CHAPTER XXIV.

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy eblers, are commanded to go to the mount to meet the Lord, L. Moses alone to come near to the divine pre sence, 2 He informs the people, and they promise obedience, 3. He writes the words of the Lord, ereets an altar at the foot of the hill, and sets up twelve pillars for the twelve tribes, 4. The young priests offer burat-offerings and peace-offer: ings, 3. Moses reads the book of the Covenant, sprinkles the people with the blood, and they promise obedience, 6-8. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abhu, and the Seventy ellers of Israel, go up to the mount, and get a striking display of the Majesty of Gol, 9-11. Moses alone is calle1 up at the mount, in order to receive the tables of stone, written by the hand of God, 12. Moses and his servaut Joshua go up, and Aaron and Hor are left regeats of the people during his absence, 13, 14. The glory of the Lord tests on the mount, and a cloud covers it for six days, and on the seventh God speaks to Moss out of the cloud, 15, The terrible appearance of God's glory on the mount, 17. Moses continues with God on the mount forty days, 18.

16.

An. Exol. Isr. 1. Sivan.

1

ΑΝ

ND he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, mand seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. 2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.

3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.

thee. Jesus is with thee-hear and obey his voice; provoke him not, and he will be an enemy to thy enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries. Believe, love, obcy, and the road to the kingdom of God is plain before thee. Thou shalt inherit the good land, and be established in it for ever and ever.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXIV. Verse 1. Come up unto the Lord] Moses and Aaron were already on the mount, or at least some way up, ch. xix. 24. where they had heard the voice of the Lord distinctly speaking to them; and the people also saw and heard, but in a less distinct manner, probably like the hoarse grumbling sound of distant thunder, see chap. xx. 18. Calmet, who complains of the apparent want of order in the facts laid down here, thinks the whole should be understood thus:-" After God had laid before Moses and Aaron all the laws, mentioned from the beginning of the 20th chapter to the end of the 23d, before they went down from the mountain to lay them before the people, he told them, that when they had proposed the conditions of the covenant to the Israelites, and they had ratified them, they were to come up again unto the mountain, accompanied with Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, and seventy of the principal elders of Israel. Moses accordingly went down, spoke to the people, ratified the covenant, and then, according to the command of God, mentioned here, he and the others reascended the mountain.- Tout cela est raconté ici avec assez peu d'ordre."

Verse 2. Moses alone shall come near] The people stood at the foot of the mountain. Aaron and his two sons, and the seventy elders, went up probably about half way, and Moses alone went to the summit.

Verse 3. Moses-told the people all the words of the Lord] That is, the ten commandments, and the various laws and ordinances mentioned from the beginning of the 20th to the end of the 23d chapter.

Verse 4. Moses irrote all the words of the Lord] After the people had promised obedience, (ver. 3.) and so entered into the bonds of the covenant, it was necessary, says Calmet, to draw up an act, by which the memory of these transactions might be preserved, and confirm the covenant, by authentic and solemn ceremonies. And this Moses does: 1. As legislator, he reduces to writing all the articles and conditions of the agreement, with the people's act of consent. 2. As their mediator and the deputy of the Lord, he accepts on his part, the resolution of the people; and Jehovah on his part, engages himself to Israel, to be their God, their King, and Protector, and to fulfil to them all the promises he had made to their fathers. 3. To make this the more solemn and affecting, and to ratify the covenant, which could not be done without sacrifice, shedding and sprinkling of blood, Moses builds an altar, probably of turf, as was commanded, chap. xx. 24. and erects twelve pillars, no doubt of unhewn stone, and probably set round about the altar. The altar itself represented the throne of God; the twelve stones, the twelve tribes of Israel. These were the two parties, who were to contract or enter into covenant on this occa

sion.

LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings, of oxen unto the LORD. 6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said, will we do, and be obedient.

8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you, concerning all these words.

9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:

10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet, as it were, a paved work, of a sapphire stone, and as it were, the y body of heaven in his clearness.

a Hebr. 9. 20. & 13. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 2-v Ver. 1-w See Gen. 32. 30. Ch. 3. 6. Judg. 13. 22. Isai. 6. 1, 5. with Ch. 33. 20, 23. John 1. 18. 1 Tim. 6. 16. 1 John 4 12 x Ezek. 1. 26. & 10. 1. Rev. 4. 3-y Matt. 17. 2.

Verse 5. He sent young men] Stout, able, reputable young men, chosen out of the different tribes, for the purpose of killing, flaying, and offering the oxen mentioned here.

Burnt-offerings] They generally consisted of sheep and goats, Leviticus i. 10. These were wholly consumed by fire.

Peace-offerings] Bullocks or goats, see Heb. ix. 19. The blood of these was poured out before the Lord, and then the priests and people might feast on the flesh. Verse 7. The book of the covenant] The writing, containing the laws, mentioned in the three preceding chapAs this writing contained the agreement made between God and them, it was called the book of the covenant; but as no covenant was considered to be ratified, and binding, till a sacrifice had been offered on the occasion, hence the necessity of the sacrifices mentioned here.

ters.

Half of the blood being sprinkled on the ALTAR, and half of it sprinkled on the PEOPLE, showed that both GoD and THEY were mutually bound by this covenant. GOD was bound to the PEOPLE, to support, defend, and save them: the PEOPLE were bound to GOD, to fear, love, and serve him. On the ancient method of making covenants, see on Gen. vi. 18. xv. 18. Thus the blood of the New Covenant was necessary to propitiate the Throne of Justice on the one hand, and to reconcile men to God on the other. On the nature and various kinds of the Jewish offerings, see the note on Levit. vii. 1, &c.

Verse 10. They saw the God of Israel] The seventy elders who were representatives of the whole congrega tion, were chosen to witness the manifestation of God, that they might be satisfied of the truth of the revelation which he had made of himself, and of his will: and on this occasion it was necessary that the people also should be favoured with a sight of the glory of God, see chap. xx. 18. Thus the certainty of the revelation was established by many witnesses; and by those especially of the most competent kind.

A paved work of a sapphire stone] Or, sapphire brickwork. I suppose that something of the Musire or Mosaic parement, is here intended, floors most curiously inlaid with variously coloured stones, or small square tiles, disposed in a great variety of ornamental forms. Many of these remain in different countries to the present day. The Romans were particularly fond of them, and left monuments of their taste and ingenuity in pavements of this kind, in most countries where they established their dominion. Some very fine specimens are found in different parts of Britain.

Sapphire is a precious stone, of a fine blue colour, next in hardness to the diamond. The ruby is considered, by most mineralogists, of the same genus; so is also the topaz: hence we cannot say that the sapphire is only of a blue colour; it is blue, red, or yellow, as it may be called sapphire, ruby, or topaz; and some of them are blue, or green, according to the light in which they are held. The ancient oriental sapphire is supposed to have been the same with the lapis lazuli. Supposing that these different kinds of sapphires are here intended, how glorious must a pavement be, constituted of polished stones of this

CHAPTER XXV.

The Lord addresses Moses out of the divine glory, and commands him to speak unto the

Israelites, that they may give him free-will offerings, 1, 2 The different kinds of

offerings, gold, silver, and brass, 3. Purple, scarlet, fine linen, and goats' hair,

4; rams' skins, badgers' skins, (rather violet, coloured skins) and shittim wood, 5. Oil and spices, 6. Onyz stones, and stones for the ephod and breastplate, 7. A santuary is to be made after the pattern of the tabernacle, 8, 9. The ark, and its dimensions, 10. Its crown of gold, 11. Its rings, 12 Its staves, and their use, 13-15 The testimony to be laid up in the ark, 16. The mercy-sent and its dimensions, 17. The cherulam, how made, and placed, 18-20. The mercy-seat to be placed on the ark; and the testimony to be put within it, 21. The Lord promises to commune with the people from the mercy-seat, 22 The table of show-bread, and its dimensions, 23. Its crown and burler of gold, 24, 25. Its rings, 26, 27. Staves, 28.

