Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. There was nothing like it made in any other kingdom.
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2 Chronicles 9:17-19 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, in addition to that which the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one buckler. He made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. There was nothing like it made in any other kingdom. All king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Once every three years, the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
Parallel Translations
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Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.
Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. There was nothing like it made in any other kingdom.
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Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.
Show all 3 translations
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Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and arms on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps; there was not the like made in any kingdom.
Cross-references (9)
- 1 Kings 10:18-20 (v17) Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold. There were six steps to the throne, and the top of…
- Genesis 49:9-10 (v18) Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him…
- Numbers 23:24 (v18) Behold, a people rises up as a lioness. As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the…
- Numbers 24:9 (v18) He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is…
- Psalms 45:8 (v17) All your garments smell like myrrh, aloes, and cassia. Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad.
Show all 9 cross-references
- Matthew 19:28 (v19) Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on the…
- Revelation 5:5 (v18) One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome: he who opens the…
- Revelation 20:11 (v17) I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.
- Revelation 21:12 (v19) having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written on them, which are the names of the…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (11 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v18 That is, the steps and the footstool were fastened…
That is, the steps and the footstool were fastened to the throne.
Upon the pommels or knops.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv17–19 2Ch 9:17 Moreover the king made a great throne…
2Ch 9:17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
Ver. 17. Moreover the king made.] See on 1Ki 10:18.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v17 Verse 17. Made a great throne of ivory] For…
Verse 17. Made a great throne of ivory] For a very curious description of the throne of Solomon, see at the end of the chapter. 2Ch 9:29.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v18 2Ch 9:18. With a footstool of gold — This…
2Ch 9:18. With a footstool of gold — This is not mentioned in the parallel passage in 1Ki 10:18, where see the note.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v18 The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential…
The footstool (not mentioned in Kings) was an essential appendage to an Oriental throne; it appears everywhere in the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Persian sculptures.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v18 Arms. Protestants, "stays." (Haydock) --- Hebrew in 3 Kings…
CHAPTER IX.
Arms. Protestants, "stays." (Haydock) --- Hebrew in 3 Kings seems clearer and more correct. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On v18 18. with a footstool of gold, which were fastened…
18. with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne] A quite different detail takes the place of this in 1Ki_10:19, and the top of the throne was round behind. Perhaps both details were found in the original text of Kings.
and stays on each side of the sitting place] R.V. and stays (mg. “arms”) on either side by the place of the seat.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv17–18 (17) Pure.—Tahôr, a common word, for the once occurring…
(17) Pure.—Tahôr, a common word, for the once occurring mûphaz of Kings.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On v17 Vers. 17-19. It is not necessary to suppose that…
Vers. 17-19. It is not necessary to suppose that the throne was made of solid ivory (Psa_45:9; Amo_3:15 Amo_6:4) or that the overlaying gold concealed the ivory, whether more or less of it. The parallel adds that "the top of the throne was round behind". (1Ki_10:19) Comparing also the two accounts, it would appear that there were twelve lions on each side of the throne, i.e. two to each step. When it is said that there were two lions standing by the stays (or, arms) on each side of the sitting-place, we may easily imagine, from ancient modelled thrones, that of them the arms were themselves "no small part." It is remarkable that the parallel does not take cognizance of the footstool. The lion is, of course, as natural a symbol as it is an old one of sovereign power and place; and the use of the lion and the number of them, reminding of the tribes of Israel, were specifically justified to the people, whose oracles contained such words as those in Gen_49:9; Num_23:24 Num_24:9. Josephus tells us that a golden bull supported the seat of the throne. If so, it is remarkable that the statement should be omitted in both of our Old Testament narrations. The dimensions of the throne we might have looked for, but they are not given. That they were well proportioned to the height, marked by six steps, may be taken for granted.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv17, 19 the king made a great throne
the king made a great throne
The author speaks of commanding his workers to build the throne as if he himself had built it. AT: "the king had his workers make a great throne" or "the king's workers made" (See: Metonymy)
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a great throne of ivory
"a great throne decorated with ivory"
ivory
Ivory is the hard, white substance from the tusks or teeth of large animals, such as the elephant, walrus, or hippopotamus. (See: Translate Unknowns)
two lions
These were statues. AT: "two statues of lions" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
translationWords
king
throne
footstool
lions
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v17 9:17-19 Solomon’s throne was very grand. There were six…
9:17-19 Solomon’s throne was very grand. There were six steps, and the throne might have stood on a platform that made a seventh step; similar Babylonian temple towers were built in seven stages to represent the entire cosmos.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.