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The capitals which were on the tops of the pillars in the porch were of lily design, four cubits.
1 Kings 7:19 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work, four cubits.
  • KJV And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.
  • BSB And the capitals atop the pillars in the portico were shaped like lilies, four cubits high.
  • NKJV The capitals which were on top of the pillars in the hall were in the shape of lilies, four cubits.
  • NLT The capitals on the columns inside the entry room were shaped like water lilies, and they were six feet tall.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The capitals atop the porch pillars were shaped with lily work, four cubits high. Floral beauty crowned the columns.

Overview

The lily design recalls the floral and garden imagery found throughout the temple, evoking life, beauty, and a restored paradise. Such motifs pointed worshipers beyond mere architecture to the flourishing presence of God among His people. The temple's beauty was meant to lift hearts toward the One it was built to honor.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 3

  • 1 Kgs 6:18There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar. No stone was visible.
  • 1 Kgs 7:22On the top of the pillars was lily work: so the work of the pillars was finished.
  • 1 Kgs 6:32–35So he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold. He spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (10)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Kings 7:19YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.

How 1 Kings 7:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.