II Chronicles 4:8 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 4:8 Commentary: Ten Tables in Solomon’s Temple
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Discover why the Chronicler mentions ten tables and a hundred gold bowls in Solomon's temple, and what this expansion means for worship and God's provision.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Chronicler describes abundant temple furnishings beyond the tabernacle pattern, emphasizing God’s generous provision and the order of worship.
- Key words: Tables (shulchan), bowls (mizraq), gold (zahav).
- Main debate: Were the ten tables for the showbread (Keil, Wesley) or for other purposes (Cambridge Bible)? Also, were the basins for wine libations or blood dashing?
- Theological theme: God’s house reflects His abundance and the completeness of His provision for His people.
- Best use: Teaching on the glory of temple worship, the continuity with the tabernacle, and the value of giving God our best in worship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Additionally, he made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold bowls.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. He made one hundred basins of gold.
KJV King James Version 1769
He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made a hundred basins of gold.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And he maketh ten tables, and placeth in the temple, five on the right, and five on the left; and he maketh bowls of gold a hundred.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And he made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on the left. And he made a hundred golden bowls.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Moreover also ten tables: and he set them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. Also a hundred bowls of gold.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Además hizo diez mesas y púsolas en el templo, cinco á la derecha, y cinco á la izquierda: igualmente hizo cien tazones de oro.
Também fez dez mesas e as pôs no templo, cinco à direita, e cinco à esquerda: igualmente fez cem bacias de ouro.
Il fit dix tables, et il les plaça dans le temple, cinq à droite et cinq à gauche. Il fit cent coupes d’ or.
und machte zehn Tische und tat sie in den Tempel, fünf zur Rechten und fünf zur Linken, und machte hundert goldene Becken.
Ook maakte hij tien tafelen, en hij zette ze in den tempel, vijf aan de rechterhand, en vijf aan de linkerhand; en hij maakte honderd gouden sprengbekkens.
Fece anche dieci tavole, che pose nel tempio, cinque a destra e cinque sinistra. E fece cento bacini d’oro.
Uczynił też stołów dziesięć, które postawił w kościele, pięć po prawej a pięć po lewej stronie; uczynił też czasz złotych sto.
И сделал десять столов и поставил в храме, пять по правую сторону и пять по левую, и сделал сто золотых чаш.
又造 十張 桌子 放 在殿裡：五張 在右邊，五張 在左邊；又造 一百個 金 碗；
He made ten tables, and put them in the Temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made a hundred gold basins.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 4:8
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators widely agree that this verse appears only in the Chronicler, not in 1 Kings 7. The ten tables, five on each side, represent an expansion from the single table of showbread prescribed in the tabernacle. Interpreters differ on their exact function: Keil and Delitzsch argue they were for the showbread, citing 2 Chronicles 4:19 and 1 Chronicles 28:16, while the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges suggests they served other purposes, perhaps for lampstands or sacrificial preparation. Wesley proposed each table held twelve loaves, multiplying the provision. The hundred golden basins (mizraq) are also debated, some see them as wine flagons for drink offerings (Keil), others as vessels for dashing blood against the altar (Cambridge). Despite these differences, scholars concur that the Chronicler intentionally highlights the abundance and order of temple worship, underscoring God’s lavish provision for His house. This verse invites readers to see the care and cost that accompanied worship in Solomon’s temple, pointing to the generosity of God toward His people.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Showbread interpretation: Keil and Wesley cite 2 Chronicles 4:19 and 1 Chronicles 28:16, which mention tables for showbread, and infer that each table held twelve loaves.
- Non-showbread interpretation: The Cambridge Bible notes that elsewhere in Chronicles and Kings only one table is assigned to the showbread, so these ten likely served other purposes.
What is clear: The Chronicler provides additional details not found in Kings, emphasizing the abundance and order of temple furnishings, and the lavish provision of God for His worship.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose of the ten tables | Chronicles expands the temple furniture beyond the tabernacle pattern to emphasize glory and abundance. | Keil and Wesley argue they were for the showbread (citing 2 Chron 4:19, 1 Chron 28:16); the Cambridge Bible suggests they had other uses, possibly for lampstands or sacrificial preparation. |
| Function of the gold basins (mizraq) | They were used in temple liturgy for liquids. | Clarke and the Cambridge Bible view them as basins for dashing blood against the altar; Keil argues they were wine flagons for libations, citing Amos 6:6. |
| Number ten | Symbolic of completeness or fullness. | Some take it as a literal count (ten tables each with showbread), others as a symbolic number indicating ample provision. |
| Relationship to the Mosaic tabernacle | Solomon's temple was larger and more elaborate. | Whether this expansion was a legitimate development or a departure from the Mosaic law is debated; the Chronicler presents it as faithful and God-blessed. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Chronicler wrote after the exile, likely in the late fifth or fourth century BC, gathering sources including Kings and other records to shape a theological history for a restored community. In this passage, he adds details not found in the parallel account (1 Kings 7:38-50): ten lampstands (v.7), ten tables (v.8), and a hundred gold basins. The tabernacle had only one lampstand and one table of showbread (Exodus 25:23, 31). Solomon’s temple was larger, and the Chronicler emphasizes its glory as a fulfilment of David’s preparations and a model for post-exilic worship.
The Hebrew word for tables (shulchan) is the same word used for the table of showbread. The number ten often symbolizes completeness or fullness in Scripture. The basins (mizraq) appear in Amos 6:6 as vessels for drinking wine, and Keil understands them as wine flagons for libations. The arrangement, five on the right and five on the left, shows careful symmetry, reflecting the order of creation and worship. The text does not explain the function of the extra tables, leaving room for later interpretation. What is clear is that the Chronicler presents the temple as a place of lavish provision, where nothing is skimped. The gold, the multiples, and the precise placement all communicate that God dwells among His people in a setting worthy of His majesty.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The parallel in 1 Kings 7 omits the ten tables and hundred basins entirely, but that is a difference of content from the Chronicler’s narrative, not a variant in transmission.
