2 Kings 25 16

2 Kings 25:16 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.

2 Kings 25:16 nkjv

The two pillars, one Sea, and the carts, which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure.

2 Kings 25:16 niv

The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed.

2 Kings 25:16 esv

As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.

2 Kings 25:16 nlt

The weight of the bronze from the two pillars, the Sea, and the water carts was too great to be measured. These things had been made for the LORD's Temple in the days of Solomon.

2 Kings 25 verses

2 Kings 25 16 Meaning

The verse details the vast quantity of bronze objects taken as plunder from the Temple of the Lord by the Babylonian forces. Specifically mentioned are the two massive bronze pillars, the large Molten Sea (or bronze Laver), and the movable stands for other lavers. The description emphasizes that the sheer weight of all these items combined was incalculable, indicating an immeasurable amount of wealth and a significant loss to Judah, underscoring the severity of the Temple's desecration and destruction.

2 Kings 25 16 Context

This verse is situated in 2 Kings chapter 25, which narrates the final devastating events of the kingdom of Judah. It describes the Babylonian siege and conquest of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar, culminating in the destruction of the Temple and the city walls in 586 BCE. The immediate verses (2 Ki 25:8-12) detail the burning of the Temple and other significant buildings. Verses 13-17 then focus on the systematic plundering and breaking up of the valuable bronze articles from the Temple, including the precise items mentioned in verse 16. This account highlights the complete subjugation of Judah and the removal of the outward symbols of their faith and identity, serving as the physical manifestation of God's promised judgment against His disobedient people. Historically, this event represents the end of the First Temple period and the beginning of the Babylonian Exile. The magnitude of the items and the incalculable bronze underscore the immense scale of this national disaster.

2 Kings 25 16 Word analysis

• The two pillars: Original Hebrew: עַמּוּדִים (ammudim). These refer to Jachin and Boaz (1 Ki 7:15-22; 2 Chr 3:15-17). They were colossal bronze columns, not structural but symbolic, standing at the porch of Solomon's Temple. Their destruction and removal signify the collapse of Judah's perceived security and the loss of magnificent symbols of God's established covenant.
• one sea: Original Hebrew: יָם (yam). This is the "Molten Sea" (1 Ki 7:23-26; 2 Chr 4:2-5), a very large bronze basin resting on twelve bronze oxen. It was used by the priests for washing. Its immense size and capacity underscore the wealth and scale of Temple furnishings, making its plundering a substantial acquisition for the Babylonians and a profound loss for the Israelites.
• and the stands: Original Hebrew: מְכֹנֹת (mekonot). These were ten ornate movable bronze stands that supported the smaller bronze lavers (1 Ki 7:27-39; 2 Chr 4:6). Each laver on its stand held considerable water, again emphasizing the quantity and utility of these items for Temple service, now lost.
• which Solomon had made: This phrase ties these articles directly back to the initial construction and golden age of the Temple under King Solomon. It highlights their original purpose as items for God's worship and emphasizes their ancient and sacred provenance, making their destruction and looting even more poignant and a greater symbol of desecration.
• for the house of the LORD: Original Hebrew: לְבֵית־יְהוָה (lĕbet-YHWH). This designates the Jerusalem Temple, God's dwelling place among His people. The removal of its articles signifies not just material loss but also a profound spiritual and theological upheaval, indicating that God had permitted the desecration of His own sanctuary as a judgment.
• the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weighable: Original Hebrew: לֹא נִתְקָן מִשְׁקָל לִנְשֶׁת הַנְּחֹשֶׁת הַנּוֹעַזָה מֵהֶם (lo nitqan mishqal li-nshet ha-neḥošet ha-noaʿza mehem). More accurately rendered as "there was no weighing the bronze, for the immensity [of it]" or "there was no assessing the weight of the enormous bronze." This emphasizes the incredibly massive quantity and weight of the bronze taken from just these major items. It suggests that the bronze was too vast to be precisely measured by typical scales or that its sheer bulk made any attempt to weigh it futile. It powerfully communicates the complete and overwhelming nature of the plunder, contributing to the lamentable tone of the historical record.

2 Kings 25 16 Bonus section

The amount of bronze described as "beyond weighable" likely refers not only to the physical challenge of weighing such massive and numerous items with ancient technology but also serves as a rhetorical device to emphasize the sheer, almost incomprehensible scale of the wealth confiscated. Some historical interpretations and archaeological insights into ancient Near Eastern temples indicate that the stripping of a temple's assets was a definitive statement of conquest, aiming to degrade the defeated nation and its patron deity. This detail thus magnifies the humiliation and sorrow associated with the Babylonian exile. Furthermore, this description sets the stage for the prophetic hope found in texts like Haggai 2:9, which speaks of the "latter glory" of the rebuilt temple surpassing that of the former, indicating that material grandeur, though immense, was not the ultimate measure of God's presence or glory.

2 Kings 25 16 Commentary

2 Kings 25:16 is a stark testament to the total devastation of Solomon's Temple, marking the literal fulfillment of divine judgment upon Judah for its unfaithfulness. The verse is not just a descriptive list of stolen items; it underscores the unparalleled wealth and architectural grandeur of the Temple, meticulously built centuries earlier by Solomon, which now lay vulnerable to an enemy's plunder. The specific mention of the monumental pillars, the colossal Sea, and the intricate stands draws attention to the most prominent and symbolically significant bronze objects, whose immeasurable weight signified an unquantifiable loss. This plundering represented more than mere material theft; it was a desecration of what was considered sacred, symbolizing the perceived defeat of Israel's God by Babylon's deities, a narrative that the biblical writers powerfully reframed as God's sovereign hand executing His just decrees against His rebellious people.