1 Kings 6:8
New International Version
The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a stairway led up to the middle level and from there to the third.

New Living Translation
The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the Temple. There were winding stairs going up to the second floor, and another flight of stairs between the second and third floors.

English Standard Version
The entrance for the lowest story was on the south side of the house, and one went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third.

Berean Standard Bible
The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor.

King James Bible
The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.

New King James Version
The doorway for the middle story was on the right side of the temple. They went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

New American Standard Bible
The doorway for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by a winding staircase to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

NASB 1995
The doorway for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

NASB 1977
The doorway for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

Legacy Standard Bible
The doorway for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third.

Amplified Bible
The entrance to the lowest side chamber was on the right [or south] side of the house; and they would go up winding stairs to the middle [level], and from the middle to the third.

Christian Standard Bible
The door for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the temple. They went up a stairway to the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The door for the lowest side chamber was on the right side of the temple. They went up a stairway to the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third.

American Standard Version
The door for the middle side-chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle story, and out of the middle into the third.

Contemporary English Version
The entrance to the bottom storage rooms was on the south side of the building, and stairs to the other rooms were also there.

English Revised Version
The door for the middle side-chambers was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle chambers, and out of the middle into the third.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The entrance to the first story was on the south side of the temple. A staircase went up to the middle story and then to the third story.

Good News Translation
The entrance to the lowest story of the annex was on the south side of the Temple, with stairs leading up to the second and third stories.

International Standard Version
A passageway to the side chamber was constructed on the south side of the Temple by which people could ascend winding stairs to the middle story, then from there to the third story.

Majority Standard Bible
The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor.

NET Bible
The entrance to the bottom level of side rooms was on the south side of the temple; stairs went up to the middle floor and then on up to the third floor.

New Heart English Bible
And the door for the lowest side-rooms was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle story, and out of the middle into the third.

Webster's Bible Translation
The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third;

World English Bible
The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house. They went up by winding stairs into the middle floor, and out of the middle into the third.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The opening of the middle side [is] at the right shoulder of the house, and with windings they go up on the middle one, and from the middle one to the third.

Young's Literal Translation
The opening of the middle side is at the right shoulder of the house, and with windings they go up on the middle one, and from the middle one unto the third.

Smith's Literal Translation
The door of the middle rib to the right shoulder of the house: and they will go up with windings upon the middle, and from the middle to the third.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The door for the middle side was on the right hand of the house : and by winding stairs they went up to the middle room, and from the middle to the third.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The door at the side of the middle section was to the right of the house. And they would ascend along winding stairs to the middle level, and from the middle level to the third level.

New American Bible
The entrance to the middle story was on the south side of the house; stairs led up to the middle story and from the middle story to the third.

New Revised Standard Version
The entrance for the middle story was on the south side of the house: one went up by winding stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The door of the middle chamber was on the south side of the house; and it went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the door of the surrounding corridor at the middle to the south side of the house, and with a staircase going up to the middle one, and from the middle one going up to the third.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The door for the lowest row of chambers was in the right side of the house and they went up by winding stairs into the middle row, and out of the middle into the third.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the porch of the under side was below the right wing of the house, and there was a winding ascent into the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third story.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Chambers
7The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built. 8The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor. 9So Solomon built the temple and finished it, roofing it with beams and planks of cedar.…

Cross References
2 Chronicles 3:1-2
Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. / Solomon began construction on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

2 Chronicles 3:9
The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also overlaid the upper rooms with gold.

2 Chronicles 3:17
Then he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south and one on the north. The pillar on the south he named Jachin, and the pillar on the north he named Boaz.

2 Chronicles 4:1
He made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high.

2 Chronicles 4:6
He also made ten basins for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. The parts of the burnt offering were rinsed in them, but the priests used the Sea for washing.

