Commentary - 1 Kings 6:23-28

Bird's-eye view

In this section of 1 Kings, we are brought into the very heart of the temple, the inner sanctuary or the Most Holy Place. The construction described here is not merely architectural; it is profoundly theological. Solomon, operating under the wisdom given to him by God, is constructing a new Eden, a localized cosmos where Heaven and Earth meet. The centerpiece of this sacred space, even more prominent than the Ark of the Covenant which they are built to overshadow, is a pair of colossal cherubim. These are not decorative flourishes. They are formidable guardians of God's holiness, divine sentinels standing watch at the epicenter of God's dwelling place with His people. Their immense size, their material composition of living olive wood covered in the glory of gold, and their posture all declare something fundamental about the God who would dwell there. He is transcendently holy, yet He has chosen to make His home with men. This passage details the fabrication of a throne room for the King of the universe, and every detail is designed to evoke awe, reverence, and a deep understanding of covenant realities.

The key theme is the manifest presence of God's glory and the necessary guardianship of that glory. From the Garden of Eden eastward, cherubim have stood guard over the way to the tree of life. Here, they stand guard over the mercy seat, the place of atonement. Their construction from olive wood speaks of the covenant people of God, and their overlay of gold speaks of the divine glory and purity. Their wings, stretching from wall to wall, create an impassable, glorious barrier, signifying that access to this holy God is not a trivial matter. It is a guarded access, and as the New Testament reveals, it is an access that would ultimately be opened up only through the finished work of Jesus Christ, who is both our mercy seat and the one who passed through the heavenly veil for us.

Outline

Context In 1 Kings

This passage is embedded within the larger narrative of Solomon's reign, the high point of which is the construction of the temple. Chapter 6 is a detailed architectural account, a blueprint in prose, of the house Solomon built for the Lord. This follows the preparations made by his father David and the covenantal promises God made to David's line. The temple is the fulfillment of David's desire and God's promise. It represents the centralization of Israel's worship and the establishment of God's kingdom in a new and glorious way. The description of the cherubim comes at the climax of the chapter, as the narrative moves from the outer structures into the most sacred interior space, the Holy of Holies. This placement emphasizes their importance. They are the final and most magnificent pieces of furniture to be described before the house is completed. Their construction sets the stage for the installation of the Ark of the Covenant under their wings in chapter 8, and the subsequent filling of the temple with the glory-cloud of the Lord.

Key Issues

The Sentinels of Holiness

We must first disabuse ourselves of any notions of cherubim that come from Renaissance paintings of chubby, winged babies. That is not what is being described here. Biblical cherubim are formidable, awe-inspiring creatures who serve in the immediate presence of God. The first time we encounter them is in Genesis 3, after the fall of man, where God places them with a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life. They are guardians of holiness, preventing profane access to the sacred presence of God. Their images were woven into the veil of the tabernacle and later the temple, signifying that the way into the holiest was barred. Two smaller, golden cherubim were hammered out of one piece with the mercy seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant, their wings overshadowing the place of atonement.

What Solomon builds here is something different in scale, but not in function. These are not the cherubim of the Ark; they are two additional, massive cherubim that will dominate the inner sanctuary. They are the throne guardians of the Great King. Their presence declares that the God who dwells here is unapproachably holy. You do not simply wander into His presence. His glory is a consuming fire, and these creatures represent the fierce sanctity that surrounds Him. They are a visible sermon in wood and gold on the terror and majesty of the Lord.

Verse by Verse Commentary

23 Also in the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.

The location is critical: the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies. This is the symbolic center of the cosmos, the place where God's presence will dwell. And in this place, Solomon erects two cherubim. The material is specified as olive wood. This is significant. The olive tree was a symbol of life, peace, and covenantal faithfulness in Israel. It was the source of oil for light, for anointing, and for sustenance. For these guardians to be carved from olive wood suggests they are rooted in the covenant life of God's people. They are not alien beings; their guardianship is on behalf of, and is a representation of, the holy covenant God has made with Israel. Their height is ten cubits, roughly fifteen feet. These are not small statues; they are towering figures, designed to fill the space and dominate the consciousness of anyone who might enter.