Dishes, spoons, and bowls, 29. Its use, 30. The golden candlestick; its branches,

bowls, knops and flowers, 31-36. Its seven lamps, 37. Tougs and snuffers, 38. The weight of the candlestick and its utensils, one talent of gold, 39. All to be made according to a pattern showed to Moses on the mount, 40. An. Exod. Isr. 1.

Sivan.

ND the LORD spake unto Moses,

A saying,

1 Heb. take for me-m Or, heave-offering-n Ch. 35. 5, 21. 1 Chron. 29. 3, 5, 9, 14. Ezra 2. 68. & 3. 5. & 7. 16. Neh. 11. 2. 2 Cor. 8. 12. & 9. 7.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXV.

m

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they 1 bring me an offering of every man that giveth it willingly, with his heart, ye shall take my offering.

3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair;

5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood;

6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense;

7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breast-plate.

"Thy robes, the twice dyed purple stains."

It is the same colour which the Arabs call al kermez, whence the French cramoisi, and the English crimson. On this subject, much may be seen in Bochart, Calmet, and Scheuchzer.

Verse 3. This is the offering] There were three kinds of metals, 1. GOLD, 2 zahab, which may properly sig. nify wrought gold, what was bright and resplendent, as the word implies. In Job xxviii. 15, 16, 17, 19. gold is mentioned five times, and four of the words are different in the original. 1. SEGOR, from sagar, to shut up; gold in the mine, or shut up in its ore. 2. KETHEM, from ons catham, to sign, seal, or stamp; gold made current by being coined; standard or sterling gold, exhibiting the stamp expressive of its value. 3. ZAHAB, wrought gold, pure, highly polished gold, probably what was used for overlaying or gilding. 4. 1D PAZ, denoting solidity, compactness, and strength; probably gold formed into different kinds of plate, as it is joined in ver. 17. of the above chapter, with keley, vessels. The zahab, or pure gold, is here mentioned, because it was in a state that rendered it capable of being variously manufactured, for the service of the sanctuary.

2. SILVER, keseph, from casaph, to be pale, wan, or white; so called from its well-known colour.

3. BRASS, ; nechosheth, copper; unless we suppose, that the factitious metal, commonly called brass, is intended: this is formed by a combination of the oxide or ore of zinc, called tapis calaminaris, with copper. Brass seems to have been very anciently in use, as we find it mentioned Gen. iv. 22. and the preparation of copper, to transform it into this factitious metal, seems to be very pointedly referred to, Job xxviii. 2. Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone in pistas eben yatsuk nechushah, translated by the Vulgate, Lapis solutus calore, in as vertitur, "The stone, liquefied by heat, is turned into brass." Is it going too far to say, that the stone here may refer to the lapis calaminaris, which was used to turn the copper into brass? Because brass was capable of so fine a polish, as to become exceedingly bright, and keep its lustre a considerable time, hence it was used for all weapons of war, and defensive armour among ancient nations; and copper seems to have been in no repute, but for its use in making brass.

Verse 4. Bluc] non tecelet, generally supposed to mean an azure or sky colour; rendered by the Septuagint, uzivo, and by the Vulgate, hyacinthum, a sky blue, or deep violet.

Purple] o argaman, a very precious colour, extracted from the purpura, or murer, a species of shellfish, from which it is supposed the famous Tyrian purple came, so costly, and so much celebrated in antiquity. See this largely described, and the manner of dying it, in Pliny, Hist. Nat. lib. ix. c. 60-65. edit. Bipont.

Scarlet] nyn tolaât, signifies a worm, of which this colouring matter was made, and joined with shani, which signifies to repeat, or double, implies, that to strike this colour, the wool or cloth was twice dipped; hence the Vulgate renders the original coccum bis tinctum, scarlet twice dyed; and to this Horace refers, Odar. lib. ii. od. 16. v. 35.

Goats' hair] y îzzim, goats, but used here elliptically for goats' hair. In different parts of Asia Minor, Syria, Silicia, and Phrygia, the goats have long, fine, and beautiful hair; in some cases, almost as fine as silk, which they shear at proper times, and manufacture into garments. From Virgil, Georg, iii. v. 305–311. we learn, that goats' hair manufactured into cloth, was nearly of equal value with that formed from wool.

