2 Kings 25:13-16

25:13 The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the Lord’s temple, as well as the movable stands and the big bronze basin called the “The Sea.” ¹  They took the bronze to Babylon. 25:14 They also took the pots, shovels, ²  trimming shears, ³  pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the priests. ⁴  25:15 The captain of the royal guard took the golden and silver censers ⁵  and basins. 25:16 The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord’s temple – including the two pillars, the big bronze basin called “The Sea,” the twelve bronze bulls under “The Sea,” ⁶  and the movable stands – was too heavy to be weighed.

2 Kings 25:1

25:1 So King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside ⁷  it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign. ⁸ 

2 Kings 7:1-2

7:1 Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord says, ‘About this time tomorrow a seah ⁹  of finely milled flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.’” 7:2 An officer who was the king’s right-hand man ¹⁰  responded to the prophet, ¹¹  “Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?” ¹²  Elisha ¹³  said, “Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!” ¹⁴ 

2 Kings 4:15

4:15 Elisha told him, “Ask her to come here.” ¹⁵  So he did so ¹⁶  and she came and stood in the doorway. ¹⁷ 

Jeremiah 52:20

52:20 The bronze of the items that King Solomon made for the Lord’s temple (including the two pillars, the large bronze basin called “The Sea,” the twelve bronze bulls under “The Sea,” and the movable stands ¹⁸ ) was too heavy to be weighed.

¹ sn See the note at 1 Kgs 7:23.

² sn These shovels were used to clean the altar.

³ sn These were used to trim the wicks.

⁴ tn Heb “with which they served [or, ‘fulfilled their duty’].”

⁵ sn These held the embers used for the incense offerings.

⁶ tc The MT lacks “the twelve bronze bulls under ‘the Sea,’” but these words have probably been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton. The scribe’s eye may have jumped from the וְהָ (vÿha-) on וְהַבָּקָר (vÿhabbaqar), “and the bulls,” to the וְהָ on וְהַמְּכֹנוֹת (vÿhammÿkhonot), “and the movable stands,” causing him to leave out the intervening words. See the parallel passage in Jer 52:20.

⁷ tn Or “against.”

⁸ sn This would have been Jan 15, 588 b.c. The reckoning is based on the calendar that begins the year in the spring (Nisan = March/April).

⁹ sn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about 7 quarts.

¹⁰ tn Heb “the officer on whose hand the king leans.”

¹¹ tn Heb “man of God.”

¹² tn Heb “the Lord was making holes in the sky, could this thing be?” Opening holes in the sky would allow the waters stored up there to pour to the earth and assure a good crop. But, the officer argues, even if this were to happen, it would take a long time to grow and harvest the crop.

¹³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴ tn Heb “you will not eat from there.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “Call for her.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “and he called her.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “and he called for her and she stood in the door.”

¹⁸ tc The translation follows the LXX (Greek version), which reflects the description in 1 Kgs 7:25-26. The Hebrew text reads, “the twelve bronze bulls under the movable stands.” הַיָּם (hayyam, “The Sea”) has been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton; note that the following form, הַמְּכֹנוֹת (hammÿkhonot, “the movable stands”), also begins with the article.