2 Chronicles 4:3

New King James Version

And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The likeness of oxen was below it, completely encircling it, ten every half yard, completely surrounding the basin. The oxen were cast in two rows when the basin was cast.

Hebrew Names Version
Under it was the likeness of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

King James Version
And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

English Standard Version
Under it were figures of gourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast.

New Century Version
There were carvings of bulls under the rim of the bowl—ten bulls every eighteen inches. They were in two rows and were made in one piece with the bowl.

New English Translation
Images of bulls were under it all the way around, ten every eighteen inches all the way around. The bulls were in two rows and had been cast with "The Sea."

Amplified Bible
Under it and entirely encircling it were figures of oxen, ten to a cubit. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.

New American Standard Bible
Now figures like oxen were under it and all around it, ten cubits, entirely encircling the Sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.

World English Bible
Under it was the likeness of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And vnder it was ye facion of oxen, which did compasse it rounde about, tenne in a cubite compassing the Sea about: two rowes of oxen were cast when it was molten.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now figures like oxen were under it and encircling it, ten cubits, entirely encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.

Berean Standard Bible
Below the rim, figures of oxen encircled it, ten per cubit all the way around the Sea, cast in two rows as a part of the Sea.

Contemporary English Version
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.

Complete Jewish Bible
Below the rim a ring of ox-like figures encircled it, ten for every twenty-one inches all the way around the Sea. The oxen were in two rows; they were cast when the Sea was cast.

Darby Translation
And under it was the similitude of oxen, encompassing it round about, ten in a cubit enclosing the sea round about, two rows of oxen, cast when it was cast.

Easy-to-Read Version
There were images of bulls under the lip of the large bronze tank. They were in two rows that went 10 cubits around the tank. The bulls were molded in place when the tank was shaped.

George Lamsa Translation
And it stood upon twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing south, three facing west, and three facing east; and the sea was set above them, and their hinder parts were inward.

Good News Translation
All around the outer edge of the rim of the tank were two rows of decorations, one above the other. The decorations were in the shape of bulls, which had been cast all in one piece with the rest of the tank.

Lexham English Bible
Under it were figures of oxen all around it, ten cubits high, encircling the sea all around. The oxen were in two rows cast as one piece with it.

Literal Translation
And under it was the shape of oxen, under it and all around it for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. Two rows of oxen were cast when it was cast.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ymages of Bullockes were vnder it. And aboute the lauer (which was ten cubites wyde) there were two rowes of knoppes, yt were molten withall.

American Standard Version
And under it was the likeness of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

Bible in Basic English
And under it was a design of flowers all round it, ten to a cubit, circling the water-vessel in two lines; they were made from liquid metal at the same time as the water-vessel.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And vnder it was the fashion of oxen, whiche dyd compasse it rounde about: with ten cubites dyd they compasse the lauatorie rounde about, and there were two rowes of oxen whiche were cast lyke molten worke.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

King James Version (1611)
And vnder it was the similitude of oxen, which did compasse it round about: tenne in a cubite compassing the Sea round about. Two rowes of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And beneath it the likeness of calves, they compass it round about: ten cubits compass the laver round about, they cast the calves two rows in their casting,

English Revised Version
And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the licnesse of oxis was vndur it, and bi ten cubitis summe grauyngis with outforth cumpassiden the brynke of the see as with tweyne ordris; sotheli the oxis weren yotun.

Update Bible Version
And under it was the likeness of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

Webster's Bible Translation
And under it [was] the similitude of oxen, which encompassed it: ten in a cubit, encompassing the sea. Two rows of oxen [were] cast, when it was cast.

New Living Translation
It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of figures that resembled oxen. There were about six oxen per foot all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin.

New Life Bible
There were objects that looked like oxen under the pool and all around it, (ten long steps around it). The oxen were in two rows, and were made of one piece.

New Revised Standard
Under it were panels all around, each of ten cubits, surrounding the sea; there were two rows of panels, cast when it was cast.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the likeness of oxen, was under it round about on every side, encircling it, ten in a cubit, going round the sea, on every side,-two rows of oxen, made in the casting.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And under it there was the likeness of oxen, and certain engravings on the outside of ten cubits compassed the belly of the sea, as it were with two rows.

Revised Standard Version
Under it were figures of gourds, for thirty cubits, compassing the sea round about; the gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast.

Young's Literal Translation
And the likeness of oxen [is] under it, all round about encompassing it, ten in the cubit, compassing the sea round about; two rows of oxen are cast in its being cast.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now figures like oxen were under it and all around it, ten cubits, entirely encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.

Contextual Overview

¹ 1 Kings 6:23-38; 7:13-51">[xr] Moreover he made a bronze altar: twenty cubits was its length, twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height. ² Then he made the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. ³ And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast. ⁴ It stood on twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward. ⁵ 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. ⁶ He also made ten lavers, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them, but the Sea was for the priests to wash in. ⁷ And he made ten lampstands of gold according to their design, and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. ⁸ He also made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred bowls of gold. ⁹ Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court and doors for the court; and he overlaid these doors with bronze. ¹⁰ He set the Sea on the right side, toward the southeast.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And under: 1 Kings 7:24-26, Ezekiel 1:10, Ezekiel 10:14, 1 Corinthians 9:9-10, Revelation 4:7

oxen: In the parallel passage of Kings, instead of bekarim, "oxen," we have pekaim, "knops," in the form of colocynths. (See note on 1 Kings 6:18, and see note on 2 Kings 4:39); which last is supposed by able critics to be the reading which ought to received be here; bekarim, "oxen," being a mistake for pekaim, "knops." Houbigant, however, contends that the words in both places are right; but that bakar does not signify an ox here, but a large kind of grape, according to its meaning in Arabic. But Dr. A. Clarke states that bakar, or bakarat, has no such meaning in Arabic, though the phrase aino 'lbikri, or "ox-eye," signifies a species of black grape, very large, and of incredible sweetness; that consequently the criticism of this great man is not solid; and that the likeliest method of reconciling the two places is to suppose a change in the letters as above.

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 7:26 - it contained

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Luke 11:51; Hebrews 11:4; 12:24">[xr] Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the LORD."

Genesis 4:11
So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

Numbers 18:12
"All the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and the grain, their firstfruits which they offer to the LORD, I have given them to you.

1 Kings 17:7
And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

Nehemiah 13:6
But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For “oxen” we find in 1 Kings 7:24, “knops” or “gourds.” An early copyist, not comprehending the comparatively rare word here used for “gourd,” and expecting to hear of oxen, as soon as the molten sea was mentioned, changed the reading.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Chronicles 4:3. Under it was the similitude of oxen — In 1 Kings 7:24, instead of oxen, בקרים bekarim, we have knops, פקעים pekaim; and this last is supposed by able critics to be the reading which ought to be received here. What we call knops may signify grapes, mushrooms, apples, or some such ornaments placed round about under the turned over lip or brim of this caldron. It is possible that בקרים bekarim, oxen, may be a corruption of פקעים pekaim, grapes, as the פ pe might be mistaken for a ב beth, to which in ancient MSS. it has often a great resemblance, the dot under the top being often faint and indistinct; and the ×¢ ain, on the same account might be mistaken for a ר resh. Thus grapes might be turned into oxen. Houbigant contends that the words in both places are right; but that בקר bakar does not signify ox here, but al large kind of grape, according to its meaning in Arabic: and thus both places will agree. But I do not find that [Arabic] bakar, or [Arabic] bakarat, has any such meaning in Arabic. He was probably misled by the following, in the Arabic Lexicon, Camus, inserted under [Arabic] bakara, both by Giggeius and Golius, [Arabic] aino albikri, ox-eye, which is interpreted Genus uvae nigrae ac praeprandis, incredibilis dulcedinis. In Palaestina autem pro prunis absolute usurpatur. "A species of black grape, very large, and of incredible sweetness. It is used in Palestine for prune or plum." What is called the Damascene plum is doubtless meant; but בקרים bekarim, in the text, can never have this meaning, unless indeed we found it associated with עין ayin, eye, and then עיני בקרים eyney bekarim might, according to the Arabic, be translated plums, grapes, sloes, or such like, especially those of the largest kind, which in size resemble the eye of an ox. But the criticism of this great man is not solid. The likeliest method of reconciling the two places is supposing a change in the letters, as specified above. The reader will at once see that what are called the oxen, 2 Chronicles 4:3, said to be round about the brim, are widely different from those 2 Chronicles 4:4, by which this molten sea was supported.