2 Chronicles 4

The Altar, Reservoir, and Basins

1 He made a bronze altar 30 feet[a] long, 30 feet[b] wide, and 15 feet[c] high.
2 Then he made the cast [metal] reservoir, 15 feet[d] from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was seven and a half feet[e] high, and 45 feet[f] in circumference.
3 The likeness of oxen[g] was below it, completely encircling it, 10 every half yard,[h] completely surrounding the reservoir. The oxen were cast in two rows when the reservoir was cast.
4 It stood on 12 oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center.
5 The reservoir was three inches[i] thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or a lily blossom. It could hold 11,000 gallons.[j][k]
6 He made 10 basins for washing and he put five on the right and five on the left.[l] The parts of the burnt offering were rinsed in them,[m] but the reservoir was used by the priests for washing.

The Lampstands, Tables, and Courts

7 He made the 10 gold lampstands according to their specifications and put them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left.[n]
8 He made 10 tables and placed them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left.[o] He also made 100 gold bowls.
9 He made the courtyard of the priests and the large court, and doors for the court. He overlaid the doors with bronze.
10 He put the reservoir on the right side, toward the southeast.
11 Then Huram[p] made the pots, the shovels, and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work that he was doing for King Solomon in God's temple:

Completion of the Bronze Furnishings

12 two pillars; the bowls and the capitals on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars;
13 the 400 pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals' bowls on top of the pillars).
14 He also made the water carts[q] and the basins on the water carts.
15 The one reservoir and the 12 oxen underneath it,
16 the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all their utensils-Huram-abi[r] made them for King Solomon for the Lord's temple. [All these were made] of polished bronze.
17 The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zeredah.
18 Solomon made all these utensils in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.[s]

Completion of the Gold Furnishings

19 Solomon also made all the equipment in God's temple: the gold altar; the tables on which [to put] the bread of the Presence;[t]
20 the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn in front of the inner sanctuary according to specifications;
21 the flowers, lamps, and gold tongs-of purest gold;
22 the wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles,[u] and firepans-of purest gold; and the entryway to the temple, its inner doors to the most holy place, and the doors of the temple sanctuary-of gold.

2 Chronicles 4 Commentary

Chapter 4

The furniture of the temple.

- Here is a further account of the furniture of God's house. 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. There was the brazen altar. The making of this was not mentioned in the book of Kings. On this all the sacrifices were offered, and it sanctified the gift. The people who worshipped in the courts might see the sacrifices burned. They might thus be led to consider the great Sacrifice, to be offered in the fulness of time, to take away sin, and put an end to 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 furniture of the temple, compared with that of the tabernacle, showed that God's church would be enlarged, and his worshippers multiplied. Blessed be God, there is enough in Christ for all.

Footnotes 21

2 Chronicles 4 Commentaries

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