Hæ quoque non cura nobis leviore tuenda;
Nec minor usus erit; quamvis Milesia magno
Vellera mutentur Tyrios incocta rubores-
Nec minus interea barbas incanaque menta
Cinyphii tondent hirci, setasque comanies,
Usum in castrorum, et miseris velamina nautis

"For hairy goats of equal profit are
With woolly sheep, and ask an equal care.
'Tis true the fleece when drunk with Tyrian Juice
Ia dearly soll, but not for needful use:
Meanwhile the pastor shears their hoary beards
And eases of their hair the loaden herds.
Their camelots, warm in tents, the soldier hold,
And shield the shivering mariner from the cold."

Dryden.

It is

Verse 5. Rams' skins dyed red] and Dbw nay ôroth eylim meadamin, literally, the skins of red rams. a fact that is attested by many respectable travellers, that in the Levant, sheep are often to be met with that have red or violet coloured fleeces. And almost all ancient writers speak of the same thing. Homer describes the rams of Polyphemus as having a violet-coloured fleece. Αρσενες οιες ησαν εκτρέφεις, δασυμάλλοι, Κάλοι τε, μεγαλοι το, ιοδνεφες ειρος έχοντες. Odyss. lib. ix. v. 425.

And

"Strong were the rams, with native purple fair, Well fed, and largest of the fleecy care."-Pope." Pliny, Aristotle, and others, mention the same. from facts of this kind, it is very probable, that the fable of the golden fleece had its origin.

Badgers' skins] wnnnny broth techasim. Few terms have afforded greater perplexity to critics and commentators, than this. Bochart has exhausted the subject, and seems to have proved, that no kind of animal is here intended, but a colour. None of the versions acknowledge an animal of any kind, except the Chaldee; which seems to think the badger is intended, and from it we have borrowed our translation of the word. The Septuagint, and Vulgate, have skins dyed a violet colour; the Syriac, azure; the Arabic, black; the Coptic, violet; the Persie, ram skins, &c. The colour contended for by Bochart, is the hysginus, which is a very deep blue: so Pliny, Coecoque tinctum tyrio tingere, ut fieret hysginum. They dip crimson in purple, to make the colour called hysginus. Hist. Nat. lib. ix. c. 65. edit. Bipont.

Shittim wood] By some supposed to be the finest species of the cedar; by others the acacia Nilotica, a species of thorn, solid, light, and very beautiful. This acacia is known to have been plentiful in Egypt; and it abounds in Arabia Deserta, the very place in which Moses was, when he builded the tabernacle; and hence it is reasonable to suppose, that he built it of that wood, which was every way proper for his purpose.

8 And let them make me a "sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

W

9 According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without, shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

u Ch. 36. 1, 3, 4. Lev. 4. 6. & 10. 4. & 21. 12. Hebr. 9. 1, 2-v Ch. 29. 45. 1 Kings 6. 13. 2 Cor. 6. 16. Hebr. 3. 6. Rev. 21. 3.

Verse 6. Oil for the light] This they must have brought with them from Egypt, for they could not get any in the wilderness, where there were no olives; but it is likely that this, and some other directions, refer more to what was to be done, when in their fixed and settled residence, than while wandering in the wilderness.

Spices] To make a confection for sweet incense, abounded in different parts of these countries.

Verse 7. Onyx stones] We have already met with the stone called shoham, Gen. ii. 12. and acknowledge the difficulty of ascertaining what is meant by it. Some think the onyr, some the sardine, and some the emerald is meant. We cannot say precisely what it was. Stones to be set in the ephod] abeney miluim, stones of filling up. Stones so cut as to be proper to be set in the gold work of the breastplate.

