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13 King Solomon invited and received Hiram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow woman from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, an artisan of bronze. He was filled with wisdom and with ability and with the knowledge to do all the work with the bronze. And he came to King Solomon, and he did all of his work. 15 He cast the two pillars out of bronze; eighteen cubits was the height of the first, and a cord of twelve cubits would encircle the second pillar. 16 He made two capitals to place on the tops of the pillars out of molten bronze; the first capital was five cubits in height, and the second capital was five cubits in height. 17 A network of latticework and wreaths of chainwork with small chains were for the capitals which were on top of the pillars; seven for the first capital and seven for the second capital. 18 He also made the pillars with two rows around on the lattice, each to cover the capitals which were on top, out of the pomegranate-shaped ornaments, and thus he did for the second capital as well. 19 And on the capitals which were on top of the pillars in the porch were works of lilies four cubits high. 20 And capitals were on the two pillars above near the bulging section which was beside the lattice, and two hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments were in rows all around on the second capital. 21 He set up the pillars for the porch of the main hall; he erected the pillar on the right and called its name Jakin, and he set up the pillar on the left and called its name Boaz. 22 On the top of the pillars was a work of lilies; and so the work of the pillars was finished.

23 He also made the molten[a] sea, ten cubits in diameter,[b] and five cubits was its height. A measuring line of thirty cubits would encircle it all around. 24 Gourds were under its rim surrounding it all around; ten to the cubit, surrounding the sea all around with two rows of gourds, which were cast when he cast the metal. 25 The sea was standing on twelve oxen, with three facing to the north, three facing to the west, three facing to the south, and three facing to the east. The sea was on top of them, with all of their hindquarters turned to the inside. 26 Its thickness was a handbreadth, but its rim was as the work on the brim of a cup, like the bud of a lily; it held two thousand baths.

27 He made the ten stands of bronze; each stand was four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits in height. 28 Now this was the construction of the stands: there were frames for them and frames between the crossbars, 29 and on the frames which were between the crossbars were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the crossbars both above and beneath the lions and oxen were works of cascading wreaths. 30 There were four bronze wheels for each of the stands, with bronze axles; the four support pedestals for these were under the basin, and the supports were decorated on each side with wreaths. 31 Its opening from the inside of the capital and above was a cubit; its pedestal was a round work of a cubit and a half; moreover, on its opening were the carvings with four-sided frames, not circular. 32 Four of the wheels were underneath the frames, and the axles of the wheels were on the stands. The height of each wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The construction of the wheel was like the construction of the wheel of the chariot; their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their naves were all cast. 34 The four supports were the four corners of each stand, with the stand supporting it. 35 On top of the stand was half a cubit deep, circular all around, and on the top of the stand were its supports and its frames. 36 He engraved on the plates, on its supports, and on its frame cherubim, lions and images of a palm tree, according to the space for each, with wreaths all around. 37 He made the ten stands like this in one cast, with the same measurement and shape for each of them.

38 He also made ten bronze basins, each holding forty baths; each basin was four cubits, one basin on each of the ten stands. 39 He placed five of the stands on the south side of the house and five on the north side of the house, and the sea he set on the southeast side of the house.

40 Hiram also made the basins and the shovels and the bowls for drinking wine; and so Hiram finished doing all of the work that he was to do[c] for King Solomon in the house of Yahweh: 41 the two pillars and the bowls of the capitals which were atop the two pillars, and the two lattice works to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were atop the pillars; 42 and the four hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments for the two lattice works, the two rows of pomegranate-shaped ornaments for each latticework to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the surface of the pillars; 43 and the ten stands and the ten basins on the stands; 44 and the one sea and the twelve oxen under the sea; 45 and the pots, the shovels, and the bowls for drinking wine. All the vessels of the tent which Hiram had made for King Solomon for the house of Yahweh were polished bronze. 46 The king had cast them in the plain of the Jordan with the casting mold set in the ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47 Solomon left all of the vessels unweighed because of their very great abundance, so the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:23 That is, cast from molten bronze
  2. 1 Kings 7:23 Literally “from its edge up to its edge, round all around”
  3. 1 Kings 7:40 Literally “that he did”

Solomon Commissions Hiram to Supply the Temple

13 King Solomon sent for Hiram[a] of Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali,[b] and his father was a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. He had the skill and knowledge[c] to make all kinds of works of bronze. He reported to King Solomon and did all the work he was assigned.

