1 Kings 7:24

1Ki 7:24 And under the brim of it round about [there were] knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops [were] cast in two rows, when it was cast.

Ver. 24. Ten in a cubit.] Three hundred knops under the lily work, on the brim of the sea. {2Ch 4:3}

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.

1Ki 7:24. There were knops compassing it — Molten figures: for the word

פקעים, pekagnim, signifies pictures or figures of all sorts, as gourds, flowers, beasts, &c. — Ten in a cubit — So there were three hundred of these knops in all, the sea being thirty cubits round. The knops were cast in two rows when it was cast — They were not carved afterward, but cast at first when the sea was molten. And, there being two rows of them, Abarbinel thence concludes there were six hundred in all, one under another.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. knops] The word is that which occurs in 1Ki_6:18, and the knops were probably of a gourd-shape. See note there. The description in 2 Chronicles (1Ki_4:3) says that oxen and not knops were the ornaments.

ten in a cubit] This would make the number of knops to be 300. But the R.V. renders for ten cubits. And so the words are rendered in 1Ki_6:26. But the A. V. must give the true sense. Otherwise why is it said that the sea was encompassed by these knops?

when it was cast] i.e. They were of the same piece with the whole rim, and not attached afterwards like some of the ornaments of the pillars.

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.

It stood upon twelve oxen,.... Figures of them in brass, of full proportion:

three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and so turned to the four quarters of the world:

and the sea was set above upon them; as it were on the backs of them, and their mouths served as spouts or cocks, to let water out of it on all sides:

and all their hinder parts were inward; that they might not be seen, and which met in a centre; they that were north came against those that were south, and they in the east met with those to the west. The brass of the sea, according to Jacob Leon (r), weighed 1,800 arobas, and, with twelve oxen under, 33,500; each aroba being twenty five pounds weight.

(r) Relation of Memorable Things in the Temple, ch. 4. p. 21.

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

Knops - literally, “gourds,” - i. e. a boss or ball ornament encircled the rim of the bowl in two rows.

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

Ten cubits. All was not therefore ornamented. Protestants, "there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit....the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast." (Haydock) --- The signification of Pekehim is not ascertained, whether it be "apples, balls," &c., or perhaps a corrupt word for Bokrim, "oxen," or "ox heads;" as 2 Paralipomenon (iv. 3,) clearly explains it. (Calmet) --- There also it is insinuated, that the carvings commenced only towards the bottom, where the circumference was reduced to 10 cubits. (Menochius)

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).

Knops; or, carved or molten figures; for learned Hebricians note, that this word signifies the figures or pictures of all sorts, as flowers, beasts, &c. This general word is particularly explained of oxen, 2Ch 4:3, unless there were so many figures, or sculptures of gourds, or other flowers; and in each of these a little ox’s head.

Ten in a cubit; so there were three hundred in all.

The knops were cast together with the sea, not carved.

In two rows: it seems doubtful whether the second row had ten in each cubit, and so there were three hundred more; or whether the ten were distributed into five in each row.

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

24. Knops… in two rows — Egg-shaped representations of the wild gourd or cucumber, as in 1Ki_6:18, compassing the laver in a double row at the upper part.

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

And under the brim of it round about The edge of the laver was curved outwards (ver. 26) there were knops see note on 1Ki_6:18. The text of 2Ch_4:3, ("the similitude of oxen), is obviously a clerical error for (Keil), hut whether twmd is an interpolation may well be doubted. Keil thinks it was introduced to explain the mention of oxen compassing Heb. surrounding, some word it, ten in a cubit It does not follow from this that each gourd or knop was "a little over two inches in diameter" (Keil), for they may not have been in close contact, and, moreover the cubit was probably 18 inches, compassing the sea round about: the mops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. Lit., two rows; the knops were cast in its casting. The "brass," of which the laver was composed, had been taken by David from the cities of Hadarezer (1Ch_18:8; 1Sa_8:8, 1Sa_8:10)

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

Knops - Carved or molten figures: for this word signifies figures or pictures of all sorts. Ten, &c. - So there were three hundred in all. Cast - Together with the sea; not carved. Two rows - It seems doubtful whether the second row had ten in each cubit, and so there were three hundred more; or, whether the ten were distributed into five in each row.

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

Knobs. [Targum] Yonoson rendered וצורת ביעין [and the form of eggs].

Beneath its rim. [The knobs were located] in the lower three amohs which were square, for so did we learn in the Gemara in Maseches Eruvin, “The three lower ones were square and the two upper ones were round.” It is impossible for one to contain two thousand bas which equal one hundred and fifty ritual baths of purity of forty [bas], except in this manner as explained by our Rabbis in [Maseches] Eruvin. The upper ones were square and the lower ones round, it is impossible to say for it is written, that its rim was “circular all around.” He, therefore, says regarding these knobs, “for ten amohs compassing the sea round about,” because in the place that it was square, [a perimeter of] forty amohs has ten amohs on each side, but in the place that it is round it is impossible to say it has ten amohs [on each side] around.

The knobs were in two rows, cast together with it. Everything was poured together, [and] not that he attached the knobs to it after they had been poured, through nails or through soldering which is called soudure, in O.F.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.