21Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, then he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold.
The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is transliterated as “Solomon” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “wise” referring to 1 Kings 3:12. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “sanctuary” in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with opatulika or “separated place.” This is understood in a religious setup as a place designated for worship. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 6:21:
Kupsabiny: “The House of God was partitioned in order to make a Secret room which is very much feared/respected together with a Sitting (common) room. All the sides of that Secret room were the same. Each side had thirty feet. The Sitting room had a length of sixty feet. Small pieces of timber from cedar tree were put on the walls of that house from bottom to top and cypress timber were used on the floors of the house. The timber on the walls of that house were beautified/decorated with some things which looked like gourds and flowers being engraved on (them). The timber closed/sealed everywhere as if no single stone had been used. That Secret room had been made/prepared so that the Box of the Covenant of God would be kept there. The whole wall of that Secret room was smeared with gold up to the top (ceiling). There was a altar for sweet-smelling sacrifices by the door of the Secret room of the House of God. That thing was made of cedar wood and was covered with gold. The wall of the Sitting room too was smeared with gold and the front part of that Secret room was crossed with chains made of gold. So, Solomon beautified/decorated every part of the House of God using gold.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Solomon overlaid the inner part of the temple with gold, then he drew a gold chain reaching across the front of the Most Holy Place, which was overlaid with gold.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The other part of the inside of the temple he also have- it -overlayed/coated with pure gold. He have-made gold chain and have- it – tied cross-way on the pathway/entrance that is going-inside the Most Holy Place.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Solomon told them to cover the other walls inside the temple with very thin sheets of pure gold and to fasten gold chains across the entrance to the Very Holy Place.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Although the Hebrew says that Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, the sense is that he ordered this work to be done by others. In some languages a causative form of the verb will naturally be used here; for example, “Solomon caused the inside of the Temple to be overlaid…” or “… caused workers to cover….” The house usually refers elsewhere in this chapter to the Temple, but some interpreters think that here and in verses 22, 29, and 30, the house refers specifically to the Most Holy Place. The decision that translators make here regarding the meaning of the house will determine how the literal words “the inside and the outside” in verses 29 and 30 will be understood and translated. If the house refers to the Temple itself in this verse, then Good News Translation correctly adds “also” at the end of the verse, since the end of the verse refers specifically to the Most Holy Place.
And he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary: The verb translated drew … across means simply that “he placed gold chains across…” (International Children’s Bible). New International Version translates “he extended … across….”
The inner sanctuary, which is called “the inner room” in Good News Translation, is the cube-shaped Most Holy Place at the rear of the Temple.
The parallel passage in 2 Chr 3 adds the information that a veil was hung, apparently from chains (specifically verse 14), and this is the basis for the correction of the Masoretic Text here in Revised English Bible to read “and drew a veil with golden chains across in front of the inner shrine.” While Revised English Bible no doubt correctly expresses the reason for the chains, it will be better not to harmonize this verse with the parallel verse in 2 Chronicles.
New Jerusalem Bible omits the beginning of verse 21 and connects the end of verse 20 with the end of verse 21 as follows: “He made an altar of cedar wood 21 in front of the Debir [the inner sanctuary] and overlaid it with gold.” New Jerusalem Bible has the following note on verse 21: “The Hebr. has some extra words at the beginning of v. 21 but the sense is uncertain.” It is certainly true that the New Jerusalem Bible translation reads smoothly, but we cannot recommend that translators simply omit the difficult words at the beginning of verse 21.
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 .
6:21a So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold,
He covered the inside walls of the house with pure gold. -or-
Solomon ⌊had his workmen⌋ put/spread a layer of fine gold over the inside walls of the temple.
6:21b and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary,
He placed chains of gold across the front of the holy/sacred place, -or-
He ⌊had his workmen⌋ hang large gold chains across the wall in front of the inner room/sanctuary.
6:21c which was overlaid with gold.
which he had completely covered with gold. -or-
He ⌊had his workmen⌋ put/spread a layer of gold over that wall.
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