We come now to the long section of P, which contains the instructions stated to have been given by God to Moses on the mount for the construction and equipment of a sanctuary, and for the vestments and consecration of a priesthood. These instructions fall into two parts: (1) chs. 25 29; (2) chs. 30... [ Continue Reading ]
_Contribution of materials for a sanctuary_(cf. Exodus 35:20-29). All liberally-minded Israelites are invited to contribute the materials necessary for the construction and equipment of a sanctuary its fabric, its sacred vessels, and (ch. 28) the vestments of its priests. The materials are to includ... [ Continue Reading ]
_offering_ better, CONTRIBUTION. The Heb. _tărûmâh_(from _hçrîm, to lift_or _take off_) denotes properly what is -taken off" from a larger mass, and so separated from it for sacred purposes (LXX. often ἀφαίρεμα, -something _taken off_"; Targ. אפרשותא, -something _separated_"). RVm. _heave-offering_... [ Continue Reading ]
The metals. Gold, silver, and copper are specified, the gold being prescribed, in accordance with a significant gradation, for those vessels and parts of the sanctuary which were nearest to Jehovah, the silver and the copper for those which were further off and less important. Of gold there was a su... [ Continue Reading ]
Materials spun or woven. _blue_ more exactly, PURPLE-BLUE (LXX. ὑάκινθος, ὑακίνθινος, -dark blue"), or VIOLET (Esther 1:6 AV.), i.e. yarn or stump so coloured by means of a dye obtained from a shell-fish, found adhering to rocks in the Medit. Sea (cf. Ezekiel 27:7), and said to be the _Helix Ianthin... [ Continue Reading ]
Skins and wood. _rams" skins dyed red_ These formed the second covering over the certains (Exodus 26:14). _sealskins_ Heb. -skins of _tĕḥâshim_," a word of uncertain meaning. In Arab. _tuḥas_or _duḥas_means a dolphin, which makes it probable that the DUGONG (Malay _duyong_, a sea-cow) is meant, an... [ Continue Reading ]
Oil and spices. For the reason of the verse being assigned to _P_3 [199], see pp. 296, 328: cf. pp. 378 f., and xi f. [199] Secondary strata of P (see p. xii _top_; pp. 328f., 378). _oil for the light_ See on Exodus 27:20. _spices for the anointing oil_ Exodus 30:22 ff. _and for the incense_ OF... [ Continue Reading ]
Precious stones. _onyx_ Heb. _shôham_, a precious stone highly valued in OT. times (cf. Genesis 2:12; Ezekiel 28:13; Job 28:16; 1 Chronicles 29:1). There is, how ever, some uncertainty what the _shôham_was, though it is generally supposed to be either the _onyx_(LXX. in Job; Vulg.) or (RVm.) the _be... [ Continue Reading ]
_sanctuary_ about 12 times in H and P (as Leviticus 19:30; Leviticus 12:4); often in Ezek., of the Temple (as Ezekiel 5:11; Ezekiel 8:6; Ezekiel 44:1; Ezekiel 44:5, &c.), and occasionally besides (as ch. Exodus 15:17; Jeremiah 17:12;... [ Continue Reading ]
The sanctuary is to be constructed in accordance with a MODEL shewn to Moses in the mount (_v._40, Exodus 26:30; Exodus 27:8; Numbers 8:4). Gudea, king of Lagash (c. 3000 b.c.), was shewn in a dream, by the goddess Nina, the complete model of a temple which he was to erect in her honour: gold, preci... [ Continue Reading ]
_an ark_ The Heb. word (" _ârôn_: not the word used of Moses -ark," Exodus 2:3) signifies a _box_or _chest_: it is used in Genesis 50:26 of a mummy case, and in 2 Kings 12:9-10, of a coffer for the collection of money. The _cubit_may be reckoned approximately at 18 inches 1 [200]. [200] The dimensi... [ Continue Reading ]
_pure gold_ See on _v._3. _a crown_ Heb. _zçr_, the Syr. _zîr_means a _collar_or _necklace_. What is meant is prob. an ornamental MOULDING, running in relief round the ark whether at the top of its four sides, or in the middle, is not stated and worked perhaps in the shape of a bead or rope (LXX. κυ... [ Continue Reading ]
_in_ ON, i.e. fasten them _on to_. _feet_ short supports for the ark. Not the word used in _v._26. _on the one side_, &c. It is not stated whether the longer or the shorter sides are meant. The former are commonly thought of: but if the writer thought that the Divine throne should always face in th... [ Continue Reading ]
Poles of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, to be made for the transport of the ark. Cf. 1 Kings 8:7 f. Similar poles are provided for carrying the table of Presence-bread, _vv._27 f., the altar of burnt-offering, Exodus 26:6 f., and the altar of incense, Exodus 30:4 f. The word (_bad_), except in the... [ Continue Reading ]
_the testimony_ i.e. _the attestation_, or (cf. the cognate verb in Psalms 50:7 -testify," Jeremiah 11:7 -protest") _affirmation, averment_, viz. of God's will, and man's duty, expressed in the _Decalogue_. In Dt. (Deuteronomy 4:45; Deuteronomy 6:17; Deuteronomy 6:20), and Deuteronomic writers (as 1... [ Continue Reading ]
_a mercy-seat_ or, if the word could be revived, _a_ PROPITIATORY. This was a slab of gold, of the same length and breadth as the ark, and laid upon its top. The term _mercy-seat_was used first by Tindale (1530), being adopted by him from Luther's _Gnadenstuhl_(1523). The Heb. is _kappôreth_, formed... [ Continue Reading ]
The mercy-seat and the two cherubim upon it.... [ Continue Reading ]
