כֹּתֶ֫רֶת, H3805
Capital of a pillar -- the ornamental crown atop a column, especially the temple pillars Jachin and Boaz
A specialized architectural term for the capital -- the ornamental top piece crowning a pillar or column. All 24 occurrences cluster tightly around the description of Solomon's temple furnishings, particularly the elaborate bronze capitals atop the two freestanding pillars named Jachin and Boaz (1 Kgs 7:16-42). These capitals were decorated with lattice-work, rows of pomegranates, and lily-shaped designs, standing five cubits high and representing some of the finest craftsmanship in ancient Israel. The root suggests 'surrounding' or 'crowning,' aptly describing how a capital encircles and adorns the top of its column. The parallel accounts in 2 Kings 25:17 and Jeremiah 52:22 recall these same capitals in the solemn context of Babylon's destruction of the temple.
Senses
1. capital of a pillar — The ornamental capital or crown atop a pillar, used exclusively in architectural descriptions of Solomon's temple and its destruction. All occurrences refer to the elaborately decorated bronze capitals on the pillars Jachin and Boaz (1 Kgs 7:16-42), with parallel descriptions in the destruction narrative (2 Kgs 25:17; Jer 52:22). These five-cubit-high capitals featured intricate lattice-work, rows of pomegranates, and lily-shaped designs. The root suggests 'encircling' or 'crowning,' capturing how the capital surrounds and adorns the column's summit. Spanish capitel and equivalent terms across languages all point to this specific architectural element. 24×
AR["التَّاجِ", "التِّيجَانِ", "الـ-تَّاجَيْنِ", "الـ-تَّاجِ", "الـ-تِّيجَانَ", "لِ-الـ-تَّاجِ", "وَ-تِيجَانٌ", "وَتَاجٌ"]·ben["-মাথার-অলংকারগুলি", "-মাথার-অলংকারগুলির", "-মাথার-অলংকারের", "এবং-মাথার-অলংকার", "এবং-মুকুট", "মাথার-অলংকারগুলির", "মাথার-অলংকারের", "মাথার-অলংকারের-জন্য", "মুকুটের", "শীর্ষের"]·DE["[הכותרת]", "[הכתרות]", "[הכתרת]", "[וכתרת]", "der-capital", "der-capitals", "fuer-der-capital", "und-capitals"]·EN["and-a-capital", "and-capitals", "for-the-capital", "the-capital", "the-capitals"]·FR["[הכותרת]", "[הכתרות]", "[הכתרת]", "[וכתרת]", "et-capitals", "le-capitals", "le-chapiteau", "pour-le-chapiteau"]·heb["ה-כותרות", "ה-כותרת", "ה-כתרות", "ו-כותרות", "ו-כותרת", "ל-ה-כותרת"]·HI["और-कलस", "और-कलियाँ", "कलशों", "कलस", "कलस-की", "कलियों", "कलियों-की", "कली", "कली-की", "कली-के", "कली-के-लिए", "ह-कोतेरेत"]·ID["dan-kepala-kepala-tiang", "dan-kepala-tiang", "kepala-kepala-tiang", "kepala-tiang", "mahkota", "untuk-kepala-tiang"]·IT["[הכותרת]", "[הכתרות]", "[הכתרת]", "[וכתרת]", "e-capitelli", "il-capitelli", "il-capitello", "per-il-capitello"]·jav["kagem-mahkota", "lan-mahkota", "lan-mustaka", "mahkota", "mustaka"]·KO["그-기둥머리들", "그-말단", "그-말단의", "그리고-머리들은", "그리고-머리들이", "그리고-머리장식이", "머리들을", "머리들의", "머리에-대하여", "머리의", "머리장식의"]·PT["E-capitel", "E-capitéis", "o-capitel", "os-capitéis", "para-o-capitel"]·RU["И-капитель", "для-капители", "и-капители", "капителей", "капители"]·ES["Y-capiteles", "del-capitel", "el-capitel", "los-capiteles", "para-el-capitel", "y-capitel"]·SW["Na-mataji", "Na-taji", "juu-ya", "kwa-taji", "mataji", "na-dhiraa", "taji", "wa-taji", "ya-mataji", "za-mataji"]·TR["basligin", "başlık", "başlıkları", "başlıkların", "başlığa", "başlığın", "ve-baslik", "ve-başlıklar"]·urd["-تاج", "-تاج-کی", "-سروں-کے", "اور-تاج", "اور-سر-", "تاج-کی", "تاج-کے", "سر کی-", "سر-", "سروں کے-", "سروں-", "کے لیے-سر", "کے-سر"]
1 Kgs 7:16, 1 Kgs 7:16, 1 Kgs 7:16, 1 Kgs 7:17, 1 Kgs 7:17, 1 Kgs 7:17, 1 Kgs 7:18, 1 Kgs 7:18, 1 Kgs 7:19, 1 Kgs 7:20, 1 Kgs 7:20, 1 Kgs 7:31 (+12 more)
Related Senses
H1129 1. Qal: build, construct (316×)H2691a 1. court, courtyard, enclosure (142×)G4864 1. synagogue, place of Jewish assembly (56×)G5438 1. prison, place of confinement (41×)H4013 1. fortress, stronghold (37×)H0875 1. well, cistern (dug water source) (35×)H0352b 1. pillar or jamb of gateway (32×)H2474 1. window, opening in wall (32×)H1406 1. roof / rooftop (31×)H4609b 1. steps, stairs, stairway (31×)H1129 2. Nifal: be built, be established (30×)H0361 1. portico, porch (architectural structure) (27×)H1129 3. Qal participle: builder (27×)H1219 1. fortified, inaccessible (25×)H4581 1. fortress, stronghold (25×)H4350 1. stand, base, pedestal (24×)H0759 1. palace, royal residence (21×)H4692 1. siege, besiegement (20×)G3618 1. build or construct physically (19×)H3332 2. cast molten metal (18×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
כֹּתֶ֫רֶת, כּוֹתֶ֫רֶת n.f. capital of pillar (as surrounding, crowning its top?);—abs. כֹּתֶרֶת 1 K 7:16(×2) + 10 times; הַכּוֹתֶרֶת Je 52:22c.; pl. abs. כֹּתָרֹת 1 K 7:16 + 7 times, כֹּתָרוֹת 2 Ch 4:12(×2), 13;—capitals of pillars יָכִין and בֹּעַז 1 K 7:16(×3) + 12 times 1 K 7 = 2 Ch 4:12(×2), 13; 2 K 25:17(×3) = Je 52:22(×3).