2 Chronicles 4:5

Verse

It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold three thousand baths.

American Standard Version (1901)

And it was a 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.

Bible in Basic English

It was as thick as a man's open hand, and the edge of it was curved like the edge of a cup, like a lily flower; it would take three thousand baths.

Douay-Rheims 1899

Now the thickness of it was a handbreadth, and the brim of it was like the brim of a cup, or of a crisped lily: and it held three thousand measures.

Free Bible Version

It was as thick as the width of a hand, and its edge was like the flared edge of a cup or a lily flower. It held three thousand baths.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the thickenesse thereof was an hande breadth, and the brim thereof was like the worke of the brim of a cuppe with floures of lilies: it conteined three thousand baths.

King James (Authorized) Version

And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

Translation for Translators

The sides of the tank were 3 inches thick, and its rim was shaped like a cup that curved outward like the petals of flowers. The basin held about 16,500 gallons of water.

Unlocked Literal Bible

“The Sea” was as thick as the width of a hand, and its brim was forged like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. “The Sea” held three thousand baths of water.

Noah Webster Bible

And the thickness of it was a hand-breadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

World English Bible

It was a handbreadth thick. Its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It received and held three thousand baths.

Young's Literal Translation

And its thickness [is] a handbreadth, and its lip as the work of the lip of a cup flowered with lilies; taking hold — baths three thousand it containeth.

Context

The Bronze Altar and Molten Sea

⁴The Sea stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The Sea rested on them, with all their hindquarters toward the center. ⁵It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold three thousand baths.

Sermons

Building for God

Walter Wilson

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The Lord Stirred Up the Spirit of Cyrus.

F.B. Meyer

Summary

This verse describes the construction of the Sea, a large basin made of cast metal, which symbolized purification and cleansing in the temple. The Sea was used by the priests for washing before entering the holy place, emphasizing the importance of spiritual cleanliness and consecration for serving God. The meticulous details of the temple's furnishings reflect the Israelites' commitment to honoring God with excellence and reverence in their worship. The Sea also points to the need for believers today to approach God with pure hearts and lives, seeking His forgiveness and sanctification.

Commentary

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

It - held three thousand baths - In Kg1 7:26, it is said to hold only two thousand baths. As this book was written after the Babylonish captivity, it is very possible that reference is here made to the Babylonish bath which might have been less than the Jewish. We have already seen that the cubit of Moses, or of the ancient Hebrews, was longer than the Babylonish by one palm; see on Ch2 3:3 (note). It might be the same with the measures of capacity; so that two thousand of the ancient Jewish baths might have been equal to three thousand of those used after the captivity. The Targum cuts the knot by saying, "It received three thousand baths of dry measure, and held two thousand of liquid measure.