Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

Tieri to Adar. ND Bezaleel made the ark of AN shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:

2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.

.

3 And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.

4 And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

5 And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

6 And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

7 And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece, made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.

Y

8 One cherub " on the end, on this side, and another cherub on the other end, on that side: out of the mercy seat he made the cherubims, on the two ends thereof.

9 And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward, were the faces of the cherubims.

10 And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:

11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.

12 Also he made thereunto a border of a hand breadth round about; and he made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.

13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.

14 Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.

15 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.

p Ch. 25. 36-r Heb. the work of a needle-worker, or embroiderer.-s Ch. 25. 10. Ch. 25. 17.-u Or, out of, &c.-v Or, out of, &c.-w Ch. 25. 23-x Ch. 25. 29.

Verse 37. Hanging for the-door] See on chap. xxvi. 36. Verse 33. The five pillars of it with their hooks] Their capitals. See the note on chap. xxvi. 32.

THERE is scarcely any thing particular in this chapter that has not been touched on before; both it and the following to the end of the book, being, in general, a repetition of what we have already met in detail, in the preceding chapters from the xxvth to the xxxist inclusive, and to those the reader is requested to refer. God had before commanded this work to be done, and it was necessary to record the execution of it, to show that all was done according to the pattern shown to Moses: without this detailed account, we should not have known whether the work had ever been executed according to the directions given.

At the commencement of this chapter, the reader will observe that I have advanced the dates A. M. and B. C. one year without altering the year of the Exodus, which at first view may appear an error: the reason is, that the above dates commence at Tieri, but the years of the Exodos are dated from Abib.

16 And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.

17 And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:

18 And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:

19 Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.

20 And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers: 21 And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.

22 Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.

23 And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuff-dishes, of pure gold. 24 Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.

[ocr errors]

25 And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.

26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.

27 And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.

28 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

29 And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices according to the work of the apothecary.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Bezaleel makes the altar of burnt-offering, 1-7. He makes the laver and its foot, out of the mirrors given by the women, 8. The court, its pillars, hangings, &c 9-20. The whole tabernacle and its work finished by Bezaleel, Aholiab, and their assistants, 21-23. The amount of the gold contributed, 24. The amount of the silver, and how it was expended, 25-28. The amount of the brass, and how this was used, 29-31.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXXVII. Verse 1. And Bazaleel made the ark, &c.] For a description of the ark, see chap. xxv. 10, &c.

Verse 6. He made the mercy seat] See this described, chap. xxv. 17.

Verse 10. He made the table] See chapter xxv. 23. Verse 16. He made the vessels] See all these particu larly described in the notes on chap xxv. 29.

Verse 17. He made the candlestick] See this described from the triumphal arch of Titus, in the note on chap. xxv. 31, Verse 25. He made the incense-altar] See this described, chap. xxx. 1.

Verse 29. He made the holy anointing oil] See this and the perfume, and the materials out of which they were made, described at large, in the notes on chap. xxx. 23-25. and 34-38. As this chapter also is a repetition of what has been mentioned in preceding chapters, the reader is desired to refer to them, as noted above.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXXVIII. Verse 1. The altar of burnt-offering] See the notes on chap. xxvii. 1. and for its horns, pots, shovels, basins,

corners of it; the horns thereof were of the | were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their same: and he overlaid it with brass. sockets three.

3 And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.

4 And he made for the altar, a brazen grate of network, under the compass thereof beneath, unto the midst of it.

5 And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves. 6 And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.

7 And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.

8 And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the looking-glasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

9 And he made the court: on the south side southward, the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits:

10 Their pillars were twenty, and their brazen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets were of silver.

11 And for the north side, the hangings were a hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

12 And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

13 And for the east side eastward, fifty cubits. 14 The hangings of the one side of the gate

• Ch. 30. 18.—f Or, brazen glasses.-g Heb. assembling by troops, as 1 Sam. 2. 22. h Ch. 27. 9.-i Ch. 27. 19.

&c. see the meaning of the Hebrew terms explained, chap. xxvii. 3-5.

Verse 8. He made the laver] See the notes on chap. xxx. 18, &c.

