_First-fruits: offerings, of some of the best and choicest of their goods. (Challoner) --- This was the first time such a voluntary offering was made by the Hebrews. (Menochius) --- It is a lesson for Christians to be liberal for God's service. (Worthington)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Scarlet twice dyed. Aquila and Symmachus have transparent. This colour is often confounded with purple, as our Saviour's robe is styled scarlet by St. Matthew xxvii. 28; and purple by St. John xix. 2. It was dyed with a worm called shani in Hebrew. (St. Jerome, ep. ad Fabiol.) --- Fine linen, byssu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Setim-wood. The wood of a tree that grows in the wilderness, which is said to be incorruptible, (Challoner) as the Septuagint intimate. It is perhaps the Acacia, which is very black and hard. St. Jerome in Joel iii. 18, says it resembles our white thorn._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Onyx, emeralds. (Calmet) --- The ephod and the rational. The ephod was the high priests upper vestment; and the rational his breast-plate, in which were twelve gems, &c. (Challoner) --- Ephod means a kind of girdle or stole, peculiar to priests, or used by others only of the highest distinction, (C... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sanctuary, or tabernacle, to serve as a portable temple. Such alone were probably used at that time. The high priest entered into this holy place once a year. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ark, to contain the tables of the law, as a constant memorial of the alliance made between God and his people, ver. 16. In, or on the side of it, were also placed the rod of Aaron, (Numbers xvii. 10.) and the golden urn, containing manna, Hebrews ix. 3. Hence the pagans perhaps took occasion to kee... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gold (deaurabis). Our method of gilding was not yet discovered. --- Crown, or border, resembling "waves," (kumatia) Septuagint._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Carried on them, when exposed in solemn processions. These were covered along with the ark: and other bars were used to remove the ark during the journeys in the desert, Numbers iv. 6. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Testimony, the law which testifies the will of God to us. (Menochius) --- An authentic record. Jeremias (xxxii. 11,) uses præceptum in the same sense. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_A propitiatory: a covering for the ark; called a propitiatory, or mercy-seat, because the Lord, who was supposed to sit there upon the wings of the cherubims, with the ark for his footstool, from thence shewed mercy. It is also called the oracle, ver. 18 and 20, because from thence, God gave his or... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XXV. Cherubims, symbolic figures, which Moses does not perfectly describe, and therefore we cannot pretend to know their exact form. Some represent them as young men, with their wings joined over the propitiatory, in a contrary direction to those of birds, in order to form a throne for God,... [ Continue Reading ]
_A table: on which were to be placed the twelve loaves of proposition; or, as they are called in the Hebrew, the face bread; because they were always to stand before the face of the Lord in his temple: as a figure of the eucharistic sacrifice and sacrament, in the church of Christ; (Challoner) which... [ Continue Reading ]
_Polished, ( interrasilem, sculptured and plain, at equal distances). Hebrew, "Thou shalt make all round at the top, a ledge (border) of a hand's breadth," &c. The tabernacle was the tent of God, the king of Israel: and food and lights were on that account placed before him, (Calmet) though he stood... [ Continue Reading ]
Dishes. ( acetabulum.) Properly, a vessel to hold vinegar, but used for various purposes. --- Bowls, or vials full of wine. (Tostat) --- Censers, to contain incense, &c., chap. xxxvii. 16. The first term, karuth, might also mean vessels to contain the flour and oil of which these loaves were made, N... [ Continue Reading ]
_Loaves. There were 12, containing each six pints of flour, made up in a square form, without leaven. They were placed in two rows, one above the other, and were kept separate by plates of gold. (Calmet) See Leviticus xxiv. 5._... [ Continue Reading ]
_A candlestick. This candlestick, with its seven lamps, which ws always to give light in the house of God, was a figure of the light of the Holy Ghost, and his seven-fold grace, in the sanctuary of the church of Christ. (Challoner) --- It contained a talent of gold, or above 113 lb.; worth \'a35475... [ Continue Reading ]
_Cups. Hebrew, "cups which produce almonds or nuts;" that is three buds of flowers, out of which comes the stalk, as fruit does from the flower. The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages use the word chalice, or cup, for a flower full-blown. The height of this candlestick is undetermined; but it would... [ Continue Reading ]
_Against. The table of proposition on the north, and that of perfumes in the middle, before the veil. (Tirinus) --- The lamps might be detached from the rest, (Calmet) and were trimmed every evening to burn all night; but in the day four were extinguished. (Bonfrere)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Put out, with the oil, &c. Nothing was to be treated with disrespect that had been dedicated to God's service. (Haydock) --- Alexander adorned the temple of Apollo with a grand candlestick, resembling a tree laden with fruit; (Pliny, [Natural History?] xxxiv. 8,) and Dionysius the younger made a pr... [ Continue Reading ]