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Sunday, April 12th, 2026
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

1 Kings 10:20

This verse is not available in the CEV!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - King;   Lion;   Solomon;   Throne;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Sabeans;   Throne;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - King;   Solomon;   Throne;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Israel;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Solomon;   Throne;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Commerce;   Ivory;   Lion;   Mizpah;   Phoenice;   Solomon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - House of the Forest of Lebanon;   Palace;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dial;   Government;   Israel;   Ivory;   Sheba, Queen of;   Solomon;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hiram;   Tyre;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Commerce;   Forest;   King;   Like;   Temple;   Throne;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Numbers and Numerals;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.
Hebrew Names Version
Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any kingdom.
King James Version
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
English Standard Version
while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom.
New Century Version
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any other kingdom.
New English Translation
There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.
Amplified Bible
Twelve lions stood there, one on either end of each of the six steps; there was nothing like it made for any other kingdom.
New American Standard Bible
Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And there stoode twelue lions on the sixe steps on either side: there was not the like made in any kingdome.
Legacy Standard Bible
Twelve lions were also standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for all the other kingdoms.
Complete Jewish Bible
and twelve more lions standing on each side of the six steps. Nothing like it had ever been made in any kingdom.
Darby Translation
and twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
Easy-to-Read Version
There were also two lions on each of the six steps, one at each end. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.
George Lamsa Translation
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps; there was not the like in any kingdom.
Lexham English Bible
Twelve lions were standing there, six on each of the six steps on either side; nothing like this was made for any of the kingdoms.
Literal Translation
and twelve lions were standing on the six steps, on this side and on that; there was not the like made in any kingdom.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and twolue lyons stode vpon the sixe steppes on both the sydes. Soch one hath not bene made in eny kyngdome.
American Standard Version
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
Bible in Basic English
And twelve lions were placed on the one side and on the other side on the six steps: there was nothing like it in any kingdom.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And there stoode twelue lions on the steppes, sixe on a syde: There was none lyke worke seene in any kingdome.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps; there was not the like made in any kingdom.
King James Version (1611)
And twelue lions stood there on the one side and on the other vpon the sixe steps: there was not the like made in any kingdome.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and twelve lions standing there on the six steps on either side: it was not so done in any other kingdom.
English Revised Version
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
Berean Standard Bible
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and twelue litil liouns stondynge on sixe grees on this side and on that side; siche a werk was not maad in alle rewmes.
Young's Literal Translation
and twelve lions are standing there on the six steps, on this [side] and on that; it hath not been made so for any kingdom.
Update Bible Version
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
Webster's Bible Translation
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.
World English Bible
Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any kingdom.
New King James Version
Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.
New Living Translation
There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!
New Life Bible
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one on each end. Nothing like it was made for any other king.
New Revised Standard
while twelve lions were standing, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made in any kingdom.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, twelve lions, were standing there, upon the six steps, on this side and on that, - there had never been made the like, for any of the kingdoms.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And twelve little lions stood upon the six steps, on the one side and on the other: there was no such work made in any kingdom.
Revised Standard Version
while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom.

Contextual Overview

14 Solomon received about twenty-five tons of gold a year. 15 The merchants and traders, as well as the kings of Arabia and rulers from Israel, also gave him gold. 16 Solomon made two hundred gold shields and used about seven and a half pounds of gold for each one. 17 He also made three hundred smaller gold shields, using almost four pounds for each one, and he put the shields in his palace in Forest Hall. 18 His throne was made of ivory and covered with pure gold. 19The back of the throne was rounded at the top, and it had armrests on each side. There was a statue of a lion on both sides of the throne, and there was a statue of a lion at both ends of each of the six steps leading up to the throne. No other throne in the world was like Solomon's. 21 Since silver was almost worthless in those days, everything was made of gold, even the cups and dishes used in Forest Hall. 22 Solomon had a lot of seagoing ships. Every three years he sent them out with Hiram's ships to bring back gold, silver, and ivory, as well as monkeys and peacocks. 23 He was the richest and wisest king in the world. 24 People from every nation wanted to hear the wisdom God had given him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

lions: Genesis 49:9, Numbers 23:24, Numbers 24:9, Revelation 5:5

the like made: Heb. so made

Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 2:4 - I builded

Cross-References

Genesis 10:1
After the flood Shem, Ham, and Japheth had many descendants.
Genesis 10:6
Ham's descendants had their own languages, tribes, and land. They were Ethiopia, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. Cush was the ancestor of Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. Raamah was the ancestor of Sheba and Dedan. Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, a mighty warrior whose strength came from the Lord . Nimrod is the reason for the saying, "You hunt like Nimrod with the strength of the Lord !" Nimrod first ruled in Babylon, Erech, and Accad, all of which were in Babylonia. From there Nimrod went to Assyria and built the great city of Nineveh. He also built Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, as well as Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah. Egypt was the ancestor of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, the ancestor of the Philistines. Canaan's sons were Sidon and Heth. He was also the ancestor of the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Later the Canaanites spread from the territory of Sidon and went as far as Gaza in the direction of Gerar. They also went as far as Lasha in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps,.... There was a lion on each side of every step, a symbol of royal power, as before observed; so the Egyptians placed lions under the throne of Orus r:

there was not the like made in any kingdom; for the matter and form of it, for its grandeur and magnificence; there was none at least at that time, whatever has been since; for this is the first throne of ivory we read of.

r Hori Apoll. Hieroglyph, l. 1. c. 17.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Solomon’s throne, as described, is certainly grander than any of which we have a representation, either in Assyria or Egypt. Much more, then, would it transcend the thrones in inferior kingdoms.


 
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