29. THE TEMPLE (continued). SOLOMON'S

PALACE.

I KINGS Vi. 23—vii.

1 There is much doubt as to the shape of these cherubims.' Some have supposed that they resembled the winged bulls found on the Assyrian monuments, and that they thus suggested to Jeroboam the golden calves which he set up at Dan and at Beth-el. Josephus, however, tells us that no one knew of what shape they were.

? The inner court' was the court of the priests. It is called in Jer. xxxvi. 10 'the higher court,' being on a higher level than the court of the Israelites (see p. 273).

3 In comparing this with the seven years occupied in building the Temple, we must remember that the materials for the latter were all prepared beforehand.

This 'Hiram' or 'Huram' must of course be distinguished from the king of Tyre, who sent this artificer, in answer to Solomon's request for a man 'cunning to work' in precious metals (2 Chron. ii. 7).

5 Jachin means 'he shall establish'; Boaz, 'in it is strength.' It is uncertain whether these pillars stood in front of the porch, or were used as supports for the roof. They were broken up by the Chaldaeans, and the brass carried to Babylon (2 Kings xxv. 13; Jer. lii. 17, 20).

6 King Ahaz took it from off the oxen, and put it on a pavement of stone (2 Kings xvi. 17). This too was broken in pieces and carried off by the Chaldaeans (2 Kings xxv. 13).

6

7 In 2 Chron. iv. I we are told that Hiram also made the brazen altar of sacrifice. It is not mentioned in the account here, but is referred to in 1 Kings ix. 25, as the altar which Solomon built unto the Lord,' and on which he made offerings three times a year.

8 The LXX renders 'shewbread' by apтo Tĥs πроσpорâs,' the loaves of the offering.' In Matt. xii. 4 the 'shewbread,' of

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Furniture of the Temple.

and rests on twelve brazen oxen, is to be used for the ablutions of the priests; while ten 'lavers' of brass, resting on ten 'bases,' are provided for washing the sacrifices (2 Chron. iv. 6). Besides these, there are made the altar of gold for offering incense, the table of gold for the shewbread, the candlesticks of pure gold, five on each side, and other smaller vessels required.

So the work is ended; the treasures which David had dedicated are brought in, and the Temple is ready for consecration 9.

XXXI. THE DEDICATION OF SOLOMON'S

TEMPLE.

I KINGS Viii. 1–21.

VIII. I. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

2. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

3. And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

4. And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.

which David did eat, is called aptoi tîs #poléσews, 'the loaves of the setting-forth'; that is, those which were presented before God.

As the shewbread was a type of Christ as the Bread of Life (John vi. 48, 51), so the candlesticks prefigured Him as the Light of the World (John i. 4, 9, viii. 12, ix. 5, xii. 46).

9 The lavish employment of gold for the decoration of the interior of Solomon's building exceeds everything told us of other ancient temples. The reverence shown for this sanctuary by the Hebrews displayed itself by the richness of the material so freely expended on it' (Geikie, iii. 459).

XXXI. THE DEDICATION OF SOLOMON'S

TEMPLE.

I KINGS viii. 1-21.

It

VIII. 1, 2. In the year after the completion of the Temple, the dedication takes place at the Feast of Tabernacles; a feast which brings the people up from all parts of the country. Besides its historical meaning, as commemorating the living in tents during the wanderings, this was the great 'harvest' or ingathering festival (see Part I, p. 171). was held in the month called Ethanim, afterwards named Tisri, which corresponded to parts of our September and October. The festival usually lasted for seven days, but on this occasion it was extended to fourteen (ver. 65); the dedication of the altar, which occupied seven days, probably preceding the annual festival (2 Chron. vii. 9, 10).

3. In 2 Chron. v. 4 it is said that 'the Levites took up the ark,' it being commonly their duty to carry it. But, according to the more accurate account here, it would seem that on this great occasion the priests bore the ark, as at the passage of the Jordan (Joshua iii. 6, &c.), and at the taking of Jericho (Joshua vi. 6). The Levites probably carried 'the holy vessels.'

4-7. The tabernacle, which was still at Gibeon, 'the great

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Dedication of the Temple.

5. And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

6. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.

7. For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

8. And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.

9. There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10. And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

II. So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

12. Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

13. I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.

high place' (1 Kings iii. 4; 1 Chron. xvi. 39, 40, xxi. 29; 2 Chron. i. 3), was now brought up in solemn procession a. It seems to have been placed somewhere in the Temple precincts, but we hear no more of it after this. Its use was

over now.

The ark, which David had already brought to Zion (2 Sam. vi), was now placed in the Holy of Holies, Solomon offering sacrifices of many victims along the line of procession, as David had done before b.

8. When the ark had been deposited there between the cherubims, the staves by which it was carried were drawn out so far, that the ends could be seen projecting beyond the door. This was a reminder to the people that its long wanderings were over c'

9. The ark, as we learn from Heb. ix. 2-5 (cp. Exod. xvi. 33, 34; Num. xvii. 10), had originally contained also the pot of manna, and Aaron's rod that budded (see Part I, p. 179). These must now have been removed d.

10, II. This was the Shechinah, or visible presence of God (see Part I, pp. 45, 159). It appeared to Abraham (Gen. xv. 17); it led the Israelites 'in a pillar of a cloud' by day and 'in a pillar of fire' by night (Exod. xiii. 21, 22); it rested on Mount Sinai (Exod. xxiv. 15-18); and covered the tabernacle (Exod. xl. 34-38).

12. At Mount Sinai, God said to Moses, 'Lo, I come unto

a Others suppose that this was the tabernacle erected by David in Mount Zion, as a temporary shelter for the ark.

b Ps. xxiv and the other processional psalms, sung when the ark was brought to Mount Zion, were probably repeated now, and Ps. cxxxv and other dedicatory psalms were also sung.

c R. V. gives, 'And the staves were so long that the ends,' &c. Thus they remained long afterwards, even to the latter days of the monarchy, and guided the steps of the chief priest as he entered in the darkness' (Stanley, J. C. ii. 216).

Here the ark stayed, 'hidden from all eyes, till the destruction of the Temple, except when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year' (Geikie, iii. 466).

d Or perhaps they were lost, when the ark was taken by the Philistines, or when the sanctuary of Shiloh was destroyed.