15 He fashioned two bronze pillars; each pillar was 27 feet[d] high and 18 feet[e] in circumference. 16 He made two bronze tops for the pillars; each was 7½ feet high.[f] 17 The latticework on the tops of the pillars was adorned with ornamental wreaths and chains; the top of each pillar had seven groupings of ornaments.[g] 18 When he made the pillars, there were two rows of pomegranate-shaped ornaments around the latticework covering the top of each pillar.[h] 19 The tops of the two pillars in the porch were shaped like lilies and were six feet high.[i] 20 On the top of each pillar, right above the bulge beside the latticework, there were 200 pomegranate-shaped ornaments arranged in rows all the way around.[j] 21 He set up the pillars on the porch in front of the main hall. He erected one pillar on the right[k] side and called it Yakin;[l] he erected the other pillar on the left[m] side and called it Boaz.[n] 22 The tops of the pillars were shaped like lilies. So the construction of the pillars was completed.

23 He also made the large bronze basin called “The Sea.”[o] It measured 15 feet[p] from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood 7½ feet[q] high. Its circumference was 45 feet.[r] 24 Under the rim all the way around it were round ornaments[s] arranged in settings 15 feet long.[t] The ornaments were in two rows and had been cast with “The Sea.”[u] 25 “The Sea”[v] stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward. “The Sea” was placed on top of them, and they all faced outward.[w] 26 It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold about 12,000 gallons.[x]

27 He also made ten bronze movable stands. Each stand was 6 feet[y] long, 6 feet[z] wide, and 4½ feet[aa] high. 28 The stands were constructed with frames between the joints. 29 On these frames and joints were ornamental lions, bulls, and cherubim. Under the lions and bulls were decorative wreaths.[ab] 30 Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles and four supports.[ac] Under the basin the supports were fashioned on each side with wreaths.[ad] 31 Inside the stand was a round opening that was 18 inches deep; it had a support that was 27 inches long.[ae] On the edge of the opening were carvings in square frames.[af] 32 The four wheels were under the frames, and the crossbars of the axles were connected to the stand. Each wheel was 27 inches[ag] high. 33 The wheels were constructed like chariot wheels; their crossbars, rims, spokes, and hubs were made of cast metal. 34 Each stand had four supports, one per side projecting out from the stand.[ah] 35 On top of each stand was a round opening three-quarters of a foot deep;[ai] there were also supports and frames on top of the stands. 36 He engraved ornamental cherubim, lions, and palm trees on the plates of the supports and frames wherever there was room,[aj] with wreaths[ak] all around. 37 He made the ten stands in this way. All of them were cast in one mold and were identical in measurements and shape.

38 He also made ten bronze basins, each of which could hold about 240 gallons.[al] Each basin was 6 feet in diameter;[am] there was one basin for each stand. 39 He put five basins on the south side of the temple and five on the north side. He put “The Sea” on the south side, in the southeast corner.

