Sion
The Glory of Solomon's Temple and Its Passing
The poet recalls the splendor of Solomon's temple with gold and carvings, but notes that such external glory did not move God, who now dwells within the heart.
Lord, how gloriously You were served in the past, back when Solomon’s temple stood in all its splendor! There most things were of purest gold; the wood was all adorned with flowers and carvings, mystical and rare: everything displayed the builders' skill and called for the seers' care.1 Yet all this glory, all this pomp and grandeur, didn't move you much — it wasn't your aim. There was something that sowed strife; so you left your ancient claim. And now your architecture meets with sin, for all your frame and fabric is within.✦
The Struggle Within and the Music of Groans
God contends with the peevish heart, yet a single penitent groan is more precious to Him than all the bronze and stone of Solomon's temple, for groans rise like larks and become music for the King.
There you are, struggling with a peevish heart, which sometimes crosses you, and you sometimes cross it: the fight is hard on both sides. Great God fights—and he submits.2 All of Solomon's sea of brass and world of stone is not so dear to you as one good groan.✦ And truly brass and stones are heavy things—tombs for the dead, not temples fit for you. But groans are living and full of wings, and all their motion is upward; and always as they rise, they sing like larks—the note is sad, yet music for a King.3
Read the original English
LOrd, with what glorie wast thou serv'd of old, When Solomons temple stood and flourished! Where most things were of purest gold; The wood was all embellished With flowers and carvings, mysticall and rare: All show'd the builders, crav'd the seers care.
Yet all this glorie, all this pomp and state Did not affect thee much, was not thy aim; Something there was, that sow'd debate: Wherefore thou quitt'st thy ancient claim: And now thy Architecture meets with sinne; For all thy frame and fabrick is within.
There thou art struggling with a peevish heart, Which sometimes crosseth thee, thou sometimes it: The fight is hard on either part. Great God doth fight, he doth submit. All Solomons sea of brasse and world of stone Is not so deare to thee as one good grone.
And truly brasse and stones are heavie things, Tombes for the dead, not temples fit for thee: But grones are quick, and full of wings, And all their motions upward be; And ever as they mount, like larks they sing; The note is sad, yet musick for a King.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.3.16;Acts.7.48;Isa.66.1-Isa.66.2 — Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? Acts.7.48 — Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands, as the prophet says: Isa.66.1 — Thus says the LORD: The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me, and what is the place of my rest? Isa.66.2 — And all these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one I will look to: the poor and contrite in spirit, and the one who trembles at my word.
- ↩1Kgs.7.23-1Kgs.7.26;2Chr.4.2-2Chr.4.5 — And he made the cast metal sea: ten cubits from its brim to its brim, round all around, and five cubits its height; and a line of thirty cubits would encircle it all around. 1Kgs.7.24 — And gourds were beneath its rim, encircling it all around—ten cubits encircling the sea all around—two rows of gourds cast in its casting. 1Kgs.7.25 — It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east, with the sea on top of them and all their hindquarters inward. 1Kgs.7.26 — Its thickness was a handbreadth, and its rim was made like the rim of a cup — a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths. 2Chr.4.2 — And he made the cast metal sea, ten cubits from rim to rim, round all around, five cubits high; and a line of thirty cubits measured around it. 2Chr.4.3 — And beneath it were figures of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, surrounding the sea all around. The oxen were cast in two rows, in one piece with it. 2Chr.4.4 — It stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east, with the sea on top of them, and all their hindquarters were inward. 2Chr.4.5 — Its thickness was a handbreadth, and its rim was made like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.
Notes
- 1 ↩Elliptical early modern line: 'show'd the builders' is taken as 'displayed the builders' skill/craftsmanship'; 'crav'd the seers care' as 'required/called for the careful oversight of the seers' (those with prophetic or visionary charge over the temple pattern).
- 2 ↩Herbert's paradox keeps both verbs with God: he fights the peevish heart and also submits (condescends into the struggle). Rendered to preserve that double agency rather than reassigning submit to the heart.
- 3 ↩Early modern 'quick' means living/alive (as in 'the quick and the dead'), set against 'tombs for the dead'; not mere speed.
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