1 Kings 7:16-42 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 7:13-47

We have here an account of the brass-work about the temple. There was no iron about the temple, though we find David preparing for the temple iron for things of iron, 1 Chron. 29:2. What those things were we are not told, but some of the things of brass are here described and the rest mentioned. I. The brasier whom Solomon employed to preside in this part of the work was Hiram, or Huram (2 Chron. 4:11), who was by his mother's side an Israelite, of the tribe of Naphtali, by his father's side a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:16

And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars ,.... These were large ovals in the form of a crown, as the word signifies; or like two crowns joined together, as Ben Gersom; or bowls, as they are called, 1 Kings 7:41 , the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits ; in 2 Kings 25:17 they are said to be but three cubits high; but that is to be understood only of the ornamented part of them, the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:17

And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars ,.... These were the ornaments of the chapiters; the former being like thick branches of trees, with their boughs and leaves curiously wrought, as the word signifies, and the latter like fringes, such as the Jews wore at the skirt of their garments: seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter ; perhaps with four rows of checker work, and three of chain work. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:18

And he made the pillars ,.... Or adorned them in this manner: and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates ; that is, there were two rows of figures like pomegranates upon the net or branch work that covered the chapiters that were on the top of the pillars; and Kimchi owns, that some copies so read, on the top of the pillars, instead of pomegranates, though he thinks it a mistake: and so did he for the other chapiter ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:19

And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch ,.... Or such as was in the porch of the temple; the work was like that wrought in the form of the flower of lilies open: four cubits ; of the five cubits of which the chapiters consisted, four of them were of lily work, the two rows of pomegranates taking up the other; though Dr. Lightfoot F15 Prospect of the Temple, c. 13. sect. 2. p. 1075. thinks, that at the head of the pillar was a border or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:20

And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network ,.... The supplement is needless, according to Dr. Lightfoot; the sense being only, that the chapiters were above the lily work, which wrought out as far as the belly of the chapiters, or the middle cubit of them, which the pomegranates filled up: and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows round about upon the other chapiter : there were so many in each, which in all... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:21

And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple ,.... Not at the door or entrance into the temple, as Jarchi, but at the entrance into the porch: and he set up the right pillar ; or the pillar on the right hand as you went in, which was on the north, the front being east: and called the name thereof Jachin ; which signifies "he will establish", i.e. the house to which here was an entrance, so long as the pure worship of God should continue in it: and he set up the left pillar... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:22

And upon the top of the pillars was lily work ,.... Which seems to be repeated from 1 Kings 7:19 and confirms that: and so was the work of the pillars finished ; in the manner described. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:23

And he made a molten sea ,.... A large vessel made of molten brass, which, because of the great quantity of water it held, is called a sea; as it was usual with the Jews to call a large collection of waters a sea, as the sea of Tiberius and Galilee. This was made by the man of Tyre, as the pillars, by the order of Solomon, and answered to the brasen laver in the tabernacle, only larger than that; and was not only for the priests to wash their hands and feet in, but to dip upon occasion, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:24

And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it ,.... Of an oval form, and therefore the Targum calls them figures of eggs; in 2 Chronicles 4:3 they are said to have the similitude of oxen, being like the heads of oxen, and the other parts oval; or these were in the form of gourds, as sometimes the word is rendered, 2 Kings 4:39 which had on them the figures of the heads of oxen, and might serve as cocks to let out the water: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 7:13-47

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:23

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 7:24

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