2 Chronicles 4

1 He made [constructed, built] a bronze [copper, brass] altar [place of sacrifice, table for offerings] twenty [twentieth] cubits [units of measurement, about the length of a forearm] long [in length], twenty cubits wide [broad, in breadth], and ten [tenth] cubits high [in height, stature]. word study 2 He also made the Sea [a large body of water, molten] of cast metal [poured out, molded]. It was circular [round, in compass] in shape, measuring ten cubits [from edge to edge, from brim to brim] from rim to rim, five cubits [the height thereof] in height, and thirty cubits [a line of thirty cubits] in circumference [surrounding, encompassing it round about]. word study 3 Below the rim [underneath, beneath], figures of oxen [cattle, domesticated animals] encircled it, ten [a decade, a multitude] per cubit [a unit of measurement, about the length of a forearm] all the way around the Sea [a large body of water], cast [poured, molded] in two [a pair, a dual] rows [a line, a sequence] as a part of the Sea [an integral component, a unified whole]. word study 4 The Sea [a large basin] stood [was firmly established, remained upright] on twelve oxen [domesticated cattle, used for sacrifice], three facing [looking toward, turned to] north [the direction of darkness, the unknown], three facing west [the direction of the setting sun, the end of the day], three facing south [the Negeb, the direction of heat and trial], and three facing east [the direction of the sunrise, new beginnings]. The Sea rested [was set, placed securely] on them, with all their hindquarters [back parts, rear sides] toward the center [inward, turned inward]. word study 5 It was a handbreadth [about the width of a palm, approximately three inches] thick, and its rim [edge, border] was fashioned like the brim [lip, edge] of a cup [vessel, container], like a lily blossom [flower]. It could hold [sustain, support] three thousand [a large] baths [a unit of measurement, about nine gallons]. word study 6 He also made ten basins [lavers] for washing [to cleanse, purify] and placed five on the south [right hand] side and five on the north [left hand]. The parts of the burnt offering [a step or stairs, often used to describe the ascent to the altar for a burnt offering] were rinsed in them, but the priests used the Sea [a large body of water, the Mediterranean Sea] for washing [to wash, cleanse, or bathe]. word study 7 He made [crafted, formed] ten gold [precious, valuable] lampstands [candlesticks, chandeliers] according to their specifications [ordained pattern, divine design] and placed [set, put] them in the temple [a sacred, holy place], five on the south [right hand] side and five on the north [left hand]. word study 8 Additionally, he made [constructed, fashioned] ten tables [for sacred purposes] and placed them in the temple [a large public building, the house of God], five on the south [right] side and five on the north [left]. He also made [crafted, created] a hundred [a large quantity, numerous] gold [valuable, precious] bowls [basins, vessels for holding liquids]. word study 9 He made [constructed, built] the courtyard [open space, enclosure] of the priests [spiritual leaders, ministers] and the large [great, expansive] court [outer court, public area] with its doors [gates, entrances], and he overlaid [covered, plated] the doors with bronze [brass, copper alloy]. word study 10 He put the Sea [a large body of water] on the south [Negeb, southern district] side, at the southeast [right side, eastward] corner [facing south, over against the south]. word study 11 Additionally, Huram [Hiram, a skilled architect] made the pots [vessels, caldrons], shovels [tools for digging, lifting], and sprinkling bowls [basins, for holding liquids]. So Huram finished [completed, brought to an end] the work [task, occupation] that he had undertaken [agreed to do, made] for King Solomon [a king of Israel] in the house [dwelling place, temple] of God [Elohim, the supreme God]: word study 12 the two [twin, paired] pillars; the two [rounded] bowl-shaped capitals [top parts, crowns] atop the pillars; the two sets of network [latticework, intricate pattern] covering both bowls [containers, vessels] of the capitals [upper parts, crowns] atop the pillars; word study 13 the four hundred [four times one hundred] pomegranates [ornamental fruit] for the two [a pair, dual] sets of network [latticework, intricate pattern] (two rows [arranged in a line] of pomegranates for each network [covering with a decorative pattern] covering both the bowl-shaped [round, container-like] capitals [top part of a column] atop the pillars [vertical support]); word study 14 the stands [bases, pedestals]; the basins [caldrons, washing-vessels] on the stands [foundations, platforms]; word study 15 the Sea [a large body of water]; the twelve oxen [domesticated cattle, used for sacrifice] underneath [below, in a lower position] the Sea [the west, a sea in general]; word study 16 and the pots [vessels, caldrons], shovels [dirt-removing tools], meat forks [fleshhooks, three-pronged forks], and all the other articles [instruments, utensils]. All these objects that Huram-abi [Hiram, a skilled architect] made for King Solomon [the wise ruler of Israel] for the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] were of polished [refined, shining] bronze [copper, a valuable metal]. word study 17 The king [a royal person] had them cast [to pour, like liquid metal] in clay molds [in the clay ground] in the plain [lowland, country near] of the Jordan [a key location, running from Lebanon to the Dead Sea] between [in the area, midway] Succoth [booths, a place of refuge] and Zeredah [a town in Palestine, known for Jeroboam’s home]. word study 18 Solomon [the king of Israel] made all [everything, the whole collection] these articles [utensils, vessels] in such great [exceedingly, very] abundance [large quantity, multitude] that the weight [heaviness, mass] of the bronze [copper, brass] could not [was impossible to] be determined [found out, searched out]. word study 19 Solomon [the king of Israel, successor of David] also made [crafted, constructed] all the furnishings [vessels, utensils] for the house [dwelling place, temple] of God [Elohim, the supreme God]: the golden [valuable, brilliant] altar [place of sacrifice]; the tables [for meals or sacred purposes] on which [upon] was placed [set, displayed] the Bread of the Presence [showbread, sacred bread, before God’s face]; word study 20 the lampstands [candlesticks, chandeliers] of pure gold [most pure, refined] and their lamps [devices for light], to burn [be ignited, consume with fire] in front of [before the presence, in the face of] the inner sanctuary [the Most Holy Place, the oracle] as prescribed [according to the ordinance, in the manner specified]; word study 21 the flowers [resembling blossoms], lamps [providing spiritual guidance], and tongs [snuffers for handling hot items] of gold [a valuable metal, pure and brilliant]—of purest gold [perfect, complete, and entirely fine]; word study 22 the wick trimmers [snuffers, for trimming lamp wicks], sprinkling bowls [basins, for holding liquids], ladles [spoons, for scooping], and censers [for burning incense] of purest gold [refined, valuable metal]; and the gold doors [entrances] of the temple [house of God]: the inner [interior] doors to the Most Holy Place [sacred area] as well as the doors [gates] of the main hall [temple]. word study