CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
1 Kings 7
Chapter 7 of 22
Chapter Overview
What happens in 1 Kings 7
Solomon builds his own palace complex over thirteen years. A master craftsman named Hiram from Tyre creates the bronze pillars, the great bronze basin called 'the Sea,' and all the furnishings for the temple.
Scripture
1 Kings 7
Solomon's Palace Complex
Study note
Solomon spent thirteen years building his palace complex, which included the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon, a Hall of Pillars, a throne room for judging, his private residence, and a house for Pharaoh's daughter. All were built with expensive cut stone and cedar.
1 Solomon also built his own palace complex, a project that took thirteen years to complete. But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.
2 He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon: 100 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. It featured four rows of cedar columns supporting cedar beams. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.
3 Cedar planks covered the ceiling above the beams. The beams rested on 45 pillars set in three rows of fifteen. And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.
4 There were three rows of windows, each set facing the windows on the opposite side. And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.
5 All the doorways and windows had flat frames. Matching windows faced each other in sets of three. And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.
6 He built a Hall of Pillars. It was 50 cubits long and 30 cubits wide. It had a covered porch in front held up by columns. And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.
7 He also built a Hall of Justice -- the throne hall where he would decide legal cases. The room was paneled in cedar from floor to ceiling. Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.
8 Solomon's personal living quarters sat in a separate courtyard behind the judgment hall, built in the same style. He built a matching house for his wife, Pharaoh's daughter. And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.
9 All these buildings used the best cut stone. Each piece was carefully measured and shaped on every side, from the base to the top. All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.
10 The foundations were made of huge, costly stones. Some were 10 cubits long and others were eight cubits. And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.
11 Above the foundations were more high-grade cut stones and cedar beams. And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.
12 The large courtyard around the buildings had three layers of cut stone and one layer of cedar beams. This was just like the inner courtyard of the Lord's temple. And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.
Hiram the Master Craftsman
Study note
Solomon brought a skilled bronze worker named Hiram from Tyre. He cast two enormous bronze pillars for the temple entrance, each 27 feet tall. The right pillar was named Jachin, meaning 'he establishes,' and the left was named Boaz, meaning 'in him is strength.'
13 King Solomon brought in a craftsman named Hiram from the city of Tyre. And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.
14 Hiram's mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a Tyrian bronze worker. Hiram possessed outstanding wisdom, skill, and expertise in every kind of bronze work. He came to King Solomon and carried out all the bronze projects. He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.
15 He cast two bronze pillars, each 18 cubits tall and 12 cubits in circumference. For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.
16 He crafted two capitals of cast bronze for the tops of the pillars. Each capital measured five cubits high. And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:
17 He made chains woven together and checkered nets to decorate the tops of the pillars. He made seven sets for each one. And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.
18 He also fashioned two rows of pomegranates around each network to cover the capitals. And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.
19 The capitals on the pillars in the porch were shaped like lily blossoms, four cubits high. And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.
20 Each top piece also had 200 carved pomegranates in rows around it. They sat right above the net-shaped design. And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.
21 He set up the two pillars at the temple entrance. The right pillar he named Jachin, and the left one he named Boaz. And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.
22 Lily-shaped designs crowned the tops of both pillars. And so the pillar work was finished. And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.
The Bronze Sea
Study note
Hiram made a massive bronze basin called 'the Sea,' about 15 feet across and over 7 feet high. It sat on twelve bronze oxen, three facing each direction. The basin held about 12,000 gallons of water and was used by the priests for washing.
23 Then Hiram cast a massive round bronze basin called the Sea. It measured 10 cubits from one side to the other, stood five cubits tall, and took 30 cubits of line to circle around it. And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.
24 Running beneath the rim was a ring of gourd-shaped decorations, 10 per cubit, encircling the entire basin. These were cast in two rows as part of the basin. And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.
