2 Chronicles 3:1-2
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It's easy to just see this as the start of a building project, but notice how it’s grounded in place and divine encounter. The Temple isn't just a grand structure; it's specifically located where God already showed up for David, on land purchased from a foreigner, highlighting God's initiative and expansive purposes.
Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After King David's reign, which was marked by his desire to build a temple but ultimately forbidden by God, his son Solomon steps onto the scene to fulfill that sacred mission. This verse marks the official beginning of the construction, grounded in a specific, divinely appointed location – a site already significant because of God's past appearances and David's preparations. It sets the stage for the construction of the magnificent temple that will become the central place of worship for Israel.
Why did Solomon build the Temple on Mount Moriah specifically? It wasn't just any piece of land. This location was deeply significant.
God's Chosen Ground
Solomon began building the Temple on Mount Moriah. This wasn't a random choice. The text highlights it's 'where the LORD had appeared to David his father.' This mountain was already a place of profound divine encounter.
Think about Abraham and Isaac – the same mountain was where Abraham offered Isaac, a pivotal moment of faith and God's provision (Genesis 22). It was also where David, after sinning with the census, built an altar to appease God's judgment, and the plague was stopped (1 Chronicles 21). God showed up there! This mountain was consecrated by both God's appearance and David's obedience in a moment of crisis.
The Temple wasn't Solomon's original idea, but his father David's. This reveals something crucial about obedience and legacy.
Building on David's Vision
The verse states the Temple was built 'at the place that David had appointed.' This is a powerful detail. David had longed to build a house for God, but God told him his son Solomon would build it (2 Samuel 7).
David gathered vast resources and prepared plans, but he couldn't carry out the task himself. Solomon inherited David's vision and the materials David had prepared. This highlights a beautiful principle: God's work often continues through successive generations. David laid the spiritual and preparatory groundwork, and Solomon brought it to completion.
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The foundation of God's glorious Temple was a simple, practical place: a threshing floor. What does this teach us about where God meets us?
From Work to Worship
The Temple's foundation was 'on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.' A threshing floor was a place of hard work, where grain was separated from the stalk – a place of labor and provision.
It's fascinating that the majestic Temple, the dwelling place of God's glory, began on such a humble, functional spot. It wasn't a natural shrine or a grand monument to start. It was a place of work, purchased from a Gentile named Ornan. This reminds us that God often meets us and establishes His presence not just in grand, sacred settings, but also in the midst of our everyday work and lives. Our ordinary spaces can become extraordinary places of worship.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of God in the Old Testament, representing His personal, self-existent, and faithful nature toward His people.
Yĕruwshalaim · Hebrew Proper Noun
The capital city of Israel, central to God's presence, the site of the Temple, and a symbol of God's dwelling place among His people. It is often referred to as the 'city of David' and serves as a prophetic type for the heavenly city.
Mowriyah · Hebrew Proper Noun
A significant geographical location associated with Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac and the site where David offered sacrifices to stop a plague, eventually becoming the location of Solomon's Temple. It signifies a place of divine revelation and atonement.
goren · Hebrew Noun
An open area used for separating grain from chaff, often signifying a place of judgment, testing, or divine activity. In this context, it marks the location chosen by God for the site of the Temple.
The construction of the Temple wasn't a sudden idea but the culmination of divine instruction and royal preparation, rooted in a pivotal moment where God Himself halted a plague on the very spot where the Temple would stand.
c. 1010 BC
David's Sin and Plague
King David sinned by taking a census of Israel, leading to a plague. The angel of the LORD stopped the plague at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite on Mount Moriah.
c. 1010 BC
David Purchases Ornan's Threshing Floor
The LORD commanded David to build an altar on Mount Moriah. David purchased the threshing floor and oxen from Ornan the Jebusite to offer sacrifices.
c. 1005 BC
David Anointed King of Israel
David was anointed king over all Israel, uniting the tribes and establishing Jerusalem as the capital city.
c. 1005 BC - 970 BC
David Prepares for Temple Construction
During his reign, David gathered vast amounts of materials like gold, silver, bronze, iron, timber, and precious stones for the future Temple.
c. 970 BC— this verse
Solomon Begins Temple Construction
Solomon, David's son and successor, began the actual construction of the LORD's Temple on Mount Moriah, fulfilling David's vision and God's command.
This passage identifies Mount Moriah as the place where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac, highlighting its deep historical and spiritual significance as a place of divine encounter and obedience.
2 Samuel 24:18-25This passage describes David purchasing Ornan's threshing floor to build an altar and offer sacrifices after the plague, directly explaining the origin of the specific location chosen for the Temple.
1 Kings 6:1This verse directly follows the account of Solomon, stating that he began to build the Temple in the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, providing chronological context for the start of this monumental project.
Psalm 132:6-7This psalm speaks of hearing about the Ark in Ephrathah and finding it in the fields of Jaar, connecting it to David's vow and the desire to find a dwelling place for the Lord, which ultimately leads to the Temple's construction on this very site.
It's easy to just see this as the start of a building project, but notice how it’s grounded in place and divine encounter. The Temple isn't just a grand structure; it's specifically located where God already showed up for David, on land purchased from a foreigner, highlighting God's initiative and expansive purposes.
After King David's reign, which was marked by his desire to build a temple but ultimately forbidden by God, his son Solomon steps onto the scene to fulfill that sacred mission. This verse marks the official beginning of the construction, grounded in a specific, divinely appointed location – a site already significant because of God's past appearances and David's preparations. It sets the stage for the construction of the magnificent temple that will become the central place of worship for Israel.
After King David's reign, which was marked by his desire to build a temple but ultimately forbidden by God, his son Solomon steps onto the scene to fulfill that sacred mission. This verse marks the official beginning of the construction, grounded in a specific, divinely appointed location – a site already significant because of God's past appearances and David's preparations. It sets the stage for the construction of the magnificent temple that will become the central place of worship for Israel.
"Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build in the…" — It's easy to just see this as the start of a building project, but notice how it’s grounded in place and divine encounter. The Temple isn't just a grand structure; it's specifically located where…
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Last reviewed October 2026
