2 Chronicles 4:3
New International Version
Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit. The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

New Living Translation
It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of figures that resembled oxen. There were about six oxen per foot all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin.

English Standard Version
Under it were figures of gourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast.

Berean Standard Bible
Below the rim, figures of oxen encircled it, ten per cubit all the way around the Sea, cast in two rows as a part of the Sea.

King James Bible
And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

New King James Version
And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast.

New American Standard Bible
Now figures like oxen were under it and all around it, ten cubits, entirely encircling the Sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.

NASB 1995
Now figures like oxen were under it and all around it, ten cubits, entirely encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.

NASB 1977
Now figures like oxen were under it and all around it, ten cubits, entirely encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now figures like oxen were under it and encircling it, ten cubits, entirely encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.

Amplified Bible
Under it and entirely encircling it were figures of oxen, ten to a cubit. The oxen were in two rows, cast in one piece.

Christian Standard Bible
The likeness of oxen was below it, completely encircling it, ten every half yard, completely surrounding the basin. The oxen were cast in two rows when the basin was cast.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The likeness of oxen was below it, completely encircling it, 10 every half yard, completely surrounding the reservoir. The oxen were cast in two rows when the reservoir was cast.

American Standard Version
And under it was the likeness of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English


Brenton Septuagint Translation
And beneath it the likeness of calves, they compass it round about: ten cubits compass the laver round about, they cast the calves two rows in their casting,

Contemporary English Version
Its outer edge was decorated with two rows of carvings of bulls, ten bulls to about every 45 centimeters, all made from the same piece of metal as the bowl.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And under it there was the likeness of oxen, and certain engravings on the outside of ten cubits compassed the belly of the sea, as it were with two rows.

English Revised Version
And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Under the rim were two rows of figurines shaped like bulls all around the 45-foot circumference of the pool. They were cast in metal when the pool was cast.

Good News Translation
All around the outer edge of the rim of the tank were two rows of decorations, one above the other. The decorations were in the shape of bulls, which had been cast all in one piece with the rest of the tank.

International Standard Version
Underneath, figurines resembling oxen encircled the circular sea beneath it, ten oxen every cubit, and encircling the sea completely. The oxen were in two rows, cast all at the same time.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about, for ten cubits, compassing the sea round about. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

Literal Standard Version
And the likeness of oxen [is] under it, encompassing it all around, ten to the cubit, surrounding the sea around; two rows of oxen are cast in its being cast.

Majority Standard Bible
Below the rim, figures of oxen encircled it, ten per cubit all the way around the Sea, cast in two rows as a part of the Sea.

New American Bible
Under the brim a ring of figures of oxen encircled it for ten cubits, all the way around the compass of the sea; there were two rows of oxen cast in one mold with the sea.

NET Bible
Images of bulls were under it all the way around, ten every eighteen inches all the way around. The bulls were in two rows and had been cast with "The Sea."

New Revised Standard Version
Under it were panels all around, each of ten cubits, surrounding the sea; there were two rows of panels, cast when it was cast.

New Heart English Bible
Under it was the likeness of oxen, which encircled it, for seventeen feet and three inches, encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

Webster's Bible Translation
And under it was the similitude of oxen, which encompassed it: ten in a cubit, encompassing the sea. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

World English Bible
Under it was the likeness of oxen, which encircled it, for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast when it was cast.

Young's Literal Translation
And the likeness of oxen is under it, all round about encompassing it, ten in the cubit, compassing the sea round about; two rows of oxen are cast in its being cast.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Bronze Altar and Molten Sea
2He also made the Sea of cast metal. It was circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim, five cubits in height, and thirty cubits in circumference. 3Below the rim, figures of oxen encircled it, ten per cubit all the way around the Sea, cast in two rows as a part of the Sea. 4The Sea stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The Sea rested on them, with all their hindquarters toward the center.…

Cross References
Joshua 6:3
March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days.

1 Kings 7:24
Below the rim, ornamental buds encircled it, ten per cubit all the way around the Sea, cast in two rows as a part of the Sea.

2 Chronicles 4:2
He also made the Sea of cast metal. It was circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim, five cubits in height, and thirty cubits in circumference.

2 Chronicles 4:4
The Sea stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The Sea rested on them, with all their hindquarters toward the center.


