=1.=
THE ALTAR OF BRASS.
¹Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length
thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits
the height thereof.
=1.= _an altar of brass, twenty cubits_] The brasen altar is referred
to in 1 Kings viii. 64; 2 Kings xvi. 14 ff., but it is (strangely) not
mentioned among the furnishings of the Temple described in the present
text of 1 Kings vii. It is impossible therefore to say whether the
Chronicler derives the measurements he here gives from a text of Kings
which did contain a description of the brasen altar, or from the altar
of the Temple of his own period. The latter is more probable. Some
scholars consider it possible that at first Solomon’s Temple contained
no artificial altar, the sacrifices being offered on the great natural
rock which is now covered by the famous building popularly known as the
Mosque of Omar (properly “The Dome of the Rock”).
The great altar was probably a flat oblong expanse, the highest of
a series of terraces, of which the base measurement is given by the
Chronicler――compare the description of Ezekiel’s altar (Ezekiel xliii.
13 ff.).
=2‒5= (= 1 Kings vii. 23‒26).
THE MOLTEN SEA.
²Also 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 compassed it round about.
=2.= _he made the molten sea_] Render, =he made the sea of molten
metal=. The “sea” or great laver was a well-known feature in temples
(compare Revelation iv. 6), and, originally at least, is likely to have
had religious significance, as a symbol of Jehovah’s power over the
seas and the rain, or over the primeval Deep upon which His might was
exercised in the creation of the world (Genesis i.; Psalms xxiv. 2).
For the Chronicler’s view of its purpose, see verse 6.
_ten cubits from brim to brim ... and a line of thirty cubits compassed
it_] The mathematical inaccuracy in the measurements here given――10
in diameter, 30 in circumference――has often been pointed out. But
the literal Hebrew is “ten _with_ the cubit ... and thirty _with_ the
cubit,” and F. C. Burkitt in a communication to the _Cambridge Review_
for May 13, 1914 offers an interesting vindication of the phrase. He
writes “... What the verse says about the circumference of the ‘sea’
is that they stretched a string round it, and when they laid the string
out flat they had to go thirty times with the cubit, i.e. a man had
to put his elbow down thirty times before he got to the end.” [The
distance from the point of the elbow to the tip of the longest finger
is 1 cubit. ] “No doubt the last time he put his elbow down the string
came short: in other words, the ‘sea’ was nine-and-a-bittock across and
twenty-nine-and-a-bittock round. As a matter of fact, if a circle be
9 ft. 6 in. across, it is just over 29 ft. 10 in. round. Such a circle
I think would be described in Hebrew as ‘ten with the foot-rule’ across
and ‘thirty with the foot-rule’ in circumference.”
_a line of thirty cubits compassed it_] i.e. it was thirty cubits in
circumference.
³And under it was the similitude of oxen¹, which did compass it
round about, for ten cubits², compassing the sea round about.
The oxen¹ were in two rows, cast when it was cast.
¹ In 1 Kings vii. 24, _knops_.
² Or, _ten in a cubit_.
=3.= _under it was the similitude of oxen_] This reading has the
support of the LXX., but can hardly be correct. Read (compare 1 Kings
vii. 24), =under it there were knops=, “knops” being embossed ornaments,
imitating probably the fruit or the flowers of the gourd.
_for ten cubits_] Obviously an error, for the “knops” encircle the sea,
and its circumference was thirty not ten cubits. The rendering of the
margin “ten in a cubit” gives good sense, but is not a fair translation.
Whatever the mistake in the Hebrew may be, it appears in 1 Kings vii.
24 also.
_The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast_] Correct the reading
as before and render, =The knops were in two rows, cast when it was
cast=. It is mentioned as a triumph of the founder’s art that the laver
was cast _complete_, with its ornaments, from the first.
⁴It 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.
=4.= _three ... and three ... and three ... and three_] Thus the base
stood “foursquare,” satisfying the Hebrew idea of completeness; compare
Revelation xxi. 12‒16.
⁵And it was an handbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was
wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it
received and held three thousand baths.
=5.= _three thousand baths_] In 1 Kings vii. 26, _two thousand baths_.
