1 Kings 7:19

1Ki 7:19 And the chapiters that [were] upon the top of the pillars [were] of lily work in the porch, four cubits.

Ver. 19. Were of lily work.] As also of other flowers, leaves, and fruits, implexu coronario incursantibus.

In the porch.] That was before the holy place; for there these pillars were set, {1Ki 7:21} to show the stability of this house, and of the spiritual temple for ever: the Rabbis say, of the house of David.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As was seen commonly wrought in costly porches.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

lily work--beautiful ornaments, resembling the stalks, leaves, and blossoms of lilies--of large dimensions, as suited to the height of their position.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

19. and the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars] This verse refers to the four cubits of lily work, which was higher than the bellying portion of the capital, and formed the topmost part of the ornament.

were of lily work in the porch] The R.V. transposes in the porch were of lily work, thus marking clearly that the pillars were within the porch. The language of 2Ch_3:17 has induced some to think that they were outside, in the court. The words there are ‘he reared up the pillars before the temple,’ but the word rendered ‘temple’ is that which is constantly used (see below, 1Ki_7:21) for the holy place, and the porch was in front of that. So that though standing within the porch the pillars would still be ‘before the temple.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network,.... The supplement is needless, according to Dr. Lightfoot; the sense being only, that the chapiters were above the lily work, which wrought out as far as the belly of the chapiters, or the middle cubit of them, which the pomegranates filled up:

and the pomegranates were two hundred, in rows round about upon the other chapiter: there were so many in each, which in all made four hundred, as in Kg1 7:42. In Jer 52:23, it is said there were ninety six on a side, and yet one hundred round about; the meaning of which is, either that there were twenty four to every wind, as the word there is, and four on the four angles, and so in all one hundred; or, as the above learned writer, when the pillars were set to the wall, only ninety six appeared in sight in a row, the other four being hid behind them.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

There is a cornice of (so-called) lilywork at Persepolis, consisting of three ranges of broadish rounded leaves, one over the other. Lilies are also represented with much spirit on a bas-relief from Koyunjik.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Of lily-work, seems also transposed. Calmet would translate, Hebrew, "and he made pomegranates, two rows round each net, to cover the chapiter, which was at the top of the pillar, and in, &c., (19) and the chapiter, which was above the pillars of the court, (or porch) four cubits high. And he made rows of 200 pomegranates, all round, to cover one of the crowns of the pillars, and he did the like for the other crown; (20) and he also made a chapiter, like a rose, (or lily) at the top of the pillars, above, and over-against the body, which was beyond the nets." The rose seemed to grow out of the pillar. The chapiters were not square, but of a circular form. Pelletier supposes that these pillars were of the ancient Doric order. It is certain that all the chapiter was not in the form of a lily, as the Hebrew would now insinuate, but only the top part of it, chap. v. 22. The long addition of one of the crowns, &c., may not be necessary, if the original signify either; (as [in] ver. 15) "to cover either crown."

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Of lily work; made like the leaves of lilies, or such flowers.

In the porch; or, as in the porch, i.e. such work as there was in the porch of the temple, in which these pillars were set, 1Ki 7:21, 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 Gen 49:9; Deu 33:22; Psa 11:1; Isa 21:8.

Four cubits; of which See Poole "1Ki 7:16".

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

19. The chapiters… were of lily work — That is, the upper part of each capital was wrought so as to resemble a full-blown lily-cup. The exact species of lily here intended cannot be determined. Some think the lotus flower is meant.

In the porch, four cubits — The exact reference of these words it is difficult to explain. They seem to have been transposed from their proper place in the text. Keil thinks the reading should be as in the porch. But we have no notice elsewhere of lily work in the porch. Others have suggested that the lilies projected four cubits into the porch. Wordsworth suggests that the lily work was on the inner side of the pillars towards the porch, and not on the outer side. Thenius takes the words to designate the position of the pillars themselves, as standing in the porch, and this, on the whole, seems to be the best explanation, though it seems to involve a confusion or transposition of words in the text. Since the circumference of the pillars was twelve cubits, (1Ki_7:15,) the diameter was a little less than four cubits, so that each pillar would take up the space of four cubits within and on either side of the porch.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars It is difficult to believe that these words, which are identical with those in vers. 16, 17, 18, can refer to a different a second and superposed capital (Rawlinson), or to the entablature (Fergusson) were of lily work i.e. , bassirelievi in imitation of flowering lilies. Probably the bowl-shaped chapiter was treated as a fullblown lily, just as the capitals of Egyptian pillars took the form of the lotus. The molten sea was similarly treated (ver. 26). The lily (vWv), from vWv), to be white), was undoubtedly an emblem of purity. Bahr observes that it may justly be named "the flower of the promised land," and that as the lotus was the religious flower of the Indian and Egyptian religions, so was the lily of the Jewish in the porch These words, are very obscure. Keil understands" as in the hall" (cf. kata to aujlam, LXX) But that idea would have been expressed by WaK; and nothing is said elsewhere about any lily work in the porch (Bahr). Ewald, too, thinks the decoration of the porch is referred to, and holds that a description of this lily work must once have preceded this statement, though it is now wanting. Thenius, al. suppose them to refer to the position of the pillars within the porch, and the "four cubits" mentioned presently, they take to indicate the diameter of the capitals. Wordsworth would render "inside or toward the porch," and understands that the lily work was only on the inside of the pillars. It is, perhaps, impossible to arrive at any certain conclusion, four cubits. This may either mean that of five cubits (which was the height of the entire capital), four, and these the upper four (ver. 22), were covered with lily work, while one cubit at the bottom of the capital was ornamented with chain-work or festeons we can hardly believe that nets, chains, and lily work were all combined in the same space, or it may refer to the position of the pillars in the portico.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lilly work - Made like the leaves of lillies. In the porch - Or, as in the porch; such work as there was in the porch of the temple, in which these pillars were set, ver. 21, that so the work of the tops of these pillars might agree with that in the top of the porch.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.