Verse Lens · Expanded explanation

1 Kings 7:14 Explained in Context

Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.

Selected verse

Verse 14. He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions

Quick Meaning

This verse advances the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence: “He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre….” Its responsible meaning belongs to the complete movement “Hiram fashions the bronze pillars.”

Another Hiram, a bronze worker, is brought from Tyre

This verse is one part of that explanation in 1 Kings 7:13–22. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.

Read It With

  • 1 Kings 7:13–22

Read 1 Kings 7:14 with 7:13–22. The selected wording supplies one step in the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence; the surrounding verses supply the causes, responses, and outcome summarized here: Brings the bronze artisan Hiram from Tyre at Solomon's summons; finishes the pillar description with their lily work.

Why This Verse Appears Here

Within “Hiram fashions the bronze pillars,” 1 Kings 7:14 advances the thought unit through its next reported action, speech, or consequence through the wording “He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre….” Its placement is governed by this reviewed relationship: 1 Kings 7:1–12 establishes this prior movement: Contrasts the temple's seven-year construction with the thirteen years spent on Solomon's palace; links the great court's stone-and-cedar pattern with the temple's inner court and porch. 1 Kings 7:13–22 continues the same royal, temple, household, prophetic, or military movement; that demonstrated relationship, rather than database adjacency alone, explains its placement.

Read 1 Kings 7:13–22 together

Why these verses belong together: Hiram fashions the bronze pillars is the complete reviewed scene, prayer, oracle, list, or regnal notice bounded at 7:13–7:22.

Verse 13. And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.

Verse 14. He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.

Verse 15. For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.

Verse 16. And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:

Verse 17. And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.

Verse 18. And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.

Verse 19. And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.

Verse 20. And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.

Verse 21. And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.

Verse 22. And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.

Follow the Context

  1. Brings the bronze artisan Hiram from Tyre at Solomon's summons
  2. Finishes the pillar description with their lily work

What This Verse Is Not Saying

1 Kings 7:14 does not permit the wording “He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre…” to be read apart from the selected verse's context. The unit does not contain God inside architecture, make building scale proof of spiritual health, or hide the labor, extraction, political power, and covenant conditions behind sacred splendor.

What Remains True

Sacred beauty and public worship remain subordinate to God's freedom, covenant faithfulness, justice, and the dignity of people who build and serve. This unit tests that truth through brings the bronze artisan Hiram from Tyre at Solomon's summons; finishes the pillar description with their lily work. In 1 Kings 7:14, the concrete line “He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre…” keeps that truth accountable to the narrated evidence.

Teach It Back

In 70–220 words, explain 1 Kings 7:14's role in 7:13–22. Paraphrase “He was a widow’s son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre…,” identify one agent or affected person, state one material source or historical limit, and name one conclusion the context does not authorize.

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Continue in Context

Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.

Read 1 Kings 7:13–22 — Hiram fashions the bronze pillars
Sources used for this Verse Lens

How certain is this explanation? probable

These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.

Biblical text

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society

USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.

Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.

Exact location: 1 Kings 7:13–22, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus

Open source ↗

hebrew text and morphology

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: 1 Kings

Open Scriptures

Open Scriptures, release 2.2

Supports: Hebrew wording and morphology used for lexical, grammatical, name, clause, and older-English checks; this is not a critical apparatus or historical proof.

Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/1Kgs.xml, Masoretic words and morphology for 7:13–22

Open source ↗

translation and translator notes

NET Bible: 1 Kings with translators' notes

Biblical Studies Press

Biblical Studies Press, 2006

Supports: Only printed unit-level translation, lexical, grammatical, textual, historical, and verse-numbering notes; silence is not evidence.

Exact location: NET Bible 1 Kings PDF, printed pp. 596–599, translation and translator notes for 7:13–22

Open source ↗
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