This page gives you ready-to-use study questions for 1 Kings 6, the chapter that describes King Solomon building the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. It is written for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal reading, with observation, interpretation and application questions plus notes for discussion.
1 Kings 6 at a Glance
The chapter opens with a date: 480 years after the Exodus, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, the building begins. It then lays out the temple’s dimensions, the porch, the side rooms, and the inner sanctuary where the ark would sit. Much of the detail concerns cedar paneling, gold overlay, carved cherubim, palm trees and flowers, and the doors that separate the holy place from the most holy place.
In the middle of the description, God speaks directly to Solomon. The promise is conditional: obedience brings the establishing of David’s line and God’s presence among Israel. The chapter closes by noting that the building was finished in the eleventh year, after seven years of work.
Observation Questions
Use these first to make sure everyone has seen what the text actually says before anyone offers an opinion. Ask people to point to the verse or phrase that supports their answer, and keep interpretation for the next section.
1 Kings 6:1
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the LORD’s house.
(WEB)
Reading the opening date aloud sets the historical frame for the whole chapter and reminds the group that this is a real event in a real timeline.
1 Kings 6:12-13
12 “Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.”
(WEB)
This is the heart of the chapter, where God speaks directly. Reading it aloud lets the group hear the promise of God’s presence in his own words.
1 Kings 6:19-20
19 He prepared an inner sanctuary in the middle of the house within, to set the ark of the LORD’s covenant there. 20 Within the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with pure gold; and he covered the altar with cedar.
(WEB)
Hearing the description of the inner sanctuary aloud helps the group picture the most holy place and understand why it was so carefully set apart.
1 Kings 6:27-28
27 He set the cherubim within the inner house. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the middle of the house. 28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.
(WEB)
The image of the cherubim wings meeting in the middle is vivid. Reading it aloud gives people a moment to form a picture before discussion begins.
1 Kings 6:38
In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts, and according to all its specifications. So he spent seven years building it.
(WEB)
Closing the reading with the completion of the house gives the group a clear ending point and a sense of accomplishment before moving to reflection.
Memory Verse for 1 Kings 6
1 Kings 6:12
“Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.
(WEB)
This verse holds the chapter’s central tension between God’s promise and the call to walk in his ways. It is short enough to memorize and rich enough to return to throughout the week.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come before you thankful that you dwell among your people and do not forsake them. Thank you for the care Solomon took to build a house worthy of your name, and for the reminder that faithfulness matters in every season. Help us walk in your statutes with a willing heart, not out of fear but out of trust in your promises. Teach us to set apart space for you in our days, and to finish what we begin with honesty and care. Be near to each person here this week, and let what we read shape how we live. Amen.
