1 Kings 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

COMMUNICATION WITH GOD

1 Kings 8:1 to 1 Kings 9:9

Of the seventy-five verses discussed in this section, forty-three are concerned with direct communication between Solomon and his God. In thirty-one of these verses, Solomon addressed God directly in prayer; the other nine verses constitute the divine answer to that prayer. Another thirteen verses couched in the third person are devoted to blessings of the Lord. Such blessings are very closely related to prayer, if indeed they are not such. Thus the dominant theme of 1 Kings 8:1 to 1 Kings 9:9 is communication with God.

This section divides itself naturally into two unequal subdivisions: (1) the dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 8:1-66); and (2) The revelation to Solomon (1 Kings 9:1-9).

1 Kings 7:1-12

I. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PALACE COMPLEX 7:1-12

**TRANSLATION

(1) Now his own house, Solomon was thirteen years in the process of building; and he finished all his house. (2) And he built the house of the forest of Lebanon; a hundred cubits was its length and fifty cubits was its width and thirty cubits was its height, upon four rows of cedar pillars, and cedar beams upon the pillars. (3) And it was covered with cedar above the chambers which were upon the forty-five pillars, fifteen to a row. (4) And there were beam-layers in three rows and outlook**[189]** was opposite outlook three times. (5) And all the doors and posts**[190]** were squared with windows, and light was opposite light in three ranks. (6) And he made a porch of pillars; fifty cubits was its length and thirty cubits was its width, and the porch was before them, and the pillars and the threshold were before them. (7) Then he made a porch for the throne on which he would render judgment, the porch of judgment, and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the others. (8) And his house where he would dwell had another court within the porch, of the same construction. And he made a house for the daughter of Pharaoh whom Solomon had married, like onto this porch. (9) All of these were of costly stones, according to the measure of hewn stones sawed with saws, within and without, from foundation to coping, and from the outside unto the great court. (10) And the foundation was of precious stones, great stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. (11) And the superstructure was of precious stones according to the measure of hewn stones, and cedars. (12) And as for the great court, there were round about it three rows of hewn stones, and a row of cedar beams as in the inner court of the house of the LORD, and the porch of the house.**

[189] The Hebrew word, which occurs only here, is different from the ordinary word for window, and probably denotes a larger opening. [190] Many scholars follow the translation of the Septuagint and render the word windows as in the previous verse. However, this translation necessitates an emendation of the Hebrew text.

COMMENTS

The first twelve verses of chapter seven constitute a break in the long account of the Temple. Before passing on to the description of the contents of the Temple buildings, the historian pauses to mention other royal buildings erected by Solomon. The translators of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament shifted this section to the end of this chapter. There is, however, logic in the order of the Hebrew Bible. The description of the building of the Temple culminates with the building of the inner court (1 Kings 6:36); after the brief chronological note in 1 Kings 6:37-38 the description proceeds to the outer court (1 Kings 7:9) and the buildings contained therein.

Though Solomon was engaged for 7 1/2 years in the construction of the Temple, it took thirteen years for him to build his house; i.e., the palace complex. This longer period spent on his own house does not argue selfishness or worldliness on the part of Solomon. On the contrary, it speaks well for his piety that he built the Temple first. Three factors account for the longer construction of the king’s house. First, much time was saved on the Temple construction due to the fact that David and Solomon had gathered materials before the actual building operation began. Second, the buildings which made up the palace complex were much larger and thus this undertaking was a more extensive one. Third, a special force of laborers was employed in the erection of the Temple while the number of workers was no doubt greatly diminished in this latter project. The thirteen years date from the completion of the Temple so that in the construction of both the Temple and the palace complex Solomon was engaged for twenty years (1 Kings 9:10). By Solomon’s house is not meant his private residence alone, but a complex of buildings more or less connected, the individual components of which are described in 1 Kings 7:2-12.

1. The house of the forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 7:2-5). In describing the outer court, the author begins from the outer entrance and thus deals first with the house of the forest of Lebanon, the building farthest removed from the Temple. This building received its name from the fact that it was built of cedar wood and from the fact that it contained a virtual forest of cedar pillars. Owing to the brevity of the account and the obscurity of the text, attempts to mentally and pictorially reconstruct this building are largely pure conjecture.

