מלכים א, פרק ו׳, פסוק י״ח

The interior of the Temple was designed as a masterpiece of woodwork, crafted so that its massive structural framework was completely hidden from view. The inner stone walls were entirely paneled with cedar wood. This created a space where only cedar could be seen, leaving no stone exposed—a total covering that particularly defined the main hall [מלבי״ם].

Beautiful decorations were carved into these cedar panels. The primary approach among commentators is that these adornments were intricately engraved or braided directly into the wood. However, another perspective suggests these designs featured plants physically protruding from the walls, or perhaps painted murals simulating hanging curtains and branches holding blossoms [רלב״ג].

The exact shape of these carvings is understood in several ways. Some envision them as ornamental buttons [רש״י], while others see them as artistic carvings of fruits or wild bulbs [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another interpretation describes them as oval, egg-like forms, capturing the delicate appearance of a plant in the moments just before it begins to bloom [רש״י, רד״ק, רלב״ג].

Alongside these shapes, the wooden walls were adorned with floral designs, universally recognized as blossoms or roses. The specific arrangement of these flowers offers two distinct visual possibilities. One approach views the carvings as capturing the precise moment of a flower opening and spreading its petals [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, רש״י]. Alternatively, the floral designs may have been arranged to look like ropes, depicting long chains of flowers gracefully connected by their stems [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ].