The Brazen Sea

3 Kings 7:23-27

In Solomon’s temple a great cast-bronze basin, ten cubits across, stood on twelve oxen and held the water in which the priests washed before they served at the altar. The Church’s tradition reads it as a figure of Baptism, but the library has little written on these verses themselves, so this path draws on commentary on the laver, the twelve oxen and the sacrament it foreshadows.

The passage · Douay-Rheims

He made also a molten sea, of ten cubits, from brim to brim, round all about; the height of it was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about.

And a graven work, under the brim of it, compassed it for ten cubits going about the sea: there were two rows cast of chamfered sculptures.

And it stood upon twelve oxen, of which three looked towards the north, and three towards the west, and three towards the south, and three towards the east: and the sea was above upon them, and their hinder parts were all hid within.

And the laver was a hand breadth thick: and the brim thereof was like the brim of a cup, or the leaf of a crisped lily: it contained two thousand bates.

And he made ten bases of brass, every base was four cubits in length, and four cubits in breadth, and three cubits high.

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The four senses

Literal sense

What was the molten sea in the temple of Solomon: how large, how borne, and for what washing was it used?

4 writers

Related passages

Each is quoted in full and is here because the commentary above, or the text itself, ties it to the key passage.

2 Paralipomenon 4:2-6

Haydock (literal sense, on 2 Paralipomenon 4:2 and 4:6) comments on the parallel account: the sea was for the priests to wash in, and the ten lavers were for the offerings.

2Also a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass: it was five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about.

3And under it there was the likeness of oxen, and certain engravings on the outside of ten cubits compassed the belly of the sea, as it were with two rows.

4And the oxen were cast: and the sea itself was set upon the twelve oxen, three of which looked toward the north, and other three toward the west: and other three toward the south, and the other three that remained toward the east, and the sea stood upon them: and the hinder parts of the oxen were inward under the sea.

5Now the thickness of it was a handbreadth, and the brim of it was like the brim of a cup, or of a crisped lily: and it held three thousand measures.

6He made also ten lavers: and he set five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them all such things as they were to offer for holocausts: but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

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Ezechiel 47:1-12

Challoner, in Haydock’s commentary (allegorical sense, on Ezechiel 47:1), reads the waters flowing from the temple as the baptism of Christ, and Haydock (anagogical sense, on 47:22) reads the inheritance given to strangers as heaven.

1And he brought me again to the gate of the house, and behold waters issued out from under the threshold of the house toward the east: for the forefront of the house looked toward the east: but the waters came down to the right side of the temple to the south part of the altar.

2And he led me out by the way of the north gate, and he caused me to turn to the way without the outward gate to the way that looked toward the east: and behold there ran out waters on the right side.

3And when the man that had the line in his hand went out towards the east, he measured a thousand cubits: and he brought me through the water up to the ankles.

4And again he measured a thousand, and he brought me through the water up to the knees.

5And he measured a thousand, and he brought me through the water up to the loins. And he measured a thousand, and it was a torrent, which I could not pass over: for the waters were risen so as to make a deep torrent, which could not be passed over.

6And he said to me: Surely thou hast seen, O son of man. And he brought me out, and he caused me to turn to the bank of the torrent.

7And when I had turned myself, behold on the bank of the torrent were very many trees on both sides.

8And he said to me: These waters that issue forth toward the hillocks of sand to the east, and go down to the plains of the desert, shall go into the sea, and shall go out, and the waters shall be healed.

9And every living creature that creepeth whithersoever the torrent shall come, shall live: and there shall be fishes in abundance after these waters shall come thither, and they shall be healed, and all things shall live to which the torrent shall come.

10And the fishers shall stand over these waters, from Engaddi even to Engallim there shall be drying of nets: there shall be many sorts of the fishes thereof, as the fishes of the great sea, a very great multitude:

11But on the shore thereof, and in the fenny places they shall not be healed, because they shall be turned into saltpits.

12And by the torrent on the banks thereof on both sides shall grow all trees that bear fruit: their leaf shall not fall off, and their fruit shall not fail: every month shall they bring forth firstfruits, because the waters thereof shall issue out of the sanctuary: and the fruits thereof shall be for food, and the leaves thereof for medicine.

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John 7:37-39

Lapide (allegorical sense, on John 7:38) and Augustine in the Catena Aurea (moral sense) read the living water that flows from the believer as the Holy Spirit and as love of neighbour; Lapide (anagogical sense) follows it back to its source in heaven.

37And on the last, and great day of the festivity, Jesus stood and cried, saying: If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink.

38He that believeth in me, as the scripture saith: Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39Now this he said of the Spirit which they should receive who believed in him: for as yet the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

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Exodus 30:17-21

Haydock (literal and moral senses, on Exodus 30:18) describes the bronze laver of the tabernacle, and Aquinas (literal sense) and Jerome (moral sense) give its reasons and its meaning.

17And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

18Thou shalt make also a brazen laver with its foot to wash in: and thou shalt set it between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar. And water being put into it:

19Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet in it:

20When they are going into the tabernacle of the testimony, and when they are to come to the altar, to offer on it incense to the Lord,

21Lest perhaps they die. It shall be an everlasting law to him, and to his seed by successions.

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Titus 3:5

The Roman Catechism (allegorical sense) quotes this verse and notes that Baptism is called a laver by the Apostle, and Haydock (allegorical sense, on Titus 3:5) takes it of baptism; the Douay uses the same word, laver, as in 3 Kings 7:26.

5Not by the works of justice which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the laver of regeneration and renovation of the Holy Ghost.

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Apocalypse 4:6

Haydock (anagogical sense, on Apocalypse 4:6) reads the sea of glass before the throne as the troubles of this world turned to everlasting calm.

6And in the sight of the throne was, as it were, a sea of glass like to crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind.

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