The golden altar

CHAPTER V.

of incense, &c.

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9¶ Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass. 10 And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.

11 ¶ And 1Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basins. And Huram finish6

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19 And Solomon made all the vessels that ed the work that he was to make for King So-were for the house of God, the golden altar lomon for the house of God; also, and the tables whereon the show-bread

many other things there was a great variation from the old form; as in the posture of the cherubim, the height of the altar, and divers other things.

Verse 8. He made also ten tables-Whereon the show-bread was set, verse 19. Perhaps each of these had twelve loaves on it. As the house was enlarged,|| 80 was the provision.

21 And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that 11 perfect gold; 22 And the snuffers, and the 12 basins, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

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Hebrew, made bright, or, scoured.

-4 1 Kings vii. 46.

10 Hebrew, thicknesses of the ground.- - 1 Kings vii. 47. 1 Kings vii. 48, 50.- Exodus xxv. 30.- - Exodus xxvii. 20. Exodus xxv. 31, &c. Heb. perfections of gold. 12 Or, bowls.

for his excellent art, and the service which he did for him; it being usual to call great artists and inventors of things by this name. See Genesis iv. 20, 21.

Verses 20-22. That they should burn after the manner-According to the prescription of God to them by Moses. The doors of the house were of Verse 16. Huram his father-He is so called, be- || gold-To wit, in part. For they were not entirely cause Solomon, it seems, usually called him by that of massy gold, but wood covered with plates of gold, name, out of that great respect which he bare to him || 1 Kings vi. 31-35, and 2 Kings xviii. 16.

CHAPTER V.

Solomon brings the dedicated treasures into the house, and the ark into the sanctuary, 1-10. While the priests and Levites sing praise, the glory of God fills the house, 11-14.

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THUS * all the work that Solomon || was finished: and Solomon brought A. M. 2999. made for the house of the LORD in all the things that David his father

The glory of God

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A. M. 2999. had dedicated; and the silver, and || ark before the oracle; but they were A. M. 3000. the gold, and all the instruments, put not seen without. And there it is he among the treasures of the house of God. unto this day.

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3 d Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

5 And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

6 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. 7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:

8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark, and the staves thereof above. 9 And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the

and the gold-The remainder of those vast sums, mentioned 1 Chron. xxii. 14. Solomon assembled the elders of Israel-Of this and the following verses, see notes on 1 Kings viii. 1, &c.

Verse 5. They brought up the ark-The ark was a type of Christ, and a token of the presence of God. That gracious promise, Lo, I am with you always, || even unto the end of the world, does in effect bring the ark into our religious assemblies, if we claim it by faith and prayer. And this we should be earnest for: the temple itself, if Christ leave it, is a desolate place. These did the priests bring in, &c.-As many of them as were fit for use, it is probable, were still used. The rest were carefully laid up, as monuments of antiquity.

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10 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses fput therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. 11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren; being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, hand with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets :)

13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets, and cymbals, and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;

14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

Or, where. Hebrew, found.- 1 Chronicles xxv. 1. h1 Chronicles xv. 24. Psa. cxxxvi. ; 1 Chron. xvi. 34, 41. * Exod. xl. 35; Chap. vii. 2.

and xxv.,) which was only for the ordinary service: but in extraordinary solemnities, such as this, they all came together.

Verse 13. To make one sound-They sung and sounded their trumpets all so exactly in time, and in the same note, that it seemed but as one sound. For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever— Probably they sung the whole of Psa. cxxxvi., which begins thus, O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, &c., &c.; every verse of which ends with, For his mercy endureth for ever. The house was filled with a cloud-That is, with such a cloud as had formerly been in the most holy place of the tabernacle, and was the token of the gracious presence and blessing of the Divine Majesty among them. Verse 9. There it is unto this day-When these Verse 14. The priests could not stand to minister records were first written, not when they were re-by reason of the cloud-This wonderful cloud of the viewed and copied by Ezra: for neither the ark nor the staves were seen or remained after the captivity. Verse 11. The priests did not then wait by course -According to David's appointment, (1 Chron. xxiv.

divine glory was a grand distinguishing particular between the Jews and other nations, and an indubit able testimony that God did indeed reveal himself to them, and took them under his protection and

CHAPTER VI..

care. Other nations had temples dedicated to their || possession of the house which they had erected for gods; but the records of none of them signify, or his service. The glory of the Lord had filled the give any the least intimation, that there was ever house-And this beautified it more than all the gold any such appearance among them publicly, or in the with which it was overlaid, or the precious stones sight of all the people, as this which is here spoken with which it was garnished. Yet even that was no of, and represented as a convincing token that God glory, in comparison of the glory of the gospel diswas among them, accepted their offerings, and took pensation.

CHAPTER VI.

Solomon declares his intent in building the house, 1-11. His prayer of dedication, 12-42.

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23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head: and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

A. M. 3000. 14 And said, O LORD God of Israel, || 22 ¶ If a man sin against his neigh- A. M. 3000 h there is no God like thee in the bour, and an oath be laid upon him heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest cove- to make him swear, and the oath come before nant, and showest mercy unto thy servants, thine altar in this house; that walk before thee with all their hearts: 15 Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. 16 Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There2 shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

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17 Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.

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18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

19 Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee:

20 That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said, that thou wouldst put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth 3 toward this place.

Verse 14. O Lord God of Israel, &c.-Solomon, in the foregoing verses, had signed and sealed, so to speak, the deed of dedication, by which the temple was appropriated to the honour and service of God. Now here in the prayer by which it was, as it were, consecrated, it is made a figure of Christ, the great Mediator, through whom we are to offer up all our prayers, and to expect all God's favours, and to whom we are to have an eye in every thing wherein we have to do with God.

Verse 21. Hearken to the supplication of thy people, &c.—He asks not that God would help them

24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;

25 Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

26 ¶ When the "heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;

27 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.

28 If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillars; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore, or whatsoever sickness there be:

29 Then what prayer, or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people İsrael, when every one shall know his

'Or, in this place. Heb. pray. Heb. and he require an oath of him. - Or, be smitten.- -7 Or, toward. 1 Kings xvii. 1. - Chapter xx. 9. Hebrew, in the land of their gates.

without their praying for themselves, but that God would help them in answer to their prayers. Even Christ's intercession does not supersede, but encourages our supplications.

Verse 22. And the oath come before thine altar— By this it appears that the man who was to clear himself of any trespass, whereof he was accused, against his neighbour, by an oath, was to do it at the temple, before the altar of that God from whom he looked for the remission of his sins.

Verse 27. When thou hast taught them the good way-Or, seeing thou hast taught them the good

Solomon's prayer at the

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A. M. 3000. own sore, and his own grief, and shall || man which sinneth not,) and thou A. M. 3000. spread forth his hands in this house; be angry with them, and deliver them 30 Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling- over before their enemies, and they carry place, and forgive, and render unto every man them away captives unto a land far off or near; according unto all his ways, whose heart thou 37 Yet if they 15 bethink themselves in the knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts land whither they are carried captive, and turn of the children of men ;) and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;

31 That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, 10 so long as they live "in the land which gavest unto our fathers.

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Moreover, concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched-out arm; if they come and pray in this house; 33 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that 12 this house which I have built is called by thy name.

34 ¶ If thy people go out to war against their || enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;

35 Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their 13

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38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name;

39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling-place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their 16 cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee. 40 Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine be open, and let thine ears be attent 17 unto the prayer that is made in this place.

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41 Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting-place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints "rejoice in goodness.

42 O LORD God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of

36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no David thy servant.

way, or instructed them in the knowledge of thyself, and of the worship and service in which thou delightest.

Verse 33. May know that this house is called by thy name-That it is truly the house of the Almighty Jehovah. Solomon knew that the goodness of God was so immense, that the extending it, how much soever, toward other people, neither would nor could lessen the exercise of it toward Israel. Verse 40. Now, my God, &c.—Solomon sums up all in beseeching God, that the prayers which should be presented there, for any blessing, of what sort soever it was, might be graciously accepted and answered by him.

Verse 41. Arise, O Lord, into thy resting-place, &c.--Thus he concludes his prayer with some expressions borrowed from one of his father's Psalms, namely, Psa. cxxxii. The whole word of God in general, and the Psalms in particular, are of use to direct us in prayer: and how can we express our

selves in better language to God, than in that of his own Spirit? But these words were peculiarly proper and suitable to be expressed now, because they had a reference to this very occasion on which Solomon used them. And, in quoting them, he prays that God would take and keep possession of the temple for himself, and make it, as it were, his resting-place, where he would continue to dwell. Thou, and the ark of thy strength-Thou, in and by the ark, which is the sign and instrument of thy great power, put forth from time to time in behalf of thy people. Let thy priests be clothed with salvation_ Let them be saved from their sins, restored to thy favour and image, and be encompassed on every side with thy protection and benediction. And let thy saints rejoice in goodness-Let them have cause of rejoicing and thanksgiving for the effects of thy goodness imparted to them.

Verse 42. O Lord, turn not away the face of thine anointed-Of me, who by thy command was anoint