The DN ephod. It is very difficult to tell what this was, or in what form it was made. It was a garment of some kind peculiar to the priests, and ever considered essential to all the parts of divine worship; for without it, no person attempted to inquire of God." As the word itself comes from the root N aphad, he tied, or bound close, Calmet supposes that it was a kind of girdle, which brought from behind the neck, and over the shoulders, and so hanging down before, was put cross upon the stomach, and then carried round the waist, and thus made a girdle to the tunic. Where the ephod crossed on the breast, there was a square ornament called in choshen, the breastplate, in which twelve precious stones were set, each bearing one of the names of the twelve sons of Jacob engraven on it. There were two sorts of ephods; one of plain linen, for the priests, the other very much embroidered, for the high priest. As there was nothing singular in this common sort, no particular description is given; but that of the high priest is described very much in detail, see chap. xxviii. 6-8. It was distinguished from the common ephod by being composed of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, fine twisted linen, and cunning work; i. e. superbly ornamented and embroidered. This ephod was fastened on the shoulders with two precious stones, on which the twelve names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved, six names on each stone. These stones, thus engraved, were different from those on the breastplate, with which they have been confounded. From Calmet's description, the ephod seems to have been a series of belts, fastened to a collar, which were intended to keep the garments of the priest closely attached to his body; but there is some reason to believe, that it was a sort of garment, like that worn by our heralds: it covered the back, breast, and belly, and was open at the sides. A piece of the same kind of stuff with itself, united it on the shoulders, where the two stones, already mentioned, were placed; and it was probably without sleeves. See on chap. xxviii. 2, &c. Verse 8. Let them make me a sanctuary] wp mikedash, a holy place, such as God might dwell in; this was that part of the tabernacle that was called the most holy place, into which the high priest entered only once a year, on the great day of atonement.

That I may dwell among them.] This, says Mr. Ainsworth, was the main end of all; and to this all the particulars are to be referred; and by this they are to be opened. For this sanctuary, as Solomon's temple afterward, was the place of prayer, and of the public service of God, Levit. xvii. 4—6. Matt. xxi. 13. and it signified the church, which is the habitation of God through the Spirit, 2 Cor. vi. 16. Eph. ii. 19-22. Rev. xxi. 2, 3. and was a visible sign of God's presence and protection, Levit. xxvi. 11, 12. Ezek. xxxvii. 27, 28. 1 Kings vi. 12, 13. and of his leading them to his heavenly glory. For as the high priest entered into the tabernacle, and through the veil, into the most holy place, where God dwelt; so Christ entered into the holy of holies, and we also enter, through

12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings, by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: and they shall not be taken from it. 16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

w Ver. 40-x Ch. 37. 1. Deut. 10. 3. Hebr. 9. 4.-y 1 Kings 8. 8.-2 Ch. 16. 34. & 31. 18. Deut. 10. 2, 5. & 31. 26. 1 Kings 8. 9. 2 Kings 11. 12 Hebr. 9. 4.

the veil, that is to say, his flesh. See the use made of this by the apostle, Heb. ix. and x. Thus, the sanctuary is to be applied as a type, 1. To Christ's person, Heb. viii. 2. ix. 11, 12. John ii. 19, 21. 2. To every Christian, 1 Cor. vi. 19. 3. To the church, both particular, Heb. iii. 6. 1 Tim. iii. 15. and universal, Heb. x. 21. and it was because of the very extensive signification of this building, that the different things concerning this sanctuary are particularly set down by Moses, and so variously applied by the prophets, and by the apostles. See Ainsworth. As the dwelling in this tabernacle was the highest proof of God's grace and mercy toward the Israelites, so it typified Christ's dwelling by faith in the hearts of believers, and thus giving them the highest and surest proof of their reconciliation to God, and of his love and favour to them. See Eph. i. 22. iii. 17.

Verse 9. After the pattern of the tabernacle] It has been supposed that there had been a tabernacle before that erected by Moses; though it probably did not now exist; but the tabernacle which Moses is ordered to make, was to be formed exactly on the model of this ancient one, the pattern of which God showed him in the mount, ver. 40. The word en mishcan, signifies literally, the dwelling or habitation: and this was so called, because it was the dwelling-place of God; and the only place on the earth in which he made himself manifest. See the note on ver. 40. and on chap. xxxiii. 7-10.

