The Meaning of 1 Kings 6:7 Explained

1 Kings 6:7

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: And the house, when it was being built, was built of stone entirely 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 being built.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Kings 6:7 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 6:1-13 - The Plan Of The Lord's House
The Temple was twice the size of the Tabernacle-ninety feet long by thirty feet broad, and forty-five feet high. The plan had been given to David by revelation, 1 Chronicles 28:11-12. Seven years and a half were consumed in its erection. It was completed in sacred silence, 1 Kings 6:7. The awful sanctity of the shrine would have been violated if its construction had been marred by the harsh and violent sounds that generally accompany the mason's toil. "Like some tall palm the noiseless fabric sprang." In nature, God works so silently that we do not realize His activities.
The central motive was to provide a place worthy to be called the house of God. Israel was now ruled by a king, but he was viewed as the organ and instrument of Jehovah. It was fitting, therefore, that the King of kings should have a dwelling-place among the people of Israel. The tabernacle of God was with men. He dwelled with them on the earth. The Temple was, moreover, the type, first of the body of Jesus, John 2:21; then of each believer, 1 Corinthians 3:16; and lastly of the whole Church, Ephesians 2:21-22. Each of these is the dwelling-place of God, and the innermost chamber-the Holy of Holies-is meant to be the throne-room of the Shekinah of His presence, Leviticus 16:2.
1 Kings 6:1-38 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 6:7 mean?

And the temple when it was being built with stone finished at the quarry was built so that hammer or chisel [or] any tool iron no was heard in the temple while it was being built
וְהַבַּ֙יִת֙ בְּהִבָּ֣נֹת֔וֹ אֶֽבֶן־ שְׁלֵמָ֥ה מַסָּ֖ע נִבְנָ֑ה וּמַקָּב֤וֹת וְהַגַּרְזֶן֙ כָּל־ כְּלִ֣י בַרְזֶ֔ל לֹֽא־ נִשְׁמַ֥ע בַּבַּ֖יִת בְּהִבָּנֹתֽוֹ

וְהַבַּ֙יִת֙  And  the  temple 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
בְּהִבָּ֣נֹת֔וֹ  when  it  was  being  built 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
אֶֽבֶן־  with  stone 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
שְׁלֵמָ֥ה  finished 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: complete, safe, peaceful, perfect, whole, full, at peace.
מַסָּ֖ע  at  the  quarry 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַסָּע 
Sense: quarry, quarrying, breaking out (of stones).
נִבְנָ֑ה  was  built 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
וּמַקָּב֤וֹת  so  that  hammer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מַקֶּבֶת  
Sense: hammer.
וְהַגַּרְזֶן֙  or  chisel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גַּרְזֶן  
Sense: axe.
כָּל־  [or]  any 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
כְּלִ֣י  tool 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
בַרְזֶ֔ל  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
לֹֽא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נִשְׁמַ֥ע  was  heard 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בַּבַּ֖יִת  in  the  temple 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
בְּהִבָּנֹתֽוֹ  while  it  was  being  built 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.