II Chronicles 3:15 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 3:15 Commentary: The Two Temple Pillars
Hebrew · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study the two pillars Jachin and Boaz: their height discrepancy between 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, symbolic meaning, and architectural context.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The two pillars Jachin and Boaz stood before Solomon's temple as symbols of God's establishment and strength, with disputed dimensions that likely arise from textual variation.
- Key words: Amudim (pillars, H5982), tsefet (capital, H6858), orekh (length, H0753), the Hebrew uses “length” rather than “height,” possibly indicating the pillar was laid horizontally for measurement.
- Main debate: The height: 18 cubits per pillar (1 Kings 7:15) vs. 35 cubits (2 Chronicles 3:15, whether combined or each). Suggested resolutions: scribal error (confusing Hebrew numerals י״ח and ל״ה), inclusion of the capital, or a different cubit standard.
- Theological theme: God’s presence is marked by stability and strength. The pillars announce that the temple stands because God stands.
- Best use: Sermons on God’s faithfulness in building His people, and Bible study discussions on how to handle textual discrepancies with humility.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
In front of the temple he made two pillars, which together were thirty-five cubits high, each with a capital on top measuring five cubits.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Also he made before the house two pillars thirty-five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
KJV King James Version 1769
Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And he maketh at the front of the house two pillars, thirty and five cubits in length, and the ornament that is on their heads five cubits.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And before the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits long; and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He made also before the doors of the temple two pillars, which were five and thirty cubits high: and their chapiters were five cubits.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Delante de la casa hizo dos columnas de treinta y cinco codos de longitud, con sus capiteles encima, de cinco codos.
Diante da casa fez duas colunas de trinta e cinco côvados de comprimento, com seus capitéis encima, de cinco côvados.
Il fit devant la maison deux colonnes de trente-cinq coudées de hauteur, avec un chapiteau de cinq coudées sur leur sommet.
Und er machte vor dem Hause zwei Säulen, fünfunddreißig Ellen lang und der Knauf obendrauf fünf Ellen,
Nog maakte hij voor het huis twee pilaren, van vijf en dertig ellen in lengte; en het kapiteel, dat op derzelver hoofd was, was van vijf ellen.
Fece pure davanti alla casa due colonne di trentacinque cubiti d’altezza; e il capitello in cima a ciascuna, era di cinque cubiti.
Uczynił też przed domem dwa słupy na trzydzieści i na pięć łokci wzwyż, a gałka, która była na wierzchu ich, każda była na pięć łokci.
И сделал пред храмом два столба, длиною по тридцати пяти локтей, и капитель на верху каждого в пять локтей.
在殿 前 造了 兩根 柱子，高 三十 五 肘；每柱 頂 高五 肘。
And in front of the house he made two pillars, thirty-five cubits high, with crowns on the tops of them, five cubits high.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 3:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across the supplied sources agree that the two pillars stood before the temple porch, made of hollow brass with ornate capitals. Their dimensions, however, spark disagreement. 1 Kings 7:15 and Jeremiah 52:21 give each pillar a height of eighteen cubits, while 2 Chronicles 3:15 records thirty-five cubits for both combined (the BSB takes it that way) or each pillar individually (the WEB, KJV and others). Keil and Delitzsch argue that the number thirty-five arose from a scribal error, confusing the Hebrew letter numbers yod-chet (18) with lamed-he (35). Barnes notes that some suppose a corruption of the number. The Cambridge Bible offers a table of variant readings across the Hebrew and Septuagint, showing that the LXX at times gives thirty-five cubits for the height. All agree that the pillars, named Jachin and Boaz in verse 17, carried symbolic weight, likely representing God’s establishment and strength in relation to the temple.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Scribal error view: Keil argues the Hebrew numbers for 18 and 35 were easily confused in script, explaining the 1 Kings vs. 2 Chronicles difference.
- Combined measurement view: The BSB takes the 35 cubits as the combined height of both pillars, which would roughly match 18 cubits each (17.5 when split).
- Different cubit standard view: Some suggest the Chronicler used a different cubit (e.g., royal cubit vs. common cubit), though this is not directly supported by the supplied excerpts.