2 Chronicles 4:11-12
Additionally, Huram made the pots, shovels, and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished the work that he had undertaken for King Solomon in the house of God: / the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals atop the pillars; the two sets of network covering both bowls of the capitals atop the pillars;

2 Chronicles 5:1
So all the work that Solomon had performed for the house of the LORD was completed. Then Solomon brought in the items his father David had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the house of God.

2 Chronicles 5:7-8
Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim. / For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles.

2 Chronicles 5:13-14
The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud / so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud. For the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

2 Chronicles 6:1-2
Then Solomon declared: “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. / But I have built You an exalted house, a place for You to dwell forever.”

2 Chronicles 6:12-13
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. / Now Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high and had placed it in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on it, knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven,

2 Chronicles 6:18-20
But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built. / Yet regard the prayer and plea of Your servant, O LORD my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying before You. / May Your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your Name, so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.

2 Chronicles 7:1-3
When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. / The priests were unable to enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled it. / When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.”

2 Chronicles 7:12-16
the LORD appeared to him at night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. / If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, / and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. ...

Matthew 12:6
But I tell you that One greater than the temple is here.


Treasury of Scripture

The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.

side [heb] shoulder

Ezekiel 41:6,7
And the side chambers were three, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold, but they had not hold in the wall of the house…

Jump to Previous
Chamber Chambers Door Doorway Entrance Floor House Lowest Middle Opening Right Rooms Row Shoulder Side Side-Chambers South Stairs Stairway Steps Story Temple Third Twisting Winding
Jump to Next
Chamber Chambers Door Doorway Entrance Floor House Lowest Middle Opening Right Rooms Row Shoulder Side Side-Chambers South Stairs Stairway Steps Story Temple Third Twisting Winding
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














The entrance for the middle story
This phrase refers to the architectural design of Solomon's Temple, specifically the access point to the middle level of the structure. The Hebrew word for "entrance" is "פֶּתַח" (petach), which implies an opening or doorway. In the context of ancient Near Eastern architecture, entrances were significant as they often symbolized transition and access to sacred spaces. The middle account of the temple likely served a specific function, possibly related to storage or priestly activities, emphasizing the organized and purposeful design of the temple.

was on the right side of the house
The "right side" in Hebrew is "יָמִין" (yamin), which often symbolizes strength and favor in biblical literature. The right side of a structure was traditionally considered a place of honor and power. This detail underscores the intentionality in the temple's design, reflecting the divine order and the importance of the temple as a dwelling place for God's presence. The "house" refers to the temple itself, a central place of worship and a symbol of God's covenant with Israel.

and they would go up
The phrase "go up" is translated from the Hebrew "עָלָה" (alah), which means to ascend or climb. This verb is frequently used in the context of approaching God, as in going up to Jerusalem or the temple. The act of ascending to the temple's higher levels can be seen as a metaphor for drawing nearer to God, both physically and spiritually. It reflects the idea of elevation in worship and the pursuit of holiness.

by winding stairs
"Winding stairs" is derived from the Hebrew "לוּלִים" (lulim), indicating a spiral or helical staircase. This architectural feature was not only practical but also symbolic. The spiral ascent could represent the journey of faith, with its twists and turns, leading upward toward God. In ancient construction, such staircases were innovative, demonstrating the advanced engineering and craftsmanship involved in building the temple.

to the middle story
The repetition of "middle story" emphasizes its importance in the temple's structure. The middle level served as a transitional space, possibly for the priests' use, highlighting the layered approach to accessing the sacred. This design reflects the hierarchical nature of worship in the temple, where different levels of holiness and access were observed.

and from the middle to the third
This phrase indicates a progression from one level to another, symbolizing spiritual growth and deeper engagement with the divine. The "third" level, or "שְׁלִישִׁי" (shelishi) in Hebrew, represents the highest point within the temple structure accessible by these stairs. It suggests a culmination of the journey, reaching a place of greater proximity to God's presence, akin to the spiritual ascent believers are called to in their walk with God.

