1 Kings 7:1

“But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, etc.] He made more haste with the house of God than with his own, for that was but seven years in building; which showed greater regard to the honour of God then to his own glory, or even convenience; nor was this built till after that: and finished all his house; or houses he undertook to build, the singular for the plural; even the house of God, his own palace, and that for the daughter of Pharaoh, and that which is next mentioned, which were in all twenty years building, (<110910>1 Kings 9:10).”

“BUILDING OF SOLOMON'S HOUSE. (Kg1 7:1) Solomon was building his own house thirteen years--The time occupied in building his palace was nearly double that spent in the erection of the temple [Kg1 6:38], because neither had there been the same previous preparations for it, nor was there the same urgency as in providing a place of worship, on which the national well-being so much depended.”

“Thirteen years - The thirteen years, i. e., counting from the end of the seven 1 Kings 6:38. Solomon’s buildings thus occupied him twenty years 1 Kings 9:10; 2 Chronicles 8:1, from the fourth year of his reign to the twenty-fourth. The difference in the time taken by the temple and the palace is to be accounted for, (1) by the long period of preparation which preceded the actual building of the former 1 Chronicles 22:2-4; 1 Kings 5:13-18; and (2) by the greater size of the palace, which consisted of several large ranges of buildings. (See the next note.) return to 'Top of Page'”

“House - The royal palace for himself, and for his successors. Thirteen years - Almost double the time to that in which the temple was built; because neither were the materials so far provided and prepared for this, as they were for the temple: nor did either he or his people use the same diligence in this, as in the other work; to which they were quickened by God's express command. 3 Kings (1 Kings) 7:2”

“7:1-12 Before describing the Temple’s furnishings, the writer mentions the construction of Solomon’s palace complex. The multiple buildings within this complex took nearly twice as long to build (thirteen years) as the Temple (seven years, 6:38). The entire building project took twenty years (9:10). Although construction details are brief, archaeological discovery of two of Solomon’s buildings provides an idea of how this palace might have looked. Despite its grandeur, Solomon’s palace is not the author’s focus; his interest is in the Temple, God’s dwelling place.”

“thirteen years: Kg1 9:10; Ch2 8:1; Ecc 2:4, Ecc 2:5; Mat 6:33 3 Kings (1 Kings) 7:2”

“Erection of the royal palace. - Kg1 7:1 is closely connected in form with Kg1 6:38, and contains a summary account of the building, which is more minutely described in Kg1 7:2-12. "And Solomon built his house (his palace) in thirteen years, and finished (in that time) all his house." The thirteen years are to be reckoned after the completion of the temple in seven years, so that the two buildings were executed in twenty years ( Kg1 9:10). The expression כּל־בּיתו is used, because the palace consisted of several buildings connected together; namely, (1) the house of the forest of Lebanon ( Kg1 7:2-5); (2) the pillar-hall with the porch ( Kg1 7:6); (3) the throne-room and judgment-hall ( Kg1…”