Building

The construction of something together with the skilled people involved. Scripture also uses the term figuratively.

Building materials

Genesis 11:3; 1 Kings 5:17; Haggai 1:8 See also Exodus 27:1; 1 Kings 6:9; 2 Chronicles 2:3; Isaiah 54:11

And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar.

And the king commanded them to quarry large, costly stones to lay the foundation of the temple with dressed stones.

Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the LORD.

Building skills

1 Kings 5:18 See also Exodus 36:1; 1 Kings 6:7; 2 Kings 12:11, 2 Kings 22:5–6; 1 Chronicles 22:1–2

So Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders, along with the Gebalites, quarried the stone and prepared the timber and stone for the construction of the temple.

The variety of building projects

Towns and cities

1 Kings 16:24 See also Genesis 4:17; Judges 1:26; 1 Chronicles 11:8

He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill.

Houses

Ecclesiastes 2:4 See also Jeremiah 35:8–9

I expanded my pursuits. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.

Temples

Acts 17:24 See also 1 Kings 6:2, 1 Kings 8:13; Ezra 3:10

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.

Altars

Joshua 8:30–31 See also Genesis 8:20; Exodus 24:4; 2 Samuel 24:25

At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.

Palaces

2 Samuel 5:11 See also 1 Kings 3:1, 1 Kings 7:2; Hosea 8:14

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

Walls

Psalm 51:18 See also Nehemiah 2:17–18; Micah 7:11

In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.

The tower of Babel

Genesis 11:4–5

Building used figuratively

Matthew 16:18; 2 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Peter 2:4–5 See also 1 Kings 11:38PSA 1 Kings 118:22; Matthew 21:42 parallels Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7 Proverbs 9:1 the house of wisdom; Matthew 7:24–26 parallel Luke 6:48–49 the wise and foolish builders; Romans 15:20; 1 Corinthians 3:9–15; 2 Corinthians 10:8; Ephesians 2:20–22, Ephesians 4:12, Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 2:7; Hebrews 3:3–4, Hebrews 11:10

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.

As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.