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Hiram’s Work in the House of Yahweh

13 Then (A)King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. 14 (B)He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and (C)he was filled with wisdom and discernment and knowledge to do any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and (D)did all his work.

15 And he fashioned (E)the two pillars of bronze; (F)eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits [a]measured the circumference of both. 16 He also made two capitals of molten bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five [b]cubits and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 There were nets of network and twisted threads of chainwork for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars, and two rows around on the one network to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and so he did for the other capital. 19 Now the capitals which were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily design, four cubits. 20 And there were capitals on the two pillars, even right above the [c]rounded projection which was on the one side of the network; and (G)the pomegranates numbered two hundred in rows around [d]both capitals. 21 (H)Thus he set up the pillars at the (I)porch of the nave; and he set up the right pillar and named it [e]Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it [f]Boaz. 22 And on the top of the pillars was lily design. So the work of the pillars was finished.

23 (J)And he made the sea of (K)cast metal ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was five cubits, and [g]thirty cubits in its circumference. 24 Now under its brim (L)gourds went around encircling it ten to a cubit, (M)entirely encircling the sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast with the Sea when it was cast. 25 (N)It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward. 26 And it was a [h]handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, as a lily blossom; it could hold [i]two thousand baths.

27 Then (O)he made the ten stands of bronze; the length of each stand was four cubits and its width four cubits and its height three cubits. 28 Now this was the workmanship of the stands: they had borders, even borders between the [j]frames, 29 and on the borders which were between the [k]frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the [l]frames there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 30 Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports; beneath the laver were cast supports with wreaths at each side. 31 And its opening inside the capital at the top was a cubit, and its opening was round like the workmanship of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its opening there were engravings, and their borders were square, not round. 32 And the four wheels were underneath the borders, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 Now the workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. 34 Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; its supports were part of the stand itself. 35 And on the top of the stand there was a circular form half a [m]cubit high, and on the top of the stand its [n]stays and its borders were part of it. 36 And he engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders, cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the clear space on each, with wreaths all around. 37 (P)He made the ten stands like this: all of them had one casting, one measure and one form.

38 (Q)He also made ten lavers of bronze, one laver held forty baths; each laver was four cubits, and on each of the ten stands was one laver. 39 Then he set the stands, five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house; and he set the sea of cast metal on the right side of the house eastward toward the south.

40 And Hiram made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram completed doing all the work that he did for King Solomon in the house of Yahweh: 41 the two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the (R)two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars, 42 and the (S)four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars; 43 and the ten stands with the ten lavers on the stands; 44 and (T)the one sea and the twelve oxen under the sea; 45 and (U)the pots and the shovels and the bowls; and all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of Yahweh were of polished bronze. 46 (V)On the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between (W)Succoth and (X)Zarethan. 47 And Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because they were too many; (Y)the weight of the bronze could not be found out.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:15 Lit went around the other pillar
  2. 1 Kings 7:16 A cubit was approx. 18 in. or 45 cm
  3. 1 Kings 7:20 Lit belly
  4. 1 Kings 7:20 Lit on the other capital
  5. 1 Kings 7:21 Lit he shall establish
  6. 1 Kings 7:21 Lit in it is strength
  7. 1 Kings 7:23 Lit a line of thirty cubits went around it
  8. 1 Kings 7:26 A handbreadth was approx. 3 in. or 7.6 cm
  9. 1 Kings 7:26 Approx. 12,000 gal. or 45,424 l, a bath was approx. 6 gal. or 23 l
  10. 1 Kings 7:28 Or crossbars
  11. 1 Kings 7:29 Or crossbars
  12. 1 Kings 7:29 Or crossbars
  13. 1 Kings 7:35 A cubit was approx. 18 in. or 45 cm
  14. 1 Kings 7:35 Lit hands

Contributions by Hiram the Bronzeworker(A)

13 King Solomon sent for Hiram[a] from Tyre, 14 the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, whose father was from Tyre. A bronze worker, he was wise, knowledgeable, and was skilled in all sorts of bronze working. He went to King Solomon and did all of his work.

15 He fashioned two bronze pillars, each one eighteen cubits[b] high, with a circumference of twelve cubits.[c] 16 He also crafted two capitals of cast bronze and set them on top of the pillars. The height of one capital was five cubits,[d] and the height of the other capital was five cubits.[e] 17 A network of latticework on top of the pillars was inlaid with ornamental wreaths and chains, the top of each pillar containing seven groups of ornamental structures. 18 The pillars contained two rows of ornaments shaped like pomegranates around the latticework covering the top of each pillar. 19 The capitals on top of each pillar above the rounded latticework contained four cubits[f] of lily designs, 20 with the capitals on the two pillars covered by 200 pomegranates in rows around both the capitals above and adjoining the rounded latticework. 21 That’s how he designed the pillars at the portico of the sanctuary. When he set up the right pillar, he named it Jachin.[g] When he set up the left pillar, he named it Boaz.[h] 22 The work on the pillars was finished with a lily design on top of the pillars.

The Bronze Sea

23 Hiram[i] also made a sea of cast metal ten cubits[j] from brim to brim, circular in shape and five cubits[k] and 30 cubits[l] in its inner circumference. 24 Under the brim, completely encircling it, were two rows of gourds inlaid as part of the original casting, ten to a cubit.[m] 25 The sea stood on top of twelve oxen. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east. The sea was set on top of them, and their hind parts faced the center.[n] 26 The reservoir, which held about 2,000 baths,[o] stood about a handbreadth[p] thick, and its rim looked like the brim of a cup or of a lily blossom.

The Ten Water Carts

27 Hiram[q] also made ten bronze water carts.[r] Each one was four cubits[s] wide, four cubits long,[t] and three cubits[u] high. 28 The carts were designed with borders between cross-pieces, 29 and on the borders between the cross-pieces were lions, oxen, and cherubim. A pedestal was placed above the cross-pieces, and beneath the lions and oxen there were wreaths hanging down. 30 Each cart had four bronze wheels equipped with bronze axles with four support feet. Beneath the basin were cast support structures made like wreaths on each side. 31 The opening to each water cart inside the crown on top was one cubit[v] wide, with engravings on the opening. The borders to the frames surrounding the opening were square, not round. 32 The four wheels were placed underneath the borders, and the axles for the wheels were on the stand. Each wheel stood one and a half cubits[w] high. 33 The wheels resembled those of a chariot, with their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs made of cast bronze. 34 Four supports stood at the four corners of each cart, built into the carts themselves. 35 On top of each stand was a circular structure one half of one cubit[x] high, with its braces and support frames integral with it, forming a single piece. 36 Hiram[y] engraved ornamental cherubim, lions, and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and frames wherever there was space to do so, and encircled the artwork with wreaths. 37 He made ten identical water carts by using the same plans, castings, and shapes for all of them.

The Other Bronze Implements

38 Hiram[z] also fashioned ten bronze basins, each holding about 40 baths,[aa] each basin measuring four cubits[ab] in diameter,[ac] with one basin for each stand. 39 He set five of the stands on the right side of the Temple and five on the left side of the Temple. He set the bronze sea on the right side of the Temple eastward facing the south. 40 Hiram also made the basins, shovels, and bowls to complete the work that he performed for King Solomon in the Lord’s Temple, 41 including the two pillars and the bowls for the capitals that stood on top of the two pillars, along with the two lattices that covered the two bowls of the capitals that stood on top of the pillars, 42 plus the 400 pomegranates for the two lattices (that is, the two rows of pomegranates for each lattice to cover the two bowls of the capitals that stood on top of the pillars), 43 the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands, 44 the single bronze[ad] sea and the twelve oxen that stood under the sea, 45 and the pots, shovels, and bowls—all of these utensils that Hiram made for King Solomon for the Lord’s Temple were made from polished bronze.

46 The king had them cast in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan in the Jordan plain. 47 Solomon never inventoried the weight of the bronze used, because there were too many utensils, so the weight of the bronze used was never ascertained.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:13 2Chr 2:13 identifies the man as Hiram-abi
  2. 1 Kings 7:15 I.e. about 27 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  3. 1 Kings 7:15 I.e. about 18 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  4. 1 Kings 7:16 I.e. about seven and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  5. 1 Kings 7:16 I.e. about seven and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  6. 1 Kings 7:19 I.e. about six feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  7. 1 Kings 7:21 The name means He Established
  8. 1 Kings 7:21 The name means In Strength
  9. 1 Kings 7:23 Lit. He
  10. 1 Kings 7:23 I.e. about fifteen feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  11. 1 Kings 7:23 I.e. about seven and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  12. 1 Kings 7:23 I.e. 45 feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  13. 1 Kings 7:24 I.e. ten in each one and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  14. 1 Kings 7:25 Lit. were inward
  15. 1 Kings 7:26 I.e. about 12,000 gallons; Cf. 2Chron 4:52, where the volume is given at 3,000 baths
  16. 1 Kings 7:26 I.e. about three inches; a handbreadth was about one sixth of a cubit
  17. 1 Kings 7:27 Lit. He
  18. 1 Kings 7:27 Or stands, and so throughout this paragraph
  19. 1 Kings 7:27 I.e. about six feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  20. 1 Kings 7:27 I.e. about six feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  21. 1 Kings 7:27 I.e. about four and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  22. 1 Kings 7:31 I.e. about one and a half feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  23. 1 Kings 7:32 I.e. about 27 inches; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  24. 1 Kings 7:35 I.e. about 9 inches; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  25. 1 Kings 7:36 Lit. He
  26. 1 Kings 7:38 Lit. He
  27. 1 Kings 7:38 I.e. about 240 gallons; a bath held about six gallons
  28. 1 Kings 7:38 I.e. about six feet; a cubit was about eighteen inches
  29. 1 Kings 7:38 The Heb. lacks in diameter
  30. 1 Kings 7:44 The Heb. lacks bronze