Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
2 Chronicles 4:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 Chronicles 4:3. Under it was the similitude of oxen — In 1 Kings 7:24, instead of oxen, בקרים bekarim, we have knops, פקעים pekaim; and this last is supposed by able critics to be the reading which ought to be received here. What we call knops may signify grapes, mushrooms, apples, or some such ornaments placed round about under the turned over lip or brim of this caldron. It is possible that בקרים bekarim, oxen, may be a corruption of פקעים pekaim, grapes, as the פ pe might be mistaken for a ב beth, to which in ancient MSS. it has often a great resemblance, the dot under the top being often faint and indistinct; and the ע ain, on the same account might be mistaken for a ר resh. Thus grapes might be turned into oxen. Houbigant contends that the words in both places are right; but that בקר bakar does not signify ox here, but al large kind of grape, according to its meaning in Arabic: and thus both places will agree. But I do not find that [Arabic] bakar, or [Arabic] bakarat, has any such meaning in Arabic. He was probably misled by the following, in the Arabic Lexicon, Camus, inserted under [Arabic] bakara, both by Giggeius and Golius, [Arabic] aino albikri, ox-eye, which is interpreted Genus uvae nigrae ac praeprandis, incredibilis dulcedinis. In Palaestina autem pro prunis absolute usurpatur. "A species of black grape, very large, and of incredible sweetness. It is used in Palestine for prune or plum." What is called the Damascene plum is doubtless meant; but בקרים bekarim, in the text, can never have this meaning, unless indeed we found it associated with עין ayin, eye, and then עיני בקרים eyney bekarim might, according to the Arabic, be translated plums, grapes, sloes, or such like, especially those of the largest kind, which in size resemble the eye of an ox. But the criticism of this great man is not solid. The likeliest method of reconciling the two places is supposing a change in the letters, as specified above. The reader will at once see that what are called the oxen, 2 Chronicles 4:3, said to be round about the brim, are widely different from those 2 Chronicles 4:4, by which this molten sea was supported.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Construction of the temple (2:1-7:22)

With the help of King Hiram of Tyre, Solomon prepared materials and arranged a workforce to build the planned temple (2:1-18; see notes on 1 Kings 5:1-18). Construction went on for seven years, until the temple, its furniture, its courtyard, and all other articles and decorations connected with it were completed according to plan (3:1-5:1; see notes on 1 Kings 6:1-51). The temple was then dedicated to God (5:2-7:22; see notes on 1 Kings 8:1-9).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

MORE OF SOLOMON'S SINFUL CHANGES; THE SINFUL LAVER AND THE SINFUL IMAGES PLACED UNDER THE LAVER

"Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof. Also he made the molten sea often 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. 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. 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. 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. 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."

"He made an altar of brass… the height thereof ten cubits" What was wrong with this? Ten cubits was a height of something like fifteen feet, which required that steps would have to be used by the priests in making sacrifices upon it; and God had specifically commanded Israel, "Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto my altar" (Exodus 20:26).

Not only did Solomon's temple and all that it contained violate many of God's specific commandments, such as this one; but there were also countless concessions to paganism, as seen in the images of the bulls (politely called oxen here) placed under the laver. The bulls, calves, oxen, whatever they were called, were the usual images under which the old Canaanite fertility god Baal was worshipped. Even the Jewish historian Josephus condemned Solomon for what he did in this.Flavius Josephus, Antiquities, p. 255. It is an unqualified mystery to us why "Christian" writers attempt to justify it! Besides that, the Decalogue specifically forbade the making of images, or `likenesses' of anything either in heaven or on earth, the sacred images of the cherubim commanded by Moses, having been one exception to this.

"It… held three thousand baths" The bath was a Jewish measure, being the equivalent of about 4 and 7/8 gallons.The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 331. The very size of this laver was a testimonial to the type of `washing' to which the priests submitted. It was by immersion,Michael Esses, Jesus in Exodus, (Plainfield, New Jersey: Logos International, 1977, p. 205. being in that particular typical of Christian baptism. (For further elaboration of this, see our Commentary on Exodus, pp. 404, 405.)

