In biblical architecture and narrative, the term "porch" refers to a covered entrance or vestibule attached to a building, often serving as a transitional space between the exterior and interior. Porches are mentioned in several contexts throughout the Bible, primarily in relation to the Temple in Jerusalem and other significant structures.

Solomon's Temple:

The most notable mention of a porch in the Bible is associated with Solomon's Temple. The "Porch of the Temple" or "Ulam" was an essential part of the Temple's design. According to 1 Kings 6:3 , "The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended twenty cubits in length, across the width of the temple, and ten cubits in depth." This porch served as a grand entrance to the Temple, symbolizing the transition from the secular to the sacred.

The Second Temple:

In the Second Temple, built after the Babylonian exile, the porch continued to play a significant role. The prophet Ezekiel, in his vision of a future temple, describes a porch in Ezekiel 40:48-49 : "Then he brought me to the portico of the temple and measured the jambs of the portico; they were five cubits on each side. The width of the gateway was fourteen cubits and its sidewalls were three cubits on either side. The portico was twenty cubits wide and twelve cubits deep, and ten steps led up to it."

Solomon's Colonnade:

In the New Testament, the term "porch" is often associated with Solomon's Colonnade, also known as Solomon's Porch. This was a covered walkway or portico on the eastern side of the Temple's outer court. It is mentioned in the context of early Christian gatherings and miracles performed by the apostles. Acts 3:11 states, "While the man clung to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and ran to them in the portico called Solomon’s Colonnade." This location became a significant meeting place for the early church, as seen in Acts 5:12 : "The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade."

Symbolism and Function:

In biblical times, porches were not merely architectural features but held symbolic and functional significance. They served as places of gathering, teaching, and judgment. The porch was often a place where leaders and prophets would address the people, as seen in the actions of King Solomon and the apostles. The porch's position at the threshold of sacred spaces underscores its role as a place of preparation and reflection before entering the presence of God.

Cultural and Historical Context:

The concept of a porch in ancient Near Eastern architecture was not unique to Israel. Similar structures were found in other cultures, serving as places for public discourse and community interaction. The biblical portrayal of porches reflects this broader cultural practice while emphasizing their unique role in Israel's religious life.

In summary, the porch in biblical literature is a multifaceted element, rich in architectural, cultural, and spiritual significance. It serves as a reminder of the transition from the ordinary to the divine, a place of gathering and proclamation, and a testament to the communal and sacred life of God's people.Porch

1. Ulam , or ulam . (1 Chronicles 28:11)
2. Misderon ulam , (Judges 3:23) strictly a vestibule, was probably a sort of veranda chamber in the works of Solomon, open in front and at the sides, but capable of being enclosed with awnings or curtains. The porch, (Matthew 26:71) may have been the passage from the street into the first court of the house, in which, in eastern houses, is the mastabah or stone bench, for the porter or persons waiting, and where also the master of the house often receives visitors and transacts business.

Porch

See HOUSE and TEMPLE.

Porch, Solomon's

A colonnade on the east of the temple, so called from a tradition that it was a relic of Solomon's temple left standing after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. (Comp. 1 Kings 7:6.) The word "porch" is in the New Testament the rendering of three different Greek words:

(1.) Stoa, meaning a portico or veranda (John 5:2; 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12).

(2.) Pulon, a gateway (Matthew 26:71).

(3.) Proaulion, the entrance to the inner court (Mark 14:68).

1. (n.) A covered and enclosed entrance to a building, whether taken from the interior, and forming a sort of vestibule within the main wall, or projecting without and with a separate roof. Sometimes the porch is large enough to serve as a covered walk. See Loggia.

2. (n.) A portico; a covered walk.

PORCH

porch: Chiefly in the Old Testament 'alam, used of the temples of Solomon and Ezekiel (see TEMPLE); once micderon, a "vestibule," in Judges 3:23. In the New Testament, the word occurs in connection with the high priest's palace (Matthew 26:71, pulon; Mark 14:68, proaulion), and as the rendering of stoa, a "portico," in John 5:2 (pool of Bethesda); and John 10:23 Acts 3:11; Acts 5:12.