The looking-glasses] The word n maroth, from raah, he saw, signifies reflectors or mirrors of any kind. Here, metal highly polished, must certainly be meant, as glass was not yet in use; and had it even been in use, we are sure that looking-GLASSES could not make a BRAZEN laver. The word, therefore, should be rendered mirrors, not looking-glasses, which in the above verse is perfectly absurd, because from those maroth, the brazen laver was made. The first mirrors known among men, were the clear still fountain, and unruffled lake. The first artificial ones were apparently made of brass, afterward of polished steel, and when luxury increased, they were made of silver, but they were made at a very early period of mixed metal, particularly of tin and copper, the best of which, as Pliny tells us, were formerly manufactured at Brundusium: Optima apud majores, fuerant Brundisina, stanno et ære mixtis. Hist. Nat. lib. xxxiii. cap. 9. but according to him, the most esteemed were those made of tin: and he says, that silver mirrors became so common, that even the servant girls used them: Specula (ex stanno) laudatissima, Brundusii temperabantur; donec argenteis uti cæpere et ancillæ, lib. xxxiv. c. 17. When the Egyptian women went to the temples, they always carried their mirrors with them. The Israelitish women probably did the same; and Dr. Shaw states, that the Arab women carry them constantly hung at their breasts. It is worthy of remark, that at first, these women freely gave up their ornaments for this important service, and now give their very mirrors, probably as being of little farther service, seeing they had already given up the principal decorations of their persons. Woman has been invidiously defined, A creature fond of dress, (though this belongs to the whole human race, and not exclusively to woman.) Had this been true of the Israelitish women, in the present case we must say, they nobly sacrificed their incentives to pride, to the service of their God. Woman, go thou and do likewise.

Of the women-which assembled at the door] What the employment of these women was at the door of the tabernacle, is not easily known. Some think they assembled there for purposes of devotion. Others think they kept watch there during the night, and this is the most probable opinion; for they appear to have been in the same employment as those who assembled at the door of the

15 And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.

16 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen,

17 And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

18 And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.

19 And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver. 20 And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.

21 This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.

m

1

22 And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.

23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

k Numb. 1. 50, 53. & 9. 15. & 10. 11. & 17, 7, 8. & 18 2. 2 Chron. 24 6. Acta 7. 44. 1 Numb. 4. 28, 33.-m Ch. 31. 2, 6.

tabernacle of the congregation in the days of Samuel, who were abused by the sons of the high priest Eli. 1 Sam. ii. 22. Among the ancients, women were generally employed in the office of porters or doorkeepers. Such were employed about the house of the high priest, in our Lord's time; for a woman is actually represented as keeping the door of the palace of the high priest, John xviii. 17. Then saith the DAMSEL that KEPT THE DOOR unto Peter, see also Matt. xxvi. 69. In 2 Sam. iv. 6. both the Septuagint and Vulgate, make a woman, porter, or doorkeeper, to Ishbosheth. Aristophanes mentions them in the same office, and calls them Sekis, Ex, which seems to signify a common maid-servant. Aristoph. ín Vespis, p. 486.

Ότι την θύραν ανέωξεν η Σηκις λαθρα. Homer Odyss. Y, v. 225-229. mentions Actoris, Penelope's maid, whose office it was to keep the door of her chamber:

[blocks in formation]

Παρα προθύροις φυλακων κατεχουσα.
Η παιδών θριπτερα.

Sir John Chardin observes, that women are employed to keep the gate of the palace of the Persian kings. Plautus, Curcul. Act i. Sc. 1. mentions an old woman, who was keeper of the gate.

Anus hic solet cubitare, custos janitriz,

Many other examples might be produced. It is therefore very likely, that the persons mentioned here, and in 1 Sam. ii. 22. were the women who guarded the tabernacle, and that they regularly relieved each other, a troop or company regularly keeping watch: and indeed this seems to be implied in the original, was tsabeu, they came by troops; and these troops, successively consecrated their mirrors to the service of the tabernacle. See Calmet on John xviii. 16. Verse 9. The court] See chap. xxvii. 9.

Verse 17. The hooks-and their fillets] The capitals, and the silver bands that went round them, see the note on chap. xxvi. 32.

Verse 21. This is the sum of the tabernacle] That is, the foregoing account contains a detail of all the articles which Bezaleel and Aholiab were commanded to make;

24 All the gold that was occupied for the work, in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents,

n Ch. 30. 13, 24. Lev. 5. 15. & 27. 3, 25.

and which were reckoned up by the Levites, over whom Ithamar, the son of Aaron, presided.