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

For “oxen” we find in 1 Kings 7:24, “knops” or “gourds.” An early copyist, not comprehending the comparatively rare word here used for “gourd,” and expecting to hear of oxen, as soon as the molten sea was mentioned, changed the reading.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 4

Moreover he made an altar of brass, that was thirty feet long, and thirty feet wide, and it was fifteen feet high ( 2 Chronicles 4:1 ).

This brazen altar for the offering of the sacrifices.

And he made this molten ( 2 Chronicles 4:2 )

They cast this huge brass bath for the priests to bathe in.

the sea of fifteen feet from brim to brim, around in compass, seven and a half feet high; and it was, of course, forty-five feet around it. And under it was the likeness of oxen, twelve oxen that they carved of brass; and three pointing towards the north, three facing towards the south, three facing towards the east and three facing towards the west ( 2 Chronicles 4:2-4 ).

All facing outward and this big brass pool on top of it.

Now the thickness of the brass pool was the thickness of your handbreadth ( 2 Chronicles 4:5 ),

If you can picture it. And it held about twenty-four thousand gallons of water. Now to cast something like this today would be near impossible. A brass swimming pool, seven and a half feet deep, fifteen feet across, and the width of it about six to eight inches thick. And this was for the priests to bathe in.

And then around the top of it, all kinds of fancy work. Flowers and lilies and so forth carved in it. And then he made ten other basins so that they could wash the instruments. Of course, with the sacrifices there was a lot of blood and all. And thus, it was necessary that the priests bathe and get this blood off of them. And, of course, the knives and the instruments and all that they used would all be bloody after the offering of these sacrifices. And so ten of these lavers to wash the various instruments in, and the big pool for the priests to wash in.

And then he made ten candlesticks of gold. And ten tables, that he placed in the temple, five on the right side, five on the left. And he made a hundred basins of gold. And then he made the court of the priests, the doors of the court, he overlaid them with brass. And this big basin was on the right side at the east end. And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God; That is, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, the two wreaths to cover the two pommels; And the four hundred pomegranates and so forth. And the bases, and the lavers; and the oxen. And Solomon made all of these vessels in great abundance ( 2Ch 4:7-15 , 2 Chronicles 4:18 ):

They cast them, actually, down in the Jordan River in the clay area down there, and then carried them on up to Jerusalem.

Moreover the candlesticks and their lamps, they made for the holy place out of pure gold; and the flowers, and the lamps, the tongs, they made of gold, perfect gold; the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and all the instruments for the worship made of pure gold ( 2 Chronicles 4:20-22 ): "

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      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 a 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.   7 And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.   8 He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold.   9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass.   10 And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.

      David often speaks with much affection both of the house of the Lord and of the courts of our God. Both without doors and within there was that which typified the grace of the gospel and shadowed out good things to come, of which the substance is Christ.

      I. There were those things in the open court, in the view of all the people, which were very significant.

      1. There was the brazen altar,2 Chronicles 4:1; 2 Chronicles 4:1. The making of this was not mentioned in the Kings. On this all the sacrifices were offered, and it sanctified the gift. This altar was much larger than that which Moses made in the tabernacle; that was five cubits square, this was twenty cubits square. Now that Israel had become both numerous and more rich, and it was to be hoped more devout (for every age should aim to be wiser and better than that which went before it), it was expected that there would be a greater abundance of offerings brought to God's altar than had been. It was therefore made such a capacious scaffold that it might hold them all, and none might excuse themselves from bringing those temptations of their devotion by alleging that there was not room to receive them. God had greatly enlarged their borders; it was therefore fit that they should enlarge his altars. Our returns should bear some proportion to our receivings. It was ten cubits high, so that the people who worshipped in the courts might see the sacrifice burnt, and their eye might affect their heart with sorrow for sin: "It is of the Lord's mercies that I am not thus consumed, and that this is accepted as an expiation of my guilt." They might thus be led to consider the great sacrifice which should be offered in the fulness of time to take away sin and abolish death, which the blood of bulls and goats could not possibly do. And with the smoke of the sacrifices their hearts might ascend to heaven in holy desires towards God and his favour. In all our devotions we must keep the eye of faith fixed upon Christ, the great propitiation. How they went up to this altar, and carried the sacrifices up to it, we are not told; some think by a plain ascent like a hill: if by steps, doubtless they were so contrived as that the end of the law (mentioned Exodus 20:26) might be answered.

