The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 4:4 Explained

2 Chronicles 4:4

KJV: It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

YLT: It is standing on twelve oxen, three facing the north, and three facing the west, and three facing the south, and three facing the east, and the sea is upon them above, and all their hinder parts are within.

Darby: It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

ASV: It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set upon them above, and all their hinder parts were inward.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

It stood  upon twelve  oxen,  three  looking  toward the north,  and three  looking  toward the west,  and three  looking  toward the south,  and three  looking  toward the east:  and the sea  [was set] above  upon them, and all their hinder parts  [were] inward. 

What does 2 Chronicles 4:4 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 4

1  The altar of brass
2  The molten sea upon twelve oxen
6  The ten lavers, candlesticks, and tables
9  The courts, and the instruments of brass
19  The instruments of gold

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 4:4 mean?

It stood on two [and] ten oxen three looking toward the north and three toward the west and three looking toward the south and three toward the east and the Sea [was set] upon them - and all their back parts [pointed] inward
עוֹמֵ֞ד עַל־ שְׁנֵ֧ים עָשָׂ֣ר בָּקָ֗ר שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה פֹנִ֣ים ׀ צָפ֡וֹנָה וּשְׁלוֹשָׁה֩ יָ֜מָּה וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה ׀ פֹּנִ֣ים נֶ֗גְבָּה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֙ מִזְרָ֔חָה וְהַיָּ֥ם עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְכָל־ אֲחֹרֵיהֶ֖ם בָּֽיְתָה

עוֹמֵ֞ד  It  stood 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
שְׁנֵ֧ים  two 
Parse: Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עָשָׂ֣ר  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
בָּקָ֗ר  oxen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה  three 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
פֹנִ֣ים ׀  looking 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
צָפ֡וֹנָה  toward  the  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
וּשְׁלוֹשָׁה֩  and  three 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
יָ֜מָּה  toward  the  west 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה ׀  and  three 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
פֹּנִ֣ים  looking 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
נֶ֗גְבָּה  toward  the  south 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: נֶגֶב  
Sense: south-country, Nekeb, south.
וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֙  and  three 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁלֹשׁ 
Sense: three, triad.
מִזְרָ֔חָה  toward  the  east 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מִזְרָח  
Sense: place of sunrise, east.
וְהַיָּ֥ם  and  the  Sea  [was  set] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם  upon  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מִלְמָ֑עְלָה  - 
Parse: Preposition-m, Preposition-l, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: מַעַל 
Sense: higher part, upper part adv.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲחֹרֵיהֶ֖ם  their  back  parts  [pointed] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָחֹור  
Sense: the back side, the rear.
בָּֽיְתָה  inward 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.