1 Kings 7:27

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits [was] the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.

Complete Jewish Bible:

He made ten bronze trolleys, each one seven feet long, seven feet wide, and five-and-a-quarter feet high.

Berean Standard Bible:

In addition, he made ten movable stands of bronze, each four cubits long, four cubits wide, and three cubits high.

American Standard Version:

And he made the ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And he made{H6213} ten{H6235} bases{H4350} of brass{H5178}; four{H702} cubits{H520} was the length{H753} of one{H259} base{H4350}, and four{H702} cubits{H520} the breadth{H7341} thereof, and three{H7969} cubits{H520} the height{H6967} of it.

Cross-References (KJV):

2 Chronicles 4:14

  • He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;

2 Kings 25:13

  • And the pillars of brass that [were] in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that [was] in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.

Jeremiah 52:17

  • Also the pillars of brass that [were] in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that [was] in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

2 Kings 25:16

  • The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

1 Kings 7:38

  • Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: [and] every laver was four cubits: [and] upon every one of the ten bases one laver.

Jeremiah 52:20

  • The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that [were] under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

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Commentary for 1 Kings 7:27

1 Kings 7:27 describes a part of the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, also known as Solomon's Temple. The verse specifically details the creation of ten bronze bases or stands, each with dimensions of four cubits in length and breadth, and three cubits in height. A cubit is an ancient unit of measurement based on the length of the forearm, approximately 18 inches (45.7 centimeters), which means each base was about 72 inches (183 cm) square and 54 inches (137 cm) tall.

These bases were likely designed to support the layers of the large bronze water basins, known as "Sea," and the ten movable basins used for ritual purification by the priests. The mention of brass, rather than bronze, is consistent with the language of the King James Version of the Bible, as the term "brass" was commonly used in 17th-century English to refer to any copper alloy, including what we would now call bronze.

The historical context of this verse is the height of Solomon's reign, around the 10th century BCE, when he embarked on an ambitious building program that included the construction of the Temple as a central place of worship for the Israelites. The detailed description of the Temple's furnishings reflects the grandeur and wealth of Solomon's kingdom, as well as the meticulous attention to ritual purity and the religious practices of the time. The use of bronze, a valuable and durable metal, underscores the importance and permanence of the Temple in the religious and national life of ancient Israel.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H6213
    There are 2286 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עָשָׂה
    Transliteration: ʻâsâh
    Pronunciation: aw-saw'
    Description: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.
  2. Strong's Number: H6235
    There are 157 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עֶשֶׂר
    Transliteration: ʻeser
    Pronunciation: eh'ser
    Description: masculine of term עֲשָׂרָה; from עָשַׂר; ten (as an accumulation to the extent of the digits); ten, (fif-, seven-) teen.
  3. Strong's Number: H4350
    There are 18 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מְכוֹנָה
    Transliteration: mᵉkôwnâh
    Pronunciation: mek-o-naw'
    Description: or מְכֹנָה; feminine of מָכוֹן; a pedestal, also a spot; base.
  4. Strong's Number: H5178
    There are 119 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נְחֹשֶׁת
    Transliteration: nᵉchôsheth
    Pronunciation: nekh-o'-sheth
    Description: for נְחוּשָׁה; copper, hence, something made of that metal, i.e. coin, a fetter; figuratively, base (as compared with gold or silver); brasen, brass, chain, copper, fetter (of brass), filthiness, steel.
  5. Strong's Number: H702
    There are 383 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אַרְבַּע
    Transliteration: ʼarbaʻ
    Pronunciation: ar-bah'
    Description: masculine אַרְבָּעָה; from רָבַע; four; four.
  6. Strong's Number: H520
    There are 240 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אַמָּה
    Transliteration: ʼammâh
    Pronunciation: am-maw'
    Description: prolonged from אֵם; properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance); cubit, [phrase] hundred (by exchange for מֵאָה), measure, post.
  7. Strong's Number: H753
    There are 149 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֹרֶךְ
    Transliteration: ʼôrek
    Pronunciation: o'rek'
    Description: from אָרַךְ; length; [phrase] forever, length, long.
  8. Strong's Number: H259
    There are 801 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֶחָד
    Transliteration: ʼechâd
    Pronunciation: ekh-awd'
    Description: a numeral from אָחַד; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first; a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,
  9. Strong's Number: H7341
    There are 89 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: רֹחַב
    Transliteration: rôchab
    Pronunciation: ro'-khab
    Description: from רָחַב; width (literally or figuratively); breadth, broad, largeness, thickness, wideness.
  10. Strong's Number: H7969
    There are 381 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שָׁלוֹשׁ
    Transliteration: shâlôwsh
    Pronunciation: shaw-loshe'
    Description: or שָׁלֹשׁ; masculine שְׁלוֹשָׁה; or שְׁלֹשָׁה; a primitive number; three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice; [phrase] fork, [phrase] often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, [phrase] thrice. Compare שָׁלִישׁ.
  11. Strong's Number: H6967
    There are 43 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: קוֹמָה
    Transliteration: qôwmâh
    Pronunciation: ko-maw'
    Description: from קוּם; height; [idiom] along, height, high, stature, tall.