7 And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to the ordinance respecting them, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left.
8 And he made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left. And he made a hundred golden bowls.
9 And he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors thereof with bronze.
10 And he set the sea on the right side eastward, over against the south.
11 And Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram ended doing the work that he made for king Solomon in the house of God:
12 two pillars, and the globes and the capitals on the top of the pillars, two; and the two networks, to cover the two globes of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars;
13 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two globes of the capitals which were upon the pillars.
14 And he made the bases, and he made the lavers on the bases;
15 one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.
16 And the pots, and the shovels, and the forks, and all their instruments did Huram Abiv make king Solomon for the house of Jehovah, of bright brass.
17 In the plain of the Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay-ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.
18 And Solomon made all these vessels in great number; for the weight of the brass was not ascertained.
19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were [in] the house of God: the golden altar; and the tables whereon was the shewbread;
20 and the candlesticks with their lamps to burn according to the ordinance before the oracle, of pure gold;
21 and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold (it was perfect gold);
22 and the knives, and the bowls, and the cups, and the censers, of pure gold; and the entrance of the house, the inner folding-doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house, of the temple, of gold.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 4
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
2Ch 4:1. Altar of Brass.
1. he made an altar of brass—Steps must have been necessary for ascending so elevated an altar, but the use of these could be no longer forbidden (Ex 20:26) after the introduction of an official costume for the priests (Ex 28:42). It measured thirty-five feet by thirty-five, and in height seventeen and a half feet. The thickness of the metal used for this altar is nowhere given; but supposing it to have been three inches, the whole weight of the metal would not be under two hundred tons [Napier].
2Ch 4:2-5. Molten Sea.
2. he made a molten sea—(See on 1Ki 7:23), as in that passage "knops" occur instead of "oxen." It is generally supposed that the rows of ornamental knops were in the form of ox heads.
3. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast—The meaning is, that the circular basin and the brazen oxen which supported it were all of one piece, being cast in one and the same mould. There is a difference in the accounts given of the capacity of this basin, for while in 1Ki 7:26 it is said that two thousand baths of water could be contained in it, in this passage no less than three thousand are stated. It has been suggested that there is here a statement not merely of the quantity of water which the basin held, but that also which was necessary to work it, to keep it flowing as a fountain; that which was required to fill both it and its accompaniments. In support of this view, it may be remarked that different words are employed: the one in 1Ki 7:26 rendered contained; the two here rendered, received and held. There was a difference between receiving and holding. When the basin played as a fountain, and all its parts were filled for that purpose, the latter, together with the sea itself, received three thousand baths; but the sea exclusively held only two thousand baths, when its contents were restricted to those of the circular basin. It received and held three thousand baths [Calmet, Fragments].
2Ch 4:6-18. The Ten Lavers, Candlesticks, and Tables.
6. ten lavers—(See on 1Ki 7:27). The laver of the tabernacle had probably been destroyed. The ten new ones were placed between the porch and the altar, and while the molten sea was for the priests to cleanse their hands and feet, these were intended for washing the sacrifices.
7. ten candlesticks—(See on 1Ki 7:49). The increased number was not only in conformity with the characteristic splendor of the edifice, but also a standing emblem to the Hebrews, that the growing light of the word was necessary to counteract the growing darkness in the world [Lightfoot].
11. Huram made—(See on 1Ki 7:40).