1 Kings 5:17
And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.
And the king commanded, and they brought great stones,.... Not in quality, but in quantity, large stones, fit to lay in the foundation; strong, and durable against all the injuries of time, as Josephus says {i}:
costly stones; not what are commonly called precious stones, as gems, pearls, &c. but stones of value, as marble, porphyry, &c.
and hewed stones; not rough as they were taken out of the quarry, but hewed, and made smooth:
to lay the foundation of the house; which, though out of sight, was to be laid with goodly stones for the magnificence of the building; so the church of Christ, its foundation is said to be laid even with sapphires and other precious stones, see Isaiah 54:11.
{i} Antiqu. l. 8. c. 3. sect. 2.