1 Kings 6:32

1Ki 6:32 The two doors also [were of] olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid [them] with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims, and upon the palm trees.

Ver. 32. Carvings of cherubims.] But far less than those two forementioned, though of a like signification.

And palm trees and open flowers] Showing the variety of virtues which shine in the faithful.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 6:32. The two doors also were of olive-tree — Or, The leaves of the doors; signifying what sort of doors they were, namely, folding-doors, as is more particularly observed 1Ki 6:34. He carved upon them carvings of cherubims, &c., and overlaid them with gold — When the veil, which covered this whole partition, with the doors of it, was drawn aside to give entrance to the high-priest into the holy of holies on the great day of atonement, then these beautiful doors of olive-tree, thus overlaid with gold, and curiously engraved, were displayed to his view, and the view of such priests as might be in the holy place; but otherwise they were seldom seen, and never but by the priests only.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

So that the fashion of the carved work might still appear.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(32) The two doors.—Those into the Holy place from the porch, of cypress wood, were naturally made larger. The posts were a fourth of the wall. Hence, according as the wall is taken to be 20 cubits square, or 30 cubits high by 20 wide, the height would be 5 cubits (7½ feet), or 7½ cubits (11¼ feet). The width is not given; possibly it is taken to be the same as that of the other doors. As these doors would be much heavier, and more frequently opened and shut, each leaf was made to fold again upon itself.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32. The two doors also were] As there is nothing to make the noun here definite, it is better to understand the verb ‘he made.’ Render ‘so he made two doors of olive-wood.’

and spread gold] Better, and made necessary by the text, ‘and he spread the gold.’ Here a different process is described. The walls and floors were covered with flat plates of gold nailed on (see 2Ch_3:9), but to cover the carved work the gold must be beaten to fit. The verb employed here gives the idea of pressure exerted to force the metal into the needful shapes.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he built the inner court,.... The court of the priests, Ch2 4:9; so called to distinguish it from the outer court, where the people assembled: this was built

with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams; the rows of stones were one upon another, topped with a row of cedar beams; or rather the cedar was a lining to the stones; and the whole is supposed to be about three cubits high, and was so low, that the people in the outward court might see priests ministering for them, and could converse with them; under the second temple, as Maimonides (h) says, the court of the priests was higher than that of the court of Israel two cubits and an half, called the great court, for which doors were made, and those overlaid with brass, Ch2 4:9.

(h) Hilchot Beth Habechirah, c. 6. sect. 3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The two doors - i. e., two leaves which met in the middle, as in the Assyrian gate-ways generally.

Spread gold - The doors were not simply sheeted with gold, like the floors 1Ki 6:30, but had the gold hammered to fit the forms of the palms, cherubs, and flowers carved upon them. 1Ki 6:35. Such hammered metal-work, generally in bronze, has been found in tolerable abundance among the Assyrian remains.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And carvings, &c. Hebrew, "and flowers full-blown." The term anaglypha, denotes a sculpture in relievo, (Calmet) or projecting. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

32. The two doors — The doors of the oracle seem to have been merely a double door, the two parts closing towards each other, and therefore not so complicated as the outer door of the temple. 1Ki_6:34. They moved on hinges of gold. 1Ki_7:50. In Italy the church doors usually stand open, but the doorway in closed over with a heavy curtain, and such seems to have been the usage in the case of these doors to the oracle.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The two doors also wore Rather, perhaps, "And he made" is to be supplied from ver. 31, as Keil. Rawlinson remarks that such doors as these are characteristic of Assyrian gateways of olive tree: and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread drYw Hiph. of ddr gold Heb. the gold upon the cherubims and upon the palm trees The writer means, not that the carving alone was gilded as Thenius thinks, who remarks on the effective contrast which the dark red cedar and the bright gold would furnish) but that the gilding did not conceal the character of the carvings. It is clear from ver. 22 that "all the house" blazed with gold in every part. If the floors were covered with gold, we may be sure both walls and doors would not be without their coating of the precious metal. Our author does not mention the curtain it is clear that the doors would not dispense with the necessity for a vail but the chronicler does. (2Ch_3:14) It was necessary in order to cover the ark; (Exo_40:3, Exo_40:21) hence it was sometimes called "the vail of the covering." But for this, when the doors were opened on the day of atonement, the priest in the holy place might have gazed into the oracle. 1Ki_8:8. The doors opened outwardly (into the house) The vail was suspended within the oracle.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He hammered upon the cherubim. He spread the gold in thin sheets [in order] to sink them into the engraved forms, so that it be recessed into the engraved places and protrude on the protrusions, so that the gold does not ruin the figures, and so that the figures in the wood are distinguishable under the gold.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.