1 Kings 7:16

16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on top of the pillars; seven and a half feet^[a] was the height of the first capital, and seven and a half feet^[b] was also the height of the second capital.

1 Kings 7:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 7:16

And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the
tops of the pillars
These were large ovals in the form of a crown, as the word signifies; or like two crowns joined together, as Ben Gersom; or bowls, as they are called, ( 1 Kings 7:41 ) ,

the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the
other chapiter was five cubits;
in ( 2 Kings 25:17 ) they are said to be but three cubits high; but that is to be understood only of the ornamented part of them, the wreathen work and pomegranates on them, as there expressed; here it includes, with that, the part below unornamented.

1 Kings 7:16 In-Context

14 He was a widow's son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze craftsman. Hiram had great skill, understanding, and knowledge to do every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work.

15 He cast two [hollow] bronze pillars: each 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference.

16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on top of the pillars; seven and a half feet was the height of the first capital, and seven and a half feet was also the height of the second capital.

17 The capitals on top of the pillars had gratings of latticework, wreaths made of chainwork-seven for the first capital and seven for the second.

18 He made the pillars with two encircling rows of pomegranates on the one grating to cover the capital on top; he did the same for the second capital.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit five cubits
• [b]. Lit five cubits