Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Chronicles 3:5

"And the greater house he ceiled with fir-wood, which he overlaid with fine gold, and wrought thereon palm-trees and chains." — 2 Chronicles 3:5 (ASV)

The greater house. —Or, the great chamber, i.e., the Holy Place, or nave. (Compare 1 Chronicles 28:11.)

He cieled with fir tree. — He covered with planks of fir; or, panelled with fir. To ciel, or rather seel (from syle or cyll, a canopy: Skeat, Etymol. Dict. s.v.) a room, meant in old English to wainscot or panel it. (Compare 1 Kings 6:15–16.)

Which he overlaid with fine gold. — And covered it (the chamber) with good gold. The cypress wainscoting was plated with gold.

And set on it palm trees and chains. —Brought up on it (i.e., carved upon it) palms and chain-work (1 Kings 7:17). (For the palms, see 1 Kings 6:29; Ezekiel 41:18.)

The chain-work must have consisted of garland-like carvings on the fir panels. 1 Kings 6:18 omits mention of it; the Septuagint, “carved on it palms and chains”; the Syriac, “figured on it the likeness of palms and lilies”; the Vulgate, “engraved on it palms and like chainlets intertwining.”