OET interlinear 1 KI 6:3

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

עַל־פְּנֵי֙ הֵיכַ֣ל הַ⁠בַּ֔יִת & עַל־פְּנֵ֖י רֹ֣חַב הַ⁠בָּ֑יִת & עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַ⁠בָּֽיִת

on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in (Some words not found in UHB: and,the,porch on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in face/surface_of temple_of of,the_house twenty cubits length_of,its on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in face/surface_of width_of of,the_house ten by,cubit breadth_of,its on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in face/surface_of of,the_house )

In each of these instances, the phrase on the face of represents being in front of something. The author is using the phrase in three slightly different ways. In the first instance, he means that the porch was in front of the nave of the house. That is, priests would walk across the porch to enter the main hall of the temple. In the second instance, he means that the porch was in front of the entire width of the house. That is, its length of20 cubits corresponded to the width of the house or temple. In the third instance, the author means that the porch extended out Ten cubits in front of the temple. If it would be helpful in your language, in your translation you could use equivalent expressions or plain language. Alternate translation: [that was in front of the nave of the house … corresponding to the width of the house … extending outward from the house]

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

הֵיכַ֣ל

temple_of

While, in other contexts, the term translated as nave can mean “palace” or “temple,” the author is using it in a specialized sense here. He is referring to a specific architectural feature of Solomon’s temple, the main hall that was the equivalent of the Holy Place in the sacred tent. If your culture has a term for such a feature, you could use that in your translation, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [the main hall]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

עֶ֧שֶׂר בָּ⁠אַמָּ֛ה

(Some words not found in UHB: and,the,porch on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in face/surface_of temple_of of,the_house twenty cubits length_of,its on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in face/surface_of width_of of,the_house ten by,cubit breadth_of,its on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in face/surface_of of,the_house )

See the discussion in the introduction to this chapter of how the author uses the phrase Ten by the cubit to express a distance in a way characteristic of his culture. Alternate translation: [Ten cubits]