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.

2 CHRONICLES 4:2KJV
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2 Chronicles 4:2 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 4:2 mean?

2 Chronicles 4:2 describes how a large, round basin called the "molten sea" was made for Solomon’s temple, measuring ten cubits across, five cubits high, and thirty cubits in circumference. This verse gives the exact dimensions and shape of this important temple furnishing, emphasizing its size and craftsmanship.

The verse is part of a detailed account of King Solomon’s construction of the temple in Jerusalem, specifically focusing on the items made for worship. The "molten sea" was a massive water basin cast from metal, used by the priests for ritual washing. The careful measurements show the importance of order and precision in temple worship, and highlight the resources and skill invested in the temple’s creation.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 4:2

  • "molten" (מֻצָּק, mutsaq): This word means something cast from metal, showing that the sea was not carved or built from parts, but poured as a single piece, which would have been a major technical achievement.
  • "sea" (יָם, yam): The word literally means "sea," but here it refers to a very large basin. Calling it a "sea" emphasizes its impressive size and the abundance of water it held.
  • "brim" (שָׂפָה, saphah): This word refers to the edge or lip of the basin, highlighting that the measurement is taken from the outermost edges, not just the inside.
  • "line" (קו, qav): This word means a measuring cord or line, used here to describe how the circumference was measured, giving a sense of the practical methods used in ancient construction.

Why 2 Chronicles 4:2 matters

  • The verse clears up that the "sea" was not a natural body of water but a carefully crafted, enormous basin used for ritual purposes in the temple.
  • The detailed measurements connect this verse to the broader biblical theme of order and intentional design in worship spaces, showing that nothing in the temple was random or left to chance.
  • Understanding the size and construction of the "molten sea" helps readers appreciate the scale and significance of Solomon’s temple, and why it was considered such a marvel in its time.

Where else these words appear

“round” Hebrew H5696 · used in 5 verses

  • 1 Kings 7:23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.
  • 1 Kings 7:31 And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.
  • 1 Kings 7:35 And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.

“line” Hebrew H6957 · used in 15 verses

  • 1 Kings 7:23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.
  • Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
  • Isaiah 44:13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

“height” 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,

“molten” Hebrew H3332 · used in 51 verses

  • Genesis 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
  • Leviticus 14:26 And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:
  • 2 Kings 4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.