Poole on 1 Kings 7:18-22: The Brazen Pillars, Jachin and Boaz (Part 2)

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Verse 18:[1]  And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates:  and so did he for the other chapiter.

[And he perfected the pillars, etc., וגו״‎וַיַּעַשׂ ]  And (or therefore [Munster, Pagnine], so [Dutch]) he made the pillars (Montanus, Osiander).  Which he fastened to those columns (Junius and Tremellius); and when he had made the pillars (Tigurinus).  [The Syriac and Arabic conjoin this with what follows:]  And he made a double row of little pillars round about, etc. (Syriac).  In an interwoven work [or nets], were certain little pillars covered along their circumference with flowers and palms (certain interpreters in Munster).  For the relief work that was upon the bowl, he made a double row of small pillars, etc. (Arabic).

And he made; or, so he made, or framed, or perfected.

[And two rows round about of nets, etc.]  The individual chapiters, and consequently the individual columns, were having two nets, or a double corona, reticulated and latticed, which was going round the chapiter after the likeness of a net (Sanchez in Lapide).  On each of the four sides of the corona were two rows of nets, so that they might cover the chapiters; that is, that part of the chapiter, from which the pomegranates were hanging (Menochius).  I thus understand it, that to each garland or decorative band were seven rows of fruit-garlands and filaments surrounding the decorative band; and upon each of those rows were two rows of pomegranates (Malvenda).

[Thus the Hebrew words:  ‎וּשְׁנֵי֩ טוּרִ֙ים סָבִ֜יב עַל־הַשְּׂבָכָ֣ה הָאֶחָ֗ת לְכַסּ֤וֹת אֶת־הַכֹּֽתָרֹת֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָֽרִמֹּנִ֔ים]  And two rows in circuit, on (upon [Montanus]) the one net (interwoven work [Munster]), to cover the crowns that are upon the head of the pomegranates (Montanus, Jonathan), or, so that they might cover the chapiters, which were upon the head, with pomegranates (Pagnine), or, to overspread the capitals which were at the top of the pomegranates (Munster).  In these two rows were located pomegranates or small spheres, for the beauty of the pillars.  In the exposition of these pillars and bases the Jews differ among themselves, as do the Latins.  What then are we able to pronounce as certain in such obscure passages? (Munster).  And he made two rows, etc., with pomegranates (English).  And he made two rows, understanding, of pomegranates (Vatablus, similarly Castalio, Strigelius, Mariana, Dutch, Osiander).  (The order of the construction is disturbed, and the of the pomegranates is to be joined with the two orders [Mariana].)  On the one net:  The same is to be understood concerning the second; the chapiters here are the middle part of the chapiter, namely, that third cubit.  Which were upon the head:  that is, which were placed on the tops, understanding, of the pillars.  With pomegranates:  that is, so that the middle part of the chapiters might be covered with pomegranates (Vatablus).  He made two rows, etc., on one network, to cover the chapiters, placed on top (Castalio), or, on one collar, wherewith the corona was covered (Strigelius); to cover the chapiters (that is, the coronas, the highest part of the chapiters; see on verse 16) that were upon the head, or the top, of the pomegranates (Dutch, similarly Osiander).  He added to the reticulated work of the second pillar two rows of pomegranates, which were surrounding and covering the decorative bands that were on the top of the pillars (Tigurinus).  Then two rows (that is, the abacus surrounded by two rows of pomegranates) round about upon the fruit-garland, to cover the coronas that were to be placed at the summit of the pomegranates; that is, the abaci surrounded with pomegranates, which they call guttas.[2]  A Metonymy of adjuncti (Piscator out of Junius).

Two rows; either of pomegranates, by comparing this with verse 20, or of some other curious work.

Verse 19:[3]  And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.

