It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.
The large bronze basin rested on top of twelve bronze oxen. Three oxen faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east. The basin sat on top of them, and all the oxen's rear ends pointed inward toward the center.
This verse describes how Solomon's massive bronze basin in the temple was supported by twelve bronze ox statues arranged in a circle, each group facing one of the four directions.
📚 Historical Context
This describes part of the elaborate bronze furnishings that King Solomon commissioned for the temple in Jerusalem around 960 BC. The 'sea' was a enormous bronze basin used by the priests for ceremonial washing, and it was one of the most impressive pieces crafted by the skilled metalworker Hiram of Tyre. The twelve oxen likely represented the twelve tribes of Israel and demonstrated the incredible wealth and artistic achievement of Solomon's reign.
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