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2 Chronicles 4:4

in 2 Chronicles 4

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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

KJV

It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

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This verse in 2 Chronicles 4

Commentary

3 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

He also made the Sea of cast metal

on 2 Chronicles 4:2-5

The molten sea repeats 1 Kings 7 with two small differences the commentators note rather than resolve. Its capacity is given as three thousand baths against Kings' two thousand. The oxen stand where Kings reads knops, likely gourds, a reading Barnes traces to an early copyist expecting oxen.

This site's exposition

stood on twelve oxen

The twelve oxen faced outward in four groups of three, one group toward each point of the compass. Barnes treats oxen as the feature a reader linked at once with the Sea, the reason he gives for the copyist's change in verse 3. Their backs bore the whole basin.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

It was put just at the entrance into the court of the priests, like the font at the church door. If it were filled to the brim, it would hold 3000 baths (as here,

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

The words behind it

23 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • עוֹמֵ֞ד[it was] standing

    omedH5975 →521 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • שְׁנֵ֧יםtwo [plus]

    sheneimH8147 →768 times

  • עָשָׂ֣רten

    ʾasarH6240 →338 times

  • בָּקָ֗רcattle

    bakarH1241 →183 times

  • שְׁלֹשָׁ֣הthree

    sheloshahH7969 →432 times

  • פֹנִ֣ים׀[were] turning

    fonimH6437 →135 times

  • צָפ֡וֹנָהnorth -ward

    tzafonahH6828 →

  • וּשְׁלוֹשָׁה֩and three

    usheloshahH7969 →432 times

  • פֹנִ֨ים׀[were] turning

    fonimH6437 →135 times

  • יָ֜מָּהwest -ward

    yamahH3220 →396 times

  • וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה׀and three

    usheloshahH7969 →432 times

  • פֹּנִ֣ים[were] turning

    ponimH6437 →135 times

  • נֶ֗גְבָּהsouth -ward

    negbahH5045 →112 times

  • וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֙and three

    usheloshahH7969 →432 times

  • פֹּנִ֣ים[were] turning

    ponimH6437 →135 times

  • מִזְרָ֔חָהeast -ward

    mizrachahH4217 →74 times

  • וְהַיָּ֥םand the sea

    vehaiyamH3220 →396 times

  • עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם[was] on them

    ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times

  • מִלְמָ֑עְלָהfrom to above <towards>

    milmaelahH4605 →140 times

  • וְכָל־and all

    vekholH3605 →5413 times

  • אֲחֹרֵיהֶ֖םhindquarters their

    ʾachoreihemH268 →

  • בָּֽיְתָה׃[were] inside towards

    bayetahH1004 →2046 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

7 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Ephesians 2:20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.2 worksMark 16:15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.2 worksMatthew 16:18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.2 worksLuke 24:46–47And He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,2 worksActs 9:15“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.2 worksMatthew 28:19–20Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,2 works
The other 1 cross-references, with their words ▾
Revelation 21:14The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Matthew 16:18

    And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 28:16

      So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Ephesians 2:19–22

      Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,

    • 1 Corinthians 3:9–11

      For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

  • Through

    Mark 16:15

    And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 28:19

      Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

    • Mark 13:10

      And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.

    • Acts 1:8

      But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

    • Luke 24:47–48

      and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

    • Psalms 96:3

      Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all peoples.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Chronicles

Saphan Reading the Book of the Law to Josiah, Philip Galle, engraving after Maarten van Heemskerck, 1569, Royal Library of Belgium. Public domain.
Saphan Reading the Book of the Law to Josiah, Philip Galle, engraving after Maarten van Heemskerck, 1569, Royal Library of Belgium. Public domain.
2 Chronicles: the study guide →Read 2 Chronicles 4 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Chronicles 4 →