Laver* — Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

Basin filled with water that the priests used to wash their hands and feet before entering the Holy Place and before returning to serve at the altar (Ex 30:17-21). In Solomon’s temple a large laver called the “molten sea” was placed between the altar of burnt offerings in the courtyard and the entrance to the inner temple. This consisted of the large basin and the pedestal on which it sat (Ex 30:18); it was made of bronze or brass, melted and shaped from mirrors of highly polished metal given by Israelite women (38:8).

Show passage in OET: EXO 30:17–21

OET-RV EXO 30:17

17 The Yahweh told Mosheh (Moses):

OET-RV EXO 30:18

18 Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze base. Place it between the sacred tent and the altar, and fill it with water

OET-RV EXO 30:19

19 and Aharon (Aaron) and his sons must wash their hands and feet in it.

OET-RV EXO 30:20

20 Before they go into the sacred tent, they must wash with water so that won’t die, and also when they’re going to the altar to burn offerings to me—

OET-RV EXO 30:21

21 they must wash their hands and feet so they won’t die. This will be a rule for them and for all their descendants throughout the generations.

OET-LV EXO 30:17

17 And_ YHWH _he/it _spoke to Mosheh to_saying.

OET-LV EXO 30:18

18 And_you _will _make a _laver bronze and_base _of_its bronze for_washing and_you _will _put DOM_him/it between the _tent _of meeting and_between the_altar and_you _will _put there_(to) water.

OET-LV EXO 30:19

19 And_ ʼAhₐron and_sons _of_his _they _will _wash from_him/it DOM hands _of_their and_DOM feet _of_their.

OET-LV EXO 30:20

20 When_go_they into the _tent _of meeting they _will _wash water and_not they _will _die or when_they_draw _near to the_altar to_serve to_make _smoke a _fire _offering to/for_YHWH.

OET-LV EXO 30:21

21 And_they _will _wash hands _of_their and_feet _of_their and_not they _will _die and_it _will _be to/for_them a _decree _of perpetuity to_him/it and_for_offspring _of_his to_generations _of_their.

Show passage in OET: EXO 30:18

OET-RV EXO 30:18

18 Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze base. Place it between the sacred tent and the altar, and fill it with water

OET-LV EXO 30:18

18 And_you _will _make a _laver bronze and_base _of_its bronze for_washing and_you _will _put DOM_him/it between the _tent _of meeting and_between the_altar and_you _will _put there_(to) water.

Show passage in OET: EXO 38:8

OET-RV EXO 38:8

8 Then he made a bronze washbasin and base. They were made with the bronze from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the entrance of the sacred tent.

OET-LV EXO 38:8

8 And_he/it _made DOM the_laver bronze and_DOM base _of_its bronze with_the _mirrors _of the _serving_women who they _served the _entrance _of the _tent _of meeting.

Jump to OET EXO 30:17–21 section.

Jump to OET EXO 30:18 section.

Jump to OET EXO 38:8 section.

In Solomon’s temple, in addition to the molten sea (1 Kgs 7:23), there were ten smaller lavers, five on the north and five on the south sides of the sanctuary (1 Kgs 7:38-39). Each held 40 baths (320–440 gallons, or 1,211.2–1,665.4 liters), one-fiftieth the capacity of the large laver. The lavishly decorated molten sea was used for the ablutions of the priests, while the ten lavers were no doubt used for the sacrifices (2 Chr 4:6). Later King Ahaz, possibly for religious or financial reasons, severed the lavers from their bases and the sea from its base, placing it on a stone pediment (2 Kgs 16:17). The prophet Jeremiah, during King Jehoiakim’s reign, predicted that the molten sea and the bases would be carried into Babylon (Jer 27:19-22), which in fact happened, according to Jeremiah 52:17. No mention is made of the ten small lavers, which were perhaps already melted down and sold.