_of beaten work_ like the lampstand (_v._31), and the two silver trumpets (Numbers 10:2). RVm. is not probable. LXX. here τορευτὸς (in Nu. ἐλατός), Vulg. _ductilis, perductilis_, i.e. _drawn_or _beaten out_.... [ Continue Reading ]
The _cherubim_. The cherubim were composite emblematic figures, always implying the _nearness of the deity_, and appearing distinctively in the OT. (1) as bearers of the deity, (2) as guardians of a sacred spot. Thus (1) in Psalms 18:10 Jehovah rides on a cherub in the thunderstorm; in Psalms 80:1 a... [ Continue Reading ]
_of one piece with_ Heb. _out of_: the same idiom, _vv._31, 35, Exodus 27:2; Exodus 28:8; Exodus 30:2. The meaning is, the cherubim were not to be removable, they were to be so securely soldered to the mercy-seat as to form a whole with it.... [ Continue Reading ]
_shall spread out_ Heb. _shall be spreading out_, describing their permanent condition: the idiom, as Genesis 1:6, and frequently. _with their faces_, &c. These cherubim, unlike those of Ezek. (see above), are pictured therefore as having only _one_face each. The cherubim in Solomon's Temple (1 King... [ Continue Reading ]
Cf. Exodus 40:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And there I will meet with thee_ An explanation (cf. Exodus 30:6; Exodus 30:36; also, with the _people_as the object, Exodus 29:42-43; Numbers 17:4) of the term -Tent of Meeting" (see on Exodus 27:21), as signifying the appointed place where Jehovah _met_Moses for the purpose of speaking with him.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a crown_ rather, _a_beaded or spiral MOULDING, as explained on _v._11. The moulding appears (see the fig.) to have run all round the edge of each end and side, producing the appearance of four sunk panels: cf. Jos. Ant. iii. 6. 6 -and it is hollowed out on each side, hollowing out as it were the su... [ Continue Reading ]
_a border a_ FRAME (Heb. _enclosure_), about 3 in. broad, running round the Table, either (as in modern tables) immediately below the top, or (to judge from what seem to be the remains of a -frame" in the fig.) about half-way down the legs, in either case helping to hold the legs firm in their place... [ Continue Reading ]
ON (or AT) _the four corners_ OF _the four feet_ The word for -feet" is the one which ordinarily denotes the foot of a man or animal. The legs, it is probable, terminated in claws.... [ Continue Reading ]
The rings were close by the points at which the -frame" (_v._25) met the legs, and where probably the legs began to be rounded, and to assume the character of -feet.... [ Continue Reading ]
The staves, or poles, were to be like those for the ark, _v._13.... [ Continue Reading ]
_dishes_ also Exodus 37:16; Numbers 4:7; Numbers, 14 times in Numbers 7 (-charger," each weighing 130 shekels= _c._67 oz., and filled with fine flour mingled with oil). The root in Arab, signifies _to be deep_. A deep and large gold dish, or other similar vessel, must be thought of, in which the lar... [ Continue Reading ]
_shewbread_ This rend. is first found in Tindale's version of Hebrews 9:2 (1526), being derived by him apparently from Luther's _Schaubrot_(1522). Though, however, a possible paraphrase of the expression used by Jerome (see below), it does not correctly represent the expression used here, which is u... [ Continue Reading ]
_candlestick_ LAMPSTAND would be a more accurate rendering; but no doubt -candlestick" (though the expression involves an anachronism) is generally understood here in the same sense. _its base_ Heb. _its thigh_(or _loins_), which seems to include rather more than the -base," viz. the part of the ce... [ Continue Reading ]
There were three of these cups, shaped like almond-flowers, in each of the six branches.... [ Continue Reading ]
There were also four similar cups in the candlestick itself, i.e. in its central shaft. _Vv._34, 35 are commonly understood to mean that there were four cups altogether in the central shaft, one towards the top, and the other three so placed that the -knop" was just below the points where the three... [ Continue Reading ]
_of one piece with it_(thrice)] i.e. with the candlestick.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the lamps_ probably of the type called Phoenician, of which numerous specimens, made in terra cotta, have been found at Gezer, and other places excavated recently in Palestine: they are in shape like a shell or saucer, round or oval, open or covered in, as the case may be, and with the rim on one s... [ Continue Reading ]
_tongs_ so Exodus 37:23, Num 4:9, 1 Kings 7:49 b (=2 Chronicles 4:21 a), Isaiah 6:6 †. In Isaiah 6:6 we should still say -tongs" (the Heb. is lit. _the two takers_), but not in the other cases. Probably in all cases something of the nature of _tweezers_for drawing up the wick is meant (like the _for... [ Continue Reading ]
_a talent_ probably (_DB._iv. 903 b, 906 a) 673, 500 grs. = _c._96 lb. avoirdupois, worth, at the present value of gold, _c._£5460.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cf. _v._9: also Numbers 8:4; and Acts 7:44. In Solomon's Temple there were ten golden candlesticks, five standing on each side of the Holy place, in front of the _adyton_(1 Kings 7:49; cf. Jeremiah 52:19): in the post-exilic Temple there was only a single candlestick (1Ma 1:21; 1Ma 4:49). It is thi... [ Continue Reading ]