1 Kings 7:15 kjv
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 7:15 nkjv
And he cast two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of each.
1 Kings 7:15 niv
He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference.
1 Kings 7:15 esv
He cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same.
1 Kings 7:15 nlt
Huram cast two bronze pillars, each 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference.
1 Kings 7 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 7:13-14 | King Solomon sent for Hiram… skillful in all kinds of bronze work. | Hiram's skill in metalwork for the Temple. |
| 1 Ki 7:16 | He also made two capitals of cast bronze... | Continues the description of the pillars' parts. |
| 1 Ki 7:21 | He set up the pillars at the vestibule of the temple… Boaz. | Names the pillars, revealing their theological significance. |
| 2 Chr 3:15-17 | He made in front of the house two pillars thirty-five cubits high... | Parallel account, possibly including capital height or total height, emphasizing their grand stature. |
| Jer 52:21-23 | As for the pillars, each pillar was eighteen cubits high... | Babylonian record, confirms height but differs on capital height, showing consistency in major dimensions. |
| Ex 27:1-8 | You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long… bronze. | Bronze used in Tabernacle furniture, associating it with sacrifice and judgment. |
| Ex 30:17-21 | You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. | Bronze laver for cleansing, symbolizing purity before worship. |
| Num 21:9 | So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. | Bronze in connection with healing from divine judgment, foreshadowing Christ. |
| 1 Ki 6:2 | The house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long... | Temple dimensions for context of pillar size. |
| Ps 75:3 | When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep its pillars steady. | God as the ultimate stabilizer and upholder of creation. |
| Prov 9:1 | Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out her seven pillars. | Symbolic representation of foundational strength and order. |
| Is 28:16 | Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. | Connects to foundations, Christ as the ultimate cornerstone/foundation. |
| Heb 8:1-2 | We have such a high priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne... | The true heavenly tabernacle/temple, fulfilling the earthly types. |
| John 2:19-21 | Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up... He was speaking about the temple of His body. | Christ as the ultimate Temple, fulfilling all its symbols. |
| 1 Cor 3:16-17 | Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? | The Church and individual believers as the spiritual temple, indwelt by God. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. | The Church as a spiritual building, with foundational elements. |
| 1 Tim 3:15 | The church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. | The Church upholding and supporting God's truth, linking to pillar imagery. |
| Rev 3:12 | The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God... | Symbolic promise of permanent status and place in God's eternal dwelling. |
| Judg 16:29-30 | Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested... | Physical pillars as supporting structures, contrasted with symbolic temple pillars. |
| Zech 4:2-3 | two olive trees by it, one on the right and one on the left... | Vision of two lampstands/olive trees possibly relating to two witnesses or anointing for divine purpose, reminiscent of paired temple items. |
| Hag 2:7-9 | 'The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former,' says the Lord... | Promise of greater glory for the second temple, building upon the original's significance. |
| Is 60:1-3 | Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. | Vision of future glorious Zion/Temple drawing nations, where the grandeur foreshadows divine presence. |
1 Kings 7 verses
1 Kings 7 15 Meaning
This verse precisely describes the initial dimensions of two massive bronze pillars cast by Hiram, the master craftsman, for the entrance of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. It specifies their height as eighteen cubits and their circumference as twelve cubits. These were not structural supports for the building itself but rather symbolic freestanding monuments marking the entrance to God's sacred dwelling, signifying strength, establishment, and God's enduring presence.
1 Kings 7 15 Context
First Kings chapter 7 primarily details the elaborate construction of King Solomon's royal palace complex and, significantly, the detailed description of the various furnishings and structures within and around the Temple of the Lord. Following the overall building of the Temple itself (Chapter 6), this chapter focuses on the intricate metallic works crafted by Hiram of Tyre. Verse 15 introduces the two monumental bronze pillars that stood at the entrance (or porch) of the Temple, just outside the Holy Place. Historically, grand structures like temples and palaces in the ancient Near East often featured prominent freestanding columns at their entrance, symbolizing their importance and the power of the deity or ruler associated with them. For the Israelites, these pillars would have communicated Yahweh's majesty and the permanence of His covenant presence in Jerusalem. Their bronze material further connected them to the sacrificial system and aspects of divine judgment and cleansing seen in the Tabernacle's bronze implements.
1 Kings 7 15 Word analysis
- He cast: (וַיִּצֹּב - vay-yitsōq) From the root יָצַק (yatsaq), meaning "to pour, to cast, to mold." This highlights the metallurgical skill and complex process involved, specifically molten metal work, characteristic of Hiram's expertise in bronze. This was a sophisticated, large-scale undertaking requiring advanced knowledge of materials and techniques.
- two: (שְׁנַיִם - shnayim) Denotes duality. The existence of two pillars emphasizes balance, a portal, or a marker of passage. Paired pillars were common in ancient architecture, often framing an entrance or signifying something of unique importance.