      2. There was the molten sea, a very large brass pan, in which they put water for the priests to wash in, 2 Chronicles 4:2; 2 Chronicles 4:6. It was put just at the entrance into the court of the priests, like the font at the church door. If it were filled to the brim, it would hold 3000 baths (as here, 2 Chronicles 4:5; 2 Chronicles 4:5), but ordinarily there were only 2000 baths in it, 1 Kings 7:26. The Holy Ghost by this signified, (1.) Our great gospel privilege, that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin,1 John 1:7. To us there is a fountain opened for all believers (who are spiritual priests, Revelation 1:5; Revelation 1:6), nay, for all the inhabitants of Jerusalem to wash in, from sin, which is uncleanness. There is a fulness of merit in Jesus Christ for all those that by faith apply to him for the purifying of their consciences, that they might serve the living God,Hebrews 9:14. (2.) Our great gospel duty, which is to cleanse ourselves by true repentance from all the pollutions of the flesh and the corruption that is in the world. Our hearts must be sanctified, or we cannot sanctify the name of God. Those that draw nigh to God must cleanse their hands, and purify their hearts,James 4:8. If I was thee not, thou hast no part with me; and he that is washed still needs to wash his feet, to renew his repentance, whenever he goes in to minister,John 13:10.

      3. There were ten lavers of brass, in which they washed such things as they offered for the burnt-offerings,2 Chronicles 4:6; 2 Chronicles 4:6. As the priests must be washed, so must the sacrifices. We must not only purify ourselves in preparation for our religious performances, but carefully put away all those vain thoughts and corrupt aims which cleave to our performances themselves and pollute them.

      4. The doors of the court were overlaid with brass (2 Chronicles 4:9; 2 Chronicles 4:9), both for strength and beauty, and that they might not be rotted with the weather, to which they were exposed. Gates of brass we read of, Psalms 107:16.

      II. There were those things in the house of the Lord (into which the priests alone went to minister) that were very significant. All was gold there. The nearer we come to God the purer we must be, the purer we shall be. 1. There were ten golden candlesticks, according to the form of that one which was in the tabernacle, 2 Chronicles 4:7; 2 Chronicles 4:7. The written word is a lamp and a light, shining in a dark place. In Moses's time they had but one candlestick, the Pentateuch; but the additions which, in process of time, were to be made of other books of scripture might be signified by this increase of the number of the candlesticks. Light was growing. The candlesticks are the churches, Revelation 1:20. Moses set up but one, the church of the Jews; but, in the gospel temple, not only believers, but churches, are multiplied. 2. There were ten golden tables (2 Chronicles 4:8; 2 Chronicles 4:8), tables whereon the show-bread was set,2 Chronicles 4:19; 2 Chronicles 4:19. Perhaps every one of the tables had twelve loaves of show-bread on it. As the house was enlarged, the house-keeping was. In my father's house there is bread enough for the whole family. To those tables belonged 100 golden basins, or dishes; for God's table is well furnished. 3. There was a golden altar (2 Chronicles 4:19; 2 Chronicles 4:19), on which they burnt incense. It is probable that this was enlarged in proportion to the brazen altar. Christ, who once for all made atonement for sin, ever lives, making intercession, in virtue of that atonement.