“And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Kings 6:1 Mean?
This verse is one of the most significant chronological markers in the Old Testament. It places the construction of Solomon's Temple exactly 480 years after the Exodus from Egypt — connecting the two most foundational events in Israel's identity. The Exodus freed them; the Temple gives them a permanent place to dwell with God. The journey from slavery to sanctuary spans nearly five centuries.
The specificity is striking: the fourth year of Solomon's reign, the month of Zif (corresponding roughly to April-May), the second month. Scripture treats this moment like a birth announcement — the exact date matters because what's being born matters. This isn't just a construction project; it's the fulfillment of a promise that stretches back to Moses.
The phrase "he began to build the house of the LORD" uses language that echoes creation itself. In Hebrew, the word for "build" (banah) shares its root with the word for "son" (ben) and for "understand" (binah). Building the Temple is an act of creating something that will endure, something generative, something that makes God's presence comprehensible to His people.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What promise or dream in your life feels like it's been waiting for 480 years? How do you stay faithful in the waiting?
- 2.David wanted to build the Temple but wasn't allowed to. How do you handle it when God says 'not you' or 'not yet' to something you deeply want to do?
- 3.Why do you think Scripture records the exact date of the Temple's construction start? What does that level of detail tell you about how God views this moment?
- 4.What does it mean to you that the journey from liberation (Exodus) to dwelling with God (Temple) took nearly 500 years?
Devotional
Four hundred and eighty years. That's how long it took from the moment Israel walked through the Red Sea to the moment Solomon laid the first stones of the Temple. Nearly half a millennium of wandering, conquering, failing, repenting, being ruled by judges, choosing kings, fighting wars — and finally, finally, building a house for God.
If you're in a season of waiting, this verse is for you. God's promises don't operate on your timeline. The Israelites who walked through the sea never saw this Temple. Their grandchildren's grandchildren never saw it. But the promise was alive the entire time, working its way through history toward fulfillment.
There's something important about the fact that the Temple couldn't be built until the right time. David wanted to build it and was told no — not because his desire was wrong but because the timing wasn't right. Solomon inherited both the dream and the right moment. Some things in your life may be exactly like this: the desire is from God, but the fulfillment belongs to a season you haven't reached yet.
The Temple began in the second month — spring, the season of new growth. God's timing isn't random. When the foundation is finally laid, pay attention to the season. Something that took 480 years to arrive is worth building carefully.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of…
In the four hundred and eightieth year - It is upon this statement that all the earlier portion of what is called the…
In the four hundred and eightieth year - The Septuagint has the four hundred and fortieth year. It need scarcely be…
Here, I. The temple is called the house of the Lord (Kg1 6:1), because it was, 1. Directed and modelled by him. Infinite…
1Ki 6:1-10. Commencement and dimensions of Solomon's Temple (2Ch 3:1-2)
1. in the four hundred and eightieth year, &c.…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture