Solomon’s palace, his house in the forest, and the queen’s house: the work of the two pillars: the sea (or laver) and other vessels.

¹ Now Solomon built his own house for thirteen years, and he brought it to perfection.

² And he built the house from the forest of Lebanon: one hundred cubits in length, and fifty cubits in width, and thirty cubits in height, with four walkways between columns of cedar. For he had hewn the cedar trees into columns.

³ And he clothed the entire vaulted room with panels of cedar. And it was supported by forty-five columns. Now one row held fifteen columns,

⁴ each positioned opposite another,

⁵ and looking toward one another, with equal spacing between the columns. And above the columns there were square beams equal in all things.

⁶ And he made a portico of columns, fifty cubits in length and thirty cubits in width, and another portico, facing the greater portico, with columns and with crossbeams upon the columns.

⁷ He also made the portico of the throne, in which is the tribunal. And he overlaid it with cedar wood, from the floor even to the summit.

⁸ And in the midst of the portico, there was a small house, where he would sit in judgment, similar in workmanship. He also made a house for the daughter of Pharaoh (whom Solomon had taken as wife) of the same work and type as this portico.

⁹ All was of precious stones, which had been sawed by a particular standard and measure, as much within as without, from the foundation even to the summit of the walls, and outside even to the great atrium.

¹⁰ Now the foundations were of precious stones: great stones of eight or ten cubits.¹

1. 7:10The phrasing ‘eight or ten cubits’ probably means that the lowest foundation stones were ten cubits, with each successive row slightly smaller, being reduced to eight cubits at the top of the foundation.(Conte)

¹¹ And above these, there were precious stones, of equal measure, which had been cut in a manner similar to boards of cedar.

¹² And the great atrium was round, with three rows of cut stones and one row of cut cedar, even as it also was in the interior atrium of the house of the Lord, and in the portico of the house.

¹³ And king Solomon sent and brought Hiram of Tyre,

¹⁴ the son of a widowed woman, from the tribe of Naphtali, whose father was a Tyrian, an artisan in brass, and full of wisdom, and understanding, and knowledge in order to form every work of brass. And when he had gone to king Solomon, he wrought all his work.

¹⁵ And he cast two columns of brass. Each column was eighteen cubits in height, and a line of twelve cubits encompassed both columns.

¹⁶ Also, he made two heads of molten brass, which would be set upon the tops of the columns: one head was five cubits in height, and the other head was five cubits in height.

¹⁷ And there was something like a network of chains, woven together in a wonderful manner. Both heads of the columns were cast, and seven rows of little nets traversed one head, and seven little nets were on the other head.

¹⁸ And he finished the columns with two rows all around each network, so that these covered the heads, which were at the top, with pomegranates. And he did in like manner to the second head.

¹⁹ Now the heads that were at the top of the columns, in the portico of four cubits, had been fabricated with a work of lilies.

²⁰ And again, there were other heads at the tops of the columns above, in accord with the measure of the column opposite the netting. And there were two hundred of the pomegranates, in rows around the second head.

²¹ And he stationed the two columns in the portico of the temple. And when he had stationed the column on the right, he called its name Jachin. Similarly, he erected the second column, and he called its name Boaz.¹²

1. 7:21Jachin: That is, firmly established.(Challoner)
2. 7:21Booz: That is, in its strength. By recording these names in holy writ, the spirit of God would have us understand the invincible firmness and strength of the pillars on which the true temple of God, which is the church, is established.(Challoner)

²² And above the tops of the columns, he set a work in the manner of lilies. And the work of the columns was perfected.

²³ He also made a molten sea, of ten cubits from brim to brim, rounded on all sides. Its height was five cubits, and a thin rope of thirty cubits wrapped it all around.

²⁴ And a sculpted work under the brim encircled it for ten cubits going around the sea. There were two rows cast of striated sculptures.

²⁵ And it was standing upon twelve oxen, of which three were looking toward the north, and three toward the west, and three toward the south, and three toward the east. And the sea above was over them. And their posteriors were entirely hidden within.

²⁶ And the basin was the thickness of three twelfths. And its brim was like the brim of a chalice, or like the outturned petal of a lily. It contained two thousand baths.¹

1. 7:26Two thousand bates: That is, about ten thousand gallons. This was the quantity of water which was usually put into it: but it was capable, if brimful, of holding three thousand. See 2 Par. 4.5.(Challoner)

²⁷ And he made ten bases of brass: each base was four cubits in length, and four cubits in width, and three cubits in height.

²⁸ And the work itself of the bases was engraved; and there were sculptures between the junctures.

²⁹ And between the little crowns and the edges, there were lions, and oxen, and cherubim; and similarly in the junctures above. And under the lions and oxen were something like bands of brass hanging down.

³⁰ And each base had four wheels, with axels of brass. And at the four sides were something like little arms, under the cast basin, facing away from one another.

³¹ Also, the mouth of the interior of the basin was at the top of the head. And what was visible outside was of one cubit all around, and altogether it had one cubit and a half. Now at the corners of the columns were diverse engravings. And the spaces between the columns were square, not round.

³² And the four wheels, which were at the four corners of the base, were joined to one another under the base. The height of one wheel held one cubit and a half.

³³ Now these were the kind of wheels such as are often made for a chariot. And their axels, and spokes, and tires, and centers were all cast.

³⁴ And the four little arms, which were at each corner of a base, were cast and joined together as part of the base itself.

³⁵ And at the summit of the base, there was a round stand of one half cubit, fabricated so that the basin could be placed upon it, having its engravings, and various sculptures of its own.¹

1. 7:35The 1590 Vulgate adds stabant after rotunditas, indicating that the object was a stand for the basin.(Conte)

³⁶ He also engraved those plates, which were of brass. And at the corners were cherubim, and lions, and palm trees, standing out, as if in the likeness of a man, so that they seemed not to be engraved, but placed adjacent on all sides.

³⁷ In this manner, he made ten bases with the same casting and measure, and very similar engravings.

³⁸ He also made ten hand basins of brass. One hand basin contained four baths, and was of four cubits. And each basin he set upon a base, which is ten bases.

³⁹ And he stationed the ten bases, five to the right side of the temple, and five to the left. And the sea he placed to the right side of the temple, opposite the east, toward the south.

⁴⁰ Then Hiram made cooking pots, and trays, and small hooks. And he completed all the work of king Solomon in the temple of the Lord: