Ceiling

See also Cendebaeus


CEILING. The word appears only in 1Kgs.6.15 (kjv “ceiling”), which says that Solomon built the walls of the ceiling with cedar. The reference here is not to the upper surface of a room, but to the inner walls. The word “ceiled” appears several times, but it usually means to panel the walls of a building.

1. חָפָה, H2902, to ceil, cover, viz., the ceiling with wood boards, as in 2 Chronicles 3:5, possibly in manner of coffers.

2. סָפַן, H6211, to cover over, viz., the ceiling with boards (Jer 22:14; Hag 1:4, tr. PANELED by RSV).

3. שָׂחִיף, H8470, thin boards (Ezek 41:16), finish woodwork.

“Paneled” for 2 and 3 above would perhaps be a better rendering, since this denotes luxury and is precisely what Haggai is condemning as invidious respecting God’s house. The technique had become widespread by this time. The Temple of Solomon was extensively lined with wood paneling (1 Kings 6:15ff.) and this was in turn carved and gilded. Materials were fir and cedar of Lebanon. The clerestory of the Royal Portico of Herod’s Temple (see Temple) was finished with wood paneling.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

seld, sel’-ing (the King James Version and the English Revised Version Cieled, Cieling; the Hebrew words for "ceiled" are chippah, caphan, sachiph; for "ceiling," cippun): Ceiling occurs only in 1Ki 6:15. It comes from the root caphan, meaning "to cover." It has its common meaning of the upper surface of a room; there is, however, some doubt of the textual Ceiled is found in 2Ch 3:5 ((chippah); Jer 22:14; Hag 1:4 (caphan in both); Eze 41:16 (sachiph)), the text of the last passage being doubtful. In none of these cases does "ceiled" refer to the upper surface of a room, but to the covering or paneling of the inner walls of a house with cedar or other costly wood. This is in accordance with a common early use of the English word, no longer frequent.