Verse 24. All the gold that was occupied for the work, &c.] To be able to ascertain the quantum and value of the gold, silver, and brass which were employed in the tabernacle, and its different utensils, altars, &c. it will be necessary to enter into the subject in considerable detail, In the course of my notes on this and the preceding book, I have had frequent occasion to speak of the shekel in use among the ancient Hebrews, which, following Dean Prideaux, I have always computed at 3s. English. As some value it at 2s. 6d. and others at 2s. 4d. I think it necessary to lay before the reader the learned Dean's mode of computation, as a proper introduction to the calculations which immediately follow.

and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after "the shekel of the sanctuary.

25 And the silver of them that were numbered

Numb. 3. 47. & 18. 16.

Attic drachms. And therefore, computing the Alexandrian money according to the same method, in which we have computed the Jewish, it will be as follows. One drachm of Alexandria, will be of our money eighteen pence; one didrachm, or shekel, consisting of two drachms of Alexandria, or four of Attica, will be three shillings; one mina, consisting of sixty didrachms or shekels, will be nine pounds: and one talent consisting of fifty minas, will be four hundred and fifty pounds, which is the talent of Moses, Exod. xxxviii. 25, 26. and so also is it the talent of Josephus, Antiq. lib. iii. chap. 7. For he tells us, that a Hebrew talent contained one hundred Greek (i. e. Attic) minas. For those fifty minas, which here make an Alexandrian talent, would be one hundred Allic minas, in the like method of valuation, the Alexandrian talent containing double as much as the Attic talent, both in the whole, and also in all its parts, in whatever method both shall be equally distributed. Among the Greeks, the established rule was, Jul. Polluc. Onomast. lib. x. c. 6. that one But in some different states, their drachms being different, accordingly their minas and talents, were within the same proportion different also. But the money of Attica was the standard by which all the rest were valued, according as they more or less differed from it. And therefore it be ing of most note, wherever any Greek historian speaks of talents, minas, or drachms, if they be simply mentioned, it is to be always understood of talents, minas, or drachms of Attica, and never of the talents, minas, or drachms, of any other place, unless it be expressed. Mr. Brerewood, going by the goldsmith's weights, reckons an Attic drachm to be the same with a drachm now in use in their shops; that is, the eighth part of an ounce, and therefore lays it at the value of seven pence halfpenny of our money, or the eighth part of a crown, which is, or ought to be, an ounce weight. But Dr. Bernard, going more accurately to work, lays the middle sort of Attic drachms at eight pence farthing of our money, and the minas and talents accordingly, in the proportions above-mentioned. The Babylonish talent, according to Pollux, Onomast. lib. x. c. 6. contained seven thousand of those drachms. The Roman talent (see Festus Pompeius) contained seventy-two Italic minas, which were the same with the Roman libras; and ninety-six Roman denariuses, each being of the value of seven pence halfpenny of our money, made a Roman libra, But all the valuations I have hitherto mentioned, must be understood only of silver money, and not of gold, for that was much higher. The proportion of gold to silver was, among the ancients, commonly as ten to one: sometimes it was raised to be as eleven to one, sometimes as twelve, and sometimes as thirteen to one. In the time of King Edward the first, it was here, in England, at the value of ten to one; but it is now gotten, at sixteen to one, and so I value it in all the reductions which I make in this history of ancient sums to the present value. But to make the whole of this matter the easier to the reader, I will lay all of it before him for his clear view in this following table of valuations.

