1 Kings 7:46

_IN THE PLAIN OF JORDAN DID THE KING CAST THEM, IN THE CLAY GROUND BETWEEN SUCCOTH AND ZARTHAN._ In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them. Zarthan, or Zaretan (Joshua 3:16), or Zartanah (1 Kings 4:12), or Zeredathah (2 Chronicles 4:17), was on the bank of the Jordan, in the territories of Western Manasseh. Succoth was situated on the eastern side of Jordan, at the ford of the river near the mouth of the Jabbok. One reason assigned by commentators for the castings being made there is, that at such a distance from Jerusalem that city would not be annoyed by the smoke and noxious vapours necessarily occasioned by the process. But the true reason is to be found in the nature of the soil-margin, the

13-47 The two brazen pillars in the porch of the temple, some think, were to teach those that came to worship, to depend upon God only, for strength and establishment in all their religious exercises. "Jachin," God will fix this roving mind. It is good that the heart be established with grace. "Boaz," In him is our strength, who works in us both to will and to do. Spiritual strength and stability are found at the door of God's temple, where we must wait for the gifts of grace, in use of the means of grace. Spiritual priests and spiritual sacrifices must be washed in the laver of Christ's blood, and of regeneration. We must wash often, for we daily contract pollution. There are full means provided for our cleansing; so that if we have our lot for ever among the unclean it will be our own fault. Let us bless God for the fountain opened by the sacrifice of Christ for sin and for uncleanness...

Verse 1 Kings 7:46. _CAST THEM, IN THE CLAY GROUND_] In this place he found that particular kind of _clay_ that was proper for his purpose. Some suppose that the place where Hiram had his foundry was on the _other_ side, some on _this_ side, of Jordan. Calmet supposes that it was near _Bethshan_....

SUCCOTH AND ZARTHAN - See Judges 7:22; Judges 8:5, note....

EXPOSITION SOLOMON'S PALACES AND THE PREPARATION OF THE TEMPLE VESSELS.—The first twelve verses of this chapter constitute a break in the long account of the Temple, its furniture and its consecration. The historian having described the Temple buildings, before he passes on to speak of their contents pauses for a moment to record a few particulars as to the building of the suite of palaces which next occupied Solomon's attention. The LXX; possibly following an older arrangement, but more probably (see next note) adopting an apparently more logical and methodical order, relegates this section to the end of the chapter. 1 KINGS 7:1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen

IN THE PLAIN OF JERICHO DID THE KING CAST THEM IN THE CLAY GROUND,.... Which being thick, as the word signifies, and stiff and close, was fit for such a purpose as casting brass; of such clay, furnaces of earth used to be made to melt metals in; but here were large things to be cast, as the two pillars, the sea, the ten lavers, c. moulds were made in the ground, and so the melted brass was poured into them, which gave it its different forms this, no doubt, was done by Hiram, though said to be done by the king, because done by his orders: the place where it was done was a part of the plain of Jericho, which lay BETWEEN SUCCOTH AND ZARTHAN; Succoth was in the tribe of Gad, on the other side Jordan; Zarthan was near it on this side, in the tribe of Manasseh, the same that is called Zartanah, 1 Kings 4:12 and Zaretan,...

CHAPTER 7 THE HOUSE OF SOLOMON AND PHARAOH'S DAUGHTERTHE FURNISHINGS OF THE TEMPLE _ 1. The house of the forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 7:1)_ 2. The royal palace and the house of Pharaoh's daughter (1 Kings 7:8) 3. The master workman (1 Kings 7:13) 4. The great pillars and chapiters (1 Kings 7:15) 5. The brazen sea (1 Kings 7:23) 6. The ten lavers with their carriages (1 Kings 7:27) 7. Hiram's work ...

1 KINGS 7. SOLOMON'S PALACE (1 KINGS 1-12). THE TEMPLE IMPLEMENTS (1KINGS 13- 51). Twenty years (_cf._ 1 Kings 9:10 with 1 Kings 7:1) was Solomon engaged in building. After completing the Temple he built his own palace, with its courts and approaches. These, according to Stade, were erected on the Ophel hill, which lay S. of the Temple mountain, and were constructed so as to lead up to the sanctuary itself. The whole chapter, like most of the 6th, is from a source descriptive of the Temple. First came what was called, probably from its rows of cedar pillars, the house of the forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 7:2). Part of this was used as an armoury ...

_in the clay ground_ As the margin of A.V. explains, the literal rendering is -in the thickness of the ground." The Hebrews had a paucity of adjectives and were obliged to express in such wise what we mean by -stiff ground" and which is excellently rendered by the English version. _between Succoth and Zarthan_ The last word should be written _Zarethan_. See Joshua 3:16. That both Succoth and Zarethan were in the circle, or district, of Jordan we can see both from that passage and this, but their precise position is unknown. Succoth was allotted to the tribe of Gad (Joshua 13:27) which seems to prove that it was on the east side of the Jordan, so Zarethan from their connexion in this verse was probably on that side too. In...

C. THE METALLIC OBJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COURTYARD 7:23-47 Associated with the courtyard of the Temple were the following items: (1) the bronze sea (1 Kings 7:23-26); (2) the bronze stands and basins (1 Kings 7:27-39); and (3) various small implements (1 Kings 7:40). For some reason the historian has omitted any reference to the huge bronze altar which was, perhaps, the dominant feature of the court. _1. THE BRONZE SEA_ (1 Kings 7:23-26) TRANSLATION (23) And he made the molten sea, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was circular, and five cubits high with a circumference of thi