1 Kings 7

1 Kings 7:1

OWn house] For himself and all his followers, commonly called, The kings court.

thirteen yeers] After the temple was finished, Chap. 9. 10. six yeers longer then he was in building the temple, because he neither had such materialls prepared for it, nor employed so many work-men about it. The house of Lebanon, v. 2. the porch for the throne, v. 7. and the house for the queen, were all done in this time.

1 Kings 7:2

forest of Lebanon] So called, because great store of trees, as in Lebanon, were planted about it; and gardens, orchards, groves, walks, and all manner of delightfull things added thereto, Eccles. 2. 4, 5, 6. It had also in it five and fourty pillars of cedar; beams, boards, and all the timber whereof it was made, was of the cedars of Lebanon; and (as some gather out of Chap. 9. 19.) it was framed in Lebanon.

a hundred cubits] Whereas from this measure it may be objected, That it was longer then the temple, which is said to be but sixty cubits long, and twenty broad, Chap. 6. v. 2. I answer, 1. The cubits after which the temple was counted, were sacred, of four and twenty inches; but these common, of eighteen inches. See the notes on Chap. 6. v. 2. 2. The measure of the temple is reckoned from inside to inside: the thicknesse of the two walls, the space of the porch at the entrance, and of the chambers round about, are left out. 3. ’Tis supposed that the three houses, one for the king, another for the queen, a third for delight, are all comprised under the one hundred cubits; yea, also the kings treasury, 2 Chronicles 9:16.

pillars] To support it, by reason of the breadth of it.

1 Kings 7:3

with cedar] With thin cedar boards.

beams] Heb. ribs.

1 Kings 7:4

light was against light] Heb. sight against sight: So many on the one side as on the other, directly opposite, for more light and delight.

three ranks] One over another.

1 Kings 7:5

doors and posts were square] Or, spaces and pillars were square in prospect.

1 Kings 7:6

a porch] Before the house of Lebanon, as there was before the temple, Chap. 6. v. 3.

of pillars] Containing many pillars.

before them] Or, according to them.

before them] Or, according to them: The porch, pillars and beams therein were answerable to the house, and to the pillars and beams of the house.

1 Kings 7:7

a porch] Before the kings court.

throne] See Chap. 10. 18.

covered] Cieled.

from one side to the other] Heb. from floor to floor. From bottom to top.

1 Kings 7:8

another court] A great hall betwixt the foresaid place of judgement, and other rooms of the kings house, 2 Kings 20:4.

for Pharaohs daughter] See the reason, 2 Chronicles 8:11.

whom he had taken to wife] Chap. 3. 1.

like unto this porch] And other edifices before mentioned, namely, in their materialls, specified in the verses following.

1 Kings 7:9

All these] Fore-mentioned buildings.

costly stones] Chap. 5. 17.

according to the measures] As great. Though they were in their kinde precious or costly, yet also were they as great as other ordinary stones, and every way fitted as other stones.

of hewed] Hebr. of cutting.

within and without] Every way, on all sides.

unto the coping] The top of the wall whereon the beams were laid.

great court] Where all sorts of people used to assemble.

1 Kings 7:11

above] Upon or over the foundation.

cedars] Thin plain boards of cedar, wherewith the walls were ceiled.

1 Kings 7:12

both for] Like to the inner court, Chap. 6. 36.

porch] Before that inner court, Chap. 6. 3.

1 Kings 7:13

Hiram] Not the king, but a work-man, described v. 14.

1 Kings 7:14

Naphtali] Of this tribe was the said Hiram by his father, for his mother was of the tribe of Dan, 2 Chron. 2. 14.

of Tyre] Educated in Tyre, and an inhabitant there, when he learned his skill. He was called Hiram, of him who taught him his art, and adopted him to be his son. See 2 Chronicles 4:16.

a widows son] Heb. the son of a widow woman, 2 Chronicles 2:14.

filled with wisedom and understanding] Exodus 36:1.

1 Kings 7:15

cast] Heb. foshioned. See Jeremiah 52:21.

two pillars of brasse] Jeremiah 52:21, &c.

eighteen cubits] Betwixt the foot whereon it stood, and the chapiter on the head of it; for from the ground to the top of the chapiter, it was thirty and five cubits high, 2 Chronicles 3:15. Besides, the eighteen cubits here mentioned were sacred, but the thirty and five were common, and shorter by a third part, as is noted v. 2. Or else here the height of one single pillar may be set down, but in 2 Chronicles 3:15. the length of them both.

1 Kings 7:16

chapiters] Or, heads; so called, because they were on the of the pillars for grace and ornament.

1 Kings 7:19

in the porch] Where they were set, v. 21. This place hath reference to the word pillars, not to lilie-work.

four cubits] From the square, whereon the belly and crown of the chapiter stood: for the chapiter consisted of these three parts; a square, a belly, a crown; all which were in height five cubits, v. 16. the tree cubits mentioned, 2 Kings 25:17. are meant of the net-work thereupon.

1 Kings 7:20

over against the belly] Round about the middle part.

by the net-work] The net-work being upon it.

two hundred] On both sides, for on the one side were but an hundred, Jeremiah 52:23. 2 Chronicles 3:16.

the other] Heb. second, That is, the one as well as the other, both alike, Jeremiah 52:22.

1 Kings 7:21

And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple] 1 Chron. 3. 17.

Jachin, that is, he shall establish: Boaz, that is, in it is strength] These two names had respect to the lasting strength of these pillars, which typified the continuall power of Christ in his Church.

1 Kings 7:23

sea] 2 Chron. 4. 2. So called, by reason of the largenesse of it. See notes on v. 38.

ten cubits] To shew it was exactly round: for a diameter (that is, a straight line thorow the midst of a circle) is the third part of a perfect circumterence, or round circle.

from one brim to the other] Heb. from his brim to his brim.

1 Kings 7:24

knops] As, Chap. 6. v. 18. oxen are named (2 Chron. 4. 3.) because the Hebrew word may import any figure; or because there were the shapes both of knops, and also of oxen or bull-heads cast thereon.

ten in a cubit] In every cubit: three hundred in all; for it was thirty cubits in compasse.

compassing the sea round about] 2 Chronicles 4:3.

when it was cast] At the first casting of the vessell it self; they were not afterwards added.

1 Kings 7:25

twelve oxen] Not such small ones as are mentioned 2 Chron. 4. 3. but huge massie ones; not hollow, but solid thorowout, that they might bear the burden of so great a vessell full of water.

1 Kings 7:26

an hand-breadth] Being hollow within, as Jeremiah 52:21.

two thousand baths] So much was ordinarily put thereinto; but up to the brim it could contain three thousand baths. A bath containeth about eight gallons: by which account, four baths make a barrell; so as this sea could contain five hundred barrells of water; and two hundred and fifty barrells full were ordinarily put into it: This was for the priests to wash in, 2 Chronicles 4:6.

1 Kings 7:27

ten bases] To bear so many lavers, or great vessells to hold water in them, besides the sea before mentioned.

1 Kings 7:28

borders] Broad places compassing the vessell round about, whereon were sundry images of lions, v. 29.

ledges] Plain places round about the vessell, standing out further then the side of the side of the vessell.

1 Kings 7:29

lions] Figures of lions, and cast with the vessell, as v. 24.

a base] An under-propper. See v. 34.

additions] Curious works, engraven after that the vessell was cast.

1 Kings 7:30

wheels] To remove the vessell from place to place, as occasion served.

plates] Into which the axle-trees were put.

under-setters] Heb. shoulders; To keep the vessell from shaking, or moving out of its place, when it was removed. See verse 34.

1 Kings 7:31

mouth] The hollow place of the base, into which the lower part of the laver (called the chapiter) was put, to the upper part of it, was a cubit: but the round compasse of it was a cubit and an half: and though there were a round hollow place in the base, yet the base it self was square, and sundry gravings upon it.

