Temple — Meaning in the Bible
The house of God in Jerusalem. Solomon built the first temple; it was destroyed and rebuilt after the exile, and that second temple stood in Jesus' day.
What it means
David wanted to build a house for God; his son Solomon built it, and God's glory filled it. The Babylonians destroyed it, and the returned exiles rebuilt it. 2 Samuel 7:1–131 Kings 6:11 Kings 8:10–112 Kings 25:8–9Ezra 6:14–16
Jesus was presented in the temple as a baby, taught there as a boy and drove out the money-changers. He spoke of his body as a temple, and Paul calls believers God's temple. Luke 2:22–38Luke 2:41–49John 2:13–221 Corinthians 3:16
Key passages
- 1 Kings 8:1–11 — The temple dedicated.
- Ezra 6:13–18 — Rebuilt.
- Luke 2:41–52 — Jesus in his Father's house.
- John 2:13–22 — Jesus clears the temple.
- 1 Corinthians 3:16 — You are God's temple.
Original language
ναός naos
Greek · Strong’s G3485 · gloss: “temple”
One Greek word for the temple sanctuary (naos). John 2:19
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
For children
The temple was God's house in Jerusalem, where people came to worship. When Jesus was twelve, his parents found him in the temple. Luke 2:46
Study further
- 1 Kings 8 Dedication.
- Haggai 1–2 Rebuilding.
- John 2:13–22 Jesus and the temple.