New International Version
1 Kings 7:25
25The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center.
1 Kings 7:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward.
- New King James Version (NKJV)It stood on twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen, all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them.
Context of 1 Kings 7:25
23He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it. 24Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea. The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 26It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths. 27He also made ten movable stands of bronze; each was four cubits long, four wide and three high.
Read all of 1 Kings 71 Kings 7:25 word by word
עֹמֵ֞ד עַל־שְׁנֵ֧י עָשָׂ֣ר בָּקָ֗ר שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה פֹנִ֣ים׀ צָפ֡וֹנָה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֩ פֹנִ֨ים׀ יָ֜מָּה וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה׀ פֹּנִ֣ים נֶ֗גְבָּה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֙ פֹּנִ֣ים מִזְרָ֔חָה וְהַיָּ֥ם עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְכָל־אֲחֹֽרֵיהֶ֖ם בָּֽיְתָה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- It stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- upon twelveעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
- upon twelveשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- oxenבָּקָרbâqâr · cattleH1241
- threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- lookingפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
- toward the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
- toward the westיָםyâm · sea: westH3220
- toward the southנֶ֫גֶבnegeb · southH5045
- toward the eastמִזְרָחmizrâch · eastH4217
- and the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- aboveמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
- upon them, and all their hinder partsאָחוֹר'âchôr 'âchôr · backH268
- inwardבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: insideH1004
Cross-references for 1 Kings 7:25
- 2 Chronicles 4:4The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center.
- Jeremiah 52:20The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed.
- Ezekiel 1:10Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.
- Matthew 28:19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
- Mark 16:15He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
- Luke 24:47and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
- 1 Corinthians 9:9For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
- Revelation 4:6Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 7:25
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25Josephus charged Solomon with a breach of the Commandment Exodus 20:4-5, on account of the oxen here and the lions for his throne. The charge expresses the prohibition which some Jews have conceived the Commandment to urge against the arts of sculpture and painting.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-47Verses 13-47 The two brazen pillars in the porch of the temple, some think, were to teach those that came to worship, to depend upon God only, for strength and establishment in all their religious exercises. "Jachin," God will fix this roving mind. It is good that the heart be established with grace. "Boaz," In him is our strength, who works in us both to will and to do. Spiritual strength and stability are found at the door of God's temple, where we must…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-26The large bronze basin, known as the Sea, replaced the smaller bronze washbasin used in the tabernacle (see Exodus 30:17–21). The Sea was made as one solid piece, except for the twelve bronze oxen it rested on. These oxen faced in four directions, three per direction, possibly symbolizing the priests' service to all twelve tribes of Israel. Later, Ahaz replaced the oxen with a stone base (2 Kings 16:17). Like the earlier washbasin, priests used the Sea…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 23-2623-26. he made a molten sea--In the tabernacle was no such vessel; the laver served the double purpose of washing the hands and feet of the priests as well as the parts of the sacrifices. But in the temple there were separate vessels provided for these offices. (See on 2Ch 4:6). The molten sea was an immense semicircular vase, measuring seventeen and a half feet in diameter, and being eight and three-fourths feet in depth. This, at three and a half inches…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 7:25
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
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