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I Kings 7:25

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The Sea stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The Sea rested on them, with all their hindquarters toward the center.

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 25

As, in the story of David, one chapter of wars and victories follows another, so, in the story of Solomon, one chapter concerning his buildings follows another. In this chapter we have, I. His fitting up several buildings for himself and his own use (Kg1 7:1-12). II. His furnishing the temple which he had built for God, 1. With two pillars (Kg1 7:13-22). 2. With a molten sea (Kg1 7:23-26). 3. With ten basins of brass (Kg1 7:27-37), and ten layers upon them (Kg1 7:38, Kg1 7:39). 4. With all the other utensils of the temple (Kg1 7:40-50). 5. With the things that his father had dedicated (Kg1 7:51). The particular description of these things was not needless when it was written, nor is it now useless.

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 25

עָמַד (ʻâmad, H5975) — to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive) שְׁנַיִם (shᵉnayim, H8147) — two; also (as ordinal) twofold עָשָׂר (ʻâsâr, H6240) — ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also (ordinal) -teenth בָּקָר (bâqâr, H1241) — beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used for plowing);… שָׁלוֹשׁ (shâlôwsh, H7969) — three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice פָּנָה (pânâh, H6437) — to turn; by implication, to face, i.e. appear, look, etc. צָפוֹן (tsâphôwn, H6828) — properly, hidden, i.e. dark; used only of the north as aquarter (gloomy and unknown) יָם (yâm, H3220) — a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the… נֶגֶב (negeb, H5045) — the south (from its drought); specifically, the Negeb or southern district of Judah,… מִזְרָח (mizrâch, H4217) — sunrise, i.e. the east מַעַל (maʻal, H4605) — properly, the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from… אָחוֹר (ʼâchôwr, H268) — the hinder part; hence (adverb) behind, backward; also (as facing north) the West בַּיִת (bayith, H1004) — a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)

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Cross-references

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Jeremiah 52:20rank 5

As for the two pillars, the Sea, the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands that King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure.

Ezekiel 1:10rank 2

The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.

I Corinthians 9:9rank 2

For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?

Matthew 28:19rank 2

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Luke 24:47rank 2

and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

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