Verse 8. - After recording this interesting and singular fact, the historian resumes his description of the side building. The door [or entrance, doorway, פֶתַח, as in ver. 31] for [Heb. of] the middle chamber [generally understood to mean "the middle side chamber of the lower story." But this is by no means necessary, for

(1) צֵלָע may signify the suite of rooms, i.e., the entire story or flat, as well as a single lean to or compartment, and

(2) הַתִּי כֹנָה is used in the next clause of the middle story. This has led Thenius, Keil, Ewald, Bahr, al. to substitute הַתַּחֲתּנָח (following the LXX. and Targum), which would give the sense of "lower story" (as in Ezekiel 41:7). Bahr says this "must necessarily be read." That this emendation has much in its favour must be allowed, but it seems also certain that we get a perfectly clear meaning from the text as it stands, viz., that "the door (leading to) the middle floor was (on the ground floor) on the right side," etc. It is hardly likely that all the compartments on the ground floor had only one approach, and the doors which communicated with them may well have been passed over as requiring no special notice. But the historian feels it necessary to state how the second and third stories were reached, and the staircase which led to them causes him to speak of the position of the door which opened upon it] was in the right side [Heb. shoulder. This word (כֶּתֶפ) almost implies that the door was in the external wall of the side structure, not in the wall of the holy place (as Bottcher, al.) The fact that the floor joists were not inserted into the temple walls, as being inconsistent with the dignity of the sanctuary, makes it almost a certainty that there was no direct communication between the building and its dependance. It is very improbable that the walls of the house were anywhere broken through. The "right side" was the south side (1 Kings 7:39), i.e., the right, not as one faced the oracle, but, like the building, faced east. What was the exact position of the door, whether in the centre, or at either angle, it is impossible to say] of the house: and they went up with winding stairs [לוּלִים is only found here and in 2 Chronicles

3. The staircase was obviously unlike those of most Eastern buildings, within the side structure. Even if the outer wall was five cubits thick, of which we have no proof, it is very doubtful whether the staircase would or could be constructed within it] into [Heb. upon] the middle Chamber [or story], and out of the middle into the third.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The entrance
פֶּ֗תַח (pe·ṯaḥ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6607: An opening, door, entrance way

to the bottom
הַתִּ֣יכֹנָ֔ה (hat·tî·ḵō·nāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 8484: Central

floor
הַצֵּלָע֙ (haṣ·ṣê·lā‘)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6763: A rib, a side, a, timber, plank

was on
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the south
הַיְמָנִ֑ית (hay·mā·nîṯ)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 3233: Right hand, right

side
כֶּ֥תֶף (ke·ṯep̄)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3802: The shoulder, side-piece, lateral projection of anything

of the temple.
הַבַּ֖יִת (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

A stairway
וּבְלוּלִּ֗ים (ū·ḇə·lūl·lîm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3883: A shaft or enclosed space with steps or ladder

led up
יַֽעֲלוּ֙ (ya·‘ă·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

to
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the middle level,
הַתִּ֣יכֹנָ֔ה (hat·tî·ḵō·nāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 8484: Central

and from
וּמִן־ (ū·min-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

[there]
הַתִּֽיכֹנָ֖ה (hat·tî·ḵō·nāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 8484: Central

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the third floor.
הַשְּׁלִשִֽׁים׃ (haš·šə·li·šîm)
Article | Number - ordinal masculine plural
Strong's 7992: Third, feminine a, third, a third, a third-story cell)


Links
1 Kings 6:8 NIV
1 Kings 6:8 NLT
1 Kings 6:8 ESV
1 Kings 6:8 NASB
1 Kings 6:8 KJV

1 Kings 6:8 BibleApps.com
1 Kings 6:8 Biblia Paralela
1 Kings 6:8 Chinese Bible
1 Kings 6:8 French Bible
1 Kings 6:8 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Kings 6:8 The door for the middle side chambers (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 6:7
Top of Page
Top of Page