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2 Chronicles Chapter Four

 

2 Chronicles 4 Outline of Contents

Furnishings of the Temple (v.1~22)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 3 & 4

These two chapters give an account of the building of the temple of the materials parts and form of it and of things belonging to it and which agrees with 1 Kings 6:1 see the notes there; only here 1 Chronicles 3:1 mention is made of the particular place where it was built Mount Moriah; of which see the notes on Genesis 22:2. The dimensions of the house as the Targum rightly explains 2 Chronicles 3:3 are said to be after the first measure either of that of the tabernacle by Moses or rather of that of the pattern David gave to Solomon 1 Chronicles 28:11 though some understand it of the greater cubit: the holy place is called the greater house 2 Chronicles 3:5 being twice as long as the holy of holies; in 2 Chronicles 3:6 we are informed what the precious stones were for which David and his princes gave for the temple 1 Chronicles 29:2 that they were to decorate the house; and also what sort of gold was used in overlaying it gold of Parvaim which some interpret of PeruF8 in America; but it is a question whether that was then known or if it was must go by another name since Peru is a late name given by the Spaniards at their conquest of it. BochartF9 takes it to be Taprobane an island in the Indian sea as if it was Taph Parvan or Provan the shore of Parvan. KircherF11 is of opinion it is the same with Javaim the isles of Java in the same sea from whence was gold which is not very likely. WaserusF12 thinks Parvaim is the name of a town which is by PlinyF13 corruptly called Parbacia which was in the land of Havilah or the kingdom of the Charazenes where was the best gold Genesis 2:11 though others suppose it to be the same with Ophir by removing the first letter of the word to which PfeifferF14 inclines and is as probable as any; and much more probable than what the JewsF15 say that this gold was so called because it was red like the blood of "parim" oxen: in 2 Chronicles 3:8 the quantity of gold with which the most holy place was overlaid is given six hundred talents: of which See Gill on 1 Kings 6:21 In 2 Chronicles 3:9 we read of the nails with which the plates of gold were fastened to the boards nowhere else mentioned except in the Vulgate Latin version of 1 Kings 6:21 "he fastened the plates with golden nails"; which version perhaps is most correct; the weight of which were fifty shekels of gold; that is according to the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions each nail weighed so much which amounted to seventy five pounds of our moneyF16. Eupolemus an Heathen writerF17 speaks of these nails which he makes to be silver ones; and says they were of the weight of a talent in the form of a woman's breast and in number four with which the plates of gold were fastened which were of five cubits; I suppose he means there were four of these nails in every plate of five cubits: in 2 Chronicles 4:1 an account is given of an "altar of brass" made by Solomon we have not elsewhere only referred to 1 Kings 8:64 whether this was only covered with brass as that made by Moses was as someF18 think; or whether of massy brass as Dr. LightfootF19 because not to be removed as that was is not certain; the altar of the second temple was of stones unpolished according to the MisnahF20 with which agrees"46 And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them. 47 Then they took whole stones according to the law and built a new altar according to the former;' (1 Maccabees 4)and so PhiloF21: "twenty cubits was the length thereof and twenty cubits the breadth thereof and ten cubits the height thereof"; it was four times as big in its square as that of Moses and three times higher and a cubit over See Gill on Exodus 27:1. HecataeusF23 an Heathen writer speaks of this altar as four square and made of whole and unpolished stones each side of which was twenty cubits but the height of it he makes to be twelve cubits in which he mistakes. It weighed according to Jacob LeonF24 7000 arobas of brass each aroba containing twenty five pounds. The rest of the chapter agrees with the account in the book of Kings.F8 Erasm. Schmid. de America Orat. ad Calc. Pindar. p. 261. Montani Phaleg. in Calc. Jac. Capellus in loc.F9 Phaleg. l. 2. c. 27. & Canaan l. 1. c. 46. col. 692. Braunius de Vest. Sacred. Heb. p. 221.F11 Prodrom. Copt. c. 4. p. 119.F12 De Antiqu. Num. Heb. l. 1. c. 6.F13 Nat. Hist l. 6. c. 28.F14 Difficil. Script. Sacr. cent. 3. loc. 16. p. 247.F15 T. Bab. Yoma fol. 45. 1. Hieros. Yoma fol. 41. 4. Shemot Rabba sect. 39. fol. 136. 4.F16 Brerewood de Ponder. &c. c. 5.F17 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 34. p. 450.F18 Cunaeus de Rep. Heb. l. 2. c. 5.F19 Prospect of the Temple ch. 34. p. 2029. So Villalpandus.F20 Middot c. 3. sect. 4.F21 De Victimis p. 850.F23 Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 4. p. 408.F24 Relation of Memorable Things in the Temple ch. 4. p. 20.

 

2 Chronicles 4:1  Moreover he made a bronze altar: twenty cubits was its length twenty cubits its width and ten cubits its height.

   YLT  1And he maketh an altar of brass twenty cubits its length and twenty cubits its breadth and ten cubits its height.

Verses 1-22

See Introduction to Chapter 4

 

2 Chronicles 4:2  2 Then he made the Sea of cast bronze ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference.

   YLT  2And he maketh the molten sea; ten by the cubit from its edge unto its edge round in compass and five by the cubit its height and a line of thirty by the cubit doth compass it round about.

 

2 Chronicles 4:3  3 And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around ten to a cubit all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows when it was cast.

   YLT  3And the likeness of oxen [is] under it all round about encompassing it ten in the cubit compassing the sea round about; two rows of oxen are cast in its being cast.

 

2 Chronicles 4:4  4 It stood on twelve oxen: three looking toward the north three looking toward the west three looking toward the south and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them and all their back parts pointed inward.

   YLT  4It is standing on twelve oxen three facing the north and three facing the west and three facing the south and three facing the east and the sea [is] upon them above and all their hinder parts [are] within.

 

2 Chronicles 4:5  5 It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup like a lily blossom. It contained three thousand [a]baths.

   YLT  5And its thickness [is] a handbreadth and its lip as the work of the lip of a cup flowered with lilies; taking hold -- baths three thousand it containeth.

 

2 Chronicles 4:6  6 He also made ten lavers and put five on the right side and five on the left to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.

   YLT  6And he maketh ten lavers and putteth five on the right and five on the left to wash with them; the work of the burnt-offering they purge with them; and the sea [is] for priests to wash with.

 

2 Chronicles 4:7  7 And he made ten lampstands of gold according to their design and set them in the temple five on the right side and five on the left.

   YLT  7And he maketh the ten candlesticks of gold according to their ordinance and placeth in the temple five on the right and five on the left.

 

2 Chronicles 4:8  8 He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred bowls of gold.

   YLT  8And he maketh ten tables and placeth in the temple five on the right and five on the left; and he maketh bowls of gold a hundred.

 

2 Chronicles 4:9  9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests and the great court and doors for the court; and he overlaid these doors with bronze.

   YLT  9And he maketh the court of the priests and the great court and doors for the court and their doors he hath overlaid with brass.

 

2 Chronicles 4:10  10 He set the Sea on the right side toward the southeast.

   YLT  10And the sea he hath placed on the right shoulder eastward over-against the south.

 

2 Chronicles 4:11  11 Then Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of God:

   YLT  11And Huram maketh the pots and the shovels and the bowls and Huram finisheth to make the work that he made for king Solomon in the house of God;

 

2 Chronicles 4:12  12 the two pillars and the bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars;

   YLT  12two pillars and the bowls and the crowns on the heads of the two pillars and the two wreaths to cover the two bowls of the crowns that [are] on the heads of the pillars;

 

2 Chronicles 4:13  13 four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the pillars);

   YLT  13and the pomegranates four hundred to the two wreaths two rows of pomegranates to the one wreath to cover the two bowls of the crowns that [are] on the front of the pillars.

 

2 Chronicles 4:14  14 he also made carts and the lavers on the carts;

   YLT  14And the bases he hath made; and the lavers he hath made on the bases;

 

2 Chronicles 4:15  15 one Sea and twelve oxen under it;

   YLT  15the one sea and the twelve oxen under it

 

2 Chronicles 4:16  16 also the pots the shovels the forks—and all their articles Huram his master[b] craftsman made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.

   YLT  16and the pots and the shovels and the forks and all their vessels hath Huram his father made for king Solomon for the house of Jehovah of brass purified.

 

2 Chronicles 4:17  17 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds between Succoth and Zeredah.[c]

   YLT  17In the circuit of the Jordan hath the king cast them in the thick soil of the ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

 

2 Chronicles 4:18  18 And Solomon had all these articles made in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

   YLT  18And Solomon maketh all these vessels in great abundance that the weight of the brass hath not been searched out.

 

2 Chronicles 4:19  19 Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of God: the altar of gold and the tables on which was the showbread;

   YLT  19And Solomon maketh all the vessels that [are for] the house of God and the altar of gold and the tables and on them [is] bread of the presence;

 

2 Chronicles 4:20  20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold to burn in the prescribed manner in front of the inner sanctuary

   YLT  20and the candlesticks and their lamps for their burning according to the ordinance before the oracle of gold refined;

 

2 Chronicles 4:21  21 with the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold of purest gold;

   YLT  21and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs of gold -- it [is] the perfection of gold;

 

2 Chronicles 4:22  22 the trimmers the bowls the ladles and the censers of pure gold. As for the entry of the sanctuary its inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors of the main hall of the temple were gold.

   YLT  22and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and the censers of gold refined and the opening of the house its innermost doors to the holy of holies and the doors of the house to the temple of gold.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:5 Or two thousand (compare 1 Kings 7:26)
  2. 2 Chronicles 4:16 Literally father
  3. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Spelled Zaretan in 1 Kings 7:46