1 Kings 7:43

The lavers are not the ten before mentioned, of the make of which an account is before given; but these, according to Jarchi and Ben Gersom, are the same with the pots, 1 Kings 7:45 and so they are called in 2 Chronicles 4:11 the use of which, as they say, was to put the ashes of the altar into; as the "shovels", next mentioned, were a sort of besoms to sweep them off, and the "basins" were to receive the blood of the sacrifices, and sprinkle it; no mention is here made of the altar of brass he made, but is in 2 Chronicles 4:11, nor of the fleshhooks to take the flesh out of the pots, as in 2 Chronicles 4:16, so Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made King Solomon for the house of the Lord; what he undertook, and was employed in, he finished, which were all works of brass; of which a recapitulation is made in the following verses to the end of the forty fifth, where they are said to be made of "bright brass", free of all dross and rust; "good", as the Targum, even the best brass they were made of; the brass David took from Hadarezer, 1 Chronicles 18:8 which Josephus {g} too much magnifies, when he says it was better than gold. {g} Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 3. 1 Kings 7:41 Ver. 41. See Gill on "1 Kings 7:40" 1 Kings 7:42 Ver. 42. See Gill on "1 Kings 7:40" 1 Kings 7:43 Ver. 43. See Gill on "1 Kings 7:40" 1 Kings 7:44 Ver. 44. See Gill on "1 Kings 7:40" 1 Kings 7:45 Ver. 45. See Gill on "1 Kings 7:40" 1 Kings 7:46 Ver. 46.

7:13-47 The two brazen pillars in the porch of the temple, some think, were to teach those that came to worship, to depend upon God only, for strength and establishment in all their religious exercises. Jachin, God will fix this roving mind. It is good that the heart be established with grace. Boaz, In him is our strength, who works in us both to will and to do. Spiritual strength and stability are found at the door of God's temple, where we must wait for the gifts of grace, in use of the means of grace. Spiritual priests and spiritual sacrifices must be washed in the laver of Christ's blood, and of regeneration. We must wash often, for we daily contract pollution. There are full means provided for our cleansing; so that if we have our lot for ever among the unclean it will be our own fault. Let us bless God for the fountain opened by the sacrifice of Christ for sin and for uncleanness.

And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basins,.... The lavers are not the ten before mentioned, of the make of which an account is before given; but these, according to Jarchi and Ben Gersom, are the same with the pots, 1 Kings 7:45 and so they are called in 2 Chronicles 4:11 the use of which, as they say, was to put the ashes of the altar into; as the "shovels", next mentioned, were a sort of besoms to sweep them off, and the "basins" were to receive the blood of the sacrifices, and sprinkle it; no mention is here made of the altar of brass he made, but is in 2 Chronicles 4:11 , nor of the fleshhooks to take the flesh out of the pots, as in 2 Chronicles 4:16 , so Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made King Solomon for the house of the Lord; what he undertook, and was employed in, he finished, which were all works of brass; of which a recapitulation is made in the following verses to the end of the forty fifth, where they are said to be made of "bright brass", free of all dross and rust; "good", as the Targum, even the best brass they were made of; the brass David took from Hadarezer, 1 Chronicles 18:8 which Josephus (g) too much magnifies, when he says it was better than gold. (g) Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 3.

40-45. And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basins—These verses contain a general enumeration of Hiram's works, as well as those already mentioned as other minor things. The Tyrian artists are frequently mentioned by ancient authors as skilful artificers in fashioning and embossing metal cups and bowls; and we need not wonder, therefore, to find them employed by Solomon in making the golden and brazen utensils for his temple and palaces.

Verse 13. - And king Solomon sent [rather, had sent ( 2 Chronicles 2:13 )] and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. [This is our historian's brief version of the transaction which is recorded in 2 Chronicles 2:7-14 . He has not mentioned before ( 1 Kings 5:6 ) Solomon's request for a master builder. Hiram, like his namesake the king, is elsewhere ( 2 Chronicles 2:18 ; 2 Chronicles 4:11, 16 ) called Huram or Hirom (ver. 40). See note on 1 Kings 5:1. In the first of these passages the king calls him "Huram my father" (see note there); in the last he is designated "Huram his father." The title "Ab" (cf. Genesis 45:8 , 41, 43; 2 Kings 2:12 ; 2 Kings 5:13 ; 2 Kings 6:21 ; cf. 1 Kings 8:9 ) shows the high esteem in which he was held. It can hardly be, as some have supposed, a proper name. It may signify "counsellor," or master, i.e. , master builder. The Tyrians evidently regarded him with some pride.] 1 Kings 7:13

The ten stands and their basins: see at 1 Kings 7:27-37 ; 1 Kings 7:44 , the brazen sea: vid., 1 Kings 7:23-26 ; lastly, 1 Kings 7:45 , the pots, etc., as at 1 Kings 7:40 . The Chethb האהל is a mistake for האלּה (Keri). (Note: After האלּה כּל־הלּלים ואת the lxx have the interpolation, καὶ οἱ στῦλοι τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ὀκτὼ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τοῦ οἴκου Κυρίου, which is proved to be apocryphal by the marvellous combination of the king's house and the house of God, though it is nevertheless regarded by Thenius as genuine, and as an interesting notice respecting certain pillars in the enclosure of the inner court of the temple, and in the king's palace!) ממרט נהשׁת, of polished brass - accusative of the material governed by עשׂה.