Q.
In 2 Kings 25:16 what does the word “Sea” refer to?
A.
The sad context of this verse is the fall of Jerusalem under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The house of the Lord (the temple) was burned and plundered, with articles in it destroyed and valuable metals carried away for making arms and implements. “The Sea,” made of bronze, was simply a great layer (a basin for washing) in the Lord’s house.The layer was about fifteen feet in diameter. It is mentioned in 1 Kings 7:23‒26, which describes the furnishings King Solomon obtained for the temple. The layer was smashed into pieces and its bronze taken to Babylon.
This article appeared in the “Q & A” column of the Baptist Bulletin (January 2004) by Norman A. Olson.