THE BUILDING OF SOLOMON'S OWN PALACE (1 KINGS 7:1). The building of Solomon's palace complex comes between the description of the building of the Temple and the further details of the completion of the Temple in 1 Kings 7:13). This may well have been because they were all included within the wall of... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLOMON SENDS FOR A TYRIAN EXPERT TO FASHION THE EMBELLISHMENTS AND NEW FURNISHINGS FOR THE TEMPLE (1 KINGS 7:13). These two verses introduce the whole. They commence with Solomon sending for a man named Hiram (not the king) whom he fetches out of Tyre. There appears to be a deliberate attempt in t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FURNISHING AND EMBELLISHMENT OF THE TEMPLE (1 KINGS 7:13). The passage is divided into two parts. The first part emphasises that what is described was the work of Hiram, a skilled metalworker and carpenter from Tyre who was half Israelite, half Tyrian. He was called on to complete the furnishin... [ Continue Reading ]
HIRAM FASHIONS THE TWO PILLARS OF BRONZE, YAKIN AND BOAZ (1 KINGS 7:15). In front of the Temple were to be placed two pillars, which, going by clay models of temples which have been discovered in Palestine and Cyprus (13th-9th centuries BC), and possible examples found elsewhere (e.g. in Hazor, Arad... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FASHIONING OF THE MOLTEN SEA (1 KINGS 7:23). Like the fashioning of the two pillars previously the making of the molten sea was a great technical achievement, but we are given no information about how it was accomplished. It is simply a reminder of Hiram's skill. Its huge size is a reminder of... [ Continue Reading ]
HIRAM FASHIONS THE MOLTEN SEA AND THE TEN LAVERS WITH THEIR INSTRUMENTS (1 KINGS 7:23). Hiram also fashioned the molten Sea, or Sea made of cast-work. The Hebrew word ‘sea' (yam) is nowhere else in Scripture used of anything other than literal large expanses of water or as an indicator of ‘the west'... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FASHIONING OF THE BASES FOR THE LAVERS (1 KINGS 7:27). As well as ‘the Sea' at which priest could wash their hands and feet, there were also to be ten large wash bowls, situated on ten moveable bases, which were to be used for the purpose of washing parts of the sacrifices. They could be filled... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MAKING OF THE TEN LAVERS TO BE PLACED ON THE BASES AND THE PLACING OF THE BASES AND THE SEA IN THE TEMPLE (1 KINGS 7:38). Ten large basins or lavers were now made to fit into the bases, and the bases with their basins, and the molten Sea, then took their place in the Inner court. The number ten... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FINAL SUMMARY CONCERNING THE LAVERS AND THEIR IMPLEMENTS (1 KINGS 7:40). This summary along with 1 Kings 7:13 forms an inclusio. It stresses the conclusion by Hiram of the work commenced in 1 Kings 7:13. 1 Kings 7:40 ‘ And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram made... [ Continue Reading ]
SUMMARY OF THE GREAT ACHIEVEMENT OF SOLOMON (1 KINGS 7:41). We now have summarised Solomon's great achievement. The summary begins with a review of all that Hiram had ‘made for king Solomon' out of burnished bronze, and the site on which the work was done, and then details further the items of gold... [ Continue Reading ]