Melakhim I Chapter 7 | The King’s House and the Temple's Copper Vessels

A – The House of God and the House of the King

Our chapter begins with the description of Shlomo’s palace, but later we return to hear about the preparation of the copper vessels for the Temple, crafted by Hiram. Why is the description of Shlomo’s palace inserted in the middle of the construction of the Temple? It’s interesting to see how parts of the description of the palace are very similar to the description of the Temple. Both involve the construction of inner and outer halls and the use of pillars. One verse explicitly links the building styles of the two houses: “The surrounding great courtyard had three rows of hewn stones and a row of cut cedar beams, the same as the inner courtyard of the House of the Lord and the Hall of the House” (7:12). The same building style is used for both the House of God and Shlomo’s house. Elsewhere in Tanakh, the physical proximity between the House of God and the king’s house raises questions, as does the duration of construction for each building (seven years for the Temple and thirteen for the royal palace). Chazal interpreted this favorably, suggesting that Shlomo hurried more in building the Temple. However, it could also be viewed critically — the investment in the king’s palace was greater.

Rav Yitzchak Levy’s article (see here), explores at length the parallels between the Temple and the king’s palace. He suggests that these parallels can be understood as either a praise or a criticism: On one hand, it might indicate that the role of earthly kingship is to reflect God’s kingship in the world. On the other hand, the mingling of these domains could lead a king to reverse the order, using the Temple for his own purposes. This outcome depends on the king’s choices and righteousness.

B – The Copper Vessels and the Chariot Imagery

Many verses in our chapter are devoted to an extensive and detailed description of the ornate copper vessels, skillfully crafted by Hiram, King of Tyre:
1. The copper pillars, Yakhin and Boaz, adorned with latticework and pomegranates.
2. The Molten Sea — a large water basin resting on twelve copper oxen (according to Divrei HaYamim II 4:6, its purpose was for the priests’ washing).
3. The stands (מכונות) – copper platforms with wheels that serve as bases (מכונה derives from the word כַּן, meaning base) for the lavers (כיורות).

These copper vessels are described in great detail, highlighting their importance. We encounter them again elsewhere in the Tanakh, such as in the description of the Temple’s destruction. The verses explicitly mention the copper vessels from our chapter: “The Chaldeans broke down the bronze pillars from the House of the Lord, the stands, and the Bronze Sea that was in the House of the Lord and carried the bronze off to Babylon” (Melakhim II 25:13).

Many expressions in the vessels’ description echo the Throne-Chariot Vision in the Book of Yechezkel. Here are some examples: The description of the copper oxen in our chapter recalls the creatures that form the chariot’s base (one of which is an ox). In the description of the stands, it says: “On the panels in between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim; there was a base above the frames and hammered spiral beneath the lions and oxen, were wreaths of hammered work” (7:29). These are precisely the creatures that compose Yechezkel’s chariot: lions, oxen, and cherubim. Even the wheels are mentioned: “The wheels were designed like chariot wheels” (7:33). It follows that the Temple aligns with God’s chariot. This parallel is not surprising, given that we know the design of the Temple was inspired by the Holy Spirit (רוח הקודש) to David: “David gave to his son Shlomo the plan of the portico... and the plan of all that he had by the spirit with him... all this he made clear in writing from the hand of the Lord, who instructed him regarding all the work of the plan” (Divrei HaYamim I 28:11–19).

For further understanding of the parallels between the copper vessels and the Chariot, as well as their meaning, listen to Rav Medan's shiur here.