Commentary - 2 Chronicles 3:15-17

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but potent section of 2 Chronicles, we are presented with the construction of two monumental pillars, Jachin and Boaz. These were not structural supports in the modern sense, holding up the roof, but were free-standing proclamations at the very entrance to the house of God. Their crafting and placement are deliberate, saturated with a meaning that extends far beyond mere architectural flourish. This is street-level theology cast in bronze. Solomon, in building the Temple, is not just putting up a magnificent building; he is setting up a visible gospel, a tangible sermon for all who would approach to worship. These pillars, with their intricate decorations and significant names, declare the character of the God who dwells within and the nature of the covenant He establishes with His people. They are a declaration of divine promise at the front door of God's house, reminding Israel that access to God is based entirely on His sovereign establishment and His mighty strength.

The Chronicler's account, while parallel to the one in 1 Kings 7, has its own emphases. Here, the focus is on the grandeur and the theological weight of these objects as part of the legitimate worship of Yahweh, established by David and realized through Solomon. The pillars stand as sentinels, testifying that the kingdom of Israel and its worship are founded not on the strength of men, but on the unshakeable promise and power of God. For the Christian, they are signposts pointing directly to Christ, who is both the founder and the sustainer of His Church. He is our Jachin and our Boaz.

Outline

Context In 2 Chronicles

The book of 2 Chronicles is written after the exile, with the purpose of encouraging the returning remnant. The Chronicler is reminding them of their heritage, the legitimacy of the Davidic line, and the centrality of proper temple worship. By recounting the glorious construction of Solomon's temple, he is setting a standard and providing a theological anchor for a people who have returned to a Jerusalem that is a shadow of its former glory. This detailed description of the temple is not just historical nostalgia; it is a call to covenant faithfulness. The construction of these pillars, in particular, serves to remind the post-exilic community that God's promises are sure. The God who established His house through Solomon is the same God who can re-establish His people in the land. The stability and strength signified by the pillars are precisely the assurance the returning exiles needed to hear.

Verse by Verse Commentary

v. 15 He also made two pillars for the front of the house, thirty-five cubits high, and the capital on the top of each was five cubits.

The first thing to notice is that these pillars are made "for the front of the house." They are a public statement. Worship is never a purely private affair; it has a public testimony. Before you even enter the place of worship, you are met with a declaration. And what a declaration it is. The height is immense, towering figures designed to inspire awe and a sense of permanence. There is some discussion among the commentators about the height, whether it is for each pillar or both combined, but the point remains. These things were massive. They were not an afterthought but a central feature of the temple's facade. The capitals on top, another five cubits, were ornate crowns. This is royal architecture. This is the entrance to the palace of the Great King. Everything about them says that the God who dwells here is a God of glory, majesty, and unshakeable reality. This is not the god of a private opinion, but the God of heaven and earth.

v. 16 And he made chains in the inner sanctuary and put them on the top of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains.

Here the adornment gets specific and highly symbolic. First, we have chains. The text says he made them "in the inner sanctuary," which connects them to the holiest part of the temple. These are not chains of bondage, but chains of connection, binding things together. They speak of linkage, of covenant union. God binds Himself to His people, and His promises are an unbreakable chain. These chains, draped on the capitals, visually link the entrance of the temple to the very heart of God's presence. Furthermore, they are festooned with pomegranates. A pomegranate is a fruit bursting with seeds, a biblical symbol of fruitfulness, abundance, and life. There were one hundred of them, a number signifying fullness. This is a picture of the results of God's covenant faithfulness. Where God establishes and strengthens, the result is abundant life and fruitfulness. This is what the gospel produces. It is not a sterile religion, but a life-giving reality that multiplies and fills the earth. The high priest's robe was also decorated with pomegranates (Ex. 28:33-34), linking the fruitfulness of these pillars to the work of our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ.

v. 17 Thus he set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right and one on the left, and named the one on the right Jachin and the one on the left Boaz.

And here we have the capstone. The pillars are not just impressive architectural features; they have names. They preach. The one on the right, the position of favor and strength, is named Jachin, which means "He will establish." The one on the left is named Boaz, which means "in Him is strength." Put them together and you have the core of the gospel promise. As you approach the living God to worship, you are reminded of two foundational truths. First, your relationship with Him is not established by you. He establishes it. Your salvation, your access, your standing before Him is His work from start to finish. It is all of grace. Second, the strength to live the Christian life, to persevere in worship, to stand against the world, the flesh, and the devil, is not found in you. It is found "in Him." In Him is strength. The pillars are a constant, visible reminder that our entire spiritual life, from initiation to consummation, is a work of God. He establishes, and He strengthens. This is a profound rebuke to all forms of self-righteousness and bootstrap religion. We do not come to God's house because we are strong and stable; we come because He is. These pillars preach the Reformation solas five centuries before Luther. They declare that our salvation is established by God's grace alone and sustained by His strength alone, all of which points us to Christ, who is the true pillar of our faith, the one who establishes us and in whom we find all our strength.

Key Issues

Application

We do not build physical temples with bronze pillars today, but the truth these pillars proclaimed is eternal. The Church is the temple of the living God (1 Cor. 3:16), and its entrance is marked by the same glorious truths. We are established in Christ. Our position in Him is not precarious, not dependent on our fluctuating moods or our spotty performance. He has established us. This should give the believer a profound sense of security and peace. We are not on probation.

Likewise, we are to live our lives in the strength that God supplies. We are constantly tempted to rely on our own resources, our own cleverness, our own grit. Boaz stands as a permanent rebuke to such folly. The Christian life is a supernatural life, and it requires a supernatural power source. That source is Christ. The call to the believer is to continually draw upon the strength that is in Him. The fruitfulness symbolized by the pomegranates is the result of abiding in Him, the one who is both our Jachin and our Boaz. Our worship, our work, and our witness must all be built upon this twin foundation: God establishes, and God strengthens. When we forget this, we begin to build with wood, hay, and stubble. When we remember it, we build with gold, silver, and precious stones.