With its dimensions of a hundred fifty by seventy-five feet, the house of the forest of Lebanon covered over four times the area of the Temple building. It does not follow that this entire area of 11,250 square feet was all under roof, for it seems that the house was built around an open courtyard. The height of the building was the same as that of the Temple, viz., forty-five feet. The structure was supported by four rows of cedar pillars which probably ran around all four sides, and by great support beams (1 Kings 7:2) which stretched from these pillars to a stone wall (1 Kings 7:9). How these pillars were arranged or what the number of pillars might have been remains a matter of conjecture.

It would seem that the house of the forest of Lebanon had three tiers of side chambers modeled after those of the Temple. These side chambers, roofed over with cedar, rested on the pillars mentioned in 1 Kings 7:2. There were forty-five chambers arranged fifteen in a row on each tier or story[191] (1 Kings 7:3). The rows of side-rooms were built one over the other by means of layers of beams. Things were so arranged that the windows looking out upon the court from one side corresponded exactly to those on the opposite side of the building (1 Kings 7:4). The doorsboth those through which the different rooms were connected with one another and those through which the building and its stories were reachedwere square (1 Kings 7:5). The upper stories were no doubt reached by a winding staircase located on the front side of the building. Keil conjectures that the cedar pillars in the building were twelve feet tall, and the side chambers on top of them thirty-three feet tall. Allowing for the thickness of supporting beams, this would still leave nine feet for the internal height of each story. To judge from 1 Kings 10:17 and Isaiah 22:8 this building served as a treasury and armory. Possibly it was also the residence of the royal bodyguard.

[191] Hammond (PC, p. 125) suggests that the chambers were only built on three sides of the rectangular building and that on each tier they were divided six to each long side and three to the rear.

2. The porch of pillars (1 Kings 7:6). The porch of pillars was no doubt a covered colonnade; i.e., it had a roof but no sides. The pillars were its only walls. From the fact that this porch was seventy-five feet long, the same width as the house of the forest of Lebanon, some commentators have concluded that it served as the entrance to that building. The porch was forty-five feet in width or depth. A small porch of pillars and steps stood in front of the colonnade. The size of this building and the fact that it had itself a porch favor the view that the porch of pillars was an independent structure.[192] No doubt it stood between the house of the forest of Lebanon and the hall of justice and may have connected the two buildings. What, if any, special function the porch of pillars served is not stated. It may have been that here litigants awaited the call to present their case in the hall of justice.

[192] As opposed to the view that the porch of pillars was simply the vestibule to the house of the forest of Lebanon or the hall of justice.

3. The hall of justice (1 Kings 7:7). While the function of the third building in the palace complex is explicitly stated, the description is even more vague than in the preceding cases. This building served the dual purpose of an audience room and a court of justice. It was open only in front, and was shut in by solid walls on the other three sides. The interior was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other (lit., from floor to floor). Keil thinks that the building was two stories and that the walls from the ground floor to the floor of the second story were covered with cedar. Others think the expression means that the walls and ceiling from one side of the floor to the opposite side were covered with cedar.

4. The palace (1 Kings 7:8* a).* After the description of the public quarters of the palace, the private residence of the king is mentioned. The author of Kings regarded this phase of Solomon’s building activity as comparatively unimportant, and so gives only brief and vague notice to it. Three details only are known of the palace: (1) it was located within a courtyard; (2) this courtyard was within the porch of justice; i.e., the audience room and hall of justice served as the principal entrance into the king’s residence; and (3) the royal residence was built on the same order as the porch of justice.

5. The palace of Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 7:8* b).* The house of Pharaoh’s daughter was probably distinct from the dwelling- place of the king and located behind the latter. This would seem to have been the private residence of the queen, not the harem where all the wives and concubines were collected.

All of the stones which were used in the construction of the palace complex were of the finest quality, shaped to certain specified dimensions with iron saws. In contrast with the practice of the Phoenician stone-masons who left the outer surface rough, these stones were dressed on all sides. The entire wall was constructed of such stones from the foundation to the coping, the projecting stones on which the beams rested at the top. The pavement of the courtyard in which these buildings were locatedthe outer courtwas of sawed stones (1 Kings 7:9). The foundation stones were much larger than those reared upon them, some being twelve feet long and others as much as fifteen feet long (1 Kings 7:10). The stones of the superstructure were no doubt smaller than those of the foundation, but more carefully smoothed and faced (1 Kings 7:11).

The palace complex, like the Temple, had two courtyards. The smaller court mentioned in 1 Kings 7:8 seems to have been enclosed among the buildings. The great court probably surrounded the whole complex. This court was enclosed by a wall consisting of three rows of hewn stones and a coping of cedar (1 Kings 7:12). It thus resembled the wall of the Temple courtyard (5:36) and also, it would seem, the wall of the court within the porch[193] (cf. 1 Kings 7:8).

[193] It is almost impossible to decide whether porch of the house refers to the porch of judgment (1 Kings 7:7) or to the porch of the Temple. Hammond (PC, p. 127) is probably right in taking this to be a reference to the court within the porch mentioned in 1 Kings 7:8.

1 Kings 7:13-14

II. THE METALWORK FOR THE TEMPLE 7:13-51

In the remaining verses of chapter 7, the historian focuses his attention for the most part on the bronze metalwork produced by a Phoenician artisan in the Jordan valley. That the various items are described in such detail illustrates the wonderment with which the Hebrews viewed such craftsmanship. The great artisan himself is first introduced (1 Kings 7:13-14). Then the historian describes at length the massive bronze pillars which were such a striking feature of the Temple entrance (1 Kings 7:15-22). Next the attention shifts to the furnishings of the courtyard and the implements used in connection with them (1 Kings 7:23-47). The account of the Temple construction ends with a brief mention of the metalic objects which were used in the inner court (1 Kings 7:48-51).

A. HIRAM THE CRAFTSMAN 7:13-14

**TRANSLATION

(13) Now King Solomon had sent and secured Hiram from Tyre. (14) He was a widow’s son, from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a craftsman in bronze; and he was full of wisdom, understanding and knowledge of working all bronze work. And he came to King Solomon and did all of his work.

COMMENTS**

To construct the metallic furnishings of the Temple, Hiram the king sent to Solomon, at this request (2 Chronicles 2:6), a workman who also bore the name Hiram.[194] He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a Tyrian by birth.

[194] The name is also spelled Huram (2 Chronicles 2:13; 2 Chronicles 4:11; 2 Chronicles 4:16) and Hirom (1 Kings 7:40). Because of his skills, in Chronicles he receives the title -abh (father) which probably is equivalent to the English word master. Gray (OTL, p. 171) thinks Huram-abhi was the full name of the craftsman, thus regarding -abhi as part of his name, rather than a title.

The Chronicler says his mother was of the daughters of Dan (2 Chronicles 2:14). The town of Dan was situated in the tribal region of Naphtali.[195] Apparently this Israelite widow had married a man of Tyre, and Hiram was the son of that second mixed marriage.

[195] Keil (BCOT, p. 96) has a more complicated explanation of this apparent Kings- Chronicles discrepancy: She was a Danite by birth, but had married into the tribe of Naphtali. Slotki (SBB, p. 49) thinks the phrase of the tribe of Naphtali describes Hiram because his father was of that tribe. His father subsequently became a resident of Tyre.

Hiram, like his father before him, was a skilled worker in bronze, a mixture of copper and tin. Chronicles extends his area of expertise to gold, silver, brass, iron, stone, timber, purple, etc. (2 Chronicles 2:14). Bronze alone is mentioned here because the following section is limited exclusively to the ornaments and furnishings of that metal. Like Bezalel, his counterpart in the days of Moses (Exodus 31:3), Hiram was filled with wisdom,[196] understanding and knowledge with regard to metallic works. It is perhaps significant that while Bezalel the Hebrew craftsman is said to be filled with the spirit of God, no such statement is made of Hiram. Thus Bezalel’s skill is regarded as a supernatural gift while Hiram’s wisdom was a natural endowment. Of course Hiram did not personally and singly produce the Temple furnishings, but rather acted as a superintendent of the various crews which worked on this ornamentation. No doubt he brought several assistants with him from Tyre.

[196] Wisdom (Heb., chokmah) is empirical wisdom, practical insight and sagacity and is used of the skill of the seaman (Psalms 107:27), the general (1 Samuel 10:13) and the artisan (Exodus 28:3).

1 Kings 7:15-22

B. THE BRONZE PILLARS 7:15-22

**TRANSLATION

(15) And he formed the two bronze pillars, eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar and the circumference of the second pillar was twelve cubits. (16) And two capitals he made to put on top of the pillars, cast of bronze, the height of the one capital was five cubits, and five cubits was the height of the other capital. (17) Nets of network and cords, chainwork, were upon the capitals which were on top of the pillars, seven to one capital and seven to the other. (18) And he made the pomegranates, even two rows round about the one network to cover the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars**[197]; and so did he for the other capital. (19) And the capitals which were upon the top of the pillars were of lily-work in the manner of the porch, four cubits. (20) And the capitals upon the two pillars (he made) also above the belly which was on the other side of the network, and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other capital. (21) And he set up the pillars at the porch of the Temple, and set up the right pillar, and called its name Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and called its name Boaz. (22) And upon the top of the pillars he made lily-work; and the work of the pillars was finished.

[197] In this verse it appears that the Hebrew word for pomegranates and pillars have been transposed. Most commentaries follow the order as given in the Septuagint which is also supported by two Hebrew manuscripts.

COMMENTS

Two enormous pillars of bronze are first mentioned as being, no doubt, the most prominent work of Hiram. Each of these two pillars was twenty-seven feet tall not counting the 7 1/2 feet of the capital, but probably including the height of the pedestals. The height of these pillars would thus approximate that of a modern three story building. The pillars were hollow, the metal being four finger breadths thick (Jeremiah 52:21). The circumference (lit., a line went around) was eighteen feet (1 Kings 7:5). The statement of the height of one pillar and the circumference of the other is to be understood as an abbreviated expression signifying that the two pillars were identical in size.

A problem arises concerning the height of these pillars when one studies the parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 3:15. The Chronicler gives a figure for the height (?) of the pillars equivalent to 52½ feet. It is interesting, however, that Chronicles does not use the Hebrew word for height which is used in Kings (qomah), but the Hebrew word usually translated length (-orech). Chronicles may be giving the total length of both pillars minus the pedestals to which they were anchored; Kings may be giving the height of each pillar individually, including the height of the pedestal.[198]

[198] Another possibility is that the actual height of each pillar of 17 1/2 cubits and that Kings has rounded off the figure to eighteen cubits. The 17 1/2 cubits of each pillar combined would yield the thirty-five cubits of 2 Chronicles 3:15. Most conservative scholars, however, concede that the figure in Chronicles has been corrupted in the course of transmission of the text and should read eighteen cubits as in Kings.

A bronze capital or crown adorned the top of each pillar, These capitals were five cubits high[199] (1 Kings 7:16). The capitals were each elaborately decorated, but it is almost impossible to speculate on what the exact form of these decorations might have been.

[199] 2 Kings 25:7 gives the height as three cubits. This figure is usually regarded as a scribal miscopying.

A row of one hundred (1 Kings 7:20) pomegranates ran around the pillars below the network (chainwork) with a second row of one hundred above. The pomegranates would thus form a double border to the chainwork (1 Kings 7:18). Probably the pomegranate was selected for its beautiful form rather than because of any symbolic import.[200] This fruit was also portrayed in various colors on the hem of the robe of the high priestly ephod (Exodus 28:33-34; Exodus 39:24).

[200] Some have suggested that the pomegranates signified fruitfulness in good works; others, that the fruit was an image of the law or covenant of the Lord, and the seeds symbolic of the separate commands of the law.

1 Kings 7:19 has been taken by some to refer to a second capital which was superimposed on the one which was just described. It is better, however, to regard this verse as further describing the single capital which crowned each pillar. It would seem that the lower part of the capital to which the braided work (network) was fastened, was rounded in the form of a pitcher or caldron.[201] The decoration of the upper part of the capitals consisted of sculpture in the form of flowering lilies. The lily-work covered six feet of the total 7½ feet occupied by the capitals. The phrase in the manner of the porch (lit., in the porch) is difficult. Keil’s interpretation, though not without its difficulties, is perhaps the best, viz., that the lily-work on the capitals resembled some lily-work which, it would appear, was in or on the porch of the Temple.[202]

[201] See 1 Kings 7:41-42; 2 Chronicles 3:16; 2 Chronicles 4:12-13; Jeremiah 52:23.

[202] The construction of this porch is not minutely described, hence there is no other reference to this decorative lily-work.

1 Kings 7:20 should be regarded as a further amplification of 1 Kings 7:19 indicating exactly where the crowns of lily-work were placed on the capitals. The belly (bowl in 1 Kings 7:41) was the rounding of the lower portion of the capitals which was behind or under the plait or network. Two hundred pomegranates were on each capital, one hundred to a row; according to Jeremiah 52:23 ninety-six of the hundred faced the four quarters, the remaining four occupied the four corners. Thus it would appear that this part of the capital was four-square.

1 Kings 7:21 raises questions about the precise location and function of the two massive bronze pillars. It would appear that they stood within the porch, not in front of it as some have suggested. Whether the pillars were functional or whether they were ornamental is a much discussed question. The following lines of thought suggest that these pillars were ornamental rather than functional.

1. The size of these pillarsover thirty-four feetseems to preclude their being used as supports for the roof.
2. If the pillars had been a functional part of the building, they would almost certainly have been of the same material, i.e., wood or stone. Their metallic composition is certainly an argument for their monumental character.
3. While these columns received special names, no architectural portion of the building was so designated.
4. These two pillars were not mentioned in connection with the building of the Temple and the porch, but are referred to here for the first time in the enumeration of the sacred vessels of the court that were made of bronze. But if these renowned pillars were ornamental and symbolicand most modern scholars concede that they werewhat religious function did they serve? Some have tried to associate them with the forbidden Canaanite massebhoth, the memorial monoliths which were a regular feature of Canaanite sanctuaries. Others see a connection with the Egyptian solar cult. Still others regard them as fire-altars or incense burners which may have symbolized the wilderness pillar of fire and pillar of cloud, i.e., God’s leadership during the period of the wandering.[203] The first two suggestions can be immediately dismissed as unworthy of the Temple of God. The third suggestion, while not impossible, is improbable in as much as the text gives not the slightest hint that these pillars had any more than a symbolic significance.

[203] A theory originally proposed by Robertson-Smith and recently more or less supported by Albright, ARI, pp. 144-48.

The two pillars in the porch before the sanctuary symbolized the power and eternity of the God to whom this sacred building was dedicated. The pillar on the right (south) was called Jachin, i.e., He shall establish, and the pillar on the left, Boaz, i.e., in Him is strength. These pillars thus pointed to God as the true support of His sanctuary, and emphasized as well the stability and strength of the kingdom of God of which the Temple was an outward symbol.

1 Kings 7:22 repeats 1 Kings 7:19 and serves to underscore the significance of the lily-work atop the two pillars. The capitals themselves roughly resembled a full blown lily-cup, and furthermore had representations of the leaf of the lily superimposed upon it. The two pillars would thus resemble two giant plants, the column answering to the stalk, the capital to the flower.[204] The implication of 1 Kings 7:22 is that the columns, capitals and decorations were cast separately, and that when the columns were set up, the work was not finished until the decorations had been affixed.

[204] Hammond, PC, p. 131.

1 Kings 7:23-47

C. THE METALLIC OBJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COURTYARD 7:23-47

Associated with the courtyard of the Temple were the following items: (1) the bronze sea (1 Kings 7:23-26); (2) the bronze stands and basins (1 Kings 7:27-39); and (3) various small implements (1 Kings 7:40). For some reason the historian has omitted any reference to the huge bronze altar which was, perhaps, the dominant feature of the court.

1. THE BRONZE SEA (1 Kings 7:23-26)

**TRANSLATION

(23) And he made the molten sea, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was circular, and five cubits high with a circumference of thirty cubits. (24) And gourds ran round it under its brim, ten to a cubit, compassing the sea round about. The gourds were cast in two rows when it was cast. (25) It stood upon twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing east; and the sea was set above them and all their hinder parts were inward. (26) And its breadth was the thickness of a hand and its brim was like the brim of a cup, as the blossom of a lily; it contained two thousand baths.

COMMENTS**

In addition to the massive front pillars, Hiram made a great bronze water-basin which was called the sea on account of its unprecedented size and capacity. Like the laver of the Tabernacle (Exodus 30:18-20), this vessel was designed to contain the water necessary for the ablutions of the priests. The sea was circular and measured fifteen feet in diameter, forty-five feet in circumference[205] and 7 1/2 feet in depth (1 Kings 7:23). The sea was decorated with two rows of gourds numbering ten to a cubit. In contrast to the ornamentation of the capitals of the columns, these ornaments were cast when it was cast, i.e., they were not attached to the sea after it was made, but were cast in the same mold with the sea. The bronze of which this giant laver was composed had been taken by David from the cities of Hadadezer (1 Chronicles 18:8; 1 Samuel 8:8 LXX). The sea rested on twelve oxen, three of which faced each of the four directions of the compass. The oxen faced outward (1 Kings 7:25). All conjectures as to the height and size of the oxen are of little value. The number twelve pointed to the twelve tribes of Israel as a priestly nation which cleansed itself here in the persons of its priests, to appear clean and holy before the Lord.[206]

[205] The sacred historian here uses round figures rather than precise measures, hence the small mathematical discrepancy in the ratio of the diameter to the circumference. [206] Keil, BCOT, pp. 104-105.

The sea was a handbreadth thick (three inches). The brim of the sea was like that of a cup; i.e., it curved outwards like a lily. The precise shape of the sea is unknown. Some think it was hemispherical, others cylindrical. The prevailing opinion, however, appears to be that it was thirty cubits in circumference only at the brim and that it bellied out considerably below. The capacity according to Kings was two thousand baths[207](1 Kings 7:26), according to Chronicles three thousand baths (2 Chronicles 4:5). Probably Kings gives the capacity when filled to ordinary height, and Chronicles gives the capacity when filled to the brim. The sea provided water with which the priests could wash (2 Chronicles 4:6) their hands and feet (Exodus 30:19; Exodus 30:21). Rabbinic tradition indicates that the sea was provided with taps or faucets. It is probable that a basin of some sort was attached to it. Whether the sea was filled by hand or by some special contrivance is impossible to say. It has been computed that such a laver would weigh twenty-five to thirty tons. It was truly a triumph of bronze working.[208]

[207] It was formerly though that a bath was equal to about eight gallons (Slotki). On the basis of stamped jars which have been excavated, a bath is now computed to have been about 5½ gallons. See IDB, R-Z, 835.

[208] Honor, JCBR, p. 104.

2. THE BRONZE STANDS AND BASINS (1 Kings 7:27-39)

**TRANSLATION

And he made ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was four cubits, its width four cubits, and its height three cubits. Their construction was the following: they had panels which were set between frames, (29) and on these particular panels were lions, oxen and cherubim; and upon the frames was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen, there were wreaths, pendant work. (30) And each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axels and its four feet had supports; beneath the basin were cast the supports with wreaths at each side. (31) And its [the basin] opening was within the crown at the top which projected upward one cubit; and its [the crown] opening was round, as a pedestal was made, a cubit and a half deep. At its opening was engraved work; and its panels were square and not round. (32) And the four wheels were under the panels; the axels of the wheels were connected to the stand. And the height of one wheel was a cubit and a half. (33) And the wheels were like the wheels of a chariot. Their axels, rims, spokes and hubs were all molten. (34) And there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; the supports were of one piece with the stands. (35) And on the top of the stand there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top, the stays and panels were of one piece with the stand itself. (36) And on the surfaces of its stays and on its panels were engraved cherubim, lions, and palms according to the empty space of each, with wreaths round about. (37) On this manner he made the ten stands of one kind of casting, measure, and form. (38) And he made ten bronze basins, each holding forty baths, and each basin four cubits, one basin upon each of the ten stands. (39) And he put five stands upon the right side of the house and five upon the left side of the house; and the sea he put on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.

COMMENTS**

In order to clarify this somewhat obscure text it is best to break the passage down topically. After a general description of these stands (1 Kings 7:27-29; 1 Kings 7:37) the historian describes the wheels of the stand (1 Kings 7:30; 1 Kings 7:32-33); the top of the stand (1 Kings 7:31; 1 Kings 7:34-36); the basins or lavers which were supported by the stands (1 Kings 7:38); and the disposition of the stands (1 Kings 7:39).

a) General description of the stands (1 Kings 7:27-28; 1 Kings 7:37). Hiram constructed ten identical bronze stands to be placed in the courtyard of the Temple (1 Kings 7:37). The stands were box-shaped, 6 feet square and 4 1/2 feet high (1 Kings 7:27). Each stand was constructed of four panels or flat sides[209] held together by a frame (1 Kings 7:28). Each panel was decorated with figures or bas-reliefs of lions, oxen and cherubim. Beneath these figures were sculptured festoons of flowers. Upon the square chest was a stand or pedestal for the basin or laver (1 Kings 7:29).

[209] Ahaz is said to have removed these panels and thus they could not have been structurally important (2 Kings 16:17).

b) The wheels of the stands (1 Kings 7:30; 1 Kings 7:32-33). The square chests had axles with wheels of bronze so that they could be moved from one spot to another. The chest itself, however, did not rest directly upon the axles, but stood upon four feet, which were fastened upon the axles. These feet raised the chest above the rim of the wheel so that the sides of the chest, which were ornamented with figures, were left uncovered. The wheels, then, stood below the panels of the chest and not at the sides of the chest. The wheels were twenty-seven inches in diameter (1 Kings 7:32) and resembled chariot wheels. The entire wheel workaxles, rim, spokes, and hubswas cast in bronze (1 Kings 7:33).