"Among the ancients, the way of reckoning their money was by talents. So the Hebrews, so the Babylonians, and so the Romans did reckon; and of these talents they had sub-divisions, which were usually in minas and drachms; i. e. of their talents into minas; and their mi-hundred drachms made a mina, and sixty minas a talent. nas into drachms. The Hebrews had, besides these, their shekels and half-shekels or bekas; and the Romans their denarii, which last were very nearly of the same value with the drachms of the Greeks. What was the value of a Hebrew talent appears from Exod. xxxviii. 25, 26. for there 603,550 persons being taxed at half a shekel a head, they must have paid in the whole 301,775 shekels; and that sum is there said to amount to one hundred talents, and 1775 shekels over; if, therefore, we deduct the 1775 shekels from the number 301,775, and divide the remaining sum, i. e. 300,000 by a hundred, this will prove each of those talents to contain three thousand shekels. Each of these shekels weighed about three shillings of our money; and sixty of them, Ezekiel tells us, chap. xlv. 12. made a mina; and therefore fifty of those minas made a talent. And as to their drachms, it appears by the Gospel of St. Matthew, that it was the fourth part of a shekel, that is, nine pence of our money. For there (chap. xvii. 24.) the tribute money annually paid to the temple, by every Jew, (which was half a shekel) Talmud in shekalim, is called Ax (i. e. the two drachm piece) and therefore, if half a shekel contained two drachms, a drachm must have been the quarter part of a shekel, and every shekel must have contained four of them, and so Josephus tells us it did. For he says, Ant. lib. iii. c. 9. that a shekel contained four Attic drachms, which is not exactly to be understood according to the weight, but according to the valuation in the currency of common payments. For according to the weight, the heaviest Attic drachms did not exceed eight pence farthing half farthing, of our money; and a Hebrew drachm, as I have said, was nine pence; but what the Attic drachm fell short of the Hebrew in weight, might be made up in the fineness, and its ready currency in all countries, (which last the Hebrew drachm could not have,) and so might be made equivalent in common estimation among the Jews. Allowing therefore a drachm, as well Attic as Jewish, as valued in Judea, to be equivalent to nine pence of our money, a BEKA or half shekel, will be one shilling and six pence; a SHEKEL three shillings; a MINA nine pounds; and a TALENT four hundred and fifty pounds. So was it in the time of Moses and Ezekiel; and so was it in the time of Josephus, among that people, for he tells us, Antiq. lib. xiv. chap. 12. that a Hebrew mina contained two LITRAS and a half, which comes exactly to nine pounds of our money for a litra being the same with a Roman libra, contained twelve ounces, Troy weight, that is, ninety-six drachms, and therefore two litras and a half must contain two hundred and forty drachms, which being estimated at nine pence a drachm, according to the Jewish valuation, comes exactly to sixty shekels, or nine pounds of our money. And A talent of gold, sixteen to one this account agrees exactly with that of Alexandria. For the Alexandrian talent contained 12,000 Attic drachms, and 12,000 Attic drachms, according to the Jewish valuation, being 12,000 of our nine pences, they amount to 450 pounds of sterling money, which is the same value with the Mosaic talent. But here it is to be observed, that though the Alexandrian talent amounted to 12,000 Attic drachms, yet they themselves reckoned it but at 6000 drachms, because every Alexandrian drachm contained two Attic drachms; and therefore the Septuagint version, being made by the Alexandrian Jews, they there render the Hebrew word shekel, by the Greek exmov, which signifies two drachms, because two Alexandrian drachms made a shekel, two of them amounting to as much as four

A Hebrew drachm.

Hebrew money.

Two drachma made a beka, or half-shekel, which was the tribute

money paid by every Jew to the temple Two bekas made a shekel

sixty shekels made a mina

Fifty minas made a talent.
A talent of gold, sixteen to one

An Attic drachm

e. s. d.

00000

3000

9

1

9

450

7200

Attic money according to Mr. Brerewood.

[ocr errors]

3

187 10

3000

[blocks in formation]

200

890

[ocr errors][subsumed]

3

206 3300

[blocks in formation]

3850

0

20

[ocr errors]

13000

60

0

0

9

0

450 7200

0

0

3 0 0 216 0 0"

of the congregation, was a hundred talents, | vice, to do service in the holy place, and made and a thousand seven hundred and threescore the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD comand fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanc-manded Moses. tuary:

26 A bekah for P every man, that is, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand, and three thousand, and five hundred and fifty men.

W

2 And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.

4 They made shoulder-pieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled to

27 And of the hundred talents of silver, were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sock-gether. ets of the veil; a hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.

28 And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels, he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them. 29 And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.

30 And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brazen altar, and the brazen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar.

31 And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Bezaleel makes the clothes of service for the holy place, and the holy garments, 1.
The ephod, 2 Gold is beaten into plates, and cut into wires for embroidery, 3.

He makes the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, 4. The curious girdle, 5. Cuts
the ony stones for the shoulder-pieces, 6. Makes the breastplate, its chains,

ouches, rings, &c. 7-21. The robe of the ephod, 22-26. Conts of fine linen, 27. The mitre, 25. The girlle, 29. The plate of the holy crown, 30, 31. The completion of the work of the tabernacle, 32. All the work is brought anto

Moses, 33-41. Moses having examined the whole, finds every thing done as the

Lord had commanded, in consequence of which he blesses the people, 42, 43.
An. Exod. Isr. 1.
Tieri to Adar.

