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15 Hiram made two bronze columns eight meters tall and almost two meters across. 16 For the top of each column, he also made a bronze cap just over two meters high. 17 The caps were decorated with seven rows of designs that looked like chains,[a] 18 with two rows of designs that looked like pomegranates.[b]

19 The caps for the columns of the porch were almost two meters high and were shaped like lilies.[c]

20 The chain designs on the caps were right above the rounded tops of the two columns, and there were 200 pomegranates in rows around each cap. 21 Hiram placed the two columns on each side of the main door of the temple. The column on the south side was called Jachin,[d] and the one on the north was called Boaz.[e]

22 The lily-shaped caps were on top of the columns.

This completed the work on the columns.

23 Hiram also made a large bowl called the Sea. It was just over two meters deep, about 4.5 meters across, and 13.5 meters around. 24 Two rows of bronze gourds were around the outer edge of the bowl, ten gourds to every 45 centimeters. 25 The bowl itself sat on top of twelve bronze bulls with three bulls facing outward in each of four directions. 26 The sides of the bowl were 75 millimeters thick, and its rim was like a cup that curved outward like flower petals. The bowl held about 40,000 liters.

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Footnotes

  1. 7.17 seven rows … chains: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. 7.18 pomegranates: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18. A pomegranate is a bright red fruit that looks like an apple. In ancient times, it was a symbol of life.
  3. 7.19 lilies: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 19.
  4. 7.21 Jachin: Or “He makes secure.”
  5. 7.21 Boaz: Or “He is strong.”

15 He cast two bronze pillars,(A) each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference.[a] 16 He also made two capitals(B) of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits[b] high. 17 A network of interwoven chains adorned the capitals on top of the pillars, seven for each capital. 18 He made pomegranates in two rows[c] encircling each network to decorate the capitals on top of the pillars.[d] He did the same for each capital. 19 The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits[e] high. 20 On the capitals of both pillars, above the bowl-shaped part next to the network, were the two hundred pomegranates(C) in rows all around. 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin[f] and the one to the north Boaz.[g](D) 22 The capitals on top were in the shape of lilies. And so the work on the pillars(E) was completed.

23 He made the Sea(F) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line(G) of thirty cubits[h] to measure around it. 24 Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

25 The Sea stood on twelve bulls,(H) three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 26 It was a handbreadth[i] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.[j]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:15 That is, about 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference or about 8.1 meters high and 5.4 meters in circumference
  2. 1 Kings 7:16 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verse 23
  3. 1 Kings 7:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts made the pillars, and there were two rows
  4. 1 Kings 7:18 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts pomegranates
  5. 1 Kings 7:19 That is, about 6 feet or about 1.8 meters; also in verse 38
  6. 1 Kings 7:21 Jakin probably means he establishes.
  7. 1 Kings 7:21 Boaz probably means in him is strength.
  8. 1 Kings 7:23 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  9. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  10. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 12,000 gallons or about 44,000 liters; the Septuagint does not have this sentence.

The Two Columns

(1 Kings 7.15-22)

15 Two columns were made for the entrance to the temple. Each one was 16 meters tall and had a cap on top that was over 2 meters high. 16 The top of each column was decorated with designs that looked like chains[a] and with 100 carvings of pomegranates.[b] 17 Solomon had one of the columns placed on the south side of the temple's entrance; it was called Jachin.[c] The other one was placed on the north side of the entrance; it was called Boaz.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. 3.16 designs that looked like chains: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. 3.16 pomegranates: A pomegranate is a small red fruit that looks like an apple. In ancient times, it was a symbol of life.
  3. 3.17 Jachin: Or “He (God) makes secure.”
  4. 3.17 Boaz: Or “He (God) is strong.”

15 For the front of the temple he made two pillars,(A) which together were thirty-five cubits[a] long, each with a capital(B) five cubits high. 16 He made interwoven chains[b](C) and put them on top of the pillars. He also made a hundred pomegranates(D) and attached them to the chains. 17 He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin[c] and the one to the north Boaz.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 3:15 That is, about 53 feet or about 16 meters
  2. 2 Chronicles 3:16 Or possibly made chains in the inner sanctuary; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  3. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Jakin probably means he establishes.
  4. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Boaz probably means in him is strength.

23 Hiram also made a large bowl called the Sea. It was just over two meters deep, about 4.5 meters across, and 13.5 meters around. 24 Two rows of bronze gourds were around the outer edge of the bowl, ten gourds to every 45 centimeters. 25 The bowl itself sat on top of twelve bronze bulls with three bulls facing outward in each of four directions. 26 The sides of the bowl were 75 millimeters thick, and its rim was like a cup that curved outward like flower petals. The bowl held about 40,000 liters.

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23 He made the Sea(A) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line(B) of thirty cubits[a] to measure around it. 24 Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

25 The Sea stood on twelve bulls,(C) three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 26 It was a handbreadth[b] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:23 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  2. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  3. 1 Kings 7:26 That is, about 12,000 gallons or about 44,000 liters; the Septuagint does not have this sentence.

He also gave orders to make a large metal bowl called the Sea. It was 4.5 meters across, just over two meters deep, and 13.5 meters around. Its outer edge was decorated with two rows of carvings of bulls, ten bulls to about every 45 centimeters, all made from the same piece of metal as the bowl. The bowl itself sat on top of twelve bronze bulls, with three bulls facing outward in each of four directions. The sides of the bowl were 75 millimeters thick, and its rim was in the shape of a cup that curved outward like flower petals. The bowl held about 60,000 liters.

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He made the Sea(A) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits[a] high. It took a line of thirty cubits[b] to measure around it. Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit.[c] The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east.(B) The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth[d] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.[e]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:3 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  4. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  5. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 18,000 gallons or about 66,000 liters