Treasury of Scripture

And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

And under

1 Kings 7:24-26
And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast…

Ezekiel 1:10
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

Ezekiel 10:14
And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

1 Kings 6:18
And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

2 Kings 4:39
And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

Jump to Previous
Below Cast Circling Compass Compassing Cubit Cubits Design Encircled Encircling Enclosing Encompassed Encompassing Entirely Figures Flowers Gourds Likeness Liquid Metal Oxen Piece Rim Round Rows Sea Similitude Ten Thirty Time Water-Vessel
Jump to Next
Below Cast Circling Compass Compassing Cubit Cubits Design Encircled Encircling Enclosing Encompassed Encompassing Entirely Figures Flowers Gourds Likeness Liquid Metal Oxen Piece Rim Round Rows Sea Similitude Ten Thirty Time Water-Vessel
2 Chronicles 4
1. The altar of brass
2. The molten sea upon twelve oxen
6. The ten lavers, candlesticks, and tables
9. The courts, and the instruments of brass
19. The instruments of gold














(3) And under it was the similitude of oxen.--Literally, And a likeness of oxen (figured oxen) under it around surrounding it, ten in the cubit encompassing the sea around: two rows were the oxen, smelted in the smelting of it. In the parallel passage (1Kings 7:24) we read: And wild gourds underneath its lip around surrounding it," &c., as here; two of rows were the gourds, smelted in the smelting thereof. The Hebrew words for "oxen" and "gourds" might easily be confused by a transcriber, and accordingly it is assumed by most commentators that the text of the chronicler has suffered corruption, and should be restored from that of Kings. But there seems no reason--unless we suppose that each writer has given an exhaustive description, which is clearly not the case--why the ornamental rows which ran round the great basin should not have included both features, small figures of oxen, as well as wild gourds. Reuss objects on the ground of the diminutive size of the axon ("ten in a cubit"); but such work was by no means beyond the resources of ancient art. (Comp. the reliefs on the bronze doors of Shalmaneser 11. (859-825 B.C. ); 1Kings 7:29 actually gives an analogous instance.) The word p?q?'im, "wild gourds," only occurs in one other place of Kings, viz., 1Kings 6:18. (Comp. paqq-'oth, 2Kings 4:39.) A copyist of Kings might nave inadvertently repeated the word from the former passage in 1Kings 7:24. In any case it is sheer dogmatism to assert that "the copyists (in the Chronicle) have absurdly changed the gourds into oxen" (Reuss). The Syriac and Arabic omit this verse; but the LXX. and Vulg. have it.

Verse 3. - The similitude of oxen. The parallel gives simply "knops" (i.e. flower-buds) in the room of this expression, and no word "similitude" at all, the characters spelling the word for "knops" being פְּקָעִים, and those for "oxen" being בְּקָרִים. The presence of the word "similitude" strongly suggests that the circles of decoration under description showed the likenesses of oxen, not necessarily (as Patrick) "stamped" on the so-called knops, but possibly constituting them. For the ambiguous under it of our present verse the parallel says with definiteness, "under the brim of it." There is intelligibility, at all events, in the ornamentation being of these miniature oxen, presumably three hundred in the circle of the thirty cubits. The symbolism would harmonize with that which dictated the superposition of the enormous vase on twelve probably life-size oxen. There is a general preference, however, accorded to the opinion that the present text has probably been the result of some copyist's corruption, and that the text of the parallel should be followed.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Below [the rim],
תַּ֨חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

figures
וּדְמ֣וּת (ū·ḏə·mūṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1823: Resemblance, model, shape, like

of oxen
בְּקָרִים֩ (bə·qā·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1241: Beef cattle, ox, a herd

encircled
סָבִ֤יב ׀ (sā·ḇîḇ)
Adverb
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around

it,
אֹת֔וֹ (’ō·ṯōw)
Direct object marker | third person masculine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

ten
עֶ֚שֶׂר (‘e·śer)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 6235: Ten

per cubit
בָּֽאַמָּ֔ה (bā·’am·māh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 520: A mother, a cubit, a door-base

all the way
מַקִּיפִ֥ים (maq·qî·p̄îm)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5362: To strike, to knock together, surround, circulate

around
סָבִ֑יב (sā·ḇîḇ)
Adverb
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around

the Sea,
הַיָּ֖ם (hay·yām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

cast
יְצוּקִ֖ים (yə·ṣū·qîm)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural
Strong's 3332: To pour out, to melt, cast as metal, to place firmly, to stiffen, grow hard

in two
שְׁנַ֤יִם (šə·na·yim)
Number - md
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

rows
טוּרִים֙ (ṭū·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2905: A row, a wall

as a part of [the Sea].
בְּמֻֽצַקְתּֽוֹ׃ (bə·mu·ṣaq·tōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4166: Something poured out, a casting, a tube


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 4:3 Under it was the likeness of oxen (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 4:2
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