2 Chronicles 9:18
New International Version
The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them.

New Living Translation
The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne.

English Standard Version
The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests,

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:

New King James Version
The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests.

New American Standard Bible
There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.

NASB 1995
There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.

NASB 1977
And there were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.

Legacy Standard Bible
And there were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.

Amplified Bible
There were six steps to the throne and a golden footstool attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, with two lions standing beside the arms.

Christian Standard Bible
The throne had six steps; there was a footstool covered in gold for the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The throne had six steps; there was a footstool covered in gold for the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.

American Standard Version
And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays.

Contemporary English Version
It had a gold footstool attached to it and armrests on each side. There was a statue of a lion on each side of the throne,

English Revised Version
And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Six steps led to the throne, which had a gold footstool attached to it. There were armrests on both sides of the seat. Two lions stood beside the armrests.

Good News Translation
Six steps led up to the throne, and there was a footstool attached to it, covered with gold. There were arms on each side of the throne, and the figure of a lion stood at each side.

International Standard Version
Six steps led up to the throne. A golden footstool was attached to the throne, which had armrests on each side of the seat and two lions standing on either side of each armrest.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
There were six steps leading up to the throne, and a gold footstool was attached to the throne. The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side.

New Heart English Bible
And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays.

Webster's Bible Translation
And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting-place, and two lions standing by the stays:

World English Bible
There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and six steps [are] to the throne, and a footstool of gold, [and] they are fastened to the throne; and [places for] hands [are] on this [side] and on that [side] on the place of the sitting, and two lions are standing near the hands,

Young's Literal Translation
and six steps are to the throne, and a footstool of gold, to the throne they are fastened, and hands are on this side and on that on the place of the sitting, and two lions are standing near the hands,

Smith's Literal Translation
And six steps to the throne, and a footstool in gold holding fast to the throne, and hands from hence and from thence, upon the place of the seat, and two lions standing near the hands.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And six steps to go up to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms one on either side, and two lions standing by the arms:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And there were six steps, by which he would ascend to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms, one on each side, and two lions standing beside the arms.

New American Bible
The throne had six steps; a footstool of gold was fastened to the throne, and there was an arm on each side of the seat, with two lions standing next to the arms,

New Revised Standard Version
The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were arm rests and two lions standing beside the arm rests,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And there were six steps to the throne, and the rim of the throne encircled from behind it, with armrests on each side of the seat, and two lions standing behind the armrests.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Six steps went up to the throne, and the rim of the throne went around from behind it, and the arms from here and from there on the place of the seat, and two lionesses stood behind the arms.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and arms on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And there were six steps to the throne, riveted with gold, and elbows on either side of the seat of the throne, and two lions standing by the elbows:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Solomon's Wealth and Splendor
17Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 18The 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. 19Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.…

Cross References
1 Kings 10:18-20
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. / Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.

Revelation 4:2-4
At once I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it. / The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne. / Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on these thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white, with golden crowns on their heads.

1 Kings 10:14-17
The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents, / not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land. / King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. ...

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

1 Kings 7:7
In addition, he built a hall for the throne, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge. It was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling.

Ezekiel 28:13-14
You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold, prepared on the day of your creation. / You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for I had ordained you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones.

1 Kings 4:21-24
And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. / Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal, / ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry. ...

Matthew 12:42
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

1 Kings 9:26-28
King Solomon also assembled a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. / And Hiram sent his servants, sailors who knew the sea, to serve in the fleet with Solomon’s servants. / They sailed to Ophir and imported gold from there—420 talents—and delivered it to Solomon.

1 Kings 5:1-12
Now when Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king in his father’s place, he sent envoys to Solomon; for Hiram had always been a friend of David. / And Solomon relayed this message to Hiram: / “As you are well aware, due to the wars waged on all sides against my father David, he could not build a house for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD had put his enemies under his feet. ...

Luke 11:31
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

1 Kings 6:2-3
The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. / The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple was twenty cubits long, extending across the width of the temple and projecting out ten cubits in front of the temple.

1 Kings 8:10-11
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD / so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud. For the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.

1 Kings 9:1-9
Now when Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all that he had desired to do, / the LORD appeared to him a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. / And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and petition before Me. I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting My Name there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there for all time. ...

1 Kings 3:12-13
behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been another like you, nor will there ever be. / Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal.


