1 Kings 6:29
1 Kings 6:2929Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.
is rarely quoted in Watchtower literature on images, because Solomon's divinely-sanctioned temple decoration — "cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers" carved on all the inner and outer sanctuary walls — directly counters the absolutist reading of that rs pp. 183-187 advances. The verse sits in the Torah-Kings witness to sacred representational art that is simply not engaged when the second-commandment argument is pressed.
Use as one of the five "commanded images" exhibits in the temple witness: (cherubim of hammered gold on the mercy seat), (cherubim woven into the tabernacle curtains), (wall carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and flowers in both sanctuary rooms), (twelve bronze oxen supporting the Sea), and 7:36 (carved lions, oxen, and cherubim on the stands). If forbids all representational art, the temple itself was the most idolatrous building on the planet — and Jehovah commanded its construction. is a single compound prohibition: the making and the bowing form one command, and verse 5 supplies the rationale ("I, Jehovah your God, am a God who requires exclusive devotion"). The forbidden thing is cultic image-use, not representation per se. settles the question by divine example.