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Base


The ten lavers of Solomon’s Temple (see Jerusalem Temple) are designated bases, more properly stands (מְכוֹנָה, H4807, 1 Kings 7:27) which received the lavers on top. Each was four cubits long by four wide and three high. The frame had corner posts to which were attached upper and lower rails, with the spaces thus formed filled in with cast or embossed panels. The rails and posts also had floral or animal decoration (v. 29). Axles of bronze were attached to the posts and received bronze wheels one and a half cubits in diameter, made after the manner of chariot wheels (vv. 32, 33). At the top of the frame were shoulders which supported a ring to receive the lavers. This ring was a cubit and a half in diameter and one cubit high above the frame (v. 31). Both the shoulders and the ring were decorated, the shoulders having attached, wreathlike decoration. The corners of the bases were fashioned to receive the axles. With the axles thus held rigidly, it would not be possible to turn them and thus easily wheel about the bases. The description renders obscure the details of attachment of the various parts, but the wheeled bases of Cyprus (H. Pressman, Altorientalische Texte unde Bilder Sum Alten Text. II, 42; also BA, IV, 29) sheds some light on construction. Joining of parts was either by rivetting with bronze rivets or a type of fusion welding with additional metal in the molten state run between edges (R. J. Forbes, Studies in Ancient Technology [1964], VIII, 137).

Sacrificial offerings were purified by water from the lavers on the stands (2 Chron 4:6). Since lavers are not mentioned in Ezekiel’s Temple, they are presumably absent.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

(1) Substantive from Latin basis, Greek basis, a foundation.



(c) (yarekh): "base of candlestick" (the Revised Version (British and American) of Ex 25:31; 37:17) the King James Version "shaft."


(e) (gabh): the Revised Version (British and American) "elevation," i.e. basement of altar; the King James Version "higher place" (Eze 43:13).

(2) Adjective from French bas--low, or Welsh bas--"shallow": of lowly birth or station, of voluntary humility and of moral depravity.

(a) (shaphal, shephal): of David’s self-humiliation (2Sa 6:22): "a modest unambitious kingdom" (Eze 17:14; 29:14,15 (BDB); Da 4:17 (the American Standard Revised Version "lowest")): compare shephelah = "lowland."

(b) (qalah): men of humble birth and station as opposed to the nobles (Isa 3:5).

(c) (beli-shem): "nameless," "of no account": "children of fools, yea, children of base men" (Job 30:8).

(d) the King James Version men, sons, daughters, children of Belial; literally "worthless persons"; in the American Standard Revised Version "base," except 1Sa 1:16 "wicked woman"; also the English Revised Version of De 13:13, "base," which elsewhere retains the King James Version rendering.

(e) (tapeinos): "lowly," "humble or abject" (2Co 10:1); the Revised Version (British and American), "lowly"; so Paul’s enemies said he appeared when present in the church at Corinth.

(f) (agenes): "of low birth," "of no account" (1Co 1:28): "base things of the world."

(g) (agoraios): " belonging to the market-place," loafers, worthless characters (Ac 17:5): "certain lewd fellows of the baser sort"; the Revised Version (British and American) "certain vile fellows of the rabble."