40 Hiram also made basins, shovels, and bowls. He[an] finished all the work on the Lord’s temple he had been assigned by King Solomon.[ao] 41 He made[ap] the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars, the latticework for the bowl-shaped tops of the two pillars, 42 the 400 pomegranate-shaped ornaments for the latticework of the two pillars (each latticework had two rows of these ornaments at the bowl-shaped top of the pillar), 43 the ten movable stands with their ten basins, 44 the big bronze basin called “The Sea” with its twelve bulls underneath,[aq] 45 and the pots, shovels, and bowls. All these items King Solomon assigned Hiram to make for the Lord’s temple[ar] were made from polished bronze. 46 The king had them cast in earth foundries[as] in the region of the Jordan between Sukkoth and Zarethan. 47 Solomon left all these items unweighed; there were so many of them they did not weigh the bronze.[at]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 7:13 tn Heb “King Solomon sent and took Hiram from Tyre.” In 2 Chr 2:13 (MT v. 12) and 4:11, 16 his name is spelled “Huram.”
  2. 1 Kings 7:14 tn 2 Chr 2:14 (13 HT) says “from the daughters of Dan.”
  3. 1 Kings 7:14 tn Heb “he was filled with the skill, understanding, and knowledge.”
  4. 1 Kings 7:15 tn Heb “18 cubits.”
  5. 1 Kings 7:15 tn Heb “12 cubits.”
  6. 1 Kings 7:16 tn Heb “two capitals he made to place on the tops of the pillars, cast in bronze; 5 cubits was the height of the first capital, and 5 cubits was the height of the second capital.”
  7. 1 Kings 7:17 tn Heb “there were seven for the first capital, and seven for the second capital.”
  8. 1 Kings 7:18 tn Heb “he made the pillars, and two rows surrounding one latticework to cover the capitals which were on top of the pomegranates, and so he did for the second latticework.” The translation supplies “pomegranates” after “two rows,” and understands “pillars,” rather than “pomegranates,” to be the correct reading after “on top of.” The latter change finds support from many Hebrew mss and the ancient Greek version.
  9. 1 Kings 7:19 tn Heb “the capitals which were on the top of the pillars were the work of lilies, in the porch, 4 cubits.” It is unclear exactly what dimension is being measured.
  10. 1 Kings 7:20 tn Heb “and the capitals on the two pillars, also above, close beside the bulge which was beside the latticework, two hundred pomegranates in rows around, on the second capital.” The precise meaning of the word translated “bulge” is uncertain.
  11. 1 Kings 7:21 tn Or “south.”
  12. 1 Kings 7:21 tn The name “Yakin” appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”
  13. 1 Kings 7:21 tn Or “north.”
  14. 1 Kings 7:21 sn The meaning of the name Boaz is uncertain. For various proposals, see BDB 126-27 s.v. בעז. One attractive option is to revocalize the name as בְּעֹז (beʿoz, “in strength”) and to understand it as completing the verbal form on the first pillar. Taking the words together and reading from right to left, one can translate the sentence, “he establishes [it] in strength.”
  15. 1 Kings 7:23 tn Heb “He made the sea, cast.”sn This large basin was mounted on twelve bronze bulls and contained water for the priests to bathe themselves (2 Chr 4:6; cf. Exod 30:17-21).
  16. 1 Kings 7:23 tn Heb “10 cubits.”
  17. 1 Kings 7:23 tn Heb “5 cubits.”
  18. 1 Kings 7:23 tn Heb “and a measuring line went around it 30 cubits all around.” The measurements are an approximation. The LXX has the number 33. Neither fit a strict calculation of the diameter time pi, but the precise details of measuring (e.g. the width of the lip or other factors) are not known and numbers may be rounded.
  19. 1 Kings 7:24 tn Or “gourd-shaped ornaments.”
  20. 1 Kings 7:24 tn Heb “10 cubits surrounding the sea all around.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain.
  21. 1 Kings 7:24 tn Heb “the gourd-shaped ornaments were in two rows, cast in its casting.”
  22. 1 Kings 7:25 tn Heb “It.” The proper noun “The Sea” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  23. 1 Kings 7:25 tn Heb “all their hindquarters were toward the inside.”
  24. 1 Kings 7:26 tn Heb “2,000 baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
  25. 1 Kings 7:27 tn Heb “4 cubits.”
  26. 1 Kings 7:27 tn Heb “4 cubits.”
  27. 1 Kings 7:27 tn Heb “3 cubits.”
  28. 1 Kings 7:29 tn The precise meaning of these final words is uncertain. A possible literal translation would be, “wreaths, the work of descent.”
  29. 1 Kings 7:30 tn Heb “and four its feet, supports to them.”
  30. 1 Kings 7:30 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
  31. 1 Kings 7:31 tn Heb “And its opening from the inside to the top and upwards [was] a cubit, and its opening was round, the work of a stand, a cubit-and-a-half.” The precise meaning of this description is uncertain.
  32. 1 Kings 7:31 tn Heb “also over its opening were carvings and their frames [were] squared, not round.”
  33. 1 Kings 7:32 tn Heb “a cubit-and-a-half” (a cubit was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 45 cm).
  34. 1 Kings 7:34 tn Heb “four shoulders to the four sides of each stand, from the stand its shoulders.” The precise meaning of the description is uncertain.
  35. 1 Kings 7:35 tn Heb “and on top of the stand, a half cubit [in] height, round all around” (the meaning of this description is uncertain).
  36. 1 Kings 7:36 tn Heb “according to the space of each.”
  37. 1 Kings 7:36 tn The precise meaning of this last word, translated “wreaths,” is uncertain.
  38. 1 Kings 7:38 tn Heb “forty baths” (a bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons).
  39. 1 Kings 7:38 tn Heb “4 cubits, each basin.” It is unclear which dimension is being measured.
  40. 1 Kings 7:40 tn Heb “Hiram.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  41. 1 Kings 7:40 tn Heb “Hiram finished doing all the work which he did for King Solomon [on] the house of the Lord.”
  42. 1 Kings 7:41 tn The words “he made” are added for stylistic reasons.
  43. 1 Kings 7:44 tn Heb “underneath ‘The Sea.’”
  44. 1 Kings 7:45 tn Heb “which Hiram made for King Solomon [for] the house of the Lord.”
  45. 1 Kings 7:46 tn Or perhaps, “molds.”
  46. 1 Kings 7:47 tn Heb “Solomon left all the items, due to their very great abundance; the weight of the bronze was not sought.”