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1 Kings 7:23-26

He made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in shape. Its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encircled it. Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The buds were in two rows, cast when it was cast. It stood on twelve oxen, 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 on them above, and all their hindquarters were inward. It was a hand width thick. Its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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1 Kings 7:23-26 sits inside this longer paragraph.

Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. For he built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was one hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. It was covered with cedar above over the forty-five beams, that were on the pillars, fifteen in a row. There were beams in three rows, and window was facing window in three ranks. All the doors and posts were made square with beams: and window was facing window in three ranks. He made the porch of pillars. Its length was fifty cubits and its width thirty cubits; with a porch before them, and pillars and a threshold before them. He made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor. His house where he was to dwell, the other court within the porch, was of the like work. He made also a house for Pharaoh’s daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), like this porch. All these were of costly stones, even of cut stone, according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside, even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court. The foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. Above were costly stones, even cut stone, according to measure, and cedar wood. The great court around had three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar beams; like the inner court of Yahweh’s house and the porch of the house. King Solomon sent and brought Hiram out of Tyre. He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in bronze. He came to king Solomon, and performed all his work. For he fashioned the two pillars of bronze, eighteen cubits high apiece; and a line of twelve cubits encircled either of them. He made two capitals of molten bronze, to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. There were nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital. So he made the pillars; and there were two rows around on the one network, to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars: and he did so for the other capital. The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work, four cubits. There were capitals above also on the two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network. There were two hundred pomegranates in rows around the other capital. He set up the pillars at the porch of the temple. He set up the right pillar, and called its name Jachin; and he set up the left pillar, and called its name Boaz. On the top of the pillars was lily work: so the work of the pillars was finished. He made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in shape. Its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encircled it. Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The buds were in two rows, cast when it was cast. It stood on twelve oxen, 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 on them above, and all their hindquarters were inward. It was a hand width thick. Its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths. He made the ten bases of bronze. The length of one base was four cubits, four cubits its width, and three cubits its height. The work of the bases was like this: they had panels; and there were panels between the ledges; and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the ledges there was a pedestal above; and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. Every base had four bronze wheels, and axles of bronze; and the four feet of it had supports. The supports were cast beneath the basin, with wreaths at the side of each. Its mouth within the capital and above was a cubit. Its mouth was round after the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its mouth were engravings, and their panels were square, not round. The four wheels were underneath the panels; and the axles of the wheels were in the base. The height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. The work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel. Their axles, and their rims, and their spokes, and their naves, were all of cast metal. There were four supports at the four corners of each base. Its supports were of the base itself. In the top of the base there was a round band half a cubit high; and on the top of the base its supports and its panels were the same. On the plates of its supports, and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, each in its space, with wreaths all around. He made the ten bases in this way: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one form. He made ten basins of bronze. One basin contained forty baths; and every basin was four cubits; and on every one of the ten bases one basin. He set the bases, five on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house. He set the sea on the right side of the house eastward and toward the south. Hiram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he worked for king Solomon in Yahweh’s house: the two pillars; the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; the ten bases; the ten basins on the bases; the one sea; the twelve oxen under the sea; the pots; the shovels; and the basins: even all these vessels, which Hiram made for king Solomon, in Yahweh’s house, were of burnished bronze. The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because there were so many of them. The weight of the bronze could not be determined. Solomon made all the vessels that were in Yahweh’s house: the golden altar and the table that the show bread was on, of gold; and the lamp stands, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; the cups, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, of the temple, of gold. Thus all the work that king Solomon did in Yahweh’s house was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of Yahweh’s house.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    He made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in shape. Its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encircled it.

    Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The buds were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

    It stood on twelve oxen, 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 on them above, and all their hindquarters were inward.

    It was a hand width thick. Its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.

  • KJV King James Version

    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.

    And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.

    It stood upon twelve oxen, 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.

    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.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and the height thereof was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

    And under the brim of it round about there were knops which did compass it, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about; the knops were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

    It stood upon twelve oxen, 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 upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

    And it was a hand-breadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held two thousand baths.

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Cross-references (28)

  • Jeremiah 52:20 (vv23, 25) They took the two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made for Yahweh’s…
  • 2 Kings 25:13 (v23) The Chaldeans broke up the pillars of bronze that were in Yahweh’s house and the bases and the bronze sea that were in Yahweh’s house, and…
  • 2 Chronicles 4:2 (v23) Also he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim. It was round, five cubits high, and thirty cubits in circumference.
  • 1 Kings 6:18 (vv24, 26) There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar. No stone was visible.
  • 2 Chronicles 4:4-5 (v25) It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three…
Show all 26 cross-references
  • 2 Chronicles 4:5 (v26) It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It received and held three thousand…
  • Jeremiah 52:17 (v23) The Chaldeans broke the pillars of bronze that were in Yahweh’s house, and the bases and the bronze sea that were in Yahweh’s house in…
  • 2 Chronicles 4:3 (v24) Under it was the likeness of oxen, which encircled it, for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.
  • Exodus 25:31-36 (v24) “You shall make a lamp stand of pure gold. The lamp stand shall be made of hammered work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its…
  • Exodus 30:18-21 (v23) “You shall also make a basin of bronze, and its base of bronze, in which to wash. You shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the…
  • Exodus 37:17-22 (v24) He made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand of beaten work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were…
  • Exodus 38:8 (v23) He made the basin of bronze, and its base of bronze, out of the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered at the door of the Tent of…
  • 1 Kings 6:32 (v26) So he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold.…
  • 1 Kings 6:35 (v26) He carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work.
  • 1 Kings 7:19 (v26) The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work, four cubits.
  • 1 Kings 7:38 (v26) He made ten basins of bronze. One basin contained forty baths; and every basin was four cubits; and on every one of the ten bases one basin.
  • 1 Chronicles 18:8 (v23) From Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took very much bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze sea, the pillars, and the…
  • Jeremiah 52:21 (v26) As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits encircled it; and its thickness was four…
  • Ezekiel 1:10 (v25) As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man. The four of them had the face of a lion on the right side. The four of them…
  • Ezekiel 45:14 (v26) and the set portion of oil, of the bath of oil, one tenth of a bath out of the cor, which is ten baths, even a homer; (for ten baths are a…
  • Matthew 28:19 (v25) Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
  • Mark 16:15-16 (v25) He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but…
  • Luke 24:47 (v25) and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
  • 1 Corinthians 9:9 (v25) For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares,
  • Revelation 4:6-7 (v25) Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the middle of the throne, and around the throne were four…
  • 2 Kings 16:17 (v23) King Ahaz cut off the panels of the bases, and removed the basin from off them, and took down the sea from off the bronze oxen that were…

26 distinct cross-references across this passage (28 total citations).

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (15 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv23, 26 So called for the hugeness of the vessel.

So called for the hugeness of the vessel.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv23–26 1Ki 7:23 And he made a molten sea, ten…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv23–26 He made a molten sea; he melted the brass,…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv23–26 And under the brim of it round about there…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv23–26 A Sea - He melted the brass, and cast…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv23–25 1Ki 7:23. He made a molten sea — He…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv23–26 The “molten sea “of Solomon, so called from its…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv23–26 Brim, in diameter. The circumference was about 30 cubits;…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v23 he made a molten sea--In the tabernacle was no…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv23–26 23. A molten sea — Called also brazen sea,…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv23–26 23–26. The Molten Sea which Hiram made (2Ch_4:2-5)
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v23 (23-26) A molten sea—a gigantic laver for the ablution…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv23–26 The writer now passes on to describe the brazen…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv23, 25 Huram made
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v23 7:23-26 The giant bronze basin called the Sea replaced…
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