1 Kings 7:13-47
Hiram <02438> [Hiram.]
[Huram.]
son <01121 0802> [a widow's son. Heb. the son of a widow woman. tribe.]
The mother of Hiram (not the Tyrian king mentioned before, but an intelligent coppersmith, of Jewish extraction by his mother's side) in Chronicles, is said to have been of "the daughters of Dan;" and she might have been of Naphtali by her father, and of Dan by her mother; or she might originally be of the tribe of Dan, and have been first married to a man of the tribe of Naphtali; and, in either case, she might be indifferently called "of the tribe of Naphtali," or of "the daughters of Dan."
Naphtali <05321> [Naphtali.]
father <01> [his father.]
<04390> [he was filled.]
fashioned <06696> [cast. Heb. fashioned. two pillars.]
27 feet .... 18 feet <0520 08083> [eighteen cubits.]
That is, nearly thirty feet, English measure. But in the parallel place in Chronicles, these pillars are said to thirty-five cubits high. Tremellius reconciles this difference by observing, that the common cubit was but one-half of the cubit of the sanctuary; so that eighteen of the one would make thirty-six of the other; from which, if we deduct one cubit for the base, there will remain thirty-five. Notwithstanding the names of these pillars, they seem to have supported no part of the building, and appear to have been formed for ornament; and were no doubt also emblematical. The right pillar was called {Jachin,} which signifies, "He will establish;" while that on the left was named {Boaz,} "In it is strength." Some think they were intended for memorials of the pillars and cloud of fire, which led Israel through the wilderness; but Henry supposes them designed for memorandums to the priests and others that came to worship at God's door. 1st. To depend upon God only, and not upon any sufficiency of their own, for strength and establishment in all their religious exercises. 2nd. It was a memorandum to them of the strength and establishment of the temple of God among them. When the temple was destroyed, particular notice is taken of the breaking up and carrying away of these brazen pillars, 2 Ki 25:13, 17, which had been the tokens of its establishment, and would have been still so, if they had not forsaken God.
shaped ... lilies <04639 07799> [lily work.]
pomegranate-shaped <07416> [and the pomegranates.]
set up .............. erected ............. erected <06965> [And he set.]
porch <0197> [the porch.]
Jakin <03199> [Jachin.]
Boaz <01162> [Boaz.]
made <06213> [he made.]
Sea <03332 03220> [a molten sea.]
rim <08193> [the one brim to the other. Heb. his brim to his brim.]
ornaments ......... ornaments <06497> [knops.]
round ... arranged in settings ................. Sea <05437 05362 03220> [compassing the sea.]
four fingers <02947> [an hand breadth.]
blossom <06525> [with flowers.]
hold <03557> [it contained.]
This immense laver, called a sea from it magnitude, held, at a moderate computation, 16,000 gallons. Besides this great brazen laver, there were in the temple ten lavers of brass of a less size, which moved on wheels, and were ornamented with the figures of various animals, having, probably, always some relation to the cherubim. These lavers were to hold water for the use of the priests in their sacred office, particularly to wash the victims that were to be offered as a burnt offering, as we learn from 2 Ch 4:6; but the brazen sea was for the priests to wash in. The knops are supposed to have been in the form of an ox's head, (2 Ch 4:3;) and some think the water flowed out at their mouths.
12,000 gallons <0505> [two thousand.]
ten .... stands ... stand <06235 04350> [ten bases.]
These highly ornamental bases appear to have been square stands, or immense pedestals, for the purpose of supporting the lavers.
stands ..... frames <04350 04526> [bases was on.]
It seems evident that these bases or pedestals rose with steps, and that the ornaments mentioned in the next verse appeared in front, forming so many entablatures. But the description of these bases is very difficult to comprehend: many of the original words are seldom, if at all, used elsewhere; and it would be impossible to give an explanation of each particular, without a labour and prolixity disproportioned to its importance to us.
lions ....... lions <0738> [lions.]
cherubs <03742> [cherubims.]
decorative <03914> [certain additions.]
wheels <0212> [wheels.]
supports ...... supports <03802> [had undersetters.]
It is probable that these undersetters were so many strong legs, somewhat shorter than the wheels, and were intended to prevent the laver from tilting, or falling, in case of any accident.
stand <04350> [joined to the base. Heb. in the base.]
engraved ... cherubs <03742 06605> [graved cherubims.]
wherever there was room <04626> [proportion. Heb. nakedness.]
ten ... basins ........... basin .......... basin <03595 06235> [ten lavers.]
side .......... side ......... side <03802> [side. Heb. shoulder. he set.]
Hiram ........ He <02438> [Hiram. Heb. Hirom.]
basins <03595> [the lavers.]
shovels <03257> [the shovels.]
bowls <04219> [the basons.]
Hiram ........ He <02438> [So Hiram.]
two pillars ... two ...... pillars ........... pillars <05982 08147> [two pillars.]
two .... two ........ latticework <07639 08147> [two networks.]
pillar <05982> [the pillars. Heb. the face of the pillars.]
ten movable stands .... ten <04350 06235> [ten bases.]
basin .... Sea <03220 0259> [one sea.]
pots <05518> [the pots.]
bronze <05178 04178> [bright brass. Heb. brass made bright, or scoured.]
earth foundries <0127 04568> [the clay ground. Heb. the thickness of the ground. Succoth.]
Zarethan <06891> [Zarthan.]
Zarthan is supposed to have been situated in the tribe of Manasseh, west of Jordan, near Jezreel and Bethshan or Scythopolis, and not far from the Jordan. Succoth we know was situated east of Jordan, in the tribe of Gad, and according to Jerome, in the district of Scythopolis: hence the "plain of Jordan," where Hiram cast the brazen vessels, must be the plain in which that river runs, Zarthan and Succoth being probably nearly opposite each other; but whether the precise spot of his operations was on this side or the other side, is uncertain. In this place he found that particular clay that was proper for his purpose; and it being a considerable distance from Jerusalem, that city would not be annoyed by the smoke and noxious vapours necessarily occasioned by the process.
[Zartanah.]
[Zaretan.]
[Zeredathah.]
unweighed .... so <07230 03966> [because they were exceeding many. Heb. for the exceeding multitude.]
weigh <02713> [found out. Heb. searched.]