What is clear: The pillars stood before the temple, were made of bronze with ornate capitals, and bore the names Jachin and Boaz—whatever their exact height, they were designed to declare God’s presence and stability.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions of the pillars | All sources agree the pillars were tall, made of bronze, and stood before the temple porch. | 1 Kings 7:15 gives 18 cubits per pillar; 2 Chronicles 3:15 gives 35 cubits. Some see a scribal error (Keil), others a combined measurement (BSB), others a different cubit length. |
| Structure of the capitals | The capitals included chainwork and pomegranates, and were five cubits high. | Whether the lower network of chains (1 Kings 7:17) is included in the five cubits or is additional. Keil argues the capital had two parts: a 1-cubit lower network and a 4-cubit lily crown. |
| Meaning of the names Jachin and Boaz | The names carry theological weight: Jachin = 'He will establish,' Boaz = 'in Him is strength.' | Exactly what they establish or strengthen: some say the temple itself, others the Davidic dynasty, others God's covenant. All agree they point to divine action. |
| Function of the pillars | They were not structural supports but free-standing symbols. | Whether they served as altars (Cambridge suggests they may have held burnt offerings), as witnesses (like Isaiah 19:19), or purely as monumental decor. |
| Relationship to the tabernacle pillars | The temple pillars are distinct from the bronze pillars of the tabernacle court (Exodus 27). | Whether the Chronicler intentionally drew a contrast or simply described new features. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The two pillars stood immediately in front of the temple porch, detached from the building itself (Cambridge Bible). This placement is unusual in Israelite architecture but common in the ancient Near East. Herodotus (2.44) describes two pillars before the temple of Heracles at Tyre, and a coin from Paphos shows two pillars flanking a temple of Aphrodite (Cambridge Bible). Such pillars could serve as symbols of the deity’s presence or as votive offerings. In Israel, they functioned as witnesses, like the pillar set up by Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:18) or the pillar Isaiah 19:19 associates with an altar as “a sign and a witness to the Lord.”
The name Jachin (“He will establish”) and Boaz (“in Him is strength”) likely pointed to God’s role in securing the temple and the nation. The capital on each pillar, five cubits high, consisted of two parts: a lower network of chains with pomegranates and an upper lily-like crown (1 Kings 7:17, 20). The single Hebrew term tsefet (צֶפֶת, H6858) for “capital” appears only here and in 2 Chronicles 4:12, 13, suggesting a plated or overlaid ornament. The pomegranates and chainwork echoed the ornamentation of the inner sanctuary, weaving the pillars into the temple’s unified message of beauty and holiness.
The thirty-five-cubit height (if combined) would rank each pillar at about 17.5 cubits, close to the eighteen cubits of 1 Kings. But if each pillar was thirty-five cubits, that would be roughly 52 feet, an enormous column, casting the temple porch in grand scale. The discrepancy may arise from different ways of measuring: including or excluding the capital, or using a longer royal cubit. The Chronicler, writing after the exile, may have used a different textual tradition or emphasized the pillars as symbols of restored hope.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note a significant textual discrepancy between 1 Kings 7:15 (18 cubits per pillar) and 2 Chronicles 3:15 (35 cubits total or each). Keil and Delitzsch attribute the Chronicler’s number to a scribal error: the Hebrew numerals י״ח (18) were misread as ל״ה (35). The Cambridge Bible provides a table showing that the Septuagint sometimes harmonizes by giving 35 cubits in Jeremiah 52:21 as well. The BSB rendering (“which together were thirty-five cubits high”) reflects an interpretive choice to combine both pillars. No other textual variants are noted in the supplied sources beyond this height discrepancy.
Reception History
Jewish tradition often linked the pillars to the two pillars of the cosmic temple, Wisdom and Understanding, or to the patriarchs Abraham and Jacob. In rabbinic literature, Jachin and Boaz were seen as guaranteeing God’s enduring covenant with David. Christian interpreters from the Fathers onward read the pillars as types of Christ (the true pillar and foundation) or of the two testaments. The names were sometimes applied to the two thieves at the cross or to the two sacraments. In the medieval period, the pillars appeared in illuminated Bibles as architectural markers of God’s presence. More recently, Freemasonry adopted Jachin and Boaz as symbolic elements, though this usage lies outside church tradition. Across eras, the pillars have reminded readers that God’s house stands on His faithfulness and power.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Before the house: The pillars stood at the entrance, not inside. They marked the boundary between the common world and God’s holy space. Every worshiper passed between them, reminded that approaching God requires recognition of His majesty.
