2 Chronicles 4:1-6 King James Version (KJV)

1 Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

2 Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

3 And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

4 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.

5 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.

6 He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.


2 Chronicles 4:1-6 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 Moreover he made H6213 an altar H4196 of brass, H5178 twenty H6242 cubits H520 the length H753 thereof, and twenty H6242 cubits H520 the breadth H7341 thereof, and ten H6235 cubits H520 the height H6967 thereof.

2 Also he made H6213 a molten H3332 sea H3220 of ten H6235 cubits H520 from brim H8193 to brim, H8193 round H5696 in compass, H5439 and five H2568 cubits H520 the height H6967 thereof; and a line H6957 of thirty H7970 cubits H520 did compass H5437 it round about. H5439

3 And under it was the similitude H1823 of oxen, H1241 which did compass H5437 it round about: H5439 ten H6235 in a cubit, H520 compassing H5362 the sea H3220 round about. H5439 Two H8147 rows H2905 of oxen H1241 were cast, H3332 when it was cast. H4166

4 It stood H5975 upon twelve H8147 H6240 oxen, H1241 three H7969 looking H6437 toward the north, H6828 and three H7969 looking H6437 toward the west, H3220 and three H7969 looking H6437 toward the south, H5045 and three H7969 looking H6437 toward the east: H4217 and the sea H3220 was set above H4605 upon them, and all their hinder parts H268 were inward. H1004

5 And the thickness H5672 of it was an handbreadth, H2947 and the brim H8193 of it like the work H4639 of the brim H8193 of a cup, H3563 with flowers H6525 of lilies; H7799 and it received H2388 and held H3557 three H7969 thousand H505 baths. H1324

6 He made H6213 also ten H6235 lavers, H3595 and put H5414 five H2568 on the right hand, H3225 and five H2568 on the left, H8040 to wash H7364 in them: such things as they offered H4639 for the burnt offering H5930 they washed H1740 in them; but the sea H3220 was for the priests H3548 to wash in. H7364


2 Chronicles 4:1-6 American Standard (ASV)

1 Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

2 Also he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass; and the height thereof was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about.

3 And under it was the likeness of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

4 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 upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

5 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.

6 He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as belonged to the burnt-offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.


2 Chronicles 4:1-6 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And he maketh an altar of brass, twenty cubits its length, and twenty cubits its breadth, and ten cubits its height.

2 And he maketh the molten sea; ten by the cubit, from its edge unto its edge, round in compass, and five by the cubit its height, and a line of thirty by the cubit doth compass it, round about.

3 And the likeness of oxen `is' under it, all round about encompassing it, ten in the cubit, compassing the sea round about; two rows of oxen are cast in its being cast.

4 It is standing on twelve oxen, three facing the north, and three facing the west, and three facing the south, and three facing the east, and the sea `is' upon them above, and all their hinder parts `are' within.

5 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.

6 And he maketh ten lavers, and putteth five on the right, and five on the left, to wash with them; the work of the burnt-offering they purge with them; and the sea `is' for priests to wash with.


2 Chronicles 4:1-6 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And he made a brazen altar: its length was twenty cubits, and its breadth twenty cubits, and its height ten cubits.

2 And he made the sea, molten, ten cubits from brim to brim, round all about; and its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encompassed it round about.

3 And under it was the similitude of oxen, encompassing it round about, ten in a cubit enclosing the sea round about, two rows of oxen, cast when it was cast.

4 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 above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

5 And its thickness was a hand-breadth, and its brim like the work of the brim of a cup, with lily-blossoms; in capacity it held three thousand baths.

6 And he made ten lavers, and put five on the right and five on the left, to wash in them: they rinsed in them what they prepared for the burnt-offering; and the sea was for the priests to wash in.


2 Chronicles 4:1-6 World English Bible (WEB)

1 Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length of it, and twenty cubits the breadth of it, and ten cubits the height of it.

2 Also he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass; and the height of it was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about.

3 Under it was the likeness of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

4 It stood on 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 on them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

5 It was a handbreadth thick; and the brim of it was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.

6 He made also ten basins, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as belonged to the burnt-offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.


2 Chronicles 4:1-6 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 Then he made a brass altar, twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.

2 And he made the great water-vessel of metal, round in form, measuring ten cubits across from edge to edge; it was five cubits high and thirty cubits round.

3 And under it was a design of flowers all round it, ten to a cubit, circling the water-vessel in two lines; they were made from liquid metal at the same time as the water-vessel.

4 It was supported on twelve oxen, three facing to the north, three to the west, three to the south, and three to the east, the water-vessel resting on top of them; their back parts were all turned to the middle of it.

5 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.

6 And he made ten washing-vessels, putting five on the right side and five on the left; such things as were used in making the burned offering were washed in them; but the great water-vessel was to be used by the priests for washing themselves.

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 4

2Ch 4:1. Altar of Brass.

1. he made an altar of brass—Steps must have been necessary for ascending so elevated an altar, but the use of these could be no longer forbidden (Ex 20:26) after the introduction of an official costume for the priests (Ex 28:42). It measured thirty-five feet by thirty-five, and in height seventeen and a half feet. The thickness of the metal used for this altar is nowhere given; but supposing it to have been three inches, the whole weight of the metal would not be under two hundred tons [Napier].

2Ch 4:2-5. Molten Sea.

2. he made a molten sea—(See on 1Ki 7:23), as in that passage "knops" occur instead of "oxen." It is generally supposed that the rows of ornamental knops were in the form of ox heads.

3. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast—The meaning is, that the circular basin and the brazen oxen which supported it were all of one piece, being cast in one and the same mould. There is a difference in the accounts given of the capacity of this basin, for while in 1Ki 7:26 it is said that two thousand baths of water could be contained in it, in this passage no less than three thousand are stated. It has been suggested that there is here a statement not merely of the quantity of water which the basin held, but that also which was necessary to work it, to keep it flowing as a fountain; that which was required to fill both it and its accompaniments. In support of this view, it may be remarked that different words are employed: the one in 1Ki 7:26 rendered contained; the two here rendered, received and held. There was a difference between receiving and holding. When the basin played as a fountain, and all its parts were filled for that purpose, the latter, together with the sea itself, received three thousand baths; but the sea exclusively held only two thousand baths, when its contents were restricted to those of the circular basin. It received and held three thousand baths [Calmet, Fragments].

2Ch 4:6-18. The Ten Lavers, Candlesticks, and Tables.

6. ten lavers—(See on 1Ki 7:27). The laver of the tabernacle had probably been destroyed. The ten new ones were placed between the porch and the altar, and while the molten sea was for the priests to cleanse their hands and feet, these were intended for washing the sacrifices.

7. ten candlesticks—(See on 1Ki 7:49). The increased number was not only in conformity with the characteristic splendor of the edifice, but also a standing emblem to the Hebrews, that the growing light of the word was necessary to counteract the growing darkness in the world [Lightfoot].

11. Huram made—(See on 1Ki 7:40).