This verse begins in Hebrew with the common conjunction that is traditionally translated “and.” Many modern versions do not translate this conjunction here. If, however, the word “house” in verse 1 includes the buildings mentioned in verses 2-8, then the Hebrew conjunction may be rendered “For” (so Jewish Publication Version); that is, the conjunction does not introduce the description of additional buildings but rather introduces a description of the “house” mentioned in verse 1. Contemporary English Version makes it very clear that the building mentioned in verses 2-5 was a part of the larger palace complex by beginning these verses with “Forest Hall was the largest room in the palace….”
He built … it was built … it was covered: The idea behind He built is that Solomon made other people to build (see the comments on 1 Kgs 6.16). In languages where passive verb forms present a problem, it will be possible to say “the workers built it” in place of it was built and “the workers covered it” instead of it was covered.
The House of the Forest of Lebanon: As the footnote in Good News Translation indicates, this was a large ceremonial hall. It probably received this name because it was built and paneled with cedar wood from Lebanon (see 1 Kgs 4.33). The rows of pillars must have given the appearance of a forest. Parole de Vie, in fact, makes this information explicit in translation by saying “Its name comes from the four rows of cedar columns that support the cedar beams of the ceiling.” The text does not clearly indicate the relationship of this building to the buildings mentioned in verses 6-8, but it seems that this was a separate building, not connected to the others. Weapons and precious objects were stored here (1 Kgs 10.17, 21; 2 Chr 9.20).
Its length was a hundred cubits, and its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits: Regarding the size and translation of a cubit, see the comments on 1 Kgs 6.2. Rather than transliterate cubit, it will be better to use a unit of measure that is understood in the receptor language. Good News Translation uses “feet.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “forty-five meters long, twenty-two and a half meters wide, and thirteen and a half meters high.” Bible en français courant rounds this off as “fifty meters long, twenty-five meters wide and fifteen meters high.” It should be kept in mind that numbers in the Bible often have symbolic value. Sometimes converting the biblical unit to a locally used unit can result in losing the symbolic relationships of the symbolic numbers. Rounding the numbers is justified here.
Upon three rows of cedar pillars … fifteen in each row: The information regarding the three rows of cedar pillars and the fifteen pillars in each row is stated in verses 2 and 3 respectively. Good News Translation has restructured these two verses to place this information together. Since the building was 150 feet long, each of the fifteen pillars in each row was spaced ten feet apart from the next pillar. The word translated pillars comes form the Hebrew word meaning “to stand.” Although this word sometimes refers to “poles,” it usually refers to pillars or beams that bear the weight of a permanent structure. Perhaps the best translation here is “columns” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Century Version).
Three rows follows the Septuagint, but this is not likely the correct reading. The translator of the Septuagint may have arrived at the number three by dividing forty-five by fifteen. But such an understanding is based on a misreading of the Hebrew text; the number forty-five should be taken with the Hebrew noun rendered chambers and not with the noun pillars. The Masoretic Text, in fact, reads “four rows” (also New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Anchor Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Living Translation). Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and correctly notes that there were four rows of pillars and that the number forty-five refers to the chambers connecting the rows of pillars. Each row of pillars contained fifteen pillars for a total of sixty pillars.
The cedar beams upon the pillars probably went across the width of the palace. The cedar above the chambers probably refers to planks that formed the ceiling and ran the length of the palace.
Chambers translates the Hebrew noun rendered “side chambers” in 1 Kgs 6.5 and “boards” in 1 Kgs 6.15, 16. It is not clear which meaning is intended here. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and Anchor Bible say “planks.” Some understand the Hebrew noun in this context to mean “support beams.” Revised English Bible says “beams” and New Jerusalem Bible has “tie-beams.” The most likely meaning is “tie-beams” or “support beams,” that is, wooden tie-beams or support beams connected the four rows of pillars (or, “columns” in Revised English Bible). Each four pillars across from each other were connected by three tie-beams, giving a total of forty-five beams, not forty-five pillars as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.
Others understand the Hebrew noun to have the same meaning here as in 1 Kgs 6.5, that is, it refers to chambers or side chambers like those around the outer walls of the Temple. These chambers, like those around the Temple, were three stories tall, or as verse 4 says, “in three tiers.” If this interpretation is followed, then on each side of the House of the Forest of Lebanon there were three stories of side chambers with fifteen chambers on each story. Apparently the central part of this building along with the side chambers on each side rested on top of four rows of pillars. The rows of pillars under the building probably provided an open-air colonnade where people could walk in shade. But it must be admitted that this interpretation is uncertain. Fritz correctly states “Despite the details given it is not possible to sketch out a picture of the building” (page 77).
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .