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1 Solomon made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high. 2 He made a “Sea” from cast metal,*This was a large basin filled with water. The metal used was probably bronze, but is not specifically identified as such in the text. ten cubits in diameter, five cubits in height, and thirty cubits in circumference. 3 Below it were ornamental bulls†See 1 Kings 7:24 which reads “gourds.” all around it, ten per cubit. They were in two rows when it was all cast. 4 The Sea was supported by twelve statues of bulls three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The Sea was placed on them, with their rears toward the center. 5 It was as thick as the width of a hand, and its edge was like the flared edge of a cup or a lily flower. It held three thousand baths.‡See 1 Kings 7:26 which lists the capacity as two thousand baths. 6 He also made ten basins on carts for washing. He placed five on the south side, and five on the north. They were used for cleaning what was used in burnt offerings, but the Sea was used by the priests for washing.
7 He made ten gold lampstands as had been specified,§See 1 Chronicles 28:15. and placed them in the Temple, five on the south side and five on the north. 8 In addition he made ten tables and placed them in the Temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold basins.
9 Solomon also built a courtyard of the priests, and the large courtyard and doors for the courtyard, and he covered the doors with bronze. 10 He placed the Sea on the south side, by the southeast corner.
11 Hiram also made the pots, shovels, and basins. Hiram completed the work that he had been doing for King Solomon on the Temple of God: 12 the two columns; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the columns; the two sets of network*Presumably a network of chains, already mentioned. that covered both bowls of the capitals on top of the columns; 13 the four hundred ornamental pomegranates for the two sets of network—two rows of pomegranates for each network covering both the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the columns; 14 the water carts and the basins on the water carts; 15 the Sea and the twelve bull statues that supported it; the pots, shovels, forks, and everything else.
16 All the metalwork Hiram made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord was of polished bronze. 17 The king cast them in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zeredah. 18 Solomon made so many of these things that the weight of the bronze used could not be measured.
19 Solomon also made everything used in the Temple of God: the golden altar; the tables where the Bread of the Presence was displayed; 20 the lampstands of pure gold and their lamps that were to burn in front of the Most Holy Place as specified; 21 the decorative flowers, lamps, and tongs—all made of solid gold; 22 the wick trimmers, basins, dishes and censers—all made of gold; and the doors of the Temple: the inner doors to the Most Holy Place, and the doors of the main hall—all covered with gold.

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*4:2 This was a large basin filled with water. The metal used was probably bronze, but is not specifically identified as such in the text.

†4:3 See 1 Kings 7:24 which reads “gourds.”

‡4:5 See 1 Kings 7:26 which lists the capacity as two thousand baths.

§4:7 See 1 Chronicles 28:15.

*4:12 Presumably a network of chains, already mentioned.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher