2 Chronicles 4:15
New International Version
the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

New Living Translation
the Sea and the twelve oxen under it;

English Standard Version
and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath it.

Berean Standard Bible
the Sea; the twelve oxen underneath the Sea;

King James Bible
One sea, and twelve oxen under it.

New King James Version
one Sea and twelve oxen under it;

New American Standard Bible
and the one Sea with the twelve oxen under it.

NASB 1995
and the one sea with the twelve oxen under it.

NASB 1977
and the one sea with the twelve oxen under it.

Legacy Standard Bible
and the one sea with the twelve oxen under it.

Amplified Bible
and the one Sea with the twelve oxen under it.

Christian Standard Bible
The one basin and the twelve oxen underneath it,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The one reservoir and the 12 oxen underneath it,

American Standard Version
one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.

Contemporary English Version
the large bowl and the twelve bulls that held it up,

English Revised Version
one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
1 pool and the 12 bulls under it,

International Standard Version
the large bronze basin called the Sea with the twelve oxen underneath,

Majority Standard Bible
the Sea; the twelve oxen underneath the Sea;

NET Bible
the big bronze basin called "The Sea" with its twelve bulls underneath,

New Heart English Bible
one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.

Webster's Bible Translation
One sea, and twelve oxen under it.

World English Bible
one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
the one sea, and the twelve oxen under it,

Young's Literal Translation
the one sea, and the twelve oxen under it,

Smith's Literal Translation
One sea, and twelve oxen under it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
One sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;

Catholic Public Domain Version
one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;

New American Bible
one sea, and the twelve oxen under it;

New Revised Standard Version
the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
One sea, and twelve oxen under it.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
one sea, and the twelve oxen under it.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and the one sea, and the twelve calves under it;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Completion of the Bronze Works
14the stands; the basins on the stands; 15 the Sea; the twelve oxen underneath the Sea; 16and the pots, shovels, meat forks, and all the other articles. All these objects that Huram-abi made for King Solomon for the house of the LORD were of polished bronze.…

Cross References
1 Kings 7:23-26
He also made the Sea of cast metal. It was circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim, five cubits in height, and thirty cubits in circumference. / Below the rim, ornamental buds encircled it, ten per cubit all the way around the Sea, cast in two rows as a part of the Sea. / The Sea stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The Sea rested on them, with all their hindquarters toward the center. ...

Exodus 30:18-21
“You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it, / with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet. / Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die. ...

1 Kings 7:38-39
He also made ten bronze basins, each holding forty baths and measuring four cubits across, one basin for each of the ten stands. / He set five stands on the south side of the temple and five on the north, and he put the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner of the temple.

1 Kings 7:40-45
Additionally, Huram made the pots, shovels, and sprinkling bowls. So Huram finished all the work that he had undertaken for King Solomon in the house of the LORD: / the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals atop the pillars; the two sets of network covering both bowls of the capitals atop the pillars; / the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network covering both the bowl-shaped capitals atop the pillars); ...

2 Chronicles 3:1-2
Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. / Solomon began construction on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

2 Chronicles 5:1
So all the work that Solomon had performed for the house of the LORD was completed. Then Solomon brought in the items his father David had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the house of God.

1 Kings 6:1-2
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD. / The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high.

1 Kings 8:6-7
Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim. / For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles.

2 Chronicles 2:1-2
Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself. / So he conscripted 70,000 porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors.

2 Chronicles 7:6
The priests stood at their posts, as did the Levites with the musical instruments of the LORD, which King David had made for giving thanks to the LORD and with which David had offered praise, saying, “For His loving devotion endures forever.” Across from the Levites, the priests sounded trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

2 Chronicles 8:12-13
At that time Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD he had built in front of the portico. / He observed the daily requirement for offerings according to the commandment of Moses for Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual appointed feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

2 Chronicles 9:17-19
Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. / The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest. / Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

2 Chronicles 10:16-17
When all Israel saw that the king had refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What portion do we have in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, O David!” So all the Israelites went home, / but Rehoboam still reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.

Matthew 12:6
But I tell you that One greater than the temple is here.

John 2:19-21
Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” / “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?” / But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body.


Treasury of Scripture

One sea, and twelve oxen under it.

2 Chronicles 4:2-5
Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about…

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2 Chronicles 4
1. The altar of brass
2. The molten sea upon twelve oxen
6. The ten lavers, candlesticks, and tables
9. The courts, and the instruments of brass
19. The instruments of gold














the Sea
The term "Sea" in this context refers to the large basin or laver used in Solomon's Temple, often called the "Molten Sea." In Hebrew, the word is "yam," which typically means a large body of water. This basin was used for the ceremonial washing of the priests, symbolizing purification and readiness to serve God. The Sea's immense size and capacity (holding about 11,000 gallons) reflect the grandeur and holiness of the Temple, emphasizing the importance of purity and preparation in worship. Theologically, it points to the cleansing power of God, foreshadowing the ultimate purification through Christ.

and the twelve oxen
The twelve oxen supporting the Sea are significant both numerically and symbolically. The number twelve often represents the twelve tribes of Israel, indicating that the entire nation is upheld by and participates in the worship and service of God. In Hebrew culture, oxen are symbols of strength and service, suggesting that the foundation of worship is supported by strength and dedication. The oxen facing outward in four directions may symbolize the universality of God's covenant with Israel, extending His blessings to all corners of the earth.

underneath it
The phrase "underneath it" highlights the position of the oxen as foundational supports for the Sea. This positioning signifies that the strength and service of the people (represented by the oxen) are what uphold the practices of worship and purification. It serves as a reminder that the community's faithfulness and dedication are crucial to maintaining the sanctity and function of the Temple. Spiritually, it calls believers to be the foundation of their faith communities, supporting and upholding the practices that lead to holiness and service to God.

(15) One sea.--Heb., the sea one. Kings, and the one sea.

And twelve oxen under it.--And the oxen, twelve, under it. Kings, And the oxen, twelve, under the sea. The chronicler has abridged the expression.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
the Sea;
הַיָּ֖ם (hay·yām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

the twelve
שְׁנֵים־ (šə·nêm-)
Number - md
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

oxen
הַבָּקָ֥ר (hab·bā·qār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1241: Beef cattle, ox, a herd

underneath [the Sea];
תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ (taḥ·tāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 4:15 One sea and the twelve oxen under (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
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