Verse 10. They shall make an ark] aron, signi fies an ark, chest, coffer, or coffin. It is used particularly to designate that chest, or coffer, in which the testimony, or two tables of the covenant were laid up; on the top of which was the propitiatory or mercy-seat, see on ver. 17. and at the end of which were the cherubim of gold, ver. 18-20. between whom, the visible signs of the presence of the supreme God appeared as seated upon his throne. The ark was the most excellent of all the holy things which belonged to the Mosaic economy; and for its sake the tabernacle and the temple were built, chap. xxvi. 33. xl., 18, 21. It was considered as conferring a sanctity wherever it was fixed, 2 Chron. viii. 11. 2 Sam. vi. 12.

Two cubits and a half shall be the length, &c.] About four feet five inches in length, taking the cubit at twentyone inches; and two feet six inches in breadth and in depth. As this ark was chiefly intended to deposit the two tables of stone in, which had been written by the finger of God, we may very reasonably conjecture, that the length of those tables was not less than four feet, and their breadth not less than two. As to their thickness we can say nothing, as the depth of the ark was intended for other matters besides the two tables, such as Aaron's rod, the pot of manna, &c. &c. though probably these were laid up beside, not in the ark.

Verse 11. A crown of gold round about.] A border, or as the Septuagint has it, κυματία χρυσα στρεπτα κυκλώ, waves of gold wreathed round about.

Verse 15. The stares-shall not be taken from it.] Because it should ever be considered as in readiness to be removed: God not having told them at what hour he If the staves should command them to strike their tents. were never to be taken out, how can it be said, as in Numb. iv. 6. that when the camp should set forward, they should put in the staves thereof, which intimates, that when they encamped they took out the stares, which appears to be contrary to what is here said? To reconcile these two places, it has been supposed, with great show of probability, that besides the staves which passed through the rings of the ark, and by which it was carried, there were two other staves or poles, in the form of a bier or handbarrow, on which the ark was laid, in order to be transported in their journeyings, when it and its own staves, still in their rings, had been wrapped up in the covering of what is called badgers' skins, and blue cloth.

The staves of the ark itself, which might be considered as its handles, simply to lift it by, were never taken out of their rings; but the staves or poles, which served as a bier, were taken from under it, when they encamped. Verse 16. The testimony] The two tables of stone, which were not yet given; these tables were called ny êduth, from y âd, forward, onward, to bear witness to, or of a person or thing. Not only the tables of stone, but all the contents of the ark, Aaron's rod, the pot of manna, the holy anointing oil, &c. bore testimony to the Messiah in his prophetic, sacerdotal, and regal offices.

Verse 17. A mercy-seat] A caphoreth, from capher, to cover, or overspread, because by an act of pardon sins are represented as being covered, so that they no longer appear in the eye of divine justice, to displease, irritate, and call for punishment; and the person of the offender is covered, or protected from the stroke of the broken law. In the Greek version of the Septuagint, the word 'Theov, hilasterion, is used, which signifies a propitiatory, and is the name used by the apostle, Heb. ix. 5. This mercy-seat, or propitiatory, was made of pure gold; it was properly the lid or covering of that vessel, so well known by the name of the ark, and ark of the covenant. On, and before this, the high priest was to sprinkle the blood of the expiatory sacrifices, on the great day of atonement; and it was in this place that God promised to meet the people; see ver. 22. For there he dwelt; and there was the symbol of the divine presence. At each end of this propitiatory was a cherub, between whom this glory was manifested: hence, in Scripture, it is so often said, that he dwelleth between the cherubim. As the word Ixogov, propitiatory, or mercy-seat, is applied to Christ, Rom. iii. 25, whom God hath set forth to be a PROPITIATION (IT) through faith in his blood-for the remission of sins that are past; hence we learn, that Christ was the true mercy-seat, the thing signified by the caphoreth, to the ancient believers. And we learn further, that it was by his blood, that an atonement was to be made for the sins of the world. And as God showed himself between the cherubim over this propitiatory or mercy-seat, so it is said, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, 2 Cor. v. 19, &c. See on Lev. vii.