c) The crown (1 Kings 7:31; 1 Kings 7:34-36). Above the frames a. pedestal for the laver itself was mounted (1 Kings 7:29). Since the pedestal was circular and surmounted the rectangular base, it was called a crown (1 Kings 7:31). The crown was divided into panels which were reinforced at appropriate intervals by stays, i.e., extra strong, broad borders (1 Kings 7:35). The panels of the crown were decorated with cherubim, lions, palms and wreaths (1 Kings 7:36). Four angular supports arose from the top four corners of the frame to support the elevated crown (1 Kings 7:34). These supports were apparently decorated with wreaths (1 Kings 7:30). The distance from the top of the frame to the top of the crown itself was eighteen inches (1 Kings 7:31).

d) The lovers (1 Kings 7:38). The lavers which rested upon the portable stands were also cast of bronze. Each laver contained forty baths, about two hundred twenty gallons. It is uncertain whether the four cubits of 1 Kings 7:38 refers to the height or to the diameter of the laver (Keil).[210]

[210] The height of all other parts of the stand has been mentioned. If the four cubits refers to the height, then the entire height of the stand and laver together would be about thirteen feet. Hammond (PC, p. 134): This surprising size is accounted for by remembering the height of the altar, to which the fat and other sacrificial portions had to be transferred from the laver.

e) The disposition of the lavers (1 Kings 7:39). The lavers were arranged five on the south and five on the north side of the house. The sea, the massive laver, stood farther forward between the Temple and the altar, only more toward the south, i.e., to the southeast of the Temple. These lavers were used to wash the flesh and fat which were to be consumed upon the altar of burnt-offering. The wheeled stands made it possible to bring water near to the priests who were engaged in preparing the sacrifices. No doubt the lavers were equipped with some faucet by which the water could more easily be utilized by the priests. The number and size of the basins were necessitated by the circumstances that a considerable number of sacrifices had to be made ready for the altar at the same time. The lavers also were used for the purification of worshipers (2 Chronicles 4:6), and for the cleansing of the altar and court after bloody sacrifices.

The artistic work of these stands was to some extent the same as that of the Temple walls, the only difference being that the Temple decorations were wrought in gold, whereas the ornamentations of these stands were in bronze. Lions and oxen may symbolize the royal and priestly characteristics which, according to Exodus 19:6 combined in the nation worshiping God in this place. It has been estimated that these lavers with their own weight of bronze plus the weight of the water contained in the basin would by conservative estimate have weighed well over a ton.[211]

[211] Gray, OTL, p. 180.

TABERNACLE- TEMPLE COMPARISONS

Item

Tabernacle

Temple

Holy Place

20 x 20 Cubits

40 x 20 Cubits

Holy of Holies

10 x 10 x 10

20 x 20 x 20

Whole Structure

40 x 20 Cubits

80 x 40 Cubits

Height

15 Cubits

30 Cubits

Laver

Only One

10 Mobile Lavers and the Molten Sea

Lampstand

Only One

10 Lampstands

Table of Showbread

Only One

10 Tables

1 Kings 7:40-47

C. SUMMARY OF HIRAM’S WORKS 7:40-47

**TRANSLATION

(40) And Hiram made the pots,[212] the shovels, and the bowls. So Hiram finished making all the work that he made for King Solomon for the house of the LORD. (41) The two pillars and the bowls of the capitals which were atop the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were atop the pillars; (42) And the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for one network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the surface of the pillars; (43) and the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases; (44) and one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea; (45) and the pots and the shovels and the bowls; even all these vessels which Hiram made for King Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of bright bronze. (46) In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. (47) And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed because they were exceeding many, neither was the weight of the bronze discovered.**

[212] The standard Hebrew text has hakkiyoroth lavers. However, the Septuagint and some Hebrew manuscripts suggest the more ancient reading may have been hassiroth pots. 1 Kings 7:45 and 2 Chronicles 4:11 also suggest that the reading should be pots. In the unvocalized Hebrew text there is only one letter difference between the two words.

COMMENTS

1 Kings 7:40-45 contain a summary of the objects for which Hiram was responsible in Solomon’s Temple. His work was as follows:

1. Some of the smaller implements used in the Temple service. He made the pots used for boiling the flesh of the peace offering (cf. 1 Samuel 2:13-14); the shovels used for taking away the ashes from the altar (cf. Exodus 27:3; Numbers 4:14); and the bowls used for receiving the blood of the sacrificial animals (cf. Exodus 38:3; Numbers 4:14).

2. The two massive pillars called Jachin and Boaz.

3. The bowls of the capitals which were atop the bronze pillars.

4. The two networks which covered the bowls of the capitals (1 Kings 7:41).

5. The four hundred pomegranates which were attached to the networks, two rows of one hundred each on each network (1 Kings 7:42).

