And it was a hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it could hold two thousand baths.
Parallel translations
- WEB It was a hand width thick. Its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.
- KJV And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
- BSB It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold two thousand baths.
- NKJV It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained two thousand baths.
- NLT The walls of the Sea were about three inches thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 11,000 gallons of water.
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 sea was a handbreadth thick, its rim shaped like a lily blossom, and it held two thousand baths. It was both sturdy and beautiful, with great capacity.
Overview
The basin's thickness gave it durability, while the lily-shaped rim continued the temple's floral beauty. Its enormous capacity, several thousand gallons, supplied ample water for priestly washing. This abundant provision for cleansing pictures the fullness of purification God grants His people, ultimately and completely through the blood of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 2 Chr 4:5It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It received and held three thousand baths.
- 1 Kgs 6:32So 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.
- 1 Kgs 6:18There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar. No stone was visible.
- Jer 52:21As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits encircled it; and its thickness was four fingers. It was hollow.
- 1 Kgs 7:38He made ten basins of brass. One basin contained forty baths; and every basin was four cubits; and on every one of the ten bases one basin.
- Ezek 45:14and the set portion of oil, of the bath of oil, one tenth of a bath out of the cor, which is ten baths, even a homer; (for ten baths are a homer;)
- 1 Kgs 7:19The capitals that were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work, four cubits.
- 1 Kgs 6:35He carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work.
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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 7:26 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
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