1 Kings 7:30

1Ki 7:30 And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver [were] undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.

Ver. 30. And every base had four brazen wheels.] To remove the laver from place to place, as occasion required.

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 7:30. Every base had four brazen wheels — Whereby the bases and lavers might be removed from place to place, as need required. Undersetters — Hebrew, shoulders; fitly so called, because they supported the lavers, that they should not fall from their bases, when the bases were removed, together with the lavers.

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

Hebrew, shoulders.

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

30. and plates of brass] For ‘plates’ read axles.

and the four corners thereof had undersetters] The last word is that usually rendered ‘shoulders,’ (see R.V. margin), and the word translated ‘corners’ means rather (1) a footstep, (2) a foot. It is used Exo_25:12 for the corners (R.V. feet) of the ark, into which rings were to be fixed for the staves to pass through when it was carried about. This seems the more suitable rendering here also and it is a different word that is rendered ‘corners’ in 1Ki_7:34. The sense would then be ‘the four feet thereof had shoulder pieces’ i.e. attached to them. The purpose of these shoulders appears to have been for the axles to pass through on which the wheels were fixed. The next clause would then run ‘underneath the laver were the shoulders molten.’ But because of that expression some have thought that the ‘shoulder pieces’ rose upward from the top of the four feet, and were meant as stays on which the laver should rest.

at the side of every addition] The last word is the same which in the previous verse has been rendered ‘wreaths.’ And here that sense must also be given to it. Literally, ‘at the side of each one (were) wreaths’ or more idiomatically, (as R.V.) with wreaths at the side of each.

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 mouth of it within the chapiter, and above, was a cubit,.... On the lid of the base rose up a lesser base, called the chapiter, which was circular, like a coronet, as the word signifies, the inside of which was hollow, for the lower part of the layer to rest in; this ascended straight up half a cubit, and then widening, went up half a cubit more, and so in its whole height, as here a cubit; the circuit or circumference of which is called the mouth of the base, into which the feet of the layer were set, the measure of which is next given:

but the mouth thereof was round, after the work of the base, a cubit and an half; which was either the circumference or the diameter of it; one should think the latter:

and also upon the mouth of it were gravings, with their borders, four square, not round; though the mouth was round, the border of it was four square, which had figures engraved thereon, perhaps the same as on the other borders, lions, oxen, and cherubim.

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

Plates of brass - Rather, “brazen axletrees.”

The “undersetters” (literally, “shoulders”) are conjectured to have been four brackets, or bars, proceeding from the four upper corners of the bases, and stretching upward to the outer rim of the laver, which thus rested partly upon them.

At the side of every addition - Rather, “each opposite garlands.” The laver was ornamented with a garland at the place where the support reached it.

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

Four brazen wheels; whereby the bases and lavers might be carried from place to place, as need required.

Undersetters, Heb. shoulders; fitly so called, because they strongly supported the lavers, that they should not fall from their bases when the bases were removed together with the lavers.

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

30. Wheels — These served for convenience in moving the lavers and bases to and fro.

Plates of brass — Rather, axles. (d in figure.)

The four corners — Rather, the four feet, meaning, doubtless, the projecting bottoms of the bases at the places where feet or legs would naturally be. (o o in figure.)

Undersetters — Or, side-pieces, reaching down to the axles of the wheels and serving as stays or supports. (e e in figure.)

At the side of every addition — Better, beyond each were garlands. The meaning seems to be that the undersetters, or side-pieces, were cast so as to be underneath the laver and the engraved garlands mentioned in 1Ki_7:29.

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

And every base had four brazen wheels As the lavers were used for washing "such things as they offered for burnt offering", (2Ch_4:6) and consequently would require to be continually emptied and refilled, they must of necessity be moveable, so that they could be taken, now to the sea, or other reservoir, now to the altar, and plates Heb. axles of brass: and the four corners Heb. feet; signifies step, thence foot, and is here used of artificial feet. These were, no doubt, at the four corners, and served to raise the stand above the wheels, so that the foliage, etc., was not hidden thereof had undersetters Heb. shoulders. "The bearings of the axle" (Gesen.) must be meant. The bases had four feet, which apparently terminated in a sort of socket or fork, into which the axletrees were inserted): under the laver were under setters Heb. the shoulders molten or cast, at the side of every addition. Lit., opposite to a man (i.e., each) were wreaths. The explanation of Keil is that "from the feet., there ascended shoulder pieces, which ran along the outside of the chest and reached to the lower part of the basin, which was upon the lid of the chest, and, as shoulders, either supported or helped to support it." He thus understands the "shoulder" to extend from the foot, or axletree, to the bottom of the laver. But it seems quite as likely that these shoulders were within the stand; that they started from its upper corners, i.e., " from under the laver" (as in the Hebrew), passed down along its inner angles, and emerged below the stand may well have had no bottom in the shape of feet or forks, which rested on the axletrees, and supported both stand and laver. Over against this internal shoulder blade or support was placed externally a wreath. But Bahr despairs of arriving at any just and adequate understanding of this arrangement, and, in the absence of drawings, it is perhaps hopeless that we shall ever interpret the words with certainty.

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

Wheels - Whereby the bases and lavers might be removed from place to place as need required. Under-setters - Hebrew. shoulders; fitly so called, because they supported the lavers, that they should not fall from their bases, when the bases were removed together with the lavers.

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

four bronze wheels and axles

There was one axle for each pair of wheels. AT: "four bronze wheels and two axles" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information and Numbers)

its four corners

"the four corners of each stand"

The supports were cast with wreaths

Each support was cast as one piece with the wreaths. This can be stated in active form. AT: "Huram cast the supports with spiral-shaped pieces" (See: Active or Passive)

a cubit and a half ... a cubit

A cubit is 46 centimeters. AT: "about 70 centimeters ... about 50 centimeters" (See: Biblical Distance)

a crown that rose up

Here the word "crown" refers to the circular piece at the top of the stand's opening that held the basin.

their panels were square

"the panels of the stands were square." This phrase returns to the description of the panels that began in 1 Kings 7:28-29.

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Four [copper] wheels. Two in the front and two in the back in the manner of large wagons.

And copper bars. [Targum] Yonoson rendered ונסרין דנחש, “boards of copper,” they are the upper boards against the frames.

Bars. [סרני means] the same as נסרים [=boards].

And its four corners. Of the base [=כן]which was above them [i.e., wheels].

Had shoulders. They protruded above the boards in the corners of the base. And under the basin which rested upon the base, the shoulders were molten. (Other texts: This teaches [us], that the shoulders came from the base in one pouring, and the shoulders supported the basin so that it should not fall down through the base.)

At the side of each were thin metal strips joined together. At the side of each of the shoulders was a joining of a decorated male and female. מעבר איש [=one to another] means the same as “איש אל אחיו [=one to another],” which is stated by the cherubim.

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.