See PORCH, PORTICO, SOLOMON'S.

PORCH, PORTICO, SOLOMON'S

por'-ti-ko, (he stoa he kaloumene Solomontos): This important element of Herod's temple, preserving in its name a traditional connection with Solomon, is thrice referred to in the New Testament, namely, in John 10:23 Acts 3:11, "the porch that is called Solomon's"; and Acts 5:12. In these passages the Greek word stoa is translated "porch" but in the Revised Version margin of Acts 3:11 more correctly "portico". In architecture a "porch" is strictly an exterior structure forming a covered approach to the entrance of a building; a "portico" is an ambulatory, consisting of a roof supported by columns placed at regular intervals-a roofed colonnade. The portico bearing Solomon's name was that running along the eastern wall in the Court of the Gentiles of Herod's temple. It had double columns, while that on the South known as the Royal Portico had four rows (compare Josephus, Ant, XV, xi, 3; BJ, V, v, and see TEMPLE, HEROD'S). The portico was the scene of Christ's teaching at the Feast of the Dedication (John 10:23), and was flocked to by the multitude after the healing of the lame man (Acts 3:11). There the apostles preached and wrought other miracles (Acts 5:12).

W. Shaw Caldecott

SOLOMON'S PORCH

See PORCH, PORTICO, SOLOMON'S.

4440. pulon -- a porch, gateway
... a porch, gateway. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: pulon Phonetic
Spelling: (poo-lone') Short Definition: a large gate, a gateway, porch ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4440.htm - 7k

4259. proaulion -- a vestibule
... a vestibule. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: proaulion Phonetic Spelling:
(pro-ow'-lee-on) Short Definition: a porch Definition: a porch, court ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4259.htm - 6k

4745. stoa -- a portico
... word Definition a portico NASB Word Usage portico (3), porticoes (1). porch, colonnade.
Probably from histemi; a colonnade or interior piazza -- porch. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4745.htm - 6k

4439. pule -- a gate
... a gate, porch. Apparently a primary word; a gate, ie The leaf or wing of a folding
entrance (literally or figuratively) -- gate. (pulai) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4439.htm - 7k

4770. Stoikos -- a Stoic
... a Stoic. From stoa; a "Stoic" (as occupying a particular porch in Athens),
ie Adherent of a certin philosophy -- Stoick. see GREEK stoa. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4770.htm - 6k

197. ulam -- a porch
... 196, 197. ulam. 198 . a porch. Transliteration: ulam Phonetic Spelling:
(oo-lawm') Short Definition: porch. Word Origin from the ...
/hebrew/197.htm - 6k

4528. misderon -- a porch, colonnade
... 4527, 4528. misderon. 4529 . a porch, colonnade. Transliteration: misderon
Phonetic Spelling: (mis-der-ohn') Short Definition: vestibule. ... porch. ...
/hebrew/4528.htm - 6k

361. elam -- a porch
... 360, 361. elam. 362 . a porch. Transliteration: elam Phonetic Spelling:
(ay-lawm') Short Definition: porches. Word Origin from ayil ...
/hebrew/361.htm - 6k

863b. attiq -- a gallery, porch
... 863a, 863b. attiq. 864 . a gallery, porch. Transliteration: attiq Short
Definition: galleries. Word Origin from the same as attuq ...
/hebrew/863b.htm - 5k

862a. attuq -- a gallery, porch
... a gallery, porch. Transliteration: attuq Short Definition: gallery. Word Origin
of uncertain derivation Definition a gallery, porch NASB Word Usage gallery (1). ...
/hebrew/862a.htm - 5k

862. attuwq -- a gallery, porch
... 861, 862. attuwq. 862a . a gallery, porch. Transliteration: attuwq Phonetic
Spelling: (at-tooke') Short Definition: gallery. gallery ...
/hebrew/862.htm - 5k

Ash Wednesday. Gather the People . . And Let the Priests, the ...
... and let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the alter,
and let them say, Spare Thy people, O Lord. Gather the people . . ...
/.../winkworth/lyra germanica the christian year/ash wednesday gather the people.htm