1 Kings 7:32

joyned to the base] Heb. in the base.

1 Kings 7:34

undersetters] See vers. 30.

of the very base] Of the same metal, molten all together.

1 Kings 7:35

in the top] See verse 31.

of the same] As verse 34.

1 Kings 7:36

plates] See verses 29, 30.

proportion] Heb. nakednesse.

1 Kings 7:38

ten] Yet but one in the tabernacle, Exodus 30:18. Besides, that the sea (v. 23.) far exceeded in quantity the laver, in the temple there were ten other lavers, because the temple was bigger then the tabernacle, and had need of a greater quantitie of water: and God thereby would shew the increase of his goodnesse, as in the candlesticks (ver. 49.) tables (2 Chro. 4. 8.) and other things.

lavers] Vessels to hold a good quantity of water, to wash their sacrifices therewith, 2 Chronicles 4:6.

fourty baths] An hundred barrells. See verse 26.

1 Kings 7:39

side] Heb. shoulder.

house] Where the priests did their services.

east-ward] At the entring into the house.

fourth] Which was the left side of the temple.

1 Kings 7:40

Hiram made the lavers] Vers. 13, 14.

shovels] To take away ases, and other things from the altar, and other places.

basins] To hold the sprinkling water, or blood. There is mention made of an hundred of these, 2 Chronicles 4:8. Under this Hebrew word we comprise bowls, as well as basins.

1 Kings 7:41

two pillars] Verse 15.

bowls] These were the bellies mentioned, vers. 20. For each of the pillars had a belly, or bowl.

two net-works] Verse 17.

1 Kings 7:42

four hundred] Each had two hundred, mentioned, vers. 20.

upon the pillars] Heb. upon the face of the pillars.

1 Kings 7:43

ten bases] Verse 27.

1 Kings 7:44

one sea] Verse 23, 25.

1 Kings 7:45

pots] To boil in, Leviticus 2:7. and Leviticus 8:31. 1 Samuel 2:13.

bright brasse] Heb. made bright, or, scoured.

1 Kings 7:46

cast] Caused to be cast.

in the clay-ground] Heb. in the thicknesse of the ground, 2 Chronicles 4:17.

Succoth] Genesis 33:17. In the tribe of Gad, Joshua 13:27.

Zarthan] In the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua 3:16. It is called Zeredatha, 2 Chronicles 4:17.

1 Kings 7:47

unweighed] See the notes on 1 Chron. 22. 3, 14.

because they were exceeding many] Heb. for the exceeding multitude.

found] Heb. searched.

1 Kings 7:48

all the vessels, &c.] Such as Moses had caused to be made before, Exod. 37. 10, &c. but far bigger, because the temple was far larger then the tabernacle. See v. 38.

of gold] Overlaid with gold, Exodus 37:25-26. The altar it self was of cedar, Chap. 6. vers. 20.

table] As the altar, Exodus 37:11. There were ten of these, 2 Chronicles 4:8. See notes on v. 38.

shew-bread] Heb. bread of faces. So called, because they were set continually before the LORD, Leviticus 24:6.

1 Kings 7:49

pure gold] As Chap. 6. vers. 20. All massy gold, as Exod. 37. 17, &c.

five] See on v. 38.

flowers] Ornaments to set it out, Exodus 37:17-18.

tngs] To take coals from the altar of incense.

1 Kings 7:50

bowls] For wine or beer: Or, vessels for yl.

snuffers] To snuff the lamps.

basins] These were of gold: others of brasse, vers. 45. Of these there were an hundred, 2 Chronicles 4:8.

spoons] For broth or other liquid things.

ceners] Heb. ash-pans. For incense.

1 Kings 7:51

brought] Into the holy treasury, that in future times they might be for the use of the temple, as need should require. For the present they had sufficient.

things] Heb. holy things of David.

which David his father had dedicated] 2 Chronicles 5:1.