6. The ten portable stands and ten lavers which they sup ported (1 Kings 7:43).

7. The great sea which rested on the twelve oxen (1 Kings 7:44).

8. The smaller implementsthe pots, shovels and bowls or basins (1 Kings 7:45).

In this summary there is no mention of the bronze altar as in 2 Chronicles 4:1, possibly because it was not made by Hiram. All the objects in this list were made of bright bronze, i.e., bronze polished after casting (1 Kings 7:45). The casting was done in Gilead between Succoth and Zarethan. Hiram chose this site because it had an adequate supply of water and good clay readily available and was a convenient place from which to transport the finished product to Jerusalem.[213] Apparently earthen boundaries or clay molds were used to form these objects. The casting was done by Hiram, but since Hiram worked for the king, the king is credited with the achievement. Despite the large number of vessels, the quantity of bronze used for making them was insignificant in comparison with the enormous quantity required in making the sea, the bases, the lavers, and the two pillars (1 Kings 7:47).[214]

[213] Honor, JCBR, p. 108. [214] Another interpretation is that no attempt was made to discover the exact weight of the metal on account of the vast quantities of bronze employed.

1 Kings 7:48-51

D. THE INTERIOR TEMPLE VESSELS 7:48-51

TRANSLATION

(48) And Solomon made all the vessels which belonged to the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table on which was the bread of the presence was gold; (49) and the five lamp-stands, five on the right and five on the left before the Debir, were of pure gold, and the flowers, the lamps and the tongs were of gold; (50) and the basins, the snuffers, the bowls, the spoons and censers were of pure gold; and the hinges of the doors of the inner house, the Holy of Holies, (and) for the doors of the house, the Temple, were of gold. (51) So all the work was finished which King Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought the holy things of David his father; the silver, the gold and the vessels he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

COMMENTS

In the final section of chapter 7 the sacred historian enumerates the vessels used inside the Temple. These vessels were all of gold while the vessels used outside the Temple were of bronze. From the fact that Hiram’s name is not mentioned here, it would appear that he had nothing to do with the manufacture of these vessels. The following are the objects of gold within the house:

1. The altar of incense.

2. The table of gold upon which the showbread was weekly displayed. The Chronicler mentions that there were ten tables within the Temple (1 Chronicles 28:16; 2 Chronicles 4:8).

3. The ten lampstands which were arranged five on each side of the Debir.[215] Some hold that these lampstands were arranged in a single row, in front of and parallel to the Debir. Others feel the lampstands were arranged in two rows perpendicular to the partition of the Debir. In the latter arrangement these lamps would furnish the light throughout the Holy Place. In the former arrangement the lamps would serve as a barrier before the Debir. The lampstands were decorated with flowers and had seven lamps, extremities which held the oil and wicks. These lampstands were probably fashioned after that of the Tabernacle.

[215] The idea that the ten lampstands rested on the ten tables mentioned in Chronicles is entirely groundless.

4. The tongs probably were used in connection with the altar of incense (1 Kings 7:49).

5. The bowls, which were probably used for incense.

6. The snuffers (lit., knives) were used for trimming the wick and extinguishing the lamps.

7. The basins of gold, which, according to Chronicles, were a hundred in number (2 Chronicles 4:8). They were probably used for the water or blood of sprinklings, though it is possible they were used for the libations of wine.

8. The spoons (lit., palms) which were really shallow vessels used for incense (cf. Leviticus 24:7).

9. The censers. In Exodus 25:38 the Hebrew word is translated snuff-dishes. In Numbers 4:14; Numbers 16:6 it signifies censers which appears to be its meaning here.

10. The hinges or sockets of the hinges (Keil) of the doors of the Holy of Holies and for the Temple itself (1 Kings 7:50).

Even after the construction of all the Temple vessels and furniture there was still a surplus of the precious metal and bronze gathered by David.[216] This surplus was stored in the Temple treasury (1 Kings 7:51).[217] The vessels alluded to may have been spoils of war such as the shields of gold captured by David from Hadadezer (2 Samuel 8:7).

[216] 2 Samuel 8:8-11; 1 Chronicles 22:3; 1 Chronicles 22:14; 1 Chronicles 22:16; 1 Chronicles 28:14-18.

[217] Some suggest that Solomon made no use of the gold, silver and trophies of victory which David had prepared because they were spoils of war, and he did not wish to have it said that the Temple was built with gains won by violence.