In the Next Place, when the Philosophers of the Porch...
... Chapter XLVIII. In the next place, when the philosophers of the Porch?
In the next place, when the philosophers of the Porch, who ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xlviii in the next 2.htm

False Profession.
... The porch [Footnote: This passage is from "The House of the Forest of Lebanon,"
which Bunyan regarded as a type of the church in her persecuted state.] is but ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/xx false profession.htm

Jesus Heals a Paralytic at Capernaum.
... They have one door which opens from the street into an open space called
the porch, and this porch in turn opens upon the court. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxv jesus heals a paralytic.htm

The Altar. The Rings. The Laver.
... There was a laver or cistern between the porch and the altar, and it lay a little
to the south. "Ben Kattin made twelve cocks for it, which before had but two. ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 34 the altar the.htm

St. Ambrose Shows by Instances that the Places in which those ...
... John in Solomon's porch, by which is signified the mind of a wise man, for he says
that Christ would not have uttered this saying in the heart of a foolish or ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xvii st ambrose shows.htm

The Story of the Man at the Beautiful Gate
... Gentiles, which was a large, open square paved with marble, having on its eastern
side a double row of pillars with a roof above them, called Solomon's Porch. ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of the man.htm

Thus the Future of which we Spoke at the Beginning Has in England ...
... As he entered the gloomy porch of Puritanism, so he entered the gloomy porch of
Industrialism, being told that each of them was the gate of the future. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 11 thus the future.htm

The Good Shepherd: a Farewell Sermon
... Our Lord always made the best of every opportunity; and we are told, he walked in
the temple in Solomon's porch.' One would have thought the scribes and ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/the good shepherd a farewell.htm

Chapter twenty-eight
... He had one foot on the porch and another on the steps just below. He took another
step down, still sweeping. ... The Bishop went out on the porch. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sheldon/in his steps/chapter twenty-eight.htm

Porch (37 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Porch, Solomon's. ... (Comp. 1 Kings 7:6.) The word "porch"
is in the New Testament the rendering of three different Greek words: ...
/p/porch.htm - 22k

Vestibule (36 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) The porch or entrance into a house; a hall or
antechamber next the entrance; a lobby; a porch; a hall. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/v/vestibule.htm - 16k

Portico (37 Occurrences)
...PORCH, PORTICO, SOLOMON'S. ... In these passages the Greek word stoa is translated "porch"
but in the Revised Version margin of Acts 3:11 more correctly "portico". ...
/p/portico.htm - 19k

Solomon's (56 Occurrences)
... Solomon's Porch. ... It is not mentioned in connection with the first temple, but Josephus
mentions a porch, so called, in Herod's temple (qv). Int. ...
/s/solomon's.htm - 31k

Jambs (19 Occurrences)
... 40:7 And every lodge was one reed long, and one reed broad; and the space between
the lodges was five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the ...
/j/jambs.htm - 11k

Measureth (24 Occurrences)
... broad, (YLT). Ezekiel 40:8 And he measureth the porch of the gate from within
one reed, (YLT). Ezekiel 40:9 and he measureth the porch...
/m/measureth.htm - 13k

Gateway (40 Occurrences)
... Mark 14:68 But he denied it, saying, "I neither know, nor understand what you are
saying." He went out on the porch, and the rooster crowed. (See RSV). ...
/g/gateway.htm - 18k

Beams (28 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:6 And he made the porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits,
and the breadth thereof thirty cubits; and a porch before them; and pillars ...
/b/beams.htm - 14k

Nave (19 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 6:3 The porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was its length,
according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was its breadth ...
/n/nave.htm - 12k

Threshold (28 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 7:6 He made the porch of pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth
thirty cubits; and a porch before them; and pillars and a threshold ...
/t/threshold.htm - 18k

What was Solomon's Porch? | GotQuestions.org

Questions about Places in the Bible (All) | GotQuestions.org

Who was Ehud? | GotQuestions.org

Porch: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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