24 And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing were ten cubits.

The dimensions are given with architectural precision. Each wing is five cubits long, making for a total wingspan of ten cubits, or fifteen feet, for each cherub. This is a picture of immense power and coverage. Wings in Scripture represent swiftness, protection, and divine presence. The wings of these cherubim are not folded demurely; they are spread wide, indicating they are on active duty. They are alert, watchful, and ready.

25 The other cherub was also ten cubits; both the cherubim were of the same measure and the same form.

The text emphasizes their perfect symmetry. They are identical in size and shape. This is not incidental. Their uniformity signifies the unswerving, consistent, and impartial nature of God's holy standard. There is no variation in the guardianship of His presence. The way is guarded with a perfect and unchanging holiness. They are a matched pair, working in perfect concert, a unified front of divine sanctity.

26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub.

The height is reiterated, underscoring their monumental stature. The inner sanctuary itself was twenty cubits high, so these figures would have stood half the height of the room. They were not meant to be overlooked. They were meant to convey the overwhelming reality of the divine presence they guarded. Man is small, and God is great. These figures preach that sermon in their very size.

27 And he put the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and the wings of the cherubim were spread out, so that the wing of the one was touching the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. And their wings were touching each other in the center of the house.

Here we see their strategic placement and posture. They stood side-by-side, and their wings were fully extended. With a combined wingspan of twenty cubits, and a room that was twenty cubits wide, their wings stretched from one wall to the other, touching in the middle. They formed a continuous, unbroken barrier of wings across the entire sanctuary. The Ark of the Covenant would be placed beneath the point where their inner wings touched. So they are not just guarding the room; they are specifically overshadowing and guarding the mercy seat, the very place of atonement. The picture is one of total coverage, complete protection. Nothing could approach the Ark without passing through this wall of wings.

28 He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

The final touch is the overlay of gold. The living, covenantal olive wood is completely covered in pure gold. Gold in the temple always speaks of divinity, purity, glory, and incorruptibility. It is the metal of heaven. By covering the cherubim in gold, their nature as heavenly beings is emphasized. But more than that, it shows that they are reflecting the glory of the one they serve. They are bathed in the radiance of God's own being. The covenant life of God's people (the olive wood) is to be completely covered and transformed by the glory of God (the gold). This is a picture of our own sanctification. We are brought into covenant with God, and the goal is that we would be filled and covered with His glory, reflecting His perfect holiness to the world.

Application

This passage, like all Old Testament temple passages, is shouting about Jesus Christ. The Holy of Holies, guarded so fiercely by these cherubim, represented a separation between a holy God and sinful man. That way was barred. The veil of the temple, embroidered with cherubim, said "Keep Out." For centuries, only one man, the high priest, could enter that room, and only one day a year, and not without blood. But when Christ cried out from the cross, "It is finished," the veil of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The guards were dismissed. The way was thrown open.

What the wings of the cherubim once barred, the blood of Jesus has opened for all who believe. He is our great High Priest, and He has not entered a man-made sanctuary, but heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). The cherubim guarded the mercy seat, but Jesus is our mercy seat, our propitiation. God's holiness has not been compromised; it has been satisfied. The demands of His perfect justice, represented by those unblinking sentinels, were fully met in the Son.

Therefore, we are not to approach God with cowering fear, but neither are we to approach Him with casual presumption. We are to come with boldness, but it is a boldness that comes only through the blood of the Lamb (Hebrews 10:19). We must remember the lesson of the cherubim: our God is a consuming fire. But we must also remember the lesson of the torn veil: that fire of judgment was fully poured out on Christ, so that for us, it might become the fire of welcome, purification, and love. We are now the temple of the living God, and our lives, like that olive wood, are to be overlaid with the gold of His glory, reflecting His character in all we do.