He also built a structure against the wall of the house … and he made side chambers all around: It is not clear how the Hebrew noun rendered structure is to be understood (see also the comments on verse 10). It is often understood as referring to the three-storied annex built against the sides and the back of the Temple (so Good News Translation, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). It is not clear from the Revised Standard Version translation whether a structure and side chambers refer to two different things or to the same thing. The English words structure and side chambers translate two different Hebrew nouns. There are two interpretations on how they relate to each other:
(1) Assuming that only one thing is intended, Good News Translation makes it clear that the structure was built against “the outside walls.” Good News Translation (similarly Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje) also brings forward from verse 6 the information that the outer structure was “three-storied” tall and from verse 10 the information that each level, or story, was 7.5 feet (about 2.5 meters) high (but see the comments on verse 10). The purpose of this structure was to help support the walls and to provide places for storage.
(2) Assuming that the structure is not the same as the side chambers, what was the structure It may have been a squared platform upon which the side chambers were built. Following this interpretation, Gray translates “And he built against the wall of the Temple a platform around the nave and the back part, and he made storeys round about.” Revised English Bible (also De Vries) is similar with “Then he built a terrace against its wall round both the sanctuary and the inner shrine. He made arcades all round [on top of the terrace].”

The exact shape of the side chambers referred to here and in verse 6 is not clear. There are two different views: (1) The outer stone wall of the Temple was stairstepped, that is, the stone wall receded one cubit, then further up it receded two cubits, and then further up it receded three cubits. Cedar boards lay horizontal on these recessed ledges and rested on vertical standing cedar panels to form straight up and down side chambers. According to this understanding, each level is one cubit wider than the one below, but the outer wall of the side chambers is straight up and down (so Good News Translation and Bible en français courant in their translations of verse 6). (2) Or, alternatively, the outer stone wall of the Temple was straight up and down and the second level of side rooms built in cedar against the outside of the stone wall projected out one cubit wider than the first level; and the third projected out one cubit wider than the second level.

There is simply no way to know for sure which of the above mentioned understandings is correct. But translators should follow consistently throughout this chapter the one understanding that they accept. And if it is judged necessary, a footnote may be given with the other interpretation.

For the nave and the inner sanctuary, see the introductory discussion on this section and the comments on verse 3.

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 .