And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the capitals that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other capital.
All Commentaries on 1 Kings 7:18 Go To 1 Kings 7
Bede
AD 735
True, there were two rows of networks right around the capital, but both rows were repeated seven times over until the capital was encircled and the row rejoined itself after going full circle. Nor is the figure of the mystery obscured by the fact that there are two rows of network since it is well known that the virtue of love consists of two distinct aspects, namely, when we are bidden to love God with our whole heart, our whole mind and our whole strength and our neighbor as ourselves. But both of those rows have seven rows of nets because without the grace of the Holy Spirit neither God nor the neighbor can be loved. For the statement “because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” remains true. But where the love of God is, there, assuredly, the love of the neighbor also is poured into the hearts of the faithful because, of course, the one cannot be had without the other. Furthermore, these networks were made to cover the capitals, that is, to encircle them completely, because, rightly understood, every page of holy Scripture echoes throughout with the sound of the grace of love and peace. For the capitals are indeed the volumes of the divine Word, the networks are the bonds of mutual love, and the capitals are covered with networks when the sacred words, if I may say so, are shown on all sides to be clothed with the gift of love. For even in the things that we do not understand in the Scriptures, love is abundantly in evidence.
