2 Kings 25:16
in 2 Kings 25As for the two pillars, the Sea, and the movable stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The two pillars, the one sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of Jehovah, the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
KJV
The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord; the brass of all these vessels was without weight.
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This verse in 2 Kings 25
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Without weight - The Babylonians did not take the trouble to weigh the brass as they did the gold and silver. In the Assyrian monuments there are representations of the weighing of captured articles in gold and silver in the presence of the royal scribes.
This site's exposition
They also took away the pots, shovels
on 2 Kings 25:14-17
The pillar's height of "eighteen cubits" and its "network of bronze pomegranates" repeat the casting description of 1 Kings 7:15-16 almost word for word. Verse 16 says "the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure", an echo of the original casting account.
This site's exposition
the weight of the bronze
Albert Barnes explains that the Babylonians weighed captured gold and silver and left the bronze unweighed. He notes Assyrian monuments that show royal scribes recording the weight of captured gold and silver. The movable stands are described at 1 Kings 7:27-37.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Thus has Jerusalem become as a widow, Lam. i. Ichabod--Where is the glory? The distraction and dispersion of the remnant that was left in Judah under Gedaliah,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
His office as captain of the guard (Ge 37:36; 39:1) called him to execute the awards of justice on criminals; and hence, although not engaged in the siege of Jerusalem (Jer 39:13), Nebuzar-adan was despatched to rase the city, to plunder the temple, to lay both in ruins, demolish the fortifications, and transport the inhabitants to Babylon.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The height of the crown was three amohs. And in the beginning of the Book [of Melochim] it states, ”five amohs [high].” 9 Melochim:16. I reconciled the verses there.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הָעַמּוּדִ֣ים׀ | haamudim | the pillars | H5982 → | 111 times |
| שְׁנַ֗יִם | shenayim | two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| הַיָּ֤ם | haiyam | the sea | H3220 → | 396 times |
| הָֽאֶחָד֙ | haechad | <the> one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וְהַמְּכֹנ֔וֹת | vehamekhonot | and the stands | H4350 → | 24 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂ֥ה | ʾasah | he had made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| לְבֵ֣ית | leveit | for [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הָיָ֣ה | hayah | it belonged | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| מִשְׁקָ֔ל | mishkal | weight | H4948 → | |
| לִנְחֹ֖שֶׁת | linchoshet | to [the] bronze of | H5178 → | 140 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַכֵּלִ֥ים | hakelim | the articles | H3627 → | 325 times |
| הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
הָעַמּוּדִ֣ים׀the pillars
haamudimH5982 →111 times
שְׁנַ֗יִםtwo
shenayimH8147 →768 times
הַיָּ֤םthe sea
haiyamH3220 →396 times
הָֽאֶחָד֙<the> one
haechadH259 →971 times
וְהַמְּכֹנ֔וֹתand the stands
vehamekhonotH4350 →24 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עָשָׂ֥הhe had made
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֖הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
לְבֵ֣יתfor [the] house of
leveitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
הָיָ֣הit belonged
hayahH1961 →3559 times
מִשְׁקָ֔לweight
mishkalH4948 →
לִנְחֹ֖שֶׁתto [the] bronze of
linchoshetH5178 →140 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַכֵּלִ֥יםthe articles
hakelimH3627 →325 times
הָאֵֽלֶּה׃<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
4 stopsEach 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
1 Kings 7:47Solomon left all these articles unweighed, because there were so many. The weight of the bronze could not be determined.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 22:14
Now behold, I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the LORD—100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron too great to be weighed. I have also…
- 1 Chronicles 22:3
David provided a large quantity of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, together with more bronze than could be weighed
- 2 Chronicles 4:18
Solomon made all these articles in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze could not be determined.
- 1 Chronicles 22:16
in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and may the LORD be with you.”
- 1 Chronicles 22:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies12
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; F. W. Farrar, The Second Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.