The Meaning of 1 Kings 7:23 Explained

1 Kings 7:23

KJV: And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

YLT: And he maketh the molten sea, ten by the cubit from its edge unto its edge; it is round all about, and five by the cubit is its height, and a line of thirty by the cubit doth compass it round about;

Darby: And he made the sea, molten, ten cubits from brim to brim, round all about; and its height was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits encompassed it round about.

ASV: And he made the molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and the height thereof was five cubits; and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he made  a molten  sea,  ten  cubits  from the one brim  to the other:  [it was] round  all about,  and his height  [was] five  cubits:  and a line  of thirty  cubits  did compass  it round about. 

What does 1 Kings 7:23 Mean?

Context Summary

1Kings 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.
1Kings 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: 1Kings 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 7:23 mean?

And he made - the Sea of cast bronze ten cubits from one brim to the other [it was] round completely and five cubits Its height [was] - and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference
וַיַּ֥עַשׂ אֶת־ הַיָּ֖ם מוּצָ֑ק עֶ֣שֶׂר בָּ֠אַמָּה מִשְּׂפָת֨וֹ עַד־ שְׂפָת֜וֹ עָגֹ֣ל ׀ סָבִ֗יב וְחָמֵ֤שׁ בָּֽאַמָּה֙ קוֹמָת֔וֹ [וקוה] (וְקָו֙) שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה יָסֹ֥ב אֹת֖וֹ סָבִֽיב

וַיַּ֥עַשׂ  And  he  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַיָּ֖ם  the  Sea 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
מוּצָ֑ק  of  cast  bronze 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מוּצָק  
Sense: a casting.
עֶ֣שֶׂר  ten 
Parse: Number, feminine singular
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
בָּ֠אַמָּה  cubits 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
מִשְּׂפָת֨וֹ  from  one  brim 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
שְׂפָת֜וֹ  the  other 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁנִי  
Sense: second.
עָגֹ֣ל ׀  [it  was]  round 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָגֹל  
Sense: round.
סָבִ֗יב  completely 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
וְחָמֵ֤שׁ  and  five 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, feminine singular
Root: חָמֵשׁ  
Sense: five.
בָּֽאַמָּה֙  cubits 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
קוֹמָת֔וֹ  Its  height  [was] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹומָה  
Sense: height.
[וקוה]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
(וְקָו֙)  and  a  line  of 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָוֶה  
Sense: line.
שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים  thirty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: שְׁלֹשִׁים  
Sense: thirty, thirtieth.
בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה  cubits 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.
יָסֹ֥ב  measured 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
אֹת֖וֹ  its 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
סָבִֽיב  circumference 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.