New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
2 Chronicles 4
1
Solomon made a bronze altar that was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide and 15 feet high.
Reference
Sacrifice
1 Kings 8:64
2
He made a huge metal bowl for washing. Its shape was round. It measured 15 feet from rim to rim. It was seven and a half feet high. And it was 45 feet around.
3
Below the rim there was a circle of bull figures around the bowl. In every 18 inches around the bowl there were ten bulls. The bulls were arranged in two rows. They were made as part of the bowl itself.
4
The bowl stood on 12 bulls. Three of them faced north. Three faced west. Three faced south. And three faced east. The bowl rested on top of them. Their rear ends were toward the center.
5
The bowl was three inches thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup. The rim was shaped like the bloom of a lily. The bowl held 17,500 gallons of water.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 7:26
6
Solomon made ten smaller bowls for washing. He placed five of them on the south side of the huge bowl. He placed the other five on the north side. The things that were used for the burnt offerings were rinsed in the smaller bowls. But the priests used the huge bowl for washing.
Reference
7
Solomon made ten gold lampstands. He followed the pattern the Lord had given him. He placed the lampstands in the temple. He put five of them on the south side. He put the other five on the north side.
Reference
8
He made ten tables. He placed them in the temple. He put five of them on the south side. He put the other five on the north side. He also made 100 gold sprinkling bowls.
Reference
Creation
1 Kings 7:48
Parallel theme
Isaiah 25:6
1 Corinthians 10:21
Zechariah 14:20
Malachi 1:12
Temple
Ezekiel 44:16
9
He made the courtyard of the priests. He also made the large courtyard. He made doors for it. He covered the doors with bronze.
Reference
10
He placed the huge bowl on the south side of the courtyard. He put it at the southeast corner.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 7:39
11
He also made the pots, shovels and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished the work he had started for King Solomon. Here's what he made for God's temple.
12
He made the two pillars. He made the two tops for the pillars. The tops were shaped like bowls. He made the two sets of chains that were linked together. They decorated the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 7:41
13
He made the 400 pomegranates for the two sets of chains. There were two rows of pomegranates for each chain. They decorated the bowl-shaped tops of the pillars.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 7:20
14
He made the stands and their bowls.
15
He made the huge bowl. He made the 12 bulls that were under it.
16
He made the pots, shovels and meat forks. He also made all of the articles that were connected with them. Huram-Abi made all of those objects for King Solomon for the Lord's temple. He made them out of bronze. Then he shined them up.
Reference
17
The king had them made in clay molds. It was done on the flatlands of the Jordan River between Succoth and Zarethan.
📍 Zeredah 2
18
Solomon made huge numbers of those articles. There were too many of them to weigh. No one even tried to weigh the bronze they were made out of.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 7:47
19
Solomon also made all of the articles that were in God's temple. He made the golden altar. He made the tables for the holy bread.
20
He made the pure gold lampstands and their lamps. The lamps burned in front of the Most Holy Room, just as the law required.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Chronicles 4:7
21
He made the gold flowers. He made the gold lamps and tongs. They were made out of solid gold.
22
He made the wick cutters, sprinkling bowls, dishes, and shallow cups for burning incense. All of them were made out of pure gold. He made the gold doors of the temple. They were the inner doors to the Most Holy Room and the doors of the main hall.
Summary of 2 Chronicles 4
This chapter describes the furnishings and equipment Solomon placed inside and around the newly constructed Temple. While the previous chapter focused mainly on the structure of the building itself, this chapter concentrates on the objects necessary for worship.
The chapter begins with the enormous bronze altar. It was 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 10 cubits high. This was the principal altar for sacrifices and would have been one of the most frequently used objects in the Temple courtyard.
The most remarkable bronze object was the enormous bronze Sea. It was a circular basin approximately 10 cubits across and 30 cubits around, supported by twelve bronze oxen. Three oxen faced each direction—north, west, south, and east. The twelve oxen may have had symbolic connections with the twelve tribes of Israel while also serving as the structural support for the basin.
The Temple also contained ten smaller bronze basins. Five were placed on each side of the Temple. These were used for washing objects associated with sacrifices, while the large bronze Sea was primarily used by the priests for washing themselves.
Solomon also multiplied some of the furnishings found in the earlier tabernacle. Instead of one lampstand, the Temple had ten golden lampstands, with five on each side. There were also ten tables and numerous golden bowls. These furnishings reflected the much larger scale of Solomon's Temple compared with the earlier tabernacle.
