24 and knops beneath its brim round about are compassing it, ten by the cubit, going round the sea round about; in two rows `are' the knops, cast in its being cast.
25 It is standing on twelve oxen, three facing the north, and three facing the west, and three facing the south, and three facing the east, and the sea `is' upon them above, and all their hinder parts `are' inward.
26 And its thickness `is' an handbreadth, and its edge as the work of the edge of a cup, flowers of lilies; two thousand baths it containeth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 7
Commentary on 1 Kings 7 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 7
As, in the story of David, one chapter of wars and victories follows another, so, in the story of Solomon, one chapter concerning his buildings follows another. In this chapter we have,
1Ki 7:1-12
Never had any man so much of the spirit of building as Solomon had, nor to better purpose; he began with the temple, built for God first, and then all his other buildings were comfortable. The surest foundations of lasting prosperity are those which are laid in an early piety, Mt. 6:33.
The wonderful magnificence of all these buildings is taken notice of, v. 9, etc. All the materials were the best of their kind. The foundation-stones were costly for their size, four or five yards square, or at least so many yards long (v. 10), and the stones of the building were costly for the workmanship, hewn and sawn, and in all respects finely wrought, v. 9, 11. The court of his own house was like that of the temple (v. 12, compare ch. 6:36); so well did he like the model of God's courts that he made his own by it.
1Ki 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 Chr. 29:2. What those things were we are not told, but some of the things of brass are here described and the rest mentioned.
1Ki 7:48-51
Here is,