- Heights and numbers: The debated measurements challenge us to see beyond arithmetic. The Chronicler’s thirty-five cubits (whether scribal or intentional) makes the pillars loom larger, a fitting image for God’s impossible greatness.
- Names that proclaim: Jachin (“He will establish”) and Boaz (“in Him is strength”) announce the foundation of all worship. God establishes, God strengthens. The temple stands because He does.
Five-point outline
- Pillars as witnesses: not structural supports but symbols of God’s presence and covenant (Cambridge Bible; Isaiah 19:19).
- Material and craftsmanship: bronze, hollow, cast, beauty and strength from the created order.
- Capital with network and pomegranates: ornament points to fruitfulness and the law of God (pomegranates on the high priest’s robe, Exodus 28:33, 34).
- Two pillars: duality suggests completeness (two cherubim, two tablets). God’s establishment and strength together cover every need.
- They were named, not just described. Naming claims ownership and meaning. God’s house is personal, not abstract.
Illustration hooks
- Think of pillars in a bank or courthouse: they say “this building is solid.” In Solomon’s temple, the pillars said “God is solid.”
- A couple choosing a wedding verse often picks one that names their hope. Jachin and Boaz are the temple’s wedding, the covenant between God and His people.
- When a building is renovated, the original pillars sometimes stay. The Chronicler, writing after the exile, kept these pillars alive in memory.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why do 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles give different heights? Which is correct?
- Is there any symbolic meaning to the names Jachin and Boaz?
- What can we learn from the detailed descriptions of temple furniture?
Leading a Discussion
The two pillars stand at the entrance to the temple, silent witnesses to God’s establishment and strength. As you read 2 Chronicles 3:15, 17, consider what these pillars meant to the original hearers and what they can mean today.
Discussion questions
- What stands out to you about the pillars’ position, “before the house” (v.15) rather than inside it? What does that placement suggest?
- The pillar height is given as thirty-five cubits, but 1 Kings 7:15 says eighteen cubits per pillar. How do you react to this discrepancy? Does it trouble or intrigue you?
- Look at the names Jachin and Boaz in v.17. What do they mean? (Jachin = He will establish; Boaz = in Him is strength.) How do these names relate to the temple’s purpose?
- Keil and Delitzsch suggest a scribal error may explain the height difference; others think the Chronicler used a different measuring system. Why might God allow such textual variation in His Word?
- The capital on each pillar was five cubits high, decorated with chains and pomegranates (see v.16 and 1 Kings 7:17, 20). What might the pomegranates symbolize? (Consider Exodus 28:33, 34 and the fruitfulness of the Promised Land.)
- If the pillars represent God’s establishment and strength, how does that apply to your life right now? Where do you need God to establish or strengthen you?
- How do the pillars point forward to Christ? (Some see Jachin and Boaz as types of Christ’s work, He establishes His church and is our strength.)
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 7:15 | For he fashioned the two pillars of bronze, eighteen cubits high apiece; and a line of twelve cubits encircled either of them. |
| I Kings 7:24 | Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it for ten cubits, encircling the sea. The buds were in two rows, cast when it was cast. |
| Jeremiah 52:20 | They took the two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the bases, which King Solomon had made for Yahweh’s house. The bronze of all these vessels was without weight. |
| Jeremiah 52:23 | There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were one hundred on the network all around. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes a textual difficulty with the height given as thirty-five cubits. He points readers to the note on the parallel passage in 1 Kings and adds that some believe the number in the present verse has been corrupted by a copyist.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes the pillars were likely symbolic, not structural, because they had names. The bowls atop them may have held sacrifices, suggesting a connection to God's presence. Their exact purpose remains uncertain, but they probably served as visible signs and witnesses to the Lord, as with the pillar in Isaiah.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And he made before the house two pillars of fiue and thirtie cubites hie: and the chapiter that was vpon the top of eche of them, was fiue cubites.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch point out that the height of thirty-five cubits in this passage likely results from a scribal error where the number eighteen was mistakenly written as thirty-five. They also argue the word debir in verse 16 is a copyist's mistake and should be rabid, meaning a necklace or collar, referring to the lower part of the pillar capital.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that when Solomon enlarged the most holy place, two large cherubim were added by divine appointment so the space would not look bare and unfurnished. These new cherubim, representing angels attending God, filled what would otherwise have been an empty room.