מלכים א, פרק ו׳, פסוק ל״ו

Building the Temple involved more than just the main sanctuary; it required creating the surrounding spaces where the daily sacrificial service actually took place. Located just in front of the entrance hall was the inner courtyard. The primary approach among commentators is that this space is identical to the area known in later rabbinic literature as the Azarah [רש״י, רלב״ג, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ], a term not found in the Bible itself [רש״י]. Although its exact dimensions are unrecorded [רלב״ג], this unroofed space contained the main altar for burnt offerings. Because of this, access was restricted. The general public did not enter this area, as it was primarily reserved for the priests [מצודת דוד]. However, Israelites were occasionally permitted inside to perform specific duties, such as laying their hands on a sacrifice or slaughtering it [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Some commentators note that the courtyard officially encompassed both the section for the priests and the section designated for the Israelites [רש״י]. It earned the title of the inner courtyard because it was positioned deeper within the Temple Mount complex [רד״ק], specifically further inside than the Women's Courtyard [רש״י].

The architecture of the courtyard walls stood in stark contrast to the main sanctuary. While the interior of the Temple was lined with cedar and plated with gold, the courtyard was enclosed by exposed walls made of stone and wood [מלבי״ם]. These walls were constructed using smoothly cut, straight stones [מצודת ציון] along with well-shaped cedar beams [רש״י, רד״ק]. The primary approach among commentators is that the builders used an alternating pattern: they laid three rows of cut stone, followed by a fourth row of cedar wood, and repeated this sequence until the walls reached their intended height [מצודת דוד, רלב״ג, רד״ק]. This specific integration of stone and timber was likely designed to reinforce the walls and provide structural stability [ביאור שטיינזלץ].