Verse 18. Thou shalt make two cherubims] What these were we cannot distinctly say: it is generally supposed, that a cherub was a creature with four heads and one body; and the animals of which these emblematical forms consisted, were the noblest of their kinds: the lion, among the wild beasts; the bull, among the tame ones; the eagle, among the birds; and man, at the head of all; so that they might be, says Dr. Priestley, the representatives of all nature. Concerning their forms and design, there is much difference of opinion among divines. It is probable, that the term often means a figure of any kind, such as was ordinarily sculptured on stone; engraven on metal; carved on wood; or embroidered on cloth.-See on ch. xxxv. 3. It may be only necessary to add, that cherub is the singular number, cherubim, not cherubims, the plural. See what has been said on this subject, in the note on Gen. iii. 24.

Verse 22. And there I will meet with thee] That is, over the mercy-seat, between the cherubim. In this place, God chose to give the most especial manifestations of himself: here the divine glory was to be seen; and here Moses was to come, in order to consult Jehovah relative to the management of the people.

Ainsworth has remarked, that the rabbins say, "The heart of man may be likened to God's sanctuary; for, as in the sanctuary, the shekinah or divine glory dwelt, be

cause there were the ark, the tables, and cherubim; so, in the heart of man, it is meet that a place be made for the divine majesty to dwell in; and that it be the holy of holies." This is a doctrine most implicitly taught by the apostles, and the absolute necessity of having the heart made a habitation of God, through the Spirit, is strongly and frequently insisted on through the whole of the New Testament. See the note on the following verse.

Verse 23. Thou shalt make a table of shittim wood] The same wood, the acacia of which the ark, staves, &c. were made. On the subject of the ark, table of showbread, &c. Dr. Cudworth, in his very learned and excellent treatise on the Lord's supper, has the following remarks:

"When God had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, resolving to manifest himself in a peculiar manner present among them, he thought good to dwell amongst them in a visible and external manner; and therefore, while they were in the wilderness, and sojourned in tents, he would have a tent or tabernacle built, to sojourn with them also. This mystery of the tabernacle was fully understood by the learned Nachmanides, who, in a few words, but pregnant, expresseth himself to this purpose: "The mystery of the tabernacle was this, that it was to be a place for the Shechinah, or habitation of Divinity, to be fixed in:' and this, no doubt, as a special type of God's future dwelling in Christ's human nature, which was the TRUE SHECHINAH: but when the Jews were come into their land, and had there built them houses, God intended to have a fixed dwelling-house also; and therefore his moveable tabernacle was to be turned into a standing temple. Now, the tabernacle, or temple, being thus as a house, for God to dwell in visibly, to make up the notion of dwelling or habitation complete, there must be all things suitable to a house belonging to it. Hence, in the holy place, there must be a table and a candlestick, because this was the ordinary furniture of a room, as the fore-commended Nachmanides observes. The table must have its dishes, and spoons, and bowls, and covers belonging to it, though they were never used: and always be furnished with bread upon it. The candlestick must have its lamps continually burning. Hence also there must be a continual fire kept in this house of God upon the altar, as the focus of it; to which notion, I conceive, the prophet Isaiah doth allude, chap. xxxi. 9. whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem; and besides all this, to carry the notion still farther, there must be some constant meat and provision brought into this house; which was done in the sacrifices that were partly consumed by fire upon God's own altar, and partly eaten by the priests, who were God's family, and therefore to be maintained by him. That which was consumed upon God's altar, was accounted God's mess, as appeareth from Mal. i. 12. where the altar is called God's table, and the sacrifice upon it, God's meat:- Ye say, the table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. And often, in the law, the sac rifice is called God's Dry lechem, i. e. his bread or food. Wherefore it is farther observable, that besides the flesh of the beast offered up in sacrifice, there was a mincah, i. e. a meat or rather bread-offering, made of flour and oil; and a libamen or drink-offering, which was always joined with the daily sacrifice, as the bread and drink which was to go along with God's meat. It was also strictly commanded, that there should be salt in every sacrifice and oblation, because all meat is unsavoury without salt, as Nachmanides hath here also well observed; 'because it was not honourable that God's meat should be unsavoury, without salt.' Lastly, all these things were to be consumed on the altar only by the holy fire, which came down from heaven, because they were God's portion, and therefore to