ΑΝ

ND of the blue, and purple, and
scarlet, they made clothes of ser-

o Ch. 30. 13, 15.-p Heb. a poll. Numb. 1. 46.-r Ch. 26. 19, 21, 25, 32.—s Ch.
26. 37. Ch. 27. 10, 17.

See the Old and New Testaments connected, &c. Vol. I. Preface p. xx-xxvii.

There were twenty-nine talents seven hundred and thirty shekels of GOLD: one hundred talents one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels of SILVER: and seventy talents two thousand four hundred shekels of

BRASS.

5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.

6 And they wrought onyx stones enclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.

7 And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD com

manded Moses.

8 ¶ And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

9 It was four-square; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled. 10 And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topas, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.

b

11 And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

13 And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and

t Ch. 35. 23-u Ch. 31. 10. & 35. 19.-v Ch. 28. 4-w Ch. 28. 6-x Ch 28 y Ch. 23. 12—z Ch. 28. 15.—a Ch. 28. 17, &c.-b Or, ruby,

weight is equal to FOURTEEN TONS, 266 pounds! When all this is considered, besides the quantity of gold which was employed in the golden calf, and which was all destroyed, it is no wonder that the Sacred Text should say, the Hebrews spoiled the Egyptians; particularly, as in those early times the precious metals were probably not very plentiful in Egypt.

each division contained the fourth part of the penny: hence its name fourthing or fourthling, since corrupted into farthing.

If, with Dean Prideaux, we estimate the value of the Verse 26. A bekah for every man] The Hebrew word silver shekel at three shillings English, we shall obtain ypa baka, which signifies to divide, separate into tue, the weight of the shekel, by making use of the following seems to signify, not a particular coin, but a shekel, breproportion. As sixty-two shillings, the value of a pound ken, or cut in two: so, anciently, our farthing was a weight of silver, as settled by the British laws, is two hun-penny divided in the midst, and then subdivided, so that dred and forty, the number of pennyweights, in a pound troy, so is three shillings, the value of a shekel of silver, to 11 dwts. 14. grains the weight of the shekel required. In the next place, to find the value of a shekel of gold, we must make use of the proportion following: As one ounce troy is to 31. 17s. 101d. the legal value of an ounce of gold, so is 11 dwts. 14 grains, the weight of the shekel, as found by the last proportion to 21. 5s. 2d. the value of the shekel of gold required. From this datum we shall soon be able to ascertain the value of all the gold employed in the work of this holy place, by the following arithmetical process. Reduce 21. 5s. 24d. to the lowest term mentioned, which is 201,852 ninety-third parts of a farthing. Multiply this last number by 3,000 the number of shekels in a talent; and the product by 29, the number of talents; and add in 730 times 201,952 on account of the 730 shekels, which were above the 29 talents emrk, and we shall have for the last product 17,708,475,960, which divided successively by 93, 4, 12, and 20, will give 198,3471. 12s. 6d. for the total value of the gold employed in the tabernacle, &c.

The value of the silver contributed by 603,550 Israelites, at half a shekel, or eighteen pence per man, may be found by an easy arithmetical calculation, to amount to 45,2661. 5s. Od. The value of the brass at 1s. per pound, will amount to 5131. 17s. Od.

The GOLD of the holy place weighed 4245 lbs.
The SILVER of the tabernacle, 14602 pounds.
The BRASS, 10277 pounds, Troy weight.

The total value of all the gold, silver, and brass, of the tabernacle, will consequently amount to 244,1277. 148. 6d. And the total weight of all these three metals amounts to 29,124 pounds Troy; which, reduced to avoirdupois

