1 Kings 10:20
New International Version
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom.

New Living Translation
There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!

English Standard Version
while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. The like of it was never made in any kingdom.

Berean Standard Bible
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

King James Bible
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

New King James Version
Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

New American Standard Bible
Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom.

NASB 1995
Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom.

NASB 1977
And twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom.

Legacy Standard Bible
Twelve lions were also standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for all the other kingdoms.

Amplified Bible
Twelve lions stood there, one on either end of each of the six steps; there was nothing like it made for any other kingdom.

Christian Standard Bible
Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

American Standard Version
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

English Revised Version
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Twelve lions stood on six steps, one on each side. Nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

International Standard Version
Twelve lions were placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne, and nothing comparable was made for any other kingdoms.

Majority Standard Bible
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

NET Bible
There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.

New Heart English Bible
Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any kingdom.

Webster's Bible Translation
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

World English Bible
Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. Nothing like it was made in any kingdom.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and twelve lions are standing there on the six steps, on this [side] and on that; it has not been made so for any kingdom.

Young's Literal Translation
and twelve lions are standing there on the six steps, on this side and on that; it hath not been made so for any kingdom.

Smith's Literal Translation
And twelve lions standing there upon the six steps, hence and thence: there was not made thus to all the kingdoms.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And twelve little lions stood upon the six steps on the one side and on the other: there was no such work made in any kingdom.

Catholic Public Domain Version
with twelve little lions standing upon the six steps, on one side and the other. No similar work has been made, ever in any kingdom.

New American Bible
and twelve other lions standing there on the steps, two to a step, one on either side of each step. Nothing like this was made in any other kingdom.

New Revised Standard Version
while twelve lions were standing, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made in any kingdom.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps; there was not the like in any kingdom.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And twelve lions stood on the side of six steps on either side; there was nothing made in this way among all kingdoms.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps; there was not the like made in any kingdom.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and twelve lions standing there on the six steps on either side: it was not so done in any other kingdom.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Solomon's Wealth and Splendor
19The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest. 20Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom. 21All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.…

Cross References
2 Chronicles 9:19
Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

1 Kings 4:24-25
For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates—over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah to Gaza—and he had peace on all sides. / Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.

1 Kings 7:29-30
and on the panels between the uprights were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the uprights was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of beveled work. / Each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles and a basin resting on four supports, with wreaths at each side.

1 Kings 7:36
He engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and panels, wherever each had space, with wreaths all around.

1 Kings 9:17-19
So Solomon rebuilt Gezer, Lower Beth-horon, / Baalath, and Tamar in the Wilderness of Judah, / as well as all the store cities that Solomon had for his chariots and horses—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion.

2 Chronicles 9:17-18
Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. / The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.

2 Chronicles 1:15
The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.

2 Chronicles 9:22-24
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. / All the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. / Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

1 Kings 10:18-19
Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. / The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.

1 Kings 10:21
All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

1 Kings 10:23-25
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. / The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. / Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

2 Chronicles 9:20
All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

2 Chronicles 9:27
The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.

Matthew 6:29
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.

Luke 12:27
Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.


Treasury of Scripture

And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom.

lions

Genesis 49:9
Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

Numbers 23:24
Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

Numbers 24:9
He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

the like made [heb] so made

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Either End Kingdom Lions Placed Side Six Standing Step Steps Stood Twelve
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Either End Kingdom Lions Placed Side Six Standing Step Steps Stood Twelve
1 Kings 10
1. The queen of Sheba admires the wisdom of Solomon
14. Solomon's gold
16. His targets
18. The throne of ivory
21. His vessels
24. His presents
26. his chariots and horse
28. his tribute














Twelve lions
The number twelve often symbolizes completeness or divine authority in the Bible, reflecting the twelve tribes of Israel. Lions, as symbols of strength and majesty, represent the power and authority of King Solomon's reign. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, lions were frequently associated with royalty and divine protection, underscoring Solomon's God-given wisdom and strength.

stood on the six steps
The six steps leading to Solomon's throne signify a structured approach to his rule, with each step representing a level of wisdom and discernment. The number six, often associated with human effort, contrasts with the divine completeness of twelve, suggesting that Solomon's wisdom, though great, is still a human endeavor under divine guidance.

one at either end of each step
This phrase emphasizes balance and symmetry, reflecting the order and justice that characterized Solomon's reign. The placement of the lions at each end of the steps symbolizes protection and the upholding of justice, ensuring that Solomon's judgments were fair and balanced.

Nothing like this had ever been made
This statement highlights the unparalleled nature of Solomon's kingdom, a testament to the wisdom and favor bestowed upon him by God. It underscores the uniqueness of Israel's monarchy under Solomon, setting a standard of excellence and divine blessing that was unmatched in the ancient world.

for any kingdom
The phrase underscores the supremacy of Solomon's reign over all other kingdoms, reflecting the fulfillment of God's promise to David that his son would have a kingdom of peace and prosperity. It serves as a reminder of the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, with Solomon's throne as a symbol of divine favor and the ultimate realization of God's promises to His people.

Verse 20. - And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other, upon the six steps [It is somewhat doubtful whether there were twelve or fourteen lions in all. Most commentators assume that there were fourteen, and the text will certainly bear that construction. But it is altogether more likely that there were twelve; that is to say, that the two lions on the topmost step are the two mentioned in the preceding verse as "standing beside the stays," otherwise there would have been four lions on that step. And we all know that twelve had a significance such as could not attach to any other number (Bahr, Symbolik, 1:201-205; 2:133, 423). It would signify that all the tribes had an interest in the royal house (cf. 1 Kings 12:16; 2 Samuel 20:1); and a right of approach to the throne (cf. 1 Kings 18:31). The lion, a familiar emblem of sovereignty among many nations, had an especial appropriateness in this case, as being the symbol of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:9; cf. Numbers 23:24; Numbers 24:9). We are to see in them partly "symbols of the ruler's authority" (Keil), and partly, perhaps, they represented the twelve tribes as guardians of the throne. "The king mounted between figures of lions to his seat on the throne, and sat between figures of lions upon it" (Wordsworth). Thrones somewhat similar to this in character, but much less magnificent, are represented on the Assyrian monuments. The historian might justly add]: there was not the like made [Heb. not made so] in any kingdom.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Twelve
וּשְׁנֵ֧ים (ū·šə·nêm)
Conjunctive waw | Number - md
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

lions
אֲרָיִ֗ים (’ă·rā·yîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 738: A lion

stood
עֹמְדִ֥ים (‘ō·mə·ḏîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the six
שֵׁ֥שׁ (šêš)
Number - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8337: Six (a cardinal number)

steps,
הַֽמַּעֲל֖וֹת (ham·ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4609: Elevation, the act, the condition, a climactic progression

one at either end
מִזֶּ֣ה (miz·zeh)
Preposition-m | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

of each [step].
וּמִזֶּ֑ה (ū·miz·zeh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

Nothing
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

like [this]
כֵ֖ן (ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

had ever been made
נַעֲשָׂ֥ה (na·‘ă·śāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

for any
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

kingdom.
מַמְלָכֽוֹת׃ (mam·lā·ḵō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4467: Kingdom, sovereignty, dominion, reign


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OT History: 1 Kings 10:20 Twelve lions stood there on the one (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 10:19
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