1 Kings 7:39

39 And he made ten foundaments, five at the right half of the temple, and five at the left half; and he set the sea at the right half of the temple, against the east, at the south. (And he put ten foundations, five on the right side of the Temple, and five on the left side; and he put the Sea on the right side of the Temple, at the southeast corner.)

1 Kings 7:39 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 7:39

And he put five bases on the right side of the house
On the south side, which is commonly understood; that is, of the courts of the priests, where they were placed for their use: and five on the left side of the house; on the north, as it must be, if the south is on the right; though as the entrance into the temple was at the east, when a man went in, the north must be on the right, and the south on the left; and this seems to be the position by what follows:

and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward, over
against the south;
and therefore the right side must be the north, which is opposite to the south; the sea seems to have stood northeast, which was for the priests to wash in before they entered on divine service, (See Gill on Exodus 30:20) hence it became customary with the Heathens to wash before they performed any religious worship ^F5, particularly the hands and feet ^F6.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Vid. Virgil. Bucolic. Eclog. 8. "affer aquam" Aeneid. 2. "attrectare nefas" Macrob. Saturnal. l. 3. c. l.
F6 Vid. Sperling de Bapt. Ethnic. p. 88, 89, 101.

1 Kings 7:39 In-Context

37 By this manner he made ten foundaments, by one melting out, and one measure, and like engraving.

38 Also he made ten washing vessels of brass; one washing vessel took, (or held,) forty baths, and it was of four cubits; and he put each washing vessel by itself by each foundament by itself, that is, ten (and he put one washing vessel by itself on one foundation by itself, that is, ten altogether).

39 And he made ten foundaments, five at the right half of the temple, and five at the left half; and he set the sea at the right half of the temple, against the east, at the south. (And he put ten foundations, five on the right side of the Temple, and five on the left side; and he put the Sea on the right side of the Temple, at the southeast corner.)

40 Also Hiram made cauldrons, and pans, and wine vessels; and he made perfectly all the work of king Solomon in the temple of the Lord. (And Hiram made cauldrons, and pans, and basins; and so he finished all the work for King Solomon for the Temple of the Lord.)

41 He made (the) two pillars, and (the) two cords of the pommels, that is, (the) circles compassing the pommels, at the manner of cords, upon the pommels of the pillars, and (the) two works like nets, that those should cover the two cords, that were upon the heads of the pillars. (He made the two pillars, and the two bowl-shaped capitals, that were on the tops of the pillars, and the two networks, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals, that were on the tops of the pillars.)