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

8 ¶g 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 breast-plate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled. 10h And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.

f ch. 28. 12. 5 ch. 28. 15. h ch. 28. 17. &c.

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 a jasper: they were enclosed in ouches of gold in their enclosings.

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 breast-plate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.

16 And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings, and

lier than the times of the Greek later quence of much less metal being reemperors.

'It is really surprising to find so much use made of threads of precious metals while it continued to be formed by the hammer. Beckmann declares himself unable to determine when attempts were first made to draw into threads metal, cut or beat into small slips, by forcing them through holes in a steel plate placed perpendicularly on a table. But the art was not known in Italy in the time of Charlemagne ; and our author, from the best evidence he was able to obtain, is disposed to attribute the invention of the drawing-plate to the fourteenth century. Since then the arts of forming and applying threads of 'gold have received much improvement. It is not known when wire first began to be spun round thread, as it now usually is in application to dress. This 'branch of the art is not ancient. The threads found among the ruins of Herculaneum are of massy gold. When the fine wire first began to be spun round the thread it was round; the art of first flattening the wire, by means of which tassels and other ornaments have been rendered much cheaper-in conse

quired to cover the silk-and at the same time more brilliant and beautiful, is of modern but uncertain date. The different degrees of ductility of gold and silver have led to the beautiful in vention of plating silver wire with gold." Pict. Bible.

6. Onyx-stones enclosed in ouches of gold, graven as signets are graven. 'There can be no doubt but that mankind were at this time well acquainted with the art of polishing and engraving precious stones; and the various texts relating to the jewelled ornaments of Aaron's dress are very interesting indications of the progress which had been made in lapidary and stone-engraving. It is to observed, that the shoulders of the ephod were ornamented with two onyx-stones mounted on gold, and that these stones were engraved with the names of twelve tribes-six in each stone; and we may therefore suppose the work to have been of a rather minute character. Then from the breast-plate we learn that twelve other sorts of pre. cious stones were known, as well as the brilliant effect which they would produce by a proper arrangement on the

put the two rings in the two ends of the breast-plate.

17 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breast-plate. 18 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 breast-plate, 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 forepart 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

same surface. Each of these stones also contained the name of a tribe; and, altogether, we are led to form no mean idea of the progress which art had thus early made in the treatment of precious stones. Any one at all acquainted with the arts is well aware that the engraving of precious stones demands no common measure of address, precision, and knowledge. There must be a considerable number of very fine and delicate tools, and great decision of hand and practice. It is indeed true that the engraving of names admits of no comparison with the skill and delicacy of execution required in cutting the figures of men and animals; but still, as to the essentials of the art, the process is the same in both, and the difference is only a question of more or less perfection. Goguet is astonished to see that, in the time of Moses, and doubtless earlier, men had made so

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 a 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.

25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;

26 A a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.

1 ch. 28. 31. k ch. 28. 33.

much progress in art as to be able to execute such works. Considering the number of previous discoveries which it is necessary to suppose, as well as the degree of knowledge and attainment which it involves, the same author, not without reason, is disposed to regard the engraving of precious stones as a most marked evidence of the general progress which the arts had made, in certain countries, at a very early period. With regard to this particular branch of art, we may observe also, that in the course of time it attained such an advanced state among the ancients that the moderns have never been able to equal them in the exquisite delicacy and beauty of their performances on precious stones. The engraved gems which have been preserved are still the unapproached models of the art. Pict. Bible.

23. As the hole of an habergeon. The

27 And they made coats of fine linen, of woven work, for Aaron and for his sons,

28 m And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and n linen breeches of fine twined linen.

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

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

31 And they tied unto 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 4 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;

1 ch. 28. 39, 40. 18. n ch. 28. 42. 37. q ver. 42, 43. habergeon or hauberk was a small coat of mail, made of little iron rings curiously united together. It covered the neck and breast, was very light, and resisted the stroke of a sword. The 'band' is what we should now call a binding.

m ch. 28. 4, 39. Ezek. 44.

ch. 28. 39. p ch. 28. 36, ch. 25. 40.

27. And they made coats of fine linen. The order for making these coats is given above, ch. 28. 40, but the material is not there mentioned. Here they are said to have been made of fine linen, and there is good evidence that pure white linen garments were anciently used by all nations in the service of God. This usage the Most High was VOL. II.

25

34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the vail 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 shew-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

pleased to retain in his worship. The Jewish priests, however, wore this raiment only while officiating in the sanc tuary; whereas in Egypt, for instance, the priests of Isis went every where clothed in white.

30. They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold. To the explanations on this subject made above, ch. 28. 36, we have only here to add, that the priests generally among the heathen nations of antiquity were distinguished by the epithet orsparapopo, crown-bearers, from the crowns worn upon their heads, which were usually made either of a laurel wreath, or of a rayed or

commanded Moses, so the children | done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

of Israel r made all the work. 43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and behold, they had

rch. 39. 10.

Lev. 9. 22, 23. Numb. 6. 23. Josh. 22. 6. 2 Sam. 6. 18. 1 Kings 8. 14. 2 Chron. 30. 27. full costume, the details of which have

serrated band of gold.-We here ap-
pend a view of the high priest in his been already given.

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CHAPTER XL.

AND the LORD spake unto Mo

ses, saying,

2 On the first day of the a first

of the tabernacle of the tent of the

congregation.

7 And h thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congremonth shalt thou set up b the tab-gation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.

ernacle of the tent of the congregation.

3 And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.

4 And thou shalt bring in the table, and e set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; fand thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof. 5 g And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.

6 And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt-offering before the door

a ch. 12. 2. & 13. 4. b ver. 17. & ch. 26. 1, 30. c ver. 21. ch. 26. 33. Numb. 4. 5. d ver. 22. ch. 26. 35. e ver. 23. ch. 25. 30, Lev. 24. 5, 6. fver. 24. 25. ver. 26.

CHAPTER XL.

The Tabernacle set up.

2. On the first day of the fifth month thou shalt set up the tabernacle. From an attentive survey of all the incidents recorded to have happened after the exodus from Egypt, it appears that about six months intervened between that event and the commencement of the work of the tabernacle. Consequently they were about six months employed in the work itself; for the tabernacle was set up at the beginning of the second year, or one year lacking fifteen days after they had left Egypt. Considering the vast amount of curious and costly workmanship that was requisite, the undertaking was carried through with great expedition. But the hearts of the people were in this work, and this made all their labor light; and the union of men's hands, and much

8 And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court-gate.

9 And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and i anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.

10 And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt-offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and k it shall be an altar most holy.

11 And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it. 12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.

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9. And thou shalt take the anointing oil and anoint, &c. Every thing having been duly brought and disposed in its proper place, the consecration of the whole by sacred unction follows. In allusion to this it is said, Dan. 9, 24, 'Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make Ian end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in ever. lasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. The most holy' here is but another name for the Christian

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