- bronze: (נְחֹשֶׁת - nechoshet) Refers to copper or an alloy like bronze. In biblical symbolism, bronze is frequently associated with divine judgment, atonement, strength, and durability. It was used for the altar of burnt offering (Ex 27:1-8) and the bronze laver (Ex 30:17-21) in the Tabernacle, signifying the need for cleansing and sacrifice to approach a holy God. Its use here indicates the strength and enduring nature of God's presence.
- pillars: (עַמּוּדִים - ʿammûdîm) Literally "columns" or "supports." In ancient temple architecture, freestanding pillars at the entrance were not merely structural but often carried profound symbolic meaning—representing divine presence, cosmic order, stability, or the strength of the deity. For Yahweh's Temple, they signified God's steadfastness and power.
- each eighteen cubits high: (שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה קוֹמָתוֹ - shmōneh 'esreh 'ammāh qōmāh-tô) "Eighteen cubits" (approximately 27 feet or 8.2 meters) indicates a considerable height, signifying grandeur and prominence. While there's a variant in 2 Chr 3:15 suggesting 35 cubits (perhaps including the capitals or a combined height), this verse specifically refers to the shaft of the pillar. The number eighteen (twice nine, or 3 x 6) might carry significance related to divine order or the perfection implied by 3.
- and a circumference: (וְחוּט שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה יָסֹב אֶת־הַקּוֹמָה הַשְּׁתֵּי הָעַמֻּדִים - v'khûṭ shtêy 'esreh 'ammāh yāsōv 'et-haq-qômāh hashte 'î ha-ʿammudîm) Refers to the perimeter. This provides the proportional thickness of the massive pillars, indicating they were not slender but robust.
- of twelve cubits: (שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה - shtêy 'esreh 'ammāh) "Twelve cubits" (approx. 18 feet or 5.5 meters). The number twelve holds significant theological weight in the Bible, commonly associated with the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve apostles, divine completeness, and order (e.g., 12 gates of New Jerusalem in Rev 21). This dimension further links the pillars to God's people and His perfect divine plan.
- encircled each of the two pillars: (יָסֹב אֶת־הַקּוֹמָה הַשְּׁתֵּי הָעַמֻּדִים - yāsōv 'et-haq-qômāh hashte 'î ha-ʿammudîm) Describes the round shape and uniform measurement of each pillar, highlighting their identical and impressive form.
- He cast two bronze pillars: This phrase highlights both the material and the method of creation. Casting was a complex, labor-intensive process for such massive objects, emphasizing the advanced skill of Hiram and the considerable resources devoted to the Temple. The "two bronze pillars" speak to their purpose as dual sentinels or markers of a sacred threshold, rather than structural supports. Bronze signifies strength and enduring presence, fit for the dwelling place of God.
- each eighteen cubits high, and a circumference of twelve cubits: These specific measurements are crucial. They describe a significant size that would command attention and reflect the grandeur of the Temple. The precise dimensions, particularly the symbolic numbers like twelve, link these physical objects to divine order and completeness, reinforcing their theological rather than purely architectural, significance. Their identical nature underscores their balanced and symbolic pairing.
1 Kings 7 15 Bonus section
The full significance of these pillars is truly unveiled in 1 Kings 7:21, which states they were named Jachin and Boaz. "Jachin" means "He (God) establishes" and "Boaz" means "In Him (God) is strength." These names elevate the pillars beyond mere decoration, transforming them into profound theological declarations permanently inscribed at the very entrance to the Temple. They served as a constant reminder to all entering that God Himself establishes His dwelling among His people and provides strength to uphold His covenant and presence. This underscores that the Temple's stability, and indeed the stability of Israel, rested not on physical supports but on the character and power of Yahweh. The concept of God establishing also harks back to promises made to David about an established house and kingdom (2 Sam 7:12-16). There is a slight variation in measurements in 2 Chronicles 3:15, stating the pillars were "thirty-five cubits high," which some scholars suggest accounts for the inclusion of the large, ornate capitals (chapiters) described in the following verses, or the total height if laid end to end, maintaining consistency for the shaft length in both accounts. These pillars served as visual manifestations of foundational biblical truths.
1 Kings 7 15 Commentary
First Kings 7:15 introduces the twin bronze pillars, named Jachin ("He establishes") and Boaz ("In Him is strength") in verse 21, that adorned the porch of Solomon's Temple. More than mere architectural elements, their sheer scale—eighteen cubits high with a twelve-cubit circumference—and their material, bronze, infused them with profound symbolic meaning. Bronze, frequently used in the Tabernacle's ritual implements, conveyed themes of divine judgment, strength, and atonement, while the numbers themselves alluded to divine completeness (twelve) and perhaps stability. Standing freely, these pillars were powerful statements to all who approached God's house, proclaiming that God Himself is the one who establishes His covenant and His people, and that strength resides solely in Him. They marked the boundary between the common and the sacred, signifying the steadfastness of Yahweh's presence and His power to uphold all things.