The Meaning of 1 Kings 7:25 Explained

1 Kings 7:25

KJV: It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

YLT: It is standing on twelve oxen, three facing the north, and three facing the west, and three facing the south, and three facing the east, and the sea is upon them above, and all their hinder parts are inward.

Darby: It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

ASV: It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

It stood  upon twelve  oxen,  three  looking  toward the north,  and three  looking  toward the west,  and three  looking  toward the south,  and three  looking  toward the east:  and the sea  [was set] above  upon them, and all their hinder parts  [were] inward. 

What does 1 Kings 7:25 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 7:13-26 - Pillars Of Security And Strength
Hiram, the artificer, was remarkably gifted. From his father he had inherited all the genius of Tyre, while on his mother's side he was of the tribe of Naphtali and thus inherited the religious genius of the Hebrew people. The twin pillars were made of the brass taken from the king of Zobah, 1 Chronicles 18:8-9. Each would stand to a height of forty feet. Their names were symbolical, and indicated their strength and durability. Wreaths of golden chainwork hung from the capitals, while beautiful ornaments of lily-work adorned the heads of these noble columns. Jachin-"he shall establish"-and Boaz-"in him is strength"-combined with the beauty of the lily-work, remind us that strength and beauty are in God's sanctuary and blend in the character of His people.
The molten sea was substituted for the ancient laver, Exodus 30:18. It was an immense circular vase, holding 20,000 gallons of water. Its brim was in the form of a lily and it stood on twelve brazen oxen. Water in abundance was needed for the cleansing of the courts; and our Lord has taught us in John 13:1-38 the necessity for constant washing if we would walk with God.
1 Kings 7:1-51 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 7

1  The building of Solomon's house
2  Of the house of Lebanon
6  Of the porch of pillars
7  Of the porch of judgment
8  Of the house for Pharaoh's daughter
13  Hiram's work of the two pillars,
23  Of the molten sea
27  Of the ten bases
38  Of the ten lavers
40  and all the vessels

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 7:25 mean?

It stood on two [and] ten oxen three looking toward the north and three toward the west and three looking toward the south toward the east and the Sea [was set] upon them - and all their back parts [pointed] inward
עֹמֵ֞ד עַל־ שְׁנֵ֧י עָשָׂ֣ר בָּקָ֗ר שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה פֹנִ֣ים ׀ צָפ֡וֹנָה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֩ יָ֜מָּה וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה ׀ פֹּנִ֣ים נֶ֗גְבָּה מִזְרָ֔חָה וְהַיָּ֥ם עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְכָל־ אֲחֹֽרֵיהֶ֖ם בָּֽיְתָה

עֹמֵ֞ד  It  stood 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
שְׁנֵ֧י  two 
Parse: Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עָשָׂ֣ר  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
בָּקָ֗ר  oxen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
פֹנִ֣ים ׀  looking 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
צָפ֡וֹנָה  toward  the  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֩  and  three 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
יָ֜מָּה  toward  the  west 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה ׀  and  three 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
פֹּנִ֣ים  looking 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
נֶ֗גְבָּה  toward  the  south 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
מִזְרָ֔חָה  toward  the  east 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מִזְרָח  
Sense: place of sunrise, east.
וְהַיָּ֥ם  and  the  Sea  [was  set] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם  upon  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מִלְמָ֑עְלָה  - 
Parse: Preposition-m, Preposition-l, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲחֹֽרֵיהֶ֖ם  their  back  parts  [pointed] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָחֹור  
Sense: the back side, the rear.
בָּֽיְתָה  inward 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.