1 Kings 7:23-40

Hiram Fashions The Molten Sea And The Ten Lavers With Their Instruments (1 Kings 7:23).

Hiram also fashioned the molten Sea, or Sea made of cast-work. The Hebrew word ‘sea' (yam) is nowhere else in Scripture used of anything other than literal large expanses of water or as an indicator of ‘the west' (because the Great (Mediterranean) Sea was to the west of Palestine, see 1 Kings 7:25). Thus its occurrence in this connection is unique in the Old Testament. In post Biblical Hebrew it would be used of settling tanks. But we can see why the Israelites, who were not used to such a large artificial expanse of water, and were filled with admiration at it, might call it a ‘sea' of water (compare how they would later call the lake of Galilee ‘a sea'). The word ‘molten' signifies that it was cast-work. The same ‘sea' is again mentioned in 2 Chronicles 4:2 where we are told that ‘the sea was for the priests to wash in' (1 Kings 7:6). We are not told how they accessed it, for it was five cubits high (1 Kings 2:3 metres, about seven and a half feet). Perhaps there was a kind of tap system by which water could be drawn off. But it clearly indicated the availability of abundant cleansing.

The suggestion that it symbolised the control of ‘chaos' by YHWH (in the Psalms YHWH never fights the sea, He always controls it with His sovereign word and power - Psalms 74:12; Psalms 89:9; Psalms 93:3; Psalms 98:7; Psalms 104:9; compare Job 38:11) is attractive but probably ungrounded. There is nowhere any hint of chaos in connection with it. Compare how in Revelation 4:6 the sea had become a solid because in Heaven no cleansing was needed.

Artificial water sources were found in other temples. The nearest comparison is a large stone basin from Amathus in Cyprus, which Isaiah 2:2 metres in diameter and 1.85 metres high, specific purpose unknown. It has four false handles in relief, circling the heads of bulls (compare 1 Kings 7:24 in the light of 2 Chronicles 4:3). There was also an artificial sea connected with the temple of Marduk in Babylon which was associated with a monster, and therefore probably connected by them with Chaos. But in view of the fact that the Tabernacle had a laver, or large bowl on a base, filled with water, for the priests to wash in (Exodus 30:17), and that Solomon undoubtedly loved magnifying things up (consider the cherubim in the Most Holy Place), it is most probable that that is how the molten Sea was looked at in Israel, especially in view of 2 Chronicles 4:6. It was thus to be seen as the place of lavish provision for cleansing, much needed in view of Solomon's tendency for multiple sacrifices which would involve many priests in relays. It would also probably be used to top up the ten ‘bowls on wheels' described below, which according to the Chronicler were for washing the parts of the sacrifices (e.g. Leviticus 1:13; Leviticus 8:21; etc.).