[Now, the chapiters, etc., were constructed in the porch of four cubits,מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה שׁוּשַׁ֣ן בָּֽאוּלָ֑ם אַרְבַּ֖ע אַמּֽוֹת׃]  This passage is very obscure and involved:  But it is to be observed that there were three chapiters on individual pillars; 1.  the Epistylium,[4] 2 Chronicles 4:12, which was the first and lowest, and placed immediately on the shaft of the pillar, 2 Kings 25:17.  2.  The second chapiter (called the Zophorus[5] by Vitruvius[6]) which was placed upon it, concerning which there was already discussion in verse 16 and following, for around that was a net with pomegranates.  3.  Upon this there was a third (which Vitruvius calls the Cornix), that is, of the corona of the chapiter.  Concerning which there is discussion in verse 20.  In this verse, verse 19, is described the epistylium (Lapide).  To me it is not displeasing, which others think, that the chapiters were consisting of five cubits apiece; one of which the pomegranates were occupying, and lilies were adorning the remaining four (Sanchez).  [Thus they translate the Hebrew words:]  Now, those chapiters, which were upon the head of the pillars, were a work of lily in the porch, in four cubits (Pagnine, Jonathan).  Others:  upon the porch; that is, for the ornament of the porch were they sculpted (Sanchez).  They were of the work of lilies (Vatablus, Dutch, similarly the Syriac, Arabic, Malvenda, Montanus), or of roses (Osiander, similarly Munster, Castalio, Strigelius), or floral (Tigurinus).  Which sort was in the porch, of four cubits (Tigurinus); which sort was in the porch, that is, of the Temple (Spanish translation in Malvenda).  Of such a work as is seen in the more elegant vestibules of houses (Vatablus).  Before the porch, four cubits in size (Strigelius); in the porch (that is, these pillars were to be erected in the porch) of four cubits (Dutch).  Which were indeed of work florid with roses, on the pillars placed in the porch, occupying four cubits apiece (Castalio).  The same he made in the porch, of four cubits (Syriac).  And that in the porch of four cubits; that is, in such a way that towards the porch, that is, in breadth, but not in height, they were of four cubits (Lapide).  From the bottom of the corona were going forth unto the court, or porch, the lilies of four cubits; in such a way that the lilies are extended, not above the pillar, nor above the corona, but above the space of air in the court or porch:  and each lily was having four cubits, but not in a straight line; for the leaves of the lilies were curved and spread (certain interpreters in Malvenda).  Now, the heads, etc., was the work of roses covering with intricate interweaving upward toward the palace for four cubits (Munster).  In such a way that the coronæ (that is, with their abaci:  see verse 15:  a Synecdoche of member [Piscator out of Junius]), which were upon the chapiter of the pillars in work of lily, to be placed in the porch, were of four cubits (Junius and Tremellius).  A work of lily, etc., of four cubits; that is, along the four remaining cubits; that is, two below, and two above:  for the middle was dappled with pomegranates.  Of the five parts, four were covered with lilies (Vatablus).

Of lily work; made like the leaves of lilies, or such flowers.  In the porch; or, as in the porch, that is, such work as there was in the porch of the temple, in which these pillars were set, verse 21, that so the work of the tops of these pillars might agree with that in the top of the porch.  So there is only an ellipsis or defect of the particle as, which is frequent, as Genesis 49:9; Deuteronomy 33:22; Psalm 11:1; Isaiah 21:8.  Four cubits; of which see on 1 Kings 7:16.

Verse 20:[7]  And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network:  and the pomegranates were (see 2 Chron. 3:16; 4:13; Jer. 52:23) two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.

[And again there were other chapiters on the top of the pillars above]  It is here treated of the third, or highest, chapiter, which was added as the crown, as it were, of the pillar (Lapide, similarly Menochius, Sanchez, Lapide).

Over against the belly; so he calls the middle part of the chapiter, and that which jetted furthest out.

[Over against the networks]  Over the networks, and over against them (Lapide).

[According to the measure of the pillar]  They were having the same circumference as the pillar, namely, twelve cubits (Lapide, Sanchez); or, that measure which the proportion of the pillar was requiring (Menochius).

[The Hebrew words thus stand: ‎ וְכֹתָרֹ֗ת עַל־שְׁנֵי֙ הָֽעַמּוּדִ֔ים גַּם־מִמַּ֙עַל֙ מִלְּעֻמַּ֣ת הַבֶּ֔טֶן אֲשֶׁ֖ר לְעֵ֣בֶר הַשְּׂבָכָ֑ה]  Verbatim:  And the garland-crowns upon the two pillars also from above, from the vicinity of the belly, which was across the network (Montanus).  And the coronæ were upon the two pillars, even from above, over against the joint that was across the network (Jonathan).  Such were the decorative bands, placed upon the two pillars, even in the upper part opposite to the side facing the fruit-garland (Syriac).  And the chapiters which were upon the head of the pillars, even from above and over against the belly (that is, the middle), which was also across the network (Mariana).  Similarly under the capitals on those two pillars, from above, over against the belly and opposite the reticulated work, was the other head (Munster).  The chapiters (understanding, the corona, or the highest part of the chapiter, which was round, and similar to a globe, or, with respect to size, similar to a ball, or to an egg in length [Dutch]) were upon these two pillars, indeed, upon that over against the belly, which was near the network (Dutch).  By belly understand, either, the especially prominent middle part of the globe or ball (Dutch):  or, that aperture which was above in the middle of the pillar, within which the chapiters were placed, so that they might remain fixed (certain interpreters in the Dutch).  Now, the coronæ placed on those two pillars were situated even upward over against the projection (Hebrew:  belly [Junius]), which was on the side of the fruit-garland (Junius and Tremellius); that is, the shafts of the coronæ from their lowest part to that where the blossoms are spread out were answering perpendicularly to that part of the fruit-garland, which was especially prominent.  A Synecdoche of the whole (Piscator out of Junius).  Now, those chapiters, which were upon the two pillars, even from above opposite to the belly of the chapiter, which was beyond the network, understanding, were having pomegranates (Pagnine).  That is to say, they were having, not only lilies, but also pomegranates.  But he is describing what was in the omitted fifth cubit.  Moreover, since previously he did not explain where the pomegranates were, he here explains.  The belly of the chapiter he calls the wider part, which was more prominent on the ball (Vatablus).

