building.

English Revised Version
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry: and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The temple was built with stone blocks that were finished at the quarry. No hammer, chisel, or any other iron tool made a sound at the temple construction site.

Good News Translation
The stones with which the Temple was built had been prepared at the quarry, so that there was no noise made by hammers, axes, or any other iron tools as the Temple was being built.

International Standard Version
The Temple was constructed of stone precut at the quarry so that no hammer, axe, or any other iron implement would be heard in the Temple while it was being built.

JPS Tanakh 1917
For the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.--

Literal Standard Version
And the house, in its being built, has been built of perfect stone [that was] brought; and hammer and the axe—any instrument of iron—was not heard in the house in its being built.

Majority Standard Bible
The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

New American Bible
The house was built of stone dressed at the quarry, so that no hammer or ax, no iron tool, was to be heard in the house during its construction.

NET Bible
As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built.

New Revised Standard Version
The house was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron was heard in the temple while it was being built.

New Heart English Bible
The house, when it was in building, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

World English Bible
The house, when it was under construction, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and no hammer or ax or any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was under construction.

Young's Literal Translation
And the house, in its being built, of perfect stone brought thither hath been built, and hammer, and the axe -- any instrument of iron -- was not heard in the house, in its being built.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Chambers
6The bottom floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits, and the third floor seven cubits. He also placed offset ledges around the outside of the temple, so that nothing would be inserted into its walls. 7The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built. 8The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor.…

Cross References
Exodus 20:25
Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it.

Deuteronomy 27:5
Moreover, you are to build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them.

Deuteronomy 27:6
You shall build the altar of the LORD your God with uncut stones and offer upon it burnt offerings to the LORD your God.

1 Kings 5:17
And the king commanded them to quarry large, costly stones to lay the foundation of the temple with dressed stones.

1 Kings 6:6
The bottom floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits, and the third floor seven cubits. He also placed offset ledges around the outside of the temple, so that nothing would be inserted into its walls.

1 Kings 6:8
The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor.


Treasury of Scripture

And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

built of stone

1 Kings 5:17,18
And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house…

Deuteronomy 27:5,6
And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them…

Proverbs 24:27
Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

neither hammer

Isaiah 42:2
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Acts 9:31
Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

James 1:20
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

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Ax Axe Blocks Building Built Chisel Dressed Hammer Heard House Iron Prepared Quarry Ready Stone Stones Temple Thither Tool Used
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Ax Axe Blocks Building Built Chisel Dressed Hammer Heard House Iron Prepared Quarry Ready Stone Stones Temple Thither Tool Used
1 Kings 6
1. The building of Solomon's temple
5. The chambers thereof
11. God's promise unto it
15. The ceiling and adorning of it
23. The cherubim
31. The doors
36. The court
37. The time of building it














(7) Neither hammer nor ax . . . heard.--This striking provision, involving much labour, and requiring no little skill, was one of reverence. It may have been suggested by the prohibition (see Exodus 20:25; Deuteronomy 27:5) of the use of tools on the altar of the Lord. But the idea implied in this prohibition was rather different--viz., the use for the altar of stones in their simple, matural condition, without "pollution" by the art of man. It has been chronicled in Heber's well-known lines:--

"No workmen's steel, no ponderous axes rung;

Like some tall palm the noiseless fabric sprung."

Verse 7. - And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready [Heb. perfect. This does not mean unhewn, though אֵבָנִים שְׁלְמות is undoubtedly used in Deuteronomy 27:6 (cf. Exodus 20:25) of unhewn or virgin stone; and Gesenius would so understand the expression here, But the context seems rather to convey the idea that the stones were not shaped on the spot. It was apparently the belief of the ancients that stones of proper shape and size were provided in their bed by God (so Theodoret and Procopius,) It is inconceivable, however, that no dressing or preparation of any kind would be required; an idea, moreover, which is contradicted by 1 Kings 5:18. When Gardiner (in Bahr, American edition) quotes Keil (in his earlier work) as understanding "all unviolated stones of the quarry," he hardly does justice to that author, who straightway adds, "that is, not altogether unhewn stones... but stones that were so hewn and wrought in the quarry that neither hammer," etc. (see below). Similarly Thehius and Bahr] before it was brought thither [so the Authorized Version renders מַסָּע but mistakenly. It means, the quarry (Gesenius, Keil. For the construction, see Ewald, 289a, and Gesenius, Gram. ed. Rodiger, p. 170.) The verb נָסַע is used of quarrying in 1 Kings 5:31 (Heb.) [1 Kings 5:17] Where was this quarry? The general idea is that it was in the Lebanon. And it is not to be denied that some of the massive substructions and cornerstones of the temple may have been brought from the mountain, along with the wood; but the bulk of the stone, there can be no doubt, was found much nearer home. Some of it, according to the Mishna (Middoth, 3:4), came from Bethlehem; but we can hardly be mistaken in believing that for the most part it was quarried in Jerusalem itself, under the very temple rock, and out of the vast caverns recovered some years ago by Dr. Barclay (see his "City of the Great King"), the "Royal Caverns" of Josephus. See "Quart. Journal," Pal. Explor. Fund (No. 7.), pp, 373, 374, and cf. p. 34. There are unmistakable evidences of these extensive caverns having served as a quarry. Not only are the walls cut straight, but rude masses are left here and there to support the roof, and, what is still more convincing, there are stones more or less cut out of the rock, and incisions are made where stones are to be quarried. There was no reason why the workmen should go far afield for stone when they had it, and of very excellent quality, at their own doors]: so that there was neither hammer [Heb. and hammers. Keil understands "finished stones of the quarry, and hammer, and axe." But the word "was built" (נִבְנֶה), coming as it does between "quarry" and "hammers," almost forbids this connexion] nor axe [Heb. the axe] nor any tool [Heb. every tool] of iron heard in the house, while it was building. [The historian remarks on this, not only because it was so unusual, but with the evident idea that it was a fulfilment of the spirit of the law (Deuteronomy 27:5, 6), which required the altar to be of virgin stones, untouched by tool of iron. If the quarries are to be identified with the "Royal Caverns," it is easy to understand how the temple rose up in silence.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The temple
וְהַבַּ֙יִת֙ (wə·hab·ba·yiṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

was constructed
בְּהִבָּ֣נֹת֔וֹ (bə·hib·bā·nō·ṯōw)
Preposition-b | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build

using
נִבְנָ֑ה (niḇ·nāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build

finished
שְׁלֵמָ֥ה (šə·lê·māh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 8003: Complete, safe, at peace

stones
אֶֽבֶן־ (’e·ḇen-)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 68: A stone

cut at the quarry,
מַסָּ֖ע (mas·sā‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4551: A quarry or quarrying

so that no
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

hammer,
וּמַקָּב֤וֹת (ū·maq·qā·ḇō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4717: A perforatrix, a hammer

chisel,
וְהַגַּרְזֶן֙ (wə·hag·gar·zen)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1631: An axe

or any
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

iron
בַרְזֶ֔ל (ḇar·zel)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1270: Iron, an iron implement

tool
כְּלִ֣י (kə·lî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus

was heard
נִשְׁמַ֥ע (niš·ma‘)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

in the temple
בַּבַּ֖יִת (bab·ba·yiṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

while it was being built.
בְּהִבָּנֹתֽוֹ׃ (bə·hib·bā·nō·ṯōw)
Preposition-b | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build


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OT History: 1 Kings 6:7 The house when it was in building (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 6:6
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