Show passage in OET: KI1 7:23

OET-RV KI1 7:23

23 Huram also cast a very large round basin nicknamed ‘The sea’ that was five metres across (so a circumference of fourteen metres) and over two metres high.

OET-LV KI1 7:23

23 And_he/it _made DOM the_sea throw_metal was_ten by_cubit from_lip _of_its to lip _of_its round all _around five by_cubit height _of_its and thirty by_cubit it _went _round DOM_him/it all _around.

Show passage in OET: KI1 7:38–39

OET-RV KI1 7:38

38 Huram also cast ten bronze wash basins for the ten carts—each one was almost two metres across and could hold nine hundred litres of water.

OET-RV KI1 7:39

39 He put five basins on carts on each side of the temple (north and south of the east-facing temple), and he put the huge basin on its bronze cattle near the south-east corner.

OET-LV KI1 7:38

38 And_he/it _made ten lavers _of bronze forty bath[s] it _contained the_laver the_one was_four by_cubit the_laver the_one a _laver one was_on the_stand the_one(f) for_the _ten the_stands.

OET-LV KI1 7:39

39 And_he/it _gave DOM the_stands five on the _side _of the _house from_the_right and_five on the _side _of the _house from_left _of_its and_DOM the_sea he _put from_the _side _of the _house (the)_right eastward_toward from_in _front _of the_south.

Show passage in OET: CH2 4:6

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-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.

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: JER 27:19–22

OET-RV JER 27:19

19 Yes, Commander-in-chief Yahweh has spoken about the bronze pillars and the large, bronze water basin, and concerning the bronze stands and the rest of the utensils remaining in this city,

OET-RV JER 27:20

20 which the Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) didn’t take when he exiled Yehudah’s King Yekaneyah (son of Yehoyakim) from Yerushalem to Bavel, along with all the leading citizens of Yehudah including Yerushalem.

OET-RV JER 27:21

21 Yisrael’s (Israel’s) god, Commander-in-chief Yahweh says about the utensils remaining in Yahweh’s temple and in the palace of the king of Yehudah and Yerushalem:

OET-RV JER 27:22

22 They’ll be taken to Bavel and they’ll remain there until the time when I punish those Babylonians, and then I’ll bring them back and restore them to this place. That is Yahweh’s declaration.

OET-LV JER 27:19

19 If/because thus YHWH soldiers/messengers he _says concerning the_pillars and_on the_sea and_on the_stands and_on the _remainder _of the_vessels which_remain in_city (the)_this.

OET-LV JER 27:20

20 Which not he_took _them Nəⱱūkadneʦʦar the _king _of Bāⱱel when_he_took _into _exile DOM Yəkon^yāh/(Jeconiah) the _son _of Yəhōyāqīm/(Jehoiakim) the _king _of Yəhūdāh from_Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) to_Bāⱱel and_DOM all _of the _nobles _of Yəhūdāh and_Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem).

OET-LV JER 27:21

21 If/because thus YHWH soldiers/messengers the _god _of Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel) he _says on the_vessels which_remain the _house _of YHWH and_the _house _of the _king _of Yəhūdāh and_Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem).

OET-LV JER 27:22

22 To_Bāⱱel they _will _be _taken and_there_(to) they _will _remain until the _day _of I_give _attention _to DOM_them the _utterance _of YHWH and_I_will _bring _them _up and_I_will _bring _them _back to the_place (the)_this.

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.

Jump to OET KI1 7:23 section.

Jump to OET KI1 7:38–39 section.

Jump to OET CH2 4:6 section.

Jump to OET KI2 16:17 section.

Jump to OET JER 27:19–22 section.

Jump to OET JER 52:17 section.

In Ezekiel’s description of the temple to come (Ez 40–42 OET EZE 40:1–49 · OET EZE 41:1–26 · OET EZE 42:1–20), there is no mention of a laver or molten sea. The apostle John, however, in Revelation 4:6 and 15:2 mentions a “sea of glass,” perhaps reminiscent of Solomon’s molten sea.