1 Kings 7:48-51

D. THE INTERIOR TEMPLE VESSELS 7:48-51

TRANSLATION

(48) And Solomon made all the vessels which belonged to the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table on which was the bread of the presence was gold; (49) and the five lamp-stands, five on the right and five on the left before the Debir, were of pure gold, and the flowers, the lamps and the tongs were of gold; (50) and the basins, the snuffers, the bowls, the spoons and censers were of pure gold; and the hinges of the doors of the inner house, the Holy of Holies, (and) for the doors of the house, the Temple, were of gold. (51) So all the work was finished which King Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought the holy things of David his father; the silver, the gold and the vessels he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

COMMENTS

In the final section of chapter 7 the sacred historian enumerates the vessels used inside the Temple. These vessels were all of gold while the vessels used outside the Temple were of bronze. From the fact that Hiram's name is not mentioned here, it would appear that he had nothing to do with the manufacture of these vessels. The following are the objects of gold within the house:

1. The altar of incense.

2. The table of gold upon which the showbread was weekly displayed. The Chronicler mentions that there were ten tables within the Temple (1 Chronicles 28:16; 2 Chronicles 4:8).

3. The ten lampstands which were arranged five on each side of the Debir.[215] Some hold that these lampstands were arranged in a single row, in front of and parallel to the Debir. Others feel the lampstands were arranged in two rows perpendicular to the partition of the Debir. In the latter arrangement these lamps would furnish the light throughout the Holy Place. In the former arrangement the lamps would serve as a barrier before the Debir. The lampstands were decorated with flowers and had seven lamps, extremities which held the oil and wicks. These lampstands were probably fashioned after that of the Tabernacle.

[215] The idea that the ten lampstands rested on the ten tables mentioned in Chronicles is entirely groundless.

4. The tongs probably were used in connection with the altar of incense (1 Kings 7:49).

5. The bowls, which were probably used for incense.
6. The snuffers (lit., knives) were used for trimming the wick and extinguishing the lamps.

7. The basins of gold, which, according to Chronicles, were a hundred in number (2 Chronicles 4:8). They were probably used for the water or blood of sprinklings, though it is possible they were used for the libations of wine.

8. The spoons (lit., palms) which were really shallow vessels used for incense (cf. Leviticus 24:7).

9. The censers. In Exodus 25:38 the Hebrew word is translated snuff-dishes. In Numbers 4:14; Numbers 16:6 it signifies censers which appears to be its meaning here.

10. The hinges or sockets of the hinges (Keil) of the doors of the Holy of Holies and for the Temple itself (1 Kings 7:50).

Even after the construction of all the Temple vessels and furniture there was still a surplus of the precious metal and bronze gathered by David.[216] This surplus was stored in the Temple treasury (1 Kings 7:51).[217] The vessels alluded to may have been spoils of war such as the shields of gold captured by David from Hadadezer (2 Samuel 8:7).

[216] 2 Samuel 8:8-11; 1 Chronicles 22:3; 1 Chronicles 22:14; 1 Chronicles 22:16; 1 Chronicles 28:14-18.

[217] Some suggest that Solomon made no use of the gold, silver and trophies of victory which David had prepared because they were spoils of war, and he did not wish to have it said that the Temple was built with gains won by violence.