In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning God’s house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid, with its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits;
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 3. And … foundations is not found in Septuagint Syr. and Arab. but it is in Chald. The temple was thus of larger dimensions than that of Solomon, which was only 30 cubits high, and 20 broad inside. 3 Kennicott. 6:2. The Rabbins assign 100 for each, (Tr. Middot. iv. 6.) speaking perhaps of the temple rebuilt by Herod, with still greater magnificence. Josephus allows 100 in height, and 60 in breadth. But the Scripture only speaks of 54 cubits breadeth, and 99 in length including the adjoining edifices. Calmet.—Breadth, from the front to the end of the holy of holies, which we should call the length. Tirinus.—This temple was lower than Solomon’s by one half, (2 Chronicles 3:4. Menochius.) unless those 120 cubits refer only to a tower. Bible.
A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.