[But two hundred rows of pomegranates were on the circumference of the second chapiter, ‎וְהָרִמּוֹנִ֤ים מָאתַ֙יִם֙ טֻרִ֣ים סָבִ֔יב עַ֖ל הַכֹּתֶ֥רֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃]  The pomegranates were two hundred in two rows around the circumference upon the second chapiter (corona [Jonathan]) (Pagnine), or, on the second chapiter; that is, the other, that is, on the first, and similarly also on the second (Vatablus).  Or, also on the other garland-crown (Junius and Tremellius), or, upon that second head (Munster).  And two hundred pomegranates in two rows were round about; and also thus upon the other chapiter (Dutch).  It signifies, that on the decorative band or shaft of the column across the network were two hundred arranged in order:  whether they were added, or embossed from the brass itself, he does not explain:  or say that there were two hundred rows, as Jerome posits, with two pomegranates apiece on each, so that they might total four hundred, which is the number given in 2 Chronicles 4:13 (Mariana).  And two hundred pomegranates in a double row were encircling one decorative band, and in the same manner the other decorative band (Syriac); or, they were crowning on capital; and he made the same for the other pillar (Arabic).  [Some thus render the whole verse:]  The decorative bands, which were over the two pillars, from above over against the belly, short of the reticulated work, also had two hundred rows of pomegranates, and that along the circumference of both decorative bands (Tigurinus).  Now, on the chapiters above next to the belly, which was facing the net, were rows of two hundred pomegranates, round about the chapiter of each pillar (Castalio).  And there were two hundred pomegranates in rows along the circumference above and below the collar, which was going round the belly of the corona, on each corona of the two pillars (Strigelius).  And such was the chapiter upon each [that the ‎שְׁנֵי/two signifies this, was previously observed] pillar (just as it was stated a little previously); and above, towards the belly of the chapiter, upon which was a net, two hundred pomegranates, in two rows, were round about upon the second chapiter:  That is, after the figure of the rose were two rows of pomegranates; after the pomegranates, on the belly of the chapiter were following those nets and chains, of which there was previous mention.  This was the adornment of the chapiter (Osiander).

The pomegranates were two hundred:  these pomegranates are variously accounted in Scriptures.  They are said to be ninety and six on a side of a pillar, that is, in one row, and in all an hundred, Jeremiah 52:23; four great pomegranates between the several checker-works being added to the first ninety-six.  And it must needs be granted that there were as many on the other side of the pillar, or in the other row, which makes them two hundred upon a pillar, as is here said, and four hundred upon both pillars, as they are numbered 2 Chronicles 4:13.

Verse 21:[8]  (2 Chron. 3:17) And he set up the pillars in (1 Kings 6:3) the porch of the temple:  and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin (that is, He shall establish[9]):  and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz (that is, in it is strength[10]).

[And he set up the two pillars in the porch of the Temple (thus Munster, Pagnine, Montanus, Junius and Tremellius)]  Or, of the porch (Syriac), for the porch (Arabic), in the vestibule (Jonathan, Castalio).  Before the porch (Tigurinus, Strigelius).  Between the Holy Place and the court of the Priests (Lapide out of Villalpando).  These pillars served for ornament (Martyr, similarly Sanchez).  Yet they also appear to have indicated divine help; perhaps these were memorials of the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire,[11] which was showing the presence of God to the Israelites (Martyr).

In the porch of the temple; where they were placed for mere ornament and magnificence, for they supported nothing.

