3 Kings 7:25
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.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et stabat super duodecim boves, e quibus tres respiciebant ad aquilonem, et tres ad occidentem, et tres ad meridiem, et tres ad orientem : et mare super eos desuper erat : quorum posteriora universa intrinsecus latitabant.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Verse numbering differs here, so nothing is shown rather than the wrong verse.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- עֹמֵ֞ד עַל שְׁנֵ֧י עָשָׂ֣ר בָּקָ֗ר שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה פֹנִ֣ים צָפ֡וֹנָה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֩ פֹנִ֨ים יָ֜מָּה וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה פֹּנִ֣ים נֶ֗גְבָּה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה֙ פֹּנִ֣ים מִזְרָ֔חָה וְהַיָּ֥ם עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְכָל אֲחֹֽרֵיהֶ֖ם בָּֽיְתָה
Haydock's commentary
Oxen. Josephus and the Jews would condemn Solomon for making these figures; but it is clear that his present was acceptable to God, as well as his person. (Calmet)
Within. The oxen were of solid brass, to support such a weight. (Menochius)
Some think that the water was discharged through their mouths. But Pelletier believes that there were cocks placed between each of the four divisions of oxen, which let water into a basin below, in which the priests might purify themselves. He supposes also that the vessel was double; the cup would contain 2000 baths, and the foot or basin another 1000, by which means he would reconcile this book with that of Chronicles. (Melanges, T. i. p. 115.)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.