1 Kings 7

1 Kings 7:1-12

In this chapter we have, (1.) Solomon’s buildings for his own use, vers. 1—12. (2.) His furniture for the temple, 1. Two pillars, vers. 13—22. 2. A molten sea, vers. 23—26. 3. Ten hogs of brass, vers. 27—37, and ten lances upon them, vers. 38, 39. 4. All the other utensils of the temple, vers. 40—50. 5. The things that his father had dedicated, vers. 57.

1. DUT Solomon was building his own house + thirteen years, and he finished all his house. 2. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length whereof was a hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. 3. And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty-five pillars, fifteen in a row. 4. And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks. 5. And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks. 6. And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them. 7. Then he made a porch for the throne, where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other. 8. And his house where he dwelt, had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh’s daughter (whom he had taken a wife) like unto this porch. 9. All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court. 10. And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones; stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. 11. And above were costly stones (after the measure of hewed stones) and cedars. 12. And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.

Having finished God’s house, he proceeds with his own. Let him that is best he first served, and with the bulk, and then we may safely and comfortably enjoy the remainder. For his own residence he built a noble palace, which took him thirteen years to finish. The house of the forest of Lebanon, so called from its situation in a grove, or perhaps from the quantity of cedar from Lebanon employed in it, seems to have been a magazine of arms in one part, and a ball or portico for judgment on the other, with grand colonnades; here himself sat to decide appeals, and here was placed the ivory throne, chap. x. 18. Besides these he built a palace for Pharaoh’s daughters, like his own in the requisition of the Stockton and materials, of vast stones, nicely wrought with prodigious labour and expense. Now, (1.) They who are great may appear so; it is so at a king should dwell in a palace as a peasant in a cottage. (2.) They who are occupied in building should take care not to look in the stone and mortar their solicitude to secure a better house, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

13. And king Solomon sent and set Hiram out of Tyre. 14. He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naph. 15. And his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brabs: and he was filled with wisdom and understand-

ing, and cunning to work all works in brabs; and he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work. 15. For he + cast two pillars of brabs of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about. 16. And he made two chapters of molten brabs, to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of the one chapter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapter was five cubits: 17. And new of checker work, and wreaths of chain-work, for the chapters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapter, and seven for the other chapter. 18. And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one net-work, to cover the chapters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapter. 19. And the chapters that were upon the top of the pillars, were of lily-work in the porch, four cubits. 20. And the chapters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over-againth the belly which was by the net-work: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows round about upon the other chapter. 21. And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof + Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof + Boaz. 22. And upon the top of the pillars was lily-work: so was the work of the pillars finished. 23. And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 24. And under the brim of it round about there were knots compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea about: the knots were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 25. It stood upon twelve even, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. 26. And it was an hand-breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths. 27. And he made ten bases of brabs; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it. 28. And the work of the bases was on this manner: They had borders, and the borders were between the ledges: 29. And on the borders that were between the ledges, were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. 30. And every base had four brazen wheels, and plates of brabs: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition. 31. And the mouth of it within the chapter, and above, was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round, after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were graving with their borders, four-square, not round. 32. And under the borders were four wheels: and the axle-trees of the wheels were joined to the base, and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. 33. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a charme-wheel: their axle-trees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes were all molten. 34. And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself. 35. And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base, the ledges thereof, and the borders thereof were of the same. 36. For on the plates of the + ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm-trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about. 37. After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one fire. 38. Then made he ten layers of brabs: one layer contained forty baths: and every layer was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases, one layer. 39. And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, over against the south. 40. And Hiram made the layers, and the shovels, and the basons: so Hiram made an end of doing all

all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD. 41. The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapters that were upon the top of the two pillars: and the two set-works, to cover the two bowls of the chapters which were upon the top of the pillars: 42. And four hundred pomegranates for the two net-works, even two rows of pomegranates for one net-work, to cover the two bowls of the chapters that were upon the pillars: 43. And the ten bales, and ten lavers on the bales: 44. And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea: 45. And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels which Hiram made to king Solomon, for the house of the LORD, were of bright brats. 46. In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them in the clay-ground, between Succoth and Zarthan. 47. And Solomon left all the vessels among God, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brats found out.

1 Kings 7:13-47

We have here an account of the brahm vessels made for the service of the temple.

1. The workman was a Tyrian by his father’s side, but by his mother an Israelian; his to be hoped he followed the herds parent, as children should do, and cleaved to his mother’s God. The clay ground near Jordan was well suited for a foundery, and the brats prepared was so immoral: in quantity, as well as the workmen’s integrity to tried, that it neither could nor needed be weighed out to them. Note, It is happy to find such trusty servants, in days like these, when honest men are so scarce.

2. The chief work was, (1.) Two pillars wall and high, placed as you entered the porch of the temple, richly adorned with chapters finely wrought; their names were Jachin, he will establish, and Boaz, strength is so him, intimating that though we are weak and feeble, and ready to faint in the worship and service of God, yet our Divine Redeemer will establish his work in our hearts, and help being laid on one mighty to dare, we may confidently expect to receive out of his fulness. These pillars also baptised the stability of God’s promise: which they continued faithfully attendant before the porch of his temple, he would continue to bless, preserve, and protect them. (2.) The modern era, so called from the vast quantity of water it contained; it stood on twelve oxen of brats, whose faces looked to the four cardinal points, and their mouths served as cocks to let the water out. This typified the Lord Jesus, whose blood shed for the cleansing his people, flows out to the four corners of the earth, and whoever will may come, and in this fountain opened for sin, wash away every spot of guilt and pollution. (3.) Ten brahm vases, moveable on wheels, stood, five on each side the court, for the conveniency of the priests, to wash themselves, the vessels and sacrifices. Note, They who appear before God made with, not only once but daily, in the Redeemer’s blood, that their persons may be accepted, and their sacrifices a favour of a lower smell. (4.) All the necessary utensils, for the service of the altar, were made of brats, shovels, basons, &c. that nothing might be wanting. A concern for God’s honour descends to the most minute particulars.

3. And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shew bread was, 49. And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold, 50. And the bowls, and the shuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, it will, of the temple. 51. So was ended all the work which king Solomon made for the house of the LORD: and Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

1 Kings 7:48-51

As all the vessels for the court were of the heart brats, all the vessels within the temple were of purest gold. Note, Though all christians are alike consecrated to God, none are more excellent than others, and more highly distinguished. 1. The vessels of the tabernacle, except the ark, mercy-seat, and cherubims, were either new made, or the old new cast, and unattitudes added to them. As the temple was larger it needed more light, and ten candlesticks are made, perhaps beside that grand one which consisted of the seven branches. Ten tables of gold also were placed in the holy place, beside the table of shew bread; and his supposed they stood opposite to the golden candlesticks, ranged on the other side of the house. The bowls, shuffers, and every vessel, were of pure gold, and the Vols. L.

very hinges of the same precious materials. Note, When God’s glory requires it, we cannot be too liberal.

2. The dedicated things of David were placed in the treasury of the temple, for its future repairs or exigencies; Solomon dared not, like many, farciting—only alternate to his own use what was designed for the service of the sanctuary.