1 Kings 7:25
New International Version
The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center.

New Living Translation
The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen, all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them.

English Standard Version
It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
It stood on twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward.

New American Standard Bible
It was standing on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the Sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward.

NASB 1995
It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward.

NASB 1977
It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward.

Legacy Standard Bible
It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts turned inward.

Amplified Bible
It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three west, three south, and three east; the Sea was set on top of them, and all their rear parts pointed inward.

Christian Standard Bible
It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The basin was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
It stood on 12 oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center.

American Standard Version
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 upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And it stood on twelve oxen; three faced to the North and three faced to the West and three faced to the South and three faced to the East, and the sea was upon them from over them, and their rear was inside the enclosure.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And there were twelve oxen under the sea: three looking to the north, and three looking to the west, and three looking to the south, and three looking to the east: and all their hinder parts were inward, and the sea was above upon them.

Contemporary English Version
The bowl itself sat on top of twelve bronze bulls with three bulls facing outward in each of four directions.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And it stood upon twelve oxen, of which three looked towards the north, and three towards the west, and three towards the south, and three towards the east, and the sea was above upon them, and their hinder parts were all hid within.

English Revised Version
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 upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The pool was set on 12 metal bulls. Three bulls faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east. The pool was set on them, and their hindquarters were toward the center [of the pool].

Good News Translation
The tank rested on the backs of twelve bronze bulls that faced outward, three facing in each direction.

International Standard Version
The sea stood on top of twelve oxen. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east. The sea was set on top of them, and their hind parts faced the center.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

Literal Standard Version
It is standing on twelve oxen, three facing the north, and three facing the west, and three facing the south, and three facing the east, and the sea [is] on them above, and all their back parts [are] inward.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
This rested on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east, with their haunches all toward the center; upon them was set the sea.

NET Bible
"The Sea" stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward. "The Sea" was placed on top of them, and they all faced outward.

New Revised Standard Version
It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; the sea was set on them. The hindquarters of each were toward the inside.

New Heart English Bible
It stood on 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 on them above, and all their backs were toward the center.

Webster's Bible Translation
It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking towards the north, and three looking towards the west, and three looking towards the south, and three looking towards the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

World English Bible
It stood on 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 on them above, and all their hindquarters were inward.

Young's Literal Translation
It is standing on twelve oxen, three facing the north, and three facing the west, and three facing the south, and three facing the east, and the sea is upon them above, and all their hinder parts are inward.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Molten Sea
24Below 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. 25The 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. 26It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold two thousand baths.…

Cross References
1 Kings 7:26
It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold two thousand baths.

1 Kings 7:44
the Sea; the twelve oxen underneath the Sea;

2 Kings 16:17
King Ahaz also cut off the frames of the movable stands and removed the bronze basin from each of them. He took down the Sea from the bronze oxen that were under it and put it on a stone base.

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.

2 Chronicles 4:5
It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold three thousand baths.

Jeremiah 52:20
As for the two pillars, the Sea, the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands that King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the weight of the bronze from all these articles was beyond measure.


Treasury of Scripture

It stood on 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 on them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

2 Chronicles 4:4,5
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…

Jeremiah 52:20
The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

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.

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East Facing Hinder Inward North Oxen Parts Sea South Stood Three Turned Twelve West
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East Facing Hinder Inward North Oxen Parts Sea South Stood Three Turned Twelve West
1 Kings 7
1. The building of Solomon's house
2. Of the house of Lebanon
6. Of the porch of pillars
7. Of the porch of judgment
8. Of the house for Pharaoh's daughter
13. Hiram's work of the two pillars,
23. Of the molten sea
27. Of the ten bases
38. Of the ten lavers
40. and all the vessels














Verse 25. - It stood [Heb. standing] upon twelve oxen [The import of the number twelve is well explained by. Bahr, Symbolik, 1:201 sqq. Like seven, it is compounded out of three and four. But the primary reference here is to the twelve tribes], three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east [So the tribes in the camp formed a square round the tabernacle, three on each side - east, south, west, and north (Numbers 2.)]: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. The same regard of the cardinal points (see Bahr, Symbolik, 1:210 sqq.) has been noticed in the pomegranates on the capitals of the two columns. See note on ver. 20. Keil says the feet of the oxen no doubt rested on a metal plate, so that they were fixed and immoveable; but this lacks proof. The oxen would be immovable in any case, owing to the weight of the metal and the water. All conjectures as to the height and size of the oxen are necessarily of little value.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
[The Sea] stood
עֹמֵ֞ד (‘ō·mêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

twelve
שְׁנֵ֧י (šə·nê)
Number - mdc
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

oxen,
בָּקָ֗ר (bā·qār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1241: Beef cattle, ox, a herd

three
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה (šə·lō·šāh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

facing
פֹנִ֣ים ׀ (p̄ō·nîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

north,
צָפ֡וֹנָה (ṣā·p̄ō·w·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6828: Hidden, dark, the north as a, quarter

three
וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֩ (ū·šə·lō·šāh)
Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

facing
פֹנִ֨ים ׀ (p̄ō·nîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

west,
יָ֜מָּה (yām·māh)
Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

three
וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה ׀ (ū·šə·lō·šāh)
Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

facing
פֹּנִ֣ים (pō·nîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

south,
נֶ֗גְבָּה (neḡ·bāh)
Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5045: South country, the Negeb, south

and three
וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֙ (ū·šə·lō·šāh)
Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

facing
פֹּנִ֣ים (pō·nîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look

east.
מִזְרָ֔חָה (miz·rā·ḥāh)
Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 4217: Place of sunrise, the east

[The Sea]
וְהַיָּ֥ם (wə·hay·yām)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

rested on them,
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם (‘ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

with all
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

their hindquarters
אֲחֹֽרֵיהֶ֖ם (’ă·ḥō·rê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 268: The hinder part, behind, backward, the West

toward the center.
בָּֽיְתָה׃ (bā·yə·ṯāh)
Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1004: A house


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OT History: 1 Kings 7:25 It stood on twelve oxen three looking (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 7:24
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