A major figure in the chapter is Huram, the skilled craftsman sent by Hiram of Tyre. Huram completed the elaborate bronze work commissioned by Solomon. His work included the two great entrance pillars, their capitals, decorative networks, hundreds of pomegranates, the stands and basins, the bronze Sea, the twelve oxen, and numerous tools used in Temple service.
The chapter emphasizes the extraordinary quantity of bronze used. So much bronze was produced that its total weight could not be determined. The bronze objects were cast in clay molds in the region between Succoth and Zeredathah, indicating that the Temple project involved specialized manufacturing centers and large-scale metalworking.
The final section turns to the gold furnishings. Solomon made the golden altar, tables for the bread of the Presence, lampstands, lamps, flowers, tongs, bowls, spoons, censers, and other sacred equipment. Even the doors leading into the Temple and the Most Holy Place were overlaid with gold.
Historically, this chapter demonstrates that Solomon's Temple was not merely an impressive building. It was a highly organized religious complex containing hundreds of specialized objects. Each item had a particular function within the sacrificial and worship system.
The chapter also illustrates the technological capabilities of the period. Large bronze structures, intricate decorative work, gold-covered furnishings, and massive quantities of metal required skilled craftsmen and extensive resources.
The use of bronze, gold, wood, precious materials, and detailed artistic designs created a sanctuary that was both functional and magnificent. The Temple was intended to communicate the holiness and greatness of God through its architecture and furnishings.
The chapter therefore completes much of the physical description of Solomon's Temple. The building, altar, washing equipment, lampstands, tables, pillars, utensils, and golden furnishings are now prepared for worship. The next stage is the dedication of this completed sanctuary and the public manifestation of God's presence among His people.
The chapter begins with the enormous bronze altar. It was 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 10 cubits high. This was the principal altar for sacrifices and would have been one of the most frequently used objects in the Temple courtyard.
The most remarkable bronze object was the enormous bronze Sea. It was a circular basin approximately 10 cubits across and 30 cubits around, supported by twelve bronze oxen. Three oxen faced each direction—north, west, south, and east. The twelve oxen may have had symbolic connections with the twelve tribes of Israel while also serving as the structural support for the basin.
The Temple also contained ten smaller bronze basins. Five were placed on each side of the Temple. These were used for washing objects associated with sacrifices, while the large bronze Sea was primarily used by the priests for washing themselves.
Solomon also multiplied some of the furnishings found in the earlier tabernacle. Instead of one lampstand, the Temple had ten golden lampstands, with five on each side. There were also ten tables and numerous golden bowls. These furnishings reflected the much larger scale of Solomon's Temple compared with the earlier tabernacle.
A major figure in the chapter is Huram, the skilled craftsman sent by Hiram of Tyre. Huram completed the elaborate bronze work commissioned by Solomon. His work included the two great entrance pillars, their capitals, decorative networks, hundreds of pomegranates, the stands and basins, the bronze Sea, the twelve oxen, and numerous tools used in Temple service.
The chapter emphasizes the extraordinary quantity of bronze used. So much bronze was produced that its total weight could not be determined. The bronze objects were cast in clay molds in the region between Succoth and Zeredathah, indicating that the Temple project involved specialized manufacturing centers and large-scale metalworking.
The final section turns to the gold furnishings. Solomon made the golden altar, tables for the bread of the Presence, lampstands, lamps, flowers, tongs, bowls, spoons, censers, and other sacred equipment. Even the doors leading into the Temple and the Most Holy Place were overlaid with gold.
Historically, this chapter demonstrates that Solomon's Temple was not merely an impressive building. It was a highly organized religious complex containing hundreds of specialized objects. Each item had a particular function within the sacrificial and worship system.
The chapter also illustrates the technological capabilities of the period. Large bronze structures, intricate decorative work, gold-covered furnishings, and massive quantities of metal required skilled craftsmen and extensive resources.
The use of bronze, gold, wood, precious materials, and detailed artistic designs created a sanctuary that was both functional and magnificent. The Temple was intended to communicate the holiness and greatness of God through its architecture and furnishings.
The chapter therefore completes much of the physical description of Solomon's Temple. The building, altar, washing equipment, lampstands, tables, pillars, utensils, and golden furnishings are now prepared for worship. The next stage is the dedication of this completed sanctuary and the public manifestation of God's presence among His people.