Go to Related Reading
About this book

2 Chronicles

About this book
Chapter 3

1 Solomon began building the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah,⁠ where the Lord had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David prepared at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 He began building on the second day of the second month of the fourth year of his reign. 3 Solomon laid the foundation for God’s temple; its length (determined according to the old standard of measure) was 90 feet, and its width 30 feet. 4 The porch in front of the main hall was 30 feet long, corresponding to the width of the temple, and its height was 30 feet. He plated the inside with pure gold. 5 He paneled the main hall with boards made from evergreen trees and plated it with fine gold, decorated with palm trees and chains. 6 He decorated the temple with precious stones; the gold he used came from Parvaim. 7 He overlaid the temple’s rafters, thresholds, walls and doors with gold; he carved decorative cherubim on the walls. 8 He made the Most Holy Place; its length was 30 feet, corresponding to the width of the temple, and its width 30 feet. He plated it with 600 talents of fine gold. 9 The gold nails weighed 50 shekels; he also plated the upper areas with gold. 10 In the Most Holy Place he made two images of cherubim and plated them with gold. 11 The combined wing span of the cherubim was 30 feet. One of the first cherub’s wings was 7½ feet long and touched one wall of the temple; its other wing was also 7½ feet long and touched one of the second cherub’s wings. 12 Likewise one of the second cherub’s wings was 7½ feet long and touched the other wall of the temple; its other wing was also 7½ feet long and touched one of the first cherub’s wings. 13 The combined wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet. They stood upright, facing inward. 14 He made the curtain out of blue, purple, crimson, and white fabrics, and embroidered on it decorative cherubim.⁠ 15 In front of the temple he made two pillars which had a combined length of 52½ feet, with each having a plated capital 7½ feet high. 16 He made ornamental chains and put them on top of the pillars. He also made 100 pomegranate-shaped ornaments and arranged them within the chains. 17 He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right side and the other on the left. He named the one on the right Yakin and the one on the left Boaz.

Texts in conversation

Compare 2 Chronicles 3:14 and 3 Enoch 45:6

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

Share:

Summary

In 3 Enoch, Ishmael sees all human history written on the curtain in the heavenly temple, echoing a tradition from the Hebrew Bible where the earthly temple is a copy of the heavenly temple.

Passages

2 Chronicles 3:14

Hebrew Bible
14 He made the curtain out of blue, purple, crimson, and white fabrics, and embroidered on it decorative cherubim. 15 In front of the temple he made two pillars which had a combined length of 52½ feet, with each having a plated capital 7½ feet high. 16 He made ornamental chains and put them on top of the pillars. He also made 100 pomegranate-shaped ornaments and arranged them within the chains. 17 He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right side and the other on the left. He named the one on the right Yakin and the one on the left Boaz.
400–301 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in 2 Chronicles

3 Enoch 45:6

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · Hebrew Book of Enoch
6 And all the rest of all the leaders of the generations and all the works of the generations both in Israel and in the nations of the world, both what is done and what will be done hereafter to all generations until the end of time, (all) were graven on the Curtain of MAQOM. And I saw all these things with my eyes; and after I had seen it, I opened my mouth in praise of MAQOM (the Divine Majesty) (saying thus, Eccl. viii. 4, 5): "For the King's word has power (and who may say to him: What are you doing?) Whoever keeps the commandments shall know no evil thing". And I said: (Ps. civ. 24) "O Lord, how manifold are your works!"
400–600 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 3 Enoch

References

“... 45 a. "The curtain [pargod] of the Omnipresent One": This curtain is the heavenly counterpart of the Veil which divided the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in the earthly Tabernacle and Temple (Ex 26:31; 2Chr 3:14). The earthly veil is called the pdrdket: the heavenly veil, though sometimes called a pdrdket, is more commonly designated the pargod. Pargod is a loanword from Persian: Cf. the PdfoVawpardag, "curtain," "veil," and the cognate Hindustani pardah, from which the English "purdah" is derived. The heavenly pargod separates the immediate pres­ ence of God from the rest of heaven. It shields the angels from the destructive glare of the divine glory (Targum Job 26:9; cf. 3En 22B:6), and it conceals the ultimate mysteries of the deity; only the Prince of the Divine Presence is allowed to go within the curtain (cf. b.Yoma 77a). Some­ times secrets are announced by a heavenly voice "from behind the curtain" (b.Ber 18b; b.Hag 15a; 16a; b.Sanh 89b; Ma'yan Hokmah, BHM, vol. 1, p. 60, 1. 10; Ma'aseh 'asarah haruge malkut, BHM, vol. 6, p. 21, 1. 32, and p. 31, 1. 28; MidraS " 'Ellen 'ezkerah," BHM, vol. 3, p. 65, I. 25; MidraS 'aseret hadibberot, BHM, vol. 1, p. 81, 11. 3f.; Haggadat Sema' Yisra'el, BHM, vol. 5, p. 165, 11. 29f.; Masseket bibbut haqqeber 4; BHM, vol. 1. p. 152, I. 10). The idea in 3En 45 appears to be that the whole course of human history is already worked out "in blueprint" in the heavenly realm, and has been totally foreordained by God. Cf. the heav­ enly tablets on which, according to Hekalot Rabbati 6:3 (BM, vol. 1. p. 76), all the trials foreordained for Israel are already recorded. ...”
Philip S. Alexander, “3 (Hebrew Apocalypse of) Enoch,” in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, ed. James H. Charlesworth (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1983), 1:296.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Tags

Your feedback

2 Chronicles 3:14 and 3 Enoch 45:6

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library