For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.

1 KINGS 7:15KJV
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1 Kings 7:15 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 7:15 mean?

1 Kings 7:15 describes how two large pillars made of brass were cast, each standing eighteen cubits high, with a circumference of twelve cubits around each pillar. This verse gives specific measurements for these pillars, which were part of the temple King Solomon was building in Jerusalem.

The verse is part of a detailed account of the temple’s construction, where the craftsman Hiram is making items for Solomon. The focus here is on the impressive size and craftsmanship of the pillars, showing the grandeur and care put into building the temple. These pillars would later be named Jachin and Boaz and stood at the entrance, symbolizing strength and stability.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 7:15

  • The word for "cast" (צָקַק, tsaqaq) means to pour out molten metal into a mold, highlighting that these pillars were not carved from stone but formed by pouring liquid bronze, which was a significant technical achievement at the time.
  • "Pillars" (עַמּוּד, ammud) refers to upright columns, emphasizing their role as structural and symbolic features at the temple entrance.
  • "Brass" (נְחשֶׁת, nechoshet) in this context usually means bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, which was highly valued for its durability and shine.
  • The measurement "cubit" (אַמָּה, ammah) was roughly the length from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, about 18 inches (45 cm), so the pillars were about 27 feet (8 meters) high.

Why 1 Kings 7:15 matters

  • This verse helps clarify the scale and splendor of Solomon’s temple by giving exact measurements, showing the resources and skill involved.
  • The mention of casting in bronze points to advanced metalworking techniques in ancient Israel, which adds to our understanding of the period’s technology.
  • The pillars’ size and placement set the tone for the temple’s entrance, highlighting the importance and sacredness of the building in Israel’s worship life.

Where else these words appear

“line” Hebrew H2339 · used in 7 verses

  • Genesis 14:23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
  • Judges 16:12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.
  • Song of Solomon 4:3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

“cast” Hebrew H6696 · used in 38 verses

  • Exodus 23:22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.
  • 1 Kings 16:17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.
  • Esther 8:11 Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

“high” Hebrew H6967 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
  • 2 Chronicles 6:13 For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven,

“pillars” Hebrew H5982 · used in 84 verses

  • Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
  • Exodus 39:33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,
  • 2 Kings 25:13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon.