John 10:23 says Jesus was walking in the temple. It seems part of the temple was "the colonnade of Solomon"—at least in my version, the ESV. But in the NIV, it says he was walking in the temple courts. Where was he—in the temple or the temple courts—or am I overthinking it?

Your question is good, and I don't think you're overthinking it. Before the answer, let's compare the two versions:

  • At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon (John 10:22-23, ESV).
  • Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade (John 10:22-23, NIV).

The occasion is Hanukah, a festival commemorating the rededication the Temple in the time of the Maccabees, in the 2nd century BC. Interestingly, this is the only passage in the Old or New Testament referring to this important Jewish holiday. That is, modern Jewish Bibles don't contain Hanukah; for that, they need to go to the Gospel of John.

Colonnade, porch, portico, and stoa are all terms that accurately refer to the social area around the east and south sides of the Temple—Solomon's Colonnade and the Royal Stoa, respectively.

In verse 23 the Greek NT has only the word temple, not the phrase temple courts. The ESV is a more literal version than the NIV, which often paraphrases. The NIV translators are aiming for readability, and since Jesus wasn't walking in the Temple itself, they add a word.

Technically speaking, the temple courts (Court of the Priests, Court of the Israelites, etc) are not where people would be strolling, unless perhaps engaged in the business of sacrifice. Rather, they would be in the temple precinct, on the Temple Mount (the enormous raised platform [37 acres!] Herod the Great built to support and enhance the 2nd Temple, original constructed in the time of Haggai and Zechariah (late 6th century BC), more than three centuries after the original temple built by Solomon.

Perhaps this photo I took of the Jerusalem model at the Israel Museum will help. This outlook is from the northeast.

Short answer: in the gospel of John we need context to determine whether "temple" refers to the temple proper (with the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies) or the broad plaza of the Temple Mount (the temple "precinct.") Read the Bible version that makes sense for your situation, but keep in mind that the rendering "temple" may refer to an area far larger than the temple itself. This is not a problem. There's no mistake in the Bible; it's simply a matter of usage.