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II Chronicles 4:4

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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.

Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Keil-Delitzsch Old Testament Commentaryv. 4

Ch2 4:1-6. The copper furniture of the court. Ch2 4:1. The altar of burnt-offering. Its preparation is passed over in 1 Kings 6 and 7, so that there it is only mentioned incidentally in connection with the consecration of the temple, Kg1 8:22, Kg1 8:54, and Kg1 9:25. It was twenty cubits square (long and broad) and ten cubits high, and constructed on the model of the Mosaic altar of burnt-offering, and probably of brass plates, which enclosed the inner core, consisting of earth and unhewn stones; and if we may judge from Ezekiel's description, Eze 43:13-17, it rose in steps, as it were, so that at each step its extent was smaller; and the measurement of twenty cubits refers only to the lowest scale, while the space at the top, with the hearth, was only twelve cubits square; cf. my Bibl. Archaeol. i. S. 127, with the figure, plate iii. fig. 2.

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Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 4

We have here a further account of the furniture of God's house. I. Those things that were of brass. The altar for burnt-offerings (Ch2 4:1), the sea and lavers to hold water (Ch2 4:2-6), the plates with which the doors of the court were overlaid (Ch2 4:9), the vessels of the altar, and other things (Ch2 4:10-18). II. Those that were of gold. The candlesticks and tables (Ch2 4:7, Ch2 4:8), the altar of incense (Ch2 4:19), and the appurtenances of each of these (Ch2 4:20-22). All these, except the brazen altar (Ch2 4:1), were accounted for more largely, Kg1 7:23, etc.

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Original language

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

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