There appear to be three particular reasons, why so much riches should be employed in the construction of the tabernacle, &c. 1. To impress the people's minds with the glory and dignity of the divine majesty, and the importance of his service. 2. To take out of their hands the occasion of covetousness; for as they brought much spoils out of Egypt, and could have little if any use for gold and silver in the wilderness, where it does not appear that they had much intercourse with any other people, and were miraculously supported, so that they did not need their riches, it was right to employ that in the worship of God, which otherwise might have engendered that love which is the root of all evil. 3. To prevent pride and vain-glory, by leading them to give up to the divine service, even the ornaments of their persons, which would have had too direct a tendency to divert their minds from better Thus God's worship was rendered august and respectable, incitements to sin and low desires removed, and the people instructed to consider nothing valuable, but as far as it might be employed to the glory, and in the service of God.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXXIX. Verse 1. Blue, and purple, and scarlet] See this subject largely explained in the notes on chap. xxv. 4. Verse 2. Ephod] See this described, chap. xxv. 7. Verse 3. They did beat the gold into thin plates] For the purpose, as it is supposed, of cutting it into wires or threads; for to twist or twine is the common acceptation of the root n patal. I cannot suppose that the Israelites had not then the art of making gold thread, as they possessed several ornamental arts, much more diffi

D

a jasper; they were enclosed in ouches of gold | nets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine in their enclosings. twined linen,

14 And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.

15 And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.

16 And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings, and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.

17 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.

19 And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, before it.

19 And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.

20 And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod, underneath, toward the fore part of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

21 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.

22 And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.

23 And there was a hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. 24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.

[blocks in formation]

cult but in the present instance, figures made in a more solid form than that which could have been effected by gold thread, might have been required.

Verse 6. Onyx stones] See ch. xxv. 7. & xxviii. 17, &c. Verse 8. Breastplate] See on ch. xxviii. 18. Verse 10. And they set in it four rows of stones] See all these precious stones particularly explained in the notes on ch. xxxviii. 17, &c.

Verse 23. As the hole of an habergeon] The habergeon, or hauberk, was a small coat of mail, something in the form of a half shirt, made of small iron rings, curiously united together. It covered the neck and breast, was very light, and resisted the stroke of a sword. Sometimes it went over the whole head, as well as over the breast. This kind of defensive armour was used among the Asiatics, particularly the ancient Persians, among whom it is still worn. It seems to have been borrowed from the Asiatics by the Norman crusaders.

Verse 30. The holy crown of pure gold] On Asiatic monuments, particularly those that appear in the ruins of Persepolis, and on many Egyptian monuments, the priests are represented as wearing crowns or tiaras, and sometimes their heads are crowned with laurel. Cuper observes, that the priests and priestesses, among the ancient Greeks, were styled crop, or crown-bearers, because they officiated, having sometimes crowns of gold, at others, crowns of laurel, upon their heads.

Verse 32. Did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses] This refers to the command, given chap. xxv. 40. And Moses has taken care to repeat every thing,

29 And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.

30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

31 And they tied upon it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.

32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,

34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the veil of the covering,

35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,

36 The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the show-bread,

37 The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,

38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,

39 The brazen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,

40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,

41 The clothes of service, to do service in the holy place; and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments, to minister in the priest's office.

42 According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.

43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses "blessed them.

1 Heb. the incense of sweet spices.-m Ch. 25. 10-n Lev. 9. 22, 23. Numb. 6. 23. Josh. 22. 6. 2 Sam. 6. 18. 1 Kings 8. 14. 2 Chron. 30. 27.

in the most circumstantial detail, to show that he had conscientiously observed all the directions he had received. Verse 37. The pure candlestick] See the note on chap.

xxv. 31.

The lamps to be set in order] To be trimmed and fresh oiled every day, for the purpose of being lighted in the evening. See the note on chap. xxvii. 21.

Verse 43. And Moses did look upon all the work] As being the general superintendent of the whole, under whom Bezaleel and Aholiab were employed, as the other workmen were under them.

They had done it as the Lord had commanded] Exactly according to the pattern which Moses received from the Lord, and which he laid before the workmen, to work by.

And Moses blessed them] Gave them that praise which was due to their skill, diligence, and fidelity. See this meaning of the original word in the note on Gen. ii. 3. See also a fine instance of ancient courtesy, between masters and their servants, in the case of Boaz and his reapers, Ruth ii. 4. Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, The Lord be with you! And they answered him, The Lord bless THEE! It is however, very probable, that Moses prayed to God in their behalf, that they might be prospered in all their undertakings, saved from every evil, and be brought at last to the inheritance that fadeth not away. This blessing seems to have been given, not only to the workmen, but to all the people. The people contributed liberally, and the workmen wrought faithfully, and the blessing of God was pronounced upon ALL.

« FöregåendeFortsätt »