The lavish use of the precious metals in ornamentation was a special feature if early Oriental architecture. Recent researches have given reason to believe that two stages of the great temple at Borsippa - now known as the Bits Nimrud - had respectively a gold and a silver coating.

The whole house he overlaid with gold - It is impossible to calculate this expense, or the quantity of gold employed in this sacred building.

And the whole house he overlaid with gold,.... Both the holy place, and the most holy place:

until he had finished all the house; in this splendid and glorious manner:

also the whole altar that was by the oracle; the altar of incense, which stood just before the entrance into the oracle, or most holy place:

he overlaid with gold; he overlaid it all over with gold; hence it is called the golden altar, and was an emblem of the excellent and effectual mediation and intercession of Christ, Revelation 8:3. Agreeably to this account Eupolemus, an Heathen writer (d) testifies, that the whole house, from the floor to the tool, was covered with gold, as well as with cedar and cypress wood, that the stonework might not appear; and so the capitol at Rome, perhaps in imitation of this temple, its roofs and tiles were glided with gold (e); a magnificent temple, like this, was at Upsal in Switzerland, as Olaus Magnus relates (f).

(d) Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 34. p. 450. (e) Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 33. c. 3. Vid. Rycquium de Capitol. Roman. c. 16. (f) De Ritu Gent. Septent. l. 3. c. 5.

And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the {l} whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

(l) Meaning, the altar of incense, Ex 30:1.

6:22 Whole house - Not only the oracle, but all the holy place. The altar - the altar of incense, which was set in the holy place close by the doors of the oracle. With gold - As before he overlaid it with cedar.

6:15-38 See what was typified by this temple. 1. Christ is the true Temple. In him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead; in him meet all God's spiritual Israel; through him we have access with confidence to God. 2. Every believer is a living temple, in whom the Spirit of God dwells, 1Co 3:16. This living temple is built upon Christ as its Foundation, and will be perfect in due time. 3. The gospel church is the mystical temple. It grows to a holy temple in the Lord, enriched and beautified with the gifts and graces of the Spirit. This temple is built firm, upon a Rock. 4. Heaven is the everlasting temple. There the church will be fixed. All that shall be stones in that building, must, in the present state of preparation, be fitted and made ready for it. Let sinners come to Jesus as the living Foundation, that they may be built on him, a part of this spiritual house, consecrated in body and soul to the glory of God.