Reception History
In early Christian interpretation, the multiplication of temple furnishings was often allegorized. The ten tables were seen as representing the fullness of God’s revelation or the universality of the Church. Medieval commentators linked the tables to the law and the basins to cleansing. Reformation-era interpreters focused on the literal-historical meaning, reading the Chronicler’s additional details as a faithful record of temple glory. Modern scholarship typically views these verses as part of the Chronicler’s theological project: presenting the ideal worship of Solomon’s reign as a model for the post-exilic community. The abundance of gold and the symmetrical arrangement continue to speak of a God who fills His house with good things.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s house is a house of abundance. Ten tables and a hundred gold bowls show that God does not give sparingly. This abundance anticipates the feast of the kingdom (Isaiah 25:6).
- Order in worship matters. Five on each side, precisely placed. The Chronicler records the arrangement, reminding us that how we approach God reflects reverence.
- Every detail points to Christ. The showbread prefigures Jesus, the Bread of Life (John 6:35). The wine bowls recall His blood poured out for many.
Five-point outline
- The Chronicler’s unique contribution: he adds details not found in Kings, shaping a portrait of ideal worship.
- The symbolism of ten: completeness, fullness of provision for God’s people.
- The gold: worship requires our best, offered in joy.
- Placement and symmetry: God is a God of order, not confusion.
- The bowls: used for libations or blood, both point to sacrifice and feast.
Illustration hooks
- A family who sets a large table for a reunion, more chairs, more food than needed. The abundance says “you are welcome here.”
- A careful gardener who measures and spaces each plant for beauty and growth. Order is not cold; it creates flourishing.
- A church that invests in good instruments and comfortable space, not for show, but to honour the One who gave everything.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible give so many details about temple furniture? Does that still matter for us today?
- Should our churches spend money on beautiful buildings and furnishings, or is that wasteful?
- What do these ten tables teach me about how God provides for worship and for my life?
Leading a Discussion
At first glance, this verse reads like an inventory, just numbers and objects. But the Chronicler has chosen to include details that his source (1 Kings) omitted. He wants readers to see something important about God, the temple, and worship. As you work through these questions, notice how the abundance and order of these furnishings speak to God’s nature.
Discussion questions
- What items does the Chronicler list in this verse? How many tables, and how many basins? What material are they made of?
- Compare this with Exodus 25:23-30, where God gives the pattern for a single table of showbread. Why do you think Solomon’s temple has ten tables?
- The tables are placed “five on the right side and five on the left.” What does this symmetry suggest about the nature of worship in the temple?
- Read 1 Kings 7:48. That verse mentions only one table. Why might the Chronicler have added extra tables? What does this tell us about his purpose in writing?
- The basins are made of gold. Their possible uses include libations (wine offerings) or dashing blood. How does this connect to the idea of sacrifice and the feast of the kingdom (Isaiah 25:6)?
- What does this verse teach us about God’s provision? How should it shape our attitude toward giving and preparing for worship?
- In what ways can our own church gatherings reflect the care and abundance seen in this description, without becoming focused on material things?
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)
| Exodus 25:23 | “You shall make a table of acacia wood. Its length shall be two cubits, and its width a cubit, and its height one and a half cubits. |
| Exodus 25:30 | You shall set bread of the presence on the table before me always. |
| Exodus 37:10 | He made the table of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits, and its width was a cubit, and its height was a cubit and a half. |
| Exodus 37:16 | He made the vessels which were on the table, its dishes, its spoons, its bowls, and its pitchers with which to pour out, of pure gold. |
| I Kings 7:48 | Solomon made all the vessels that were in Yahweh’s house: the golden altar and the table that the show bread was on, of gold; |
| Isaiah 25:6 | In this mountain, Yahweh of Armies will make all peoples a feast of choice meat, a feast of choice wines, of choice meat full of marrow, of well refined choice wines. |
| Jeremiah 52:18 | They also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and all the vessels of bronze with which they ministered. |
| Jeremiah 52:19 | The captain of the guard took away the cups, the fire pans, the basins, the pots, the lamp stands, the spoons, and the bowls; that which was of gold, as gold, and that which was of silver, as silver. |
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
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies these gold basins as a type of patera or sacrificial spoon used specifically for pouring out drink offerings. His point clarifies their liturgical purpose rather than treating them as ordinary bowls.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out that this passage supplies specific numbers for the tables and basins, details that the parallel account in Kings does not include. The added information clarifies the scale of the temple furnishings beyond what the earlier record provides.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary notes that these ten tables likely served a different purpose from the single table assigned to the shewbread elsewhere in Scripture. The basons were vessels for dashing sacrificial blood against the altar, not for the bread of the Presence.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note simply reports the factual details of Solomon's temple furnishings: ten tables placed symmetrically, five on each side
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argue that the verses describing the ten lampstands, ten tables, and basins in 2 Chronicles were likely part of the original 1 Kings account but dropped out over time, since both passages end with the same concluding statement. They also clarify that the hundred basins were wine flagons for drink offerings, not blood basins.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry reads these temple furnishings as typological symbols, each one foreshadowing the grace of the gospel with Christ as the ultimate reality. He notes that David's deep affection for God's house and courts reflects a love not for the physical objects but for the spiritual truths they pictured.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley suggests that each of the ten tables for the showbread likely held twelve loaves, matching the twelve tribes. He connects the increase in tables to the temple's expansion: as the house grew larger, so did the provision of bread.