提要
所羅門治理四年之後，便開始在上帝曾經昭告他父親大衛的地點─阿珥楠禾場，建造聖殿。這是當年上帝要大衛為祂建壇的地方。上帝曾經在那壇顯現，降下聖火，燒盡大衛的祭物；同時，在那裡，主的使者也放下手中的劍，使災難停止（代上21：18、26~30；22：1）。在此我們也得知阿珥楠的禾場是在摩利亞山上，亞伯拉罕曾在此築壇，預備獻上他的兒子以撒作祭牲（創22：2）。
聖殿的建築設計，是以摩西的會幕為藍圖；但是裝飾上強多了，並且規模也大兩倍。另外還有兩個特性：第一，聖所入口處的基路伯和約櫃上的基路伯造形相似；但後者是用包金的橄欖木製成，遮蔽至聖所以及約櫃；第二，那兒有兩個大的獨立柱子，位在聖殿正前方，且有極為華麗裝飾的柱頭。這些柱子的名字，乃是以色列的上帝之見證：一根叫雅斤，其意為「祂將會建立」；一根叫波阿斯，以其意為「能力在祂裡面」。
會幕中神聖的傢俱，除了約櫃和香壇，都以更精美的物品更換了。那兒有一個新的、更大的銅祭壇，為適應更多的獻祭人群而設。最顯著的改變，便是由單獨一個銅盆（laver，祭司行典禮時用的洗濯盆），增加到十個可以搬動的銅盆，在外院的左右各有五個。
首席工匠師戶蘭，受託製作聖殿中的這些物件。他工作的場所是在河東的約但平原，加利利和死海兩地中間。那地的泥土適合挖來做成模子，放在地中，再灌入熔解的銅漿。
經過了七年的勞苦，聖殿終於完成了，所羅門主持了一個奉獻大典，那時剛好是住棚節期間。在典禮之前，他先把他父親大衛所獻金銀用剩的部分存入庫房裡。老實說，打造聖殿器皿已用掉那麼多金銀，還能有剩，實在令人吃驚。所羅門也叫利未人把所有的聖器，從基遍的會幕帶到新聖殿，並把約櫃從大衛設在錫安山的臨時帳棚，帶到不遠之外的聖殿中（5:5）。所羅門很小心地不犯他父親曾犯過的同樣錯誤（代上13:6~10）。請注意只有摩西的法版放在櫃中。裝嗎哪的罐子（出16:32~34）和亞倫發芽的杖（民17:10~11；來9:4）可能已被搬走。
在獻殿典禮中，所有的祭司和利未人全都參與。每月事奉的經常區分，在這特殊的場合，便不再講究了（5:11）。所有利未支派的樂師，也參加了。當他們用音樂事奉，獻上讚美和感謝時，上帝的榮光充滿了聖殿。上帝榮耀了祂新的聖所，顯現自己，又確認這便是祂的聖殿，正如祂在摩西的會幕中所做的一樣（出40:34~35）。這是一件極美的事，上帝住在祂民的讚美之中（詩22:3）。今天，祂仍然藉着祂的靈，做這件事。
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Overview
After four years of reigning, King Solomon began the construction of the Temple on the site God had shown his father David — the threshing floor of Oman. This was the location on which God had told David to build an altar to Him. There He had demonstrated His presence by sending fire to consume David's burnt offering, and there the angel of the Lord put away his sword so that the plague was stopped (1 Chronicles 21:18, 26-30; 22:1). Here we also learn that Oman's threshing floor was on Mount Moriah, where Abraham had built his altar intending to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:2).
The architecture of the Temple was based on that of the Mosaic Tabernacle, but it was much more ornate and twice the size. There were also two additional features: firstly, the large cherubim, similar to the ones upon the Ark, but these two figures, made of olive wood and overlaid with gold, overshadowed the Holy of Holies and the Ark; secondly, there were two large, free-standing pillars that stood in front of the Temple, having extremely ornate capitals. The names of these pillars were a witness to the greatness of the God of Israel: Jachin, meaning "He shall establish"; and Boaz, meaning "in Him is strength".
The holy furnishings of the Tabernacle, with the exception of the Ark and the altar of incense, were replaced with articles much more elaborate. There was a new, larger bronze altar to accommodate the increased number of offerings. The most notable change was the increase from having only one laver (the wash basin for the priests' ceremonial washing) to having ten portable lavers, five on each side of the court. There was also one huge laver called the "Sea", which was made of cast bronze and could hold about 75,000 litres of water. Instead of one seven-branched lampstand (candelabra) and one table for the showbread, as in .the Tabernacle, there were now ten of each.
The master craftsman, Huram, was accredited with making the articles for the Temple. The work site was in the plains of Jordan, east of the river, about halfway between the Galilee and the Dead Sea. There the clay in the soil was suitable to dig and form moulds in the ground into which they would pour the melted bronze.
After seven years of labour, the Temple was finally completed and Solomon organized a dedication service which was to occur on the occasion of the Feast of Tabernacles. As a preliminary ceremony, Solomon brought all the remaining treasures his father David had dedicated and placed them in the new storage rooms of the Temple. It is surprising that there was any gold and silver left after the extravagant use of these precious metals in the Temple. Solomon also had the Levites bring all the holy furnishings from the Tabernacle at Gibeon to the new sanctuary. The Ark of the Covenant was brought from the temporary tent David had set up on Mount Zion to its new home a short distance away, in the Holy of Holies of the Temple (5:5). Solomon was careful not to make the same mistake his father had when trying to transport the Ark the first time (1 Chronicles 13:6-10). Note that only the stone tablets of the testimony of Moses were in the Ark. At some point, the jar of manna (Exodus 16:32-34) and Aaron's rod that budded (Numbers 17:10-11; Hebrews 9:4) must have been removed.
In the dedication ceremony, all the priests and Levites were involved. Their regular division for monthly service was ignored for this special occasion (5:11). All the Levitical musicians were also included. While they were ministering in music and lifting up praise and thanksgiving, the glory of the Lord filled the Temple. Thus God honoured the new sanctuary with His presence and confirmed it as His Holy House, just as He had done with the Tabernacle of Moses (Exodus 40:34-35). This was a beautiful example of God inhabiting the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). He still does this today by His Spirit.
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