1 Kings 7:13-45

Hiram's Work in the Temple

13 Now ¹King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre.

14 ²He was a widow's son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and ³he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and ⁴performed all his work.

15 He fashioned ⁵the two pillars of bronze; ⁶eighteen * cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve * cubits measured the circumference of both.

16 He also made two capitals of molten bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits and the height of the other capital was five cubits.

17 There were nets of network and twisted threads of chainwork * for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital.

18 So he made the pillars, and two rows around on the one network to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and so he did for the other capital.

19 The capitals which were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily design, four cubits.

20 There were capitals on the two pillars, even above * and close * to the rounded projection which was beside the network; and ⁷the pomegranates numbered two hundred in rows around both capitals.

21 ⁸Thus he set up the pillars at the ⁹porch of the nave; and he set up the right pillar and named * it Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named * it Boaz.

22 On the top of the pillars was lily design. So the work of the pillars was finished.

23 ¹⁰Now he made the sea of ¹¹cast metal ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits, and thirty cubits in circumference * *.

24 Under its brim ¹²gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, ¹³completely surrounding the sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast with the rest.

25 ¹⁴It stood on twelve * oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward.

26 It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, as a lily blossom; it could hold two thousand baths.

27 Then ¹⁵he made the ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was four cubits and its width four cubits and its height three cubits.

28 This was the design of the stands: they had borders, even borders between the frames,

29 and on the borders which were between the frames were lions, oxen and cherubim; and on the frames there was a pedestal above *, and beneath * the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work.

30 Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports; beneath * the basin were cast supports with wreaths at each side.

31 Its opening inside * the crown at the top was a cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its opening there were engravings, and their borders were square, not round.

32 The four wheels were underneath the borders, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half.

33 The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast.

34 Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; its supports were part of the stand itself.

35 On the top of the stand there was a circular form half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its stays and its borders were part of it.

36 He engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders, cherubim, lions and palm trees, according to the clear space on each, with wreaths all around.

37 ¹⁶He made the ten stands like this: all of them had one casting, one measure and one form.

38 ¹⁷He made ten basins of bronze, one basin held forty baths; each basin was four cubits, and on each of the ten stands was one basin.

39 Then he set the stands, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house; and he set the sea of cast metal on the right side of the house eastward toward * the south.

40 Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of the LORD:

41 the two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the ¹⁸two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars;

42 and the ¹⁹four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars;

43 and the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands;

44 and ²⁰the one sea and the twelve * oxen under the sea;

45 and ²¹the pails and the shovels and the bowls; even all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the LORD were of polished bronze.

1 Kings 7:13-45 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 7

This chapter gives an account of some buildings of Solomon for himself, 1Ki 7:1-12; and of other things for the use of the temple; of two pillars of brass, 1Ki 7:13-22; of the molten sea, 1Ki 7:23-26; and of ten bases, and ten layers on them, 1Ki 7:27-39; with other utensils and ornaments, 1Ki 7:40-51.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Chronicles 2:13, 14; 2 Chronicles 4:11
• 2. 2 Chronicles 2:14
• 3. Exodus 28:3; Exodus 31:3-5; Exodus 35:31; Exodus 36:1
• 4. 2 Chronicles 4:11-16
• 5. 2 Kings 25:17; 2 Chronicles 3:15; 2 Chronicles 4:12; Jeremiah 52:21
• 6. 1 Kings 7:41
• 7. 1 Kings 7:42; 2 Chronicles 3:16; 2 Chronicles 4:13; Jeremiah 52:23
• 8. 2 Chronicles 3:17
• 9. 1 Kings 6:3
• 10. 2 Chronicles 4:2
• 11. 2 Kings 16:17; 2 Kings 25:13
• 12. 1 Kings 6:18
• 13. 2 Chronicles 4:3
• 14. 2 Chronicles 4:4, 5; Jeremiah 52:20
• 15. 1 Kings 7:38; 2 Kings 25:13; 2 Chronicles 4:14
• 16. 2 Chronicles 4:14
• 17. Exodus 30:18; 2 Chronicles 4:6
• 18. 1 Kings 7:17, 18
• 19. 1 Kings 7:20
• 20. 1 Kings 7:23, 25
• 21. Exodus 27:3; 2 Chronicles 4:16

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "went around the other pillar"
• [b]. I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
• [c]. Lit "belly"
• [d]. Lit "on the other capital"
• [e]. I.e. he shall establish
• [f]. I.e. in it is strength
• [g]. Lit "a line of 30 cubits went around it"
• [h]. Lit "in its casting"
• [i]. Or "crossbars"
• [j]. Or "crossbars"
• [k]. Or "crossbars"
• [l]. I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
• [m]. Lit "hands"