1 Kings 7:26

“And it was an hand breadth thick, etc.] Or four fingers, as in (<245221>Jeremiah 52:21) and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies, embroidered and engraven on it for ornament sake: it contained 2,000 baths; which is reckoned about five hundred barrels of water; it was filled by the Gibeonites; in (<140405>2 Chronicles 4:5), it is said to receive and hold 3,000 baths, which the Jewish writers f119 thus reconcile; they suppose here it means so many baths of liquid, as the Targum expresses, there of dry measure, which might be heaped up, and so contain more; but as this was a vessel for water, and this distinction seems to answer no purpose, it may be…”

“The palm or hand-breadth seems to have a little exceeded three inches. With flowers of lilies - Rather, “in the shape of a lily flower.” The rim was slightly curved outward, like the rim of an ordinary drinking-cup, or the edge of a lily blossom. See 2 Chronicles 4:5 margin. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Baths - Which amounts to five hundred barrels, each bath containing about eight gallons; the bath being a measure of the same bigness with an ephah. 3 Kings (1 Kings) 7:27”

“an hand breadth: Jer 52:21 with flowers: Kg1 7:19, Kg1 6:18, Kg1 6:32, Kg1 6:35 it contained: This immense laver, called a sea from it magnitude, held, at a moderate computation, 16,000 gallons. Besides this great brazen laver, there were in the temple ten lavers of brass of a less size, which moved on wheels, and were ornamented with the figures of various animals, having, probably, always some relation to the cherubim. These lavers were to hold water for the use of the priests in their sacred office, particularly to wash the victims that were to be offered as a burnt offering, as we learn from Ch2 4:6; but the brazen sea was for the priests to wash in. The knops are supposed to have been…”