Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
1 Kings 7:27-37
The Fashioning Of The Bases For The Lavers (1 Kings 7:27).
As well as ‘the Sea' at which priest could wash their hands and feet, there were also to be ten large wash bowls, situated on ten moveable bases, which were to be used for the purpose of washing parts of the sacrifices. They could be filled from the ‘sea' and wheeled over to the altar for that purpose. The bases were somewhat complicated, described in technical language, and are explained first.
A ‘trolley' for carrying bowls, which must have been something similar to these although much smaller, was discovered at Larnaka in Cyprus. It was a small bronze carriage, mounted on four wheels, with the square upper frame supporting a cylindrical ring which was adapted to receive rounded vessels. These ones in Solomon's Temple were much larger. Another example was found at Enkomi, and a similar framework on a base but without the wheels was discovered at Megiddo.
Analysis.
a And he made the ten bases of bronze. Four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits its breadth, and three cubits its height (1 Kings 7:27).
b And the work of the bases was on this manner, they had panels, and there were panels between the ledges, and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim (1 Kings 7:28).
c And upon the ledges there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work (1 Kings 7:29).
d And every base had four bronze wheels, and axles of bronze, and its four feet had undersetters. Beneath the laver were the undersetters molten, with wreaths at the side of each (1 Kings 7:30).
e And the mouth of it within the capital and above was a cubit, and its mouth was round after the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half, and also on the mouth of it were gravings, and their panels were foursquare, not round (1 Kings 7:31).
d And the four wheels were underneath the panels, and the axletrees of the wheels were in the base, and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel, their axletrees, and their felloes, and their spokes, and their naves, were all molten. And there were four undersetters at the four corners of each base. Its undersetters were of the base itself (1 Kings 7:32).
c And in the top of the base was there a round compass half a cubit high; and on the top of the base were its stays and its panels were of the same (1 Kings 7:35).
b And on the plates of its stays, and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm-trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths round about (1 Kings 7:36).
a After this manner he made the ten bases. All of them had one casting, one measure, and one form (1 Kings 7:37).
Note that in ‘a' he made the ten bases and in the parallel how he made the ten bases is referred to. In ‘b' the panels were decorated with lions, oxen and Cherubim, and in the parallel were decorations of lions, oxen and palm trees. In ‘c' the ‘pedestal above' is referred to, and in the parallel details of that pedestal are given. In ‘d' the wheels and undersetters are indicated, and in the parallel they are described. Central in ‘e' is the description of the cylindrical ‘mouth' which will hold the bowls of water.
‘ And he made the ten bases of bronze. Four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits its breadth, and three cubits its height.'
The bases were made of bronze, and were four cubits by four cubits (foursquare), and three cubits in height. They would need to be foursquare (rather than oblong) to hold the four cubit bowls in place.
‘ And the work of the bases was on this manner, they had panels, and there were panels between the ledges, and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim, and upon the ledges there was a pedestal above, and beneath the lions and oxen were spiral patterns of hanging work.'
The bases were panelled between the two ledges at top and bottom, and on these panels were depictions of lions, oxen and cherubim. Above the top ledge was a pedestal which would hold the bowl. And beneath the representations of the lions and oxen were spiral patterns of hanging work.
It will be noted that apart from the Cherubim no images of living creatures were allowed within the Sanctuary itself. They could too easily be open to the wrong interpretation. But here in the Inner court they were a reminder that these creatures were a part of God's creation, covering heavenly beings (the Cherubim), wild beasts (the lions) and domestic animals (the oxen). The Larnaka laver stand mentioned above was decorated with sphinxes (the pagan equivalent to Cherubim) and stylised palm trees.
‘ And every base had four bronze wheels, and axles of bronze, and its four feet had undersetters. Beneath the laver were the undersetters molten, with spiral patterns at the side of each.'
Each of the bases had four wheels to them, fixed on axles of bronze, and the four legs in which the axles were set had undersetters (literally ‘shoulders') on them at the top which held up the basin, with spiral patterns (wreaths) by each one.
‘ And the mouth of it within the capital and above was a cubit, and its mouth was round after the work of a pedestal, a cubit and a half, and also on the mouth of it were gravings, and their panels were foursquare, not round.'
The ‘mouth' would be the circular frame which was designed to hold the basin (which was four cubits in diameter). It was ‘round in the same way as a stand (or pedestal)'. This might suggest that above the main square base was a round pedestal or stand which could be described as ‘the head (or capital)' (see 1 Kings 7:29) and held the circular framework, and was itself a cubit and a half above the main frame. The circular frame then rose one cubit above the top framework (the capital), no doubt by means of struts. Alternatively the top pedestal rose a cubit and a half above the main framework, with the circular frame sunk half a cubit within it, thus being one cubit above the main base. The circular frame was decorated with engravings, while the panels below on the main base (in 1 Kings 7:32 the four wheels are below the panels) were foursquare, not round.
Alternatively ‘in the same way as a pedestal' may be a foreshortening for ‘in the same way as the wheels in the pedestal', for the wheels were themselves a cubit and a half (1 Kings 7:32). That would involve the word ‘pedestal' being applied both to the top part of the whole, and to the whole, which is not impossible.
‘ And the four wheels were underneath the panels, and the axletrees of the wheels were in the base, and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.'
The axle trees of the wheels were fitted into the base in such a way that they were below the panels, and thus did not hide them, and each wheel was a cubit and a half (three quarters of a metre, two foot three inches) in diameter.
‘ And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel, their axletrees, and their felloes, and their spokes, and their naves, were all molten.'
The wheels were designed in a similar way to chariot wheels, except that all the parts of them were of cast work.
‘ And there were four undersetters at the four corners of each base. Its undersetters were of the base itself.'
These four undersetters were mentioned in 1 Kings 7:30, going from corner to corner at the top of the base and strengthening the base, and holding the cylindrical frame, being in fact cast as a part of the base.
‘ And in the top of the base was there a round compass half a cubit high; and on the top of the base were its stays and its panels were of the same.'
Here we have an abbreviated summary of the whole. If the suggestion that the top pedestal or stand rose one and a half cubits above the main base and that the circular frame for holding the bowls was sunk by half a cubit so that it was one cubit above the main base is correct (see 1 Kings 7:31), that would explain the half cubit here which can then be seen as describing the height of the rounded pedestal above the circular frame. Also on top of the base were its stays, and its panels were part of the base.
‘ And on the plates of its stays, and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm-trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths round about.'
And on the plates connected with the stays, and on the panels of the base, were engraved Cherubim, lions and palm trees, in accordance with the mount of space that they provided. The palm trees may have been engraved only on the stays, as they were not earlier mentioned as on the panels. Sphinxes and palm trees were similarly found on the Larnaka laver.
‘ After this manner he made the ten bases. All of them had one casting, one measure, and one form.'
So this was the way in which he made the ten bases, and they were all made in exactly the same way, and to the same measurement, and in the same shape.