1 Kings 7:33

And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel,.... In the same form and fashion as one of them; the Targum is, "like a chariot of glory;'' a splendid one, curiously wrought; unless

And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: No JFB commentary on these verses.

And cast together with the bases.

1 Kings 7:33 And the work of the wheels [was] like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, [were] all molten.Ver. 33. Like the work of a chariot wheel,] i.e., Curiously wrought, and as having axle-tree, naves, felloes, spokes, all cast together in their moulds.

(13-50) The exceedingly graphic and elaborate description of the work of Hiram on the vessels and furniture of the Temple, and on the great pillars, bears on the very face of it the most evident marks of historical accuracy and of the use of contemporary documents, and it has, moreover, great antiquarian interest. Looked at in itself, it shows that the Temple (like many other buildings in the comparative infancy of architecture) depended for its effect, not so much on size or proportion, as on rich material, elaborate decoration, and costly furniture, on which all the resources both of treasure and art were lavished. But besides this, the sense of the especial sacredness attached to all the vessels of the Temple, which was hereafter to degenerate into a Pharisaic superstition (see Matthew 23:16-18), suggested the most careful record of every detail, and reverently traced to “the Spirit of God” the gift of “wisdom of heart” “to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,” as in Bezaleel and Aholiab for the Tabernacle (Exodus 35:31-32), so also in Hiram for the Temple. There is something especially remarkable in this broad comprehensiveness of conception which recognises the illuminating and inspiring power of the Spirit of God, not only in the moral and religious teaching of the prophet and the devotional utterances of the psalmist, but in the warlike enthusiasm of the Judge, the sagacity of the statesman, the imaginative skill of the artist, and the wisdom of the philosophic thinker. Nothing could more strikingly illustrate the Apostolic declaration: “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:4).

33. their axletrees] Literally, ‘hands’ as in the previous verse. their naves] By etymology the original word must refer to some curved part of the wheel. It seems better therefore to render, with R.V., felloes here, and transfer the word ‘naves’ to translate the last of the four nouns, which by its derivation signifies ‘that to which all the parts converge.’ The third of the Hebrew words is akin to that which in Exodus 27:10-11 is used for the ‘pillars’ or ‘poles’ which supported the hangings of the tabernacle. Hence here most likely ‘the spokes’ of the wheels.

33. Axletrees… naves… felloes… spokes — The proper order and rendering of the words in the Hebrew text is as follows: Stays, felloes, spokes, naves. The nave is the same as the hub. (f f in figure.)