Knop

Knops (from the Old English cnop, a knob or button) were ornamental rounded protuberances used in the furnishings of the tabernacle and temple. Two distinct Hebrew terms are rendered knop in the KJV: kaphtor, which denotes the almond-blossom-shaped ornaments on the golden lampstand (Exodus 25:31–36), carved alternately with flowers and buds along each of the seven branches; and peqāʿîm, the gourd-like ornamental carvings that encircled the walls of Solomon's temple interior (1 Kings 6:18; 7:24) and decorated the bronze sea's rim.

The lampstand's almond-shaped knops have been interpreted symbolically as representing fruitfulness and the awakened life of the Spirit—the almond being the first tree to flower in spring, a symbol of vigilance and readiness. The term kaphtor also appears as a place name (Caphtor, the homeland of the Philistines), suggesting the ornamental form may have been associated with Aegean or Cretan artistic traditions. The careful description of these architectural and liturgical details in Exodus and Kings reflects the importance of beauty and craftsmanship in the construction of sacred space.