Treasury of Scripture

And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:

stays [heb] hands

Genesis 49:9,10
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.

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Arm Armrests Arms Attached Either Fastened Footstool Gold Hands Lions Rests Seat Side Sides Sitting Six Standing Stays Steps Throne
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Arm Armrests Arms Attached Either Fastened Footstool Gold Hands Lions Rests Seat Side Sides Sitting Six Standing Stays Steps Throne
2 Chronicles 9
1. The queen of sheba admires the wisdom of Solomon
13. Solomon's revenue in gold
15. His targets and shields
17. The throne of ivory
20. His vessels
23. His presents
25. His chariots and horse
26. His tributes
29. His reign and death














The throne had six steps
The number six in biblical numerology often represents imperfection or incompleteness, as it falls short of the number seven, which symbolizes perfection and completion. However, in this context, the six steps leading to Solomon's throne may signify a progression towards wisdom and divine order, reflecting the king's journey in ruling with justice and righteousness. The steps can also symbolize the elevation of the king above his subjects, indicating his authority and the reverence due to his position.

and a footstool of gold
Gold, throughout the Bible, is a symbol of purity, divinity, and kingship. The footstool being made of gold signifies the divine authority and the heavenly mandate bestowed upon Solomon. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a footstool was often associated with subjugation and dominion, suggesting that Solomon's rule was underpinned by divine favor and strength. This imagery can also remind believers of the ultimate sovereignty of God, who is often depicted as having the earth as His footstool (Isaiah 66:1).

which were fastened to the throne
The phrase "fastened to the throne" indicates stability and permanence. In a spiritual sense, it suggests that Solomon's reign was firmly established by God. The secure attachment of the footstool to the throne can be seen as a metaphor for the unshakeable nature of God's promises and the enduring legacy of a kingdom built on divine wisdom and understanding.

Armrests on both sides of the seat
Armrests provide support and comfort, symbolizing the strength and security of Solomon's reign. The presence of armrests on both sides of the seat may also represent balance and justice, key attributes of a righteous ruler. In a broader spiritual context, this can be seen as an encouragement for leaders to seek God's guidance and support in their governance, ensuring that their rule is characterized by fairness and equity.

and a lion stood beside each armrest
Lions are often symbols of power, courage, and majesty. In the Bible, the lion is associated with the tribe of Judah, from which Solomon descended, and ultimately with Jesus Christ, the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Revelation 5:5). The presence of a lion beside each armrest underscores the strength and authority of Solomon's kingship, as well as the divine protection and blessing over his reign. It serves as a reminder to believers of the power and majesty of Christ, who reigns with justice and righteousness.

(18) With a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne.--Instead of this Kings has, And the throne had a rounded top behind. Although the footstool is a prominent object in Oriental representations of thrones, it is quite possible that our text is due to a corruption of that which appears in Kings, and with which the Syriac here agrees. The LXX. renders, "and six steps to the throne, fastened with gold," omitting the footstool. The Heb. is at all events suspiciously awkward.

For the remainder of this and the following verse see 1Kings 10:19-20. The chronicler has made two, slight verbal corrections in 2Chronicles 9:19.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The throne
לַ֠כִּסֵּא (lak·kis·sê)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3678: Seat of honor, throne

had six
וְשֵׁ֣שׁ (wə·šêš)
Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8337: Six (a cardinal number)

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

and a footstool
וְכֶ֨בֶשׁ (wə·ḵe·ḇeš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3534: A footstool

of gold
בַּזָּהָ֤ב (baz·zā·hāḇ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky

was attached to it.
מָאֳחָזִ֔ים (mā·’o·ḥā·zîm)
Verb - Hofal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 270: To grasp, take hold, take possession

There were armrests
וְיָד֛וֹת (wə·yā·ḏō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 3027: A hand

on both sides
מִזֶּ֥ה (miz·zeh)
Preposition-m | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

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

the seat,
מְק֣וֹם (mə·qō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

with a lion
אֲרָי֔וֹת (’ă·rā·yō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 738: A lion

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

beside
אֵ֥צֶל (’ê·ṣel)
Preposition
Strong's 681: A joining together, proximity

each armrest.
הַיָּדֽוֹת׃ (hay·yā·ḏō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 3027: A hand


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 9:18 And there were six steps to (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 9:17
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