1 Kings 7:39 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 7:39 mean?

1 Kings 7:39 describes where Hiram placed equipment he had made for the temple in Jerusalem. Ten stands were arranged in two groups beside the temple, while a large bronze water basin called “the sea” was placed toward its southeast side.

The “house” is the temple building, and the “bases” were stands made to hold smaller basins. The verse gives their positions relative to the building, helping the reader picture the finished work in its setting.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 7:39

• “bases” — מְכֹנוֹת (mekhonot): The word refers to stands or supports. In this verse, the stands are the frames for the basins described in the preceding verses.
• “sea” — יָם (yam): The word usually means a sea, but here it names a large basin. Its name gives a sense of its size; the passage describes it as a broad, deep vessel made of bronze.

Why 1 Kings 7:39 matters

• The “sea” was not a body of water beside the temple. Earlier in the passage, 1 Kings 7:23–26 describes it as a round bronze vessel resting on twelve bronze oxen.
• The stands and the sea served different purposes. Second Chronicles 4:6 says the smaller basins were used for washing things used in offerings, while the sea was for the priests to wash in.
• The verse is about the arrangement of Hiram’s finished work. The surrounding account identifies Hiram as the craftsman who made these bronze objects for King Solomon’s temple.