Bronze Sea — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Large tank of water in Solomon’s temple yard for the priests’ washing (1 Kgs 7:23-44; 2 Kgs 16:17; 25:13; 1 Chr 18:8; 2 Chr 4:2-6, 15 OET CH2 4:2–6 · OET CH2 4:15; Jer 52:17). Cast from bronze and about three inches (7.6 centimeters) thick (a handbreadth), it was mounted on 12 bronze oxen (three facing in each compass direction) in the courtyard at the southeast corner of the sanctuary. It was five cubits (about 7.5 feet, or over 2 meters) high and ten cubits (15 feet, or 4.6 meters) in diameter, with a capacity of either 2,000 baths (1 Kgs 7:26) or 3,000 (2 Chr 4:5). The discrepancy possibly comes from a scribal error. The bath (originally a vessel large enough to hold a person) was a liquid measure of about 6 gallons (23 liters), so the tank held perhaps 18,000 gallons (68,136 liters) of water.

Show passage in OET: KI2 16:17

OET-RV KI2 16:17

17 Then King Ahaz cut the frames off the stands outside the temple, and he removed the basins off them. He took down ‘The Sea’ that had been sitting on top of bronze bulls and put it on the stone floor.

OET-LV KI2 16:17

17 And_ the_king ʼĀḩāz _he _cut _off DOM the_rims the_stands and_he _removed from_on_them and the_laver and_DOM the_sea he _took _down from_under the_ox[en] the_bronze which were_under_it and_he/it _gave DOM_him/it on a _pavement _of stone(s).

Show passage in OET: KI2 25:13

OET-RV KI2 25:13

13 The Babylonians smashed the bronze pillars and the bases and the bronze ‘sea’ from the temple, and took all the bronze to Bavel (Babylon).

OET-LV KI2 25:13

13 And_DOM the _pillars _of (the)_bronze which were_the _house _of YHWH and_DOM the_stands and_DOM the _sea _of (the)_bronze which in_house _of YHWH the_ones_from _Kasdiy they _broke and_they _carried _off DOM bronze _of_their to_Bāⱱel.

Show passage in OET: CH1 18:8

OET-RV CH1 18:8

8 He also took a lot of bronze from Hadadezer’s cities of Tivhat and Kun. (Later, Shelomoh (Solomon) used it to make the huge bronze basin called ‘the sea’, along with its pillars and other bronze items.)

OET-LV CH1 18:8

8 And_from_Ţiⱱḩat and_from_Kun the _cities _of Hₐdadˊezer Dāvid he _took bronze much very with_it Shəlomoh/(Solomon) he _made DOM the _sea _of (the)_bronze and_DOM the_pillars and_DOM the _articles _of (the)_bronze.

Show passage in OET: CH2 4:2–6; CH2 4:15

OET-RV CH2 4:2

2 and he made the large round metal water tank (called ‘The Sea’), which was 4.5m in diameter and over two metres high.

OET-RV CH2 4:3

3 Below the outer rim were two rows of small ornamental bulls spaced 45cm apart, which were part of the same casting.

OET-RV CH2 4:4

4 Supporting ‘The Sea’ were twelve large cast bulls—facing outwards, with three facing each of the four compass points.

OET-RV CH2 4:5

5 The sides of the tank were eight centimeters thick. The tank’s brim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, resembling a lily blossom. The tank held sixty-six thousand litres of water.

OET-RV CH2 4:6

6 Then he made ten washbasins, placing five on each side for the priests to rinse the burnt offerings in. The priests used ‘The Sea’ to wash in.

OET-RV CH2 4:15

15 ‘The Sea’ and the twelve bulls that hold it up,

OET-LV CH2 4:2

2 And_he/it _made DOM the_sea throw_metal was_ten by_cubit from_lip _of_its to lip _of_its round all _around and_was_five by_cubit height _of_its and_a _measuring-line thirty by_cubit it _went _round DOM_him/it all _around.

OET-LV CH2 4:3

3 And_the_likeness _of oxen was_under to_him/it all _around all _around they_were_going _round DOM_him/it ten by_cubit they_were_encircling DOM the_sea all _around was_two rows the_ox[en] they_were_throw in_casting _of_its.

OET-LV CH2 4:4

4 It_was_standing on two _plus ten ox[en] three were_turning northward_to and_three were_turning westward_to and_three were_turning southward_to and_three were_turning eastward_to and_the_sea was_on_them from_to_above and_all hindquarters _of_their inside_were_to_the.

OET-LV CH2 4:5

5 And_thickness _of_its was_a _hand _breadth and_lip _of_its was_like_the_work _of the_lip _of a _cup the_blossom _of a _lily it_was_holding baths three _of thousand(s) it _contained.

OET-LV CH2 4:6

6 And_he/it _made lavers ten and_he/it _gave five from_the_right and_five from_the_left to_wash in/among_them DOM the _work _of the _burnt _offering people _rinsed in_them and_the_sea to_wash was_for_priests in/on/over_him/it.

OET-LV CH2 4:15

15 DOM the_sea one and_DOM the_ox[en] two _plus ten under_it.

Show passage in OET: JER 52:17

OET-RV JER 52:17

17 As for the bronze pillars that were part of Yahweh’s temple, and the large bronze basin called ‘The Sea’, and the stands that were in it, the Kasdim (Chaldeans) broke them into pieces and carried all the bronze back to Bavel (Babylon).

OET-LV JER 52:17

17 And_DOM the _pillars _of (the)_bronze which belonged_to_the _house _of YHWH and_DOM the_stands and_DOM the _sea _of (the)_bronze which in_house _of YHWH the_ones_from _Kasdiy they _broke and_they _carried _off DOM all _of bronze _of_their to_Bāⱱel.

Show passage in OET: KI1 7:26

OET-RV KI1 7:26

26 The basin was about 8cm thick and it had a lip around the outside like a lily blossom. It could contain around forty-four thousand litres of water.

OET-LV KI1 7:26

26 And_thickness _of_its was_a _hand _breadth and_lip _of_its was_like_the_work _of the_lip _of a _cup the_blossom _of a _lily two _thousand bath[s] it _contained.

Show passage in OET: CH2 4:5

OET-RV CH2 4:5

5 The sides of the tank were eight centimeters thick. The tank’s brim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, resembling a lily blossom. The tank held sixty-six thousand litres of water.

OET-LV CH2 4:5

5 And_thickness _of_its was_a _hand _breadth and_lip _of_its was_like_the_work _of the_lip _of a _cup the_blossom _of a _lily it_was_holding baths three _of thousand(s) it _contained.

Jump to OET KI2 16:17 section.

Jump to OET KI2 25:13 section.

Jump to OET CH1 18:8 section.

Jump to OET CH2 4:2–6 section. · OET CH2 4:15 section.

Jump to OET JER 52:17 section.

Jump to OET KI1 7:26 section.

Jump to OET CH2 4:5 section.