25 The Sea rested on twelve bronze oxen: three facing north, three west, three south, and three east. Their hindquarters pointed inward toward the center. It 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 above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
26 The walls of the basin were about a hand's width thick. The rim curved outward like a lily blossom. The Sea held approximately 2,000 baths of water. And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
The Bronze Stands and Basins
Study note
Hiram made ten bronze movable stands, each about 6 feet square and over 4 feet high. They were decorated with lions, oxen, and cherubim. A bronze basin sat on each stand. Five stands were placed on the south side of the temple and five on the north.
27 Hiram also crafted ten bronze moveable stands, each four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high. And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.
28 These stands had side panels fitted between upright frames. And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:
29 The panels between the frames displayed carved lions, oxen, and cherubim. Above and below these figures were decorative wreaths of hammered metal. And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.
30 Each stand rolled on four bronze wheels with bronze axles. Supports at the four corners held a basin on top, and each support was decorated with wreaths. And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.
31 The circular opening at the top rose one and a half cubits above the base and was surrounded by engraved decorations. The frames, however, were square rather than round. And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.
32 The four wheels sat beneath the panels. The axles were built into the stand itself. Each wheel was one and a half cubits in diameter. And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.
33 The wheels were designed like chariot wheels. Every part -- the axles, rims, spokes, and hubs -- was made of cast bronze. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.
34 Four supports extended from the corners of each stand, formed as a single piece with the stand. And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.
35 A round band rose half a cubit above the top of each stand. The supports and panels formed one solid piece. And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.
36 He carved the flat parts with cherubim, lions, and palm trees. He put them where space allowed. Wreaths framed each carving. For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.
37 All ten stands were made the same way, cast from the same mold with identical dimensions and design. After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.
38 He also made ten bronze basins, one for each stand. Each basin held 40 baths of water and was four cubits across. Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.
39 He positioned five stands along the south wall of the temple and five along the north wall. He placed the great Sea at the southeast corner of the building. And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.
Summary of Temple Furnishings
Study note
Hiram completed all the bronze work for the temple. Solomon also made golden furnishings including the altar, the table for the bread of the Presence, lampstands, bowls, and other items. The bronze items were so numerous they were never weighed. When all the work was done, Solomon brought in the silver, gold, and sacred items that David had dedicated.
40 Hiram also produced pots, shovels, and bowls. With that, he completed all the work King Solomon had assigned him for the Lord's temple. And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD:
41 Here is a list: the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped tops on the pillars, the two sets of chain patterns that covered the tops, The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two networks, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars;
42 the 400 pomegranates attached to the netting -- two rows for each network covering the bowl-shaped capitals; And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars;
43 the ten stands; the ten basins sitting on the stands; And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;
44 the one great Sea; the twelve oxen supporting the Sea; And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;
45 plus the pots, shovels, and bowls. Every piece that Hiram crafted for King Solomon's temple was made of polished bronze. And the pots, and the shovels, and the basins: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of bright brass.
46 The king had these items cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between the towns of Succoth and Zarethan. In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.
47 Solomon never bothered weighing any of it because there was so much bronze. The total weight was impossible to calculate. And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.
48 Solomon had all the gold items made for the Lord's temple. These included the gold altar and the gold table for the sacred bread. And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,
49 He also made the pure gold lampstands — five on the right side and five on the left — placed in front of the inner room. There were also gold flowers, lamps, and tongs. And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,
50 The bowls, wick trimmers, basins, ladles, and incense burners were all pure gold. Even the hinges for the doors of the inner sanctuary and the main hall were gold. And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.
51 When all the work for the Lord's temple was done, Solomon brought in the silver, gold, and other items his father David had set apart as holy. He stored them in the temple's treasury rooms. So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.
Key Themes
Themes in 1 Kings 7
Skilled craftsmanship dedicated to God's gloryThe significance of beauty in worshipThe pillars of God's house: establishment and strengthUsing our best talents and resources for God
Apply This Today
Living 1 Kings 7
Every detail of the temple's furnishings was crafted with extraordinary skill and care. God values excellence in our service to Him. Whatever our talents, whether artistic, organizational, or practical, offering our best work to God is an act of worship.
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