1 Kings 7:31

And the mouth of it Here the pronoun must, I think, be referred, as in -corners (feet) thereof" of 1 Kings 7:30, to the base. The bases appear to have had a circular orifice in the top, which is here called the mouth. This opening was, as it seems, surmounted and surrounded by a capital, which itself had an opening to receive the lowest part of the laver. The height of the capital above the level surface of the top of the base appears not to be specified unless the half cubit of 1 Kings 7:35 be taken to refer to the capital. One cubit was the diameter of the orifice in the top of the base.

but the mouth thereof Better, -And" &c. The pronoun here by a difference of gender in the original is shewn to refer to a different noun. This can only be the -chapiter." That superstructure widened out towards the top, and the round opening in top of it, to receive the bottom of the laver, is what is meant by the second -mouth."

after the work of the base Better, as the word is the same which was so rendered in 1 Kings 7:29, after the work of a pedestal. It was in this way that the chapiter served as a support to the laver. This chapiter had graved work all round about its upper edge, which may be fitly called -mouth" as it was meant to receive the laver.

with their borders, foursquare, not round Better, And their borders were foursquare, not round. It is better to render as literally as possible for it is very doubtful whether these words have reference at all to the chapiter. They seem to be a recurrence to the description of those borders (or panels) spoken of in 1 Kings 7:28-29. In that case the pronoun -their" in this clause would refer to the bases. This is the more probable because the -borders" of the next verse are certainly those panels on the sides of the bases.