Whether the textual corruption is to be attributed to 1 Kings or to
Chronicles cannot be determined, and further even _two thousand baths_
is an amount exceeding the capacity of a vessel with the measurements
given for the _sea_ above. The bath was a measure for liquids equal to
about 8¼ gallons.
=6= (compare verse 14 and 1 Kings vii. 38, 39).
THE LAVERS.
⁶He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and
five on the left, to wash in them; such things as belonged to
the burnt offering they washed in them: but the sea was for the
priests to wash in.
=6.= _the sea was for the priests to wash in_] See, however, the note
on verse 2 above regarding its probable significance in early times.
For this, the Chronicler’s view of its purpose (as also that of the
lavers), compare Exodus xxx. 18‒21. The sea in particular would be
singularly awkward as a vessel for cleansing purposes, unless all that
is meant is that it was used as the receptacle from which water for
purification was drawn.
=7= (= 1 Kings vii. 49).
THE GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS.
⁷And he made the ten candlesticks of gold according to the
ordinance concerning them; and he set them in the temple, five
on the right hand, and five on the left.
=7.= _ten candlesticks_] Rather, =the ten lamp-stands=. Allusion to
_ten_ lamp-stands or candlesticks is found elsewhere only in 1 Kings
vii. 49, a late passage. In view of the frequent references to _one_
candlestick with seven lamps (compare Zechariah iv.; Exodus xxv.
31 ff.), the question arises whether the _ten_ ever had historical
reality, or were simply a fiction of tradition. The reference to
candlesticks of gold and of silver in 1 Chronicles xxviii. 15 does not
help us, for it depends on the same evidence, sound or unsound, which
the Chronicler had for the present passage. Some scholars feel that
there must be some ground for the statement; but no positive conclusion
is yet possible.
_according to the ordinance_] Compare Exodus xxv. 31‒37, xl. 4.
_in the temple_] In 1 Kings vii. 49 more precisely, _before the oracle_,
i.e. before the Holy of Holies.
=8.=
THE TABLES AND BASONS.
⁸He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five
on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred
basons of gold.
=8.= _ten tables_] In verse 19 “the tables (_plural_) whereon was the
shewbread” are mentioned (compare 1 Chronicles xxviii. 16), but the
parallel passage (1 Kings vii. 48) has “the table” (_singular_), and
elsewhere both in Chronicles and in the rest of the Old Testament one
table only is assigned to the shewbread (2 Chronicles xiii. 11, xxix.
18). Probably therefore the ten tables here mentioned were _not_ for
the shewbread, although the Chronicler may have thought so. The same
uncertainty attaches to this tradition of ten tables as to that of the
ten candlesticks (see previous note); and it is held by some that these
tables were for the support of the candlesticks.
_basons_] These were used for dashing the blood of the sacrifices
against the altar.
=9, 10.=
THE TWO COURTS.
⁹Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great
court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them
with brass.
=9.= _the court of the priests, and the great court_] The phrases
reflect the conditions of the second Temple with which the Chronicler
was familiar, when the inner court was confined to the use of the
priests, the outer one being for the people. Solomon’s Temple,
strictly speaking, had only _one_ court, for in “the other court” stood
Solomon’s house (1 Kings vii. 8). This “other court” seems to be called
the “middle court” (2 Kings xx. 4, margin), and the “upper court”
(Jeremiah xxxvi. 10). The “great court” (1 Kings vii. 12) was perhaps
a third court containing not only the king’s house, but all the
royal buildings as well. The Hebrew word for “court” in all the above
passages is _ḥāṣēr_, but here the “court (_ḥāṣēr_) of the priests”
is distinguished from a court called the “great court” (Hebrew “great
_‘azārāh_”). Perhaps the Chronicler wishes to make the same distinction
when he says that Solomon’s great prayer was offered (vi. 13) in “the
court” (Hebrew _‘azārāh_). Compare xx. 5 (note).
¹⁰And he set the sea on the right side _of the house_ eastward,
toward the south.
=10.= _the sea_] See verses 2‒5. Its position is stated in accordance
with 1 Kings vii. 39.
=11‒18= (= 1 Kings vii. 40‒47).
THE WORKS OF HURAM.
This section is taken from the parallel passage of 1 Kings. The
variations are few.
¹¹And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. So
Huram made an end of doing the work that he wrought for king
Solomon in the house of God:
=11.= _Huram_] For the form of the name see note on ii. 3.
¹²the two pillars, and the bowls, and the two chapiters which
were on the top of the pillars; and the two networks to cover
the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the
pillars; ¹³and the four hundred pomegranates for the two
networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover
the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon¹ the pillars.
¹ Hebrew _upon the face of the pillars_.
=12.= _two pillars_] See iii. 15‒17.
_the bowls_] i.e. the bowl-shaped part of the capital of a pillar.
_the chapiters_] In modern English “capitals.”
¹⁴He made also the bases, and the lavers made he upon the bases;
¹⁵one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.
=14.= _He made also the bases, and the lavers made he upon the bases_]
A simple correction of the Hebrew text gives, =And the ten bases and
the ten lavers on the bases=, as in 1 Kings vii. 43.
¹⁶The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all
the vessels thereof, did Huram his father make for king Solomon
for the house of the LORD of bright brass.
=16.= _the fleshhooks_] Hebrew _mizlāgōth_. In verse 11 and 1 Kings
vii. 45 (the parallel passages) _the basons_ (Hebrew _mizrāḳōth_).
_Huram his father_] See note on ii. 13.
¹⁷In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay
ground between Succoth and Zeredah.
=17.= _in the clay ground_] G. A. Smith (_Historical Geography_, p.
488) speaks of traces of old brick-fields found by Sir C. Warren in the
Jordan valley. It is possible, however, that the Hebrew is defective
and that the true reading is =at the ford of Adamah=, but on the whole
it is best to keep the reading in the text (see Barnes on 1 Kings vii.
46).
_Succoth_] Succoth is probably _Tell Deir ‘Alla_, east of Jordan, about
one mile north of the Jabbok.
_Zeredah_] (1 Kings xi. 26); but in 1 Kings vii. 46 (Revised Version)
_Zarethan_ (compare Joshua iii. 6, Revised Version). Its site is not
known, beyond the obvious inference that it was near the Jordan and not
very far from Succoth. Joshua iii. 16 states that it was near _Adam_
(the modern _el Damieh_).
¹⁸Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for
the weight of the brass could not be found out¹.
¹ Or, _was not searched out_.
=18.= _Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance_] In
1 Kings vii. 47, _And Solomon left all the vessels_ unweighed, _because
they were exceeding many_.
=19‒V. 1= (= 1 Kings vii. 48‒51).
THE VESSELS OF GOLD.
THE COMPLETION OF THE WORK.
¹⁹And Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of God,
the golden altar also, and the tables whereon was the shewbread;
=19.= _the golden altar_] This was the altar of incense (compare 1
Maccabees i. 21 ff.), which according to Exodus xxx. 1 ff. stood within
the tabernacle and was made of acacia wood (compare however, Exodus
xxxix. 38). Both passages in Exodus are of late, post-exilic, date,
and as no mention of this altar is made by Ezekiel, it was probably
a feature not of the first but of the second Temple.
_the tables whereon was the shewbread_] In 1 Kings vii. 48 (parallel
passage), _the table_ (singular); a reading probably to be accepted
here also; compare note on verse 8.
²⁰and the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn
according to the ordinance before the oracle, of pure gold;
=20.= _the oracle_] See note on iii. 16.
²¹and the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold, and
that perfect gold;
=21.= _the flowers_] These were ornaments on the golden candlesticks;
compare Exodus xxxvii. 19.
²²and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the
firepans, of pure gold: and as for the entry of the house, the
inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of
the house, _to wit_, of the temple, were of gold.
=22.= _the firepans_] in which fire was carried to and from the altar.
_the doors of the house_, to wit, _of the temple_] The “[greater]
house” or “temple” is here distinguished from the “most holy place”
or “shrine.” Compare iii. 5, 8.
_were of gold_] According to the more probable reading of 1 Kings vii.
50 the _hinges_ were of gold; the doors themselves were of olive wood
overlaid with gold (1 Kings vi. 31, 32).
¹Thus all the work that Solomon wrought for the house of the
LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David
his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and all
the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of God.
=CHAPTER V. 1.= _all the vessels_] the word may be taken to include
weapons, spoils of war, compare 2 Samuel viii. 7 ff.; 1 Chronicles
xviii. 11.
V. 2‒VIII. 10.
THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE.