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Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

2 Chronicles 4:5

The sides of the bowl were four inches thick, and its rim was in the shape of a cup that curved outward like flower petals. The bowl held about fifteen thousand gallons.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Handbreadth;   Lily;   Measure;   Temple;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Flowers;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Lilly;   Temple;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Lily;   Sea, the Molten;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Laver;   Temple;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Flowers;   Laver;   Molten Sea;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Lily;   Temple;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Firkin ;   Lily;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Laver;   Sea, the Molten;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Sea (2);   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sea, Molten;   Weights and Measures;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Lily;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Brim;   Handbreadth;   Laver;   Lily;   Sea, the Molten or Brazen;   Temple;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Kelim;   Lily;   Temple of Solomon;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The basin was three inches thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or a lily blossom. It could hold eleven thousand gallons.
Hebrew Names Version
It was a handbreadth thick; and the brim of it was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.
King James Version
And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.
English Standard Version
Its thickness was a handbreadth. And its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held 3,000 baths.
New Century Version
The sides of the bowl were four inches thick, and it held about seventeen thousand five hundred gallons. The rim of the bowl was like the rim of a cup or like a lily blossom.
New English Translation
It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold 18,000 gallons.
Amplified Bible
It was a handbreadth (the width of the four fingers) thick; its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold 3,000 baths (measures).
New American Standard Bible
It was a hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it could hold three thousand baths.
World English Bible
It was a handbreadth thick; and the brim of it was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the thickenesse thereof was an hande breadth, & the brim thereof was like the worke of the brim of a cuppe with floures of lilies: it conteined three thousand baths.
Legacy Standard Bible
And it was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, as a lily blossom; it could hold 3,000 baths.
Berean Standard Bible
It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold three thousand baths.
Complete Jewish Bible
It was a handbreadth thick, its rim was made like the rim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; and its capacity was 16,500 gallons.
Darby Translation
And its thickness was a hand-breadth, and its brim like the work of the brim of a cup, with lily-blossoms; in capacity it held three thousand baths.
Easy-to-Read Version
The large bronze tank was 3 inches thick. The edge of the large tank was like the edge of a cup. The edge looked like a lily blossom. The tank could hold about 17,400 gallons.
George Lamsa Translation
And he made also ten poles, and put five on the right hand and five on the left, to carry with them the altar of burnt offering.
Good News Translation
The sides of the tank were 3 inches thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup, curving outward like the petals of a flower. The tank held about 15,000 gallons.
Lexham English Bible
And its thickness was a handbreadth, and its brim was like the working of the lip of a cup, the blossom of a lily. And it held three thousand baths.
Literal Translation
And its thickness was a handbreadth, and its lip like the work of the lip of a cup, like a lily blossom. It received and held three thousand baths.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The thicknesse of it was an handbredth, and the edge of it was like the edge of a cuppe, and as a floured rose. And it conteyned thre thousande Batthes.
American Standard Version
And it was a handbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.
Bible in Basic English
It was as thick as a man's open hand, and the edge of it was curved like the edge of a cup, like a lily flower; it would take three thousand baths.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the thyckest of it was an hande breadth, and the brym like the brym of a cuppe, with floures of lilies: and it receaued and helde three thousande battes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it was a handbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.
King James Version (1611)
And the thicknes of it was an hand breadth, & the brim of it like the worke of the brim of a cup, with flowers of Lillies: and it receiued and held three thousand baths.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And its thickness was a hand-breadth, and its brim as the brim of a cup, graven with flowers of lilies, holding three thousand measures: and he finished it.
English Revised Version
And it was an handbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli the thicknesse therof hadde the mesure of a pawm of the hond, and the brynke therof was as the brynke of a cuppe, ethir of a lilie crokid ayen, and it took thre thousynde metretis of mesure.
Update Bible Version
And it was a handbreadth thick; and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily: it received and held three thousand baths.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the thickness of it [was] a hand-breadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; [and] it received and held three thousand baths.
New King James Version
It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained three thousand 1 Kings 7:26)">[fn] baths.
New Living Translation
The walls of the Sea were about three inches thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 16,500 gallons of water.
New Life Bible
The brass of the pool was as thick as a hand is wide. Its round top was made like the top of a cup, like a lily flower. It could hold 22,000 bottles of water.
New Revised Standard
Its thickness was a handbreadth; its rim was made like the rim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held three thousand baths.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the thickness thereof, was a hand-breadth, and, the brim thereof, was like the brim-work of a cup, with blossoms of lilies, - it could hold many baths, three thousand, would it contain.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the thickness of it was a handbreadth, and the brim of it was like the brim of a cup, or of a crisped lily: and it held three thousand measures.
Revised Standard Version
Its thickness was a handbreadth; and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily; it held over three thousand baths.
Young's Literal Translation
And its thickness [is] a handbreadth, and its lip as the work of the lip of a cup flowered with lilies; taking hold -- baths three thousand it containeth.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
It was a handbreadth thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it could hold 3,000 baths.

Contextual Overview

1 Solomon had a bronze altar made that was thirty feet square and fifteen feet high. 2 He also gave orders to make a large metal bowl called the Sea. It was fifteen feet across, about seven and a half feet deep, and forty-five feet around. 3 Its outer edge was decorated with two rows of carvings of bulls, ten bulls to every eighteen inches, all made from the same piece of metal as the bowl. 4 The bowl itself sat on top of twelve bronze bulls, with three bulls facing outward in each of four directions. 5 The sides of the bowl were four inches thick, and its rim was in the shape of a cup that curved outward like flower petals. The bowl held about fifteen thousand gallons. 6 He also made ten small bowls and put five on each side of the large bowl. The small bowls were used to wash the animals that were burned on the altar as sacrifices, and the priests used the water in the large bowl to wash their hands. 7 Ten gold lampstands were also made according to the plans. Solomon placed these lampstands inside the temple, five on each side of the main room. 8 He also made ten tables and placed them in the main room, five on each side. And he made a hundred small gold sprinkling bowls. 9 Solomon gave orders to build two courtyards: a smaller one that only priests could use and a larger one. The doors to these courtyards were covered with bronze. 10 The large bowl called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the temple.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

with flowers of lilies: or, like a lily flower

three thousand baths: In the parallel passage, it is said to hold only two thousand baths; which some think may be reconciled by supposing that the quantity of water which was commonly in it was 2,000 baths, but that, if filled up to the top, it would hold 3,000. But, as we have already seen that the Babylonish cubit was less than that of the ancient Hebrews, it might be the same with measures of capacity; so that 2,000 of the ancient Jewish baths might have been equal to 3,000 of those used after the captivity. The Targum cuts the knot: "It received 3,000 baths of dry measure, and held 2,000 of liquid measure." See note on 1 Kings 7:26. 1 Kings 7:26

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 7:25 - General 2 Chronicles 4:21 - the flowers

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
Then the Lord said: Why have you done this terrible thing? You killed your own brother, and his blood flowed onto the ground. Now his blood is calling out for me to punish you.
Genesis 4:11
And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again.
Genesis 31:2
Jacob also noticed that Laban was not as friendly as he had been before.
Genesis 31:5
and he told them: Your father isn't as friendly with me as he used to be, but the God my ancestors worshiped has been on my side.
Numbers 16:15
Moses was very angry and said to the Lord , "Don't listen to these men! I haven't done anything wrong to them. I haven't taken as much as a donkey."
Job 5:2
Envy and jealousy will kill a stupid fool.
Psalms 20:3
May he remember your gifts and be pleased with what you bring.
Matthew 20:15
Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Why should you be jealous, if I want to be generous?"
Acts 13:45
When the Jewish people saw the crowds, they were very jealous. They insulted Paul and spoke against everything he said.
Hebrews 11:4
Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Three thousand baths - See 1 Kings 7:23 note. It is quite possible that either here or in Kings the text may have been accidentally corrupted.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Chronicles 4:5. It - held three thousand baths. — In 1 Kings 7:26, it is said to hold only two thousand baths. As this book was written after the Babylonish captivity, it is very possible that reference is here made to the Babylonish bath which might have been less than the Jewish. We have already seen that the cubit of Moses, or of the ancient Hebrews, was longer than the Babylonish by one palm; see on 2 Chronicles 3:3. It might be the same with the measures of capacity; so that two thousand of the ancient Jewish baths might have been equal to three thousand of those used after the captivity. The Targum cuts the knot by saying, "It received three thousand baths of dry measure, and held two thousand of liquid measure."


 
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