[He called Jachin…and Boaz, בֹּעַז—יָכִין]  Those names were not given without reason (Fagius).  But they were signifying the prayer of Solomon for the Temple (Lapide).  יָכִין/Jachin signifies let Him establish; that is to say, Would that God might establish this house, and make it everlasting:  בֹּעַז/Boaz signifies strength and vigor; that is to say, would that there might be in this house vigor perpetually; and that it might abide in strength (Vatablus).  Rather יָכִין/Jachin is direction from כּוּן, to direct;[12] and בֹּעַז/Boaz is in it is strength:  Therefore, by יָכִין/ Jachin it is signified that this Temple is fashioned with marvelous wisdom; but by בֹּעַז/Boaz, that it was founded and fortified most firmly:  and by these same names he reveals his desire; that is to say, Would that God might direct this temple as His own Jachin, and make it strong as His own Boaz (Lapide out of Cajetan, similarly Tirinus).  Yet according to the letter this signification did not obtain its effect; because afterwards those pillars were destroyed by the Chaldeans[13] (Estius).  This is to be referred prophetically to the Church (Estius, thus Junius, Piscator, Lapide, Malvenda); whose strength, beyond brass, Solomon foretells by these names (Junius, Piscator).  He shall establish, that is, His spiritual temple, that is, the Church:  Boaz, in Him, namely, Jehovah, is strength; Jehovah is to His people after the likeness of a strong pillar of bronze (Piscator).  Jachin signifies preparation; and Boaz, strength:  Therefore, God willed by these two pillars to teach those approaching to present divine worship, that they might bring a prompt and ready spirit to serve God, not compelled or hypocritical; Jachin signifies this:  then that they might remain firm in so prompt and pious an intention, which Boaz indicates (Osiander).

Jachin signifies he, that is, God, shall establish, to wit, his temple, and church, and people; and Boaz signifies in it, or rather, in him, (to answer the he in the former name,) is strength.  So these pillars being eminently strong and stable, were in a manner types or documents of that strength which was in God, and would be put forth by God for the defending and establishing of his temple and people, if they were careful to keep the conditions required by God on their parts.

Verse 22:[14]  And upon the top of the pillars was lily work:  so was the work of the pillars finished.

[And upon the heads, ‎וְעַ֛ל רֹ֥אשׁ]  At the top of those pillars (Vatablus).

[He placed the work after the manner of a lily:  and the work of the pillars was finished (similarly all interpreters)]  When was placed, etc., on the capital, etc., the lily work, the workmanship of the pillars was perfected (Junius and Tremellius).  The sense:  Each pillar in its highest part was formed, or dilated, after the likeness of a rose, as it was previously observed.  For the Hebrews are wont to repeat certain things for inculcation, or even for amplification (Osiander).

[1] Hebrew: ‎וַיַּ֖עַשׂ אֶת־הָעַמּוּדִ֑ים וּשְׁנֵי֩ טוּרִ֙ים סָבִ֜יב עַל־הַשְּׂבָכָ֣ה הָאֶחָ֗ת לְכַסּ֤וֹת אֶת־הַכֹּֽתָרֹת֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָֽרִמֹּנִ֔ים וְכֵ֣ן עָשָׂ֔ה לַכֹּתֶ֖רֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃

[2] That is, drop-shaped ornaments.

[3] Hebrew:  ‎וְכֹֽתָרֹ֗ת אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָעַמּוּדִ֔ים מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה שׁוּשַׁ֣ן בָּֽאוּלָ֑ם אַרְבַּ֖ע אַמּֽוֹת׃

[4] That is, a decorative band.

[5] That is, the frieze (ζωοφόρος/zophorus/figure-bearing); in classical architecture, it was above the architrave and below the cornice.

[6] Concerning Architecture 3:5.

[7] Hebrew: ‎וְכֹתָרֹ֗ת עַל־שְׁנֵי֙ הָֽעַמּוּדִ֔ים גַּם־מִמַּ֙עַל֙ מִלְּעֻמַּ֣ת הַבֶּ֔טֶן אֲשֶׁ֖ר לְעֵ֣בֶר שְׂבָכָ֑ה וְהָרִמּוֹנִ֤ים מָאתַ֙יִם֙ טֻרִ֣ים סָבִ֔יב עַ֖ל הַכֹּתֶ֥רֶת הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃

[8] Hebrew: ‎וַיָּ֙קֶם֙ אֶת־הָֽעַמֻּדִ֔ים לְאֻלָ֖ם הַֽהֵיכָ֑ל וַיָּ֜קֶם אֶת־הָעַמּ֣וּד הַיְמָנִ֗י וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֶת־שְׁמוֹ֙ יָכִ֔ין וַיָּ֙קֶם֙ אֶת־הָעַמּ֣וּד הַשְּׂמָאלִ֔י וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ בֹּֽעַז׃

[9] Hebrew:  ‎יָכִין.

[10] Hebrew:  ‎בֹּעַז.

[11] See Exodus 13:21, 22; 14:19, 20, 24; 33:9, 10; Numbers 9:15-17; 14:14; Deuteronomy 1:33; Nehemiah 9:12, 19; Psalm 78:14; 105:39.

[12] כּוּן can signify to direct, or to be firm.

[13] See 2 Kings 25:13-17; Jeremiah 52:17-23.

[14] Hebrew:  ‎וְעַ֛ל רֹ֥אשׁ הָעַמּוּדִ֖ים מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה שׁוֹשָׁ֑ן וַתִּתֹּ֖ם מְלֶ֥אכֶת הָעַמּוּדִֽים׃