The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 364

EXPOSITION. Vere. lU-Sl.-Tm: SUM or THE TAU&· Hebrew nation. is inconceivable. But most NACLE, OR WEIGHT Oil' THE METALS EHPLOYEI) critics ar,e of a different opinion. Gold was IN IT. Before dismissing the subject of the very 11b11I1dant in Egypt at the period, being imported from Ethiopia, a rich gold-producing cou.struction of the tabemo.cle, Moses places on, co11I1try ( Herod. iii. 23; Diod. Sic. iii. 11 ), as record the sum of the gold, silver and bi:onze con- well as taken in tribute from the nations of tributed and consnmed in, the work. At the- Asia. The wealth of Rhampsinitus (Rsmese!l same time he infonua us who was the ac- III.), a little later than the exodus, ..,-as countant by whom the sum was made up (ver. enormous(Herod. ii. 121; Rawlinson, Hutory 21), and what were the portions of the work of Eggpt., vol. ii. pp. 368, 378). According t,, the preceding narrative (eh. xii. 35, 36) much formed of each ~tal (vers. 24, 27., 28, 30, of the wealth of Egypt had, at the moment of 31 ). Incid,en,tally he mentions the number of their quitting the country, passed from the the congregation at this period (ver. 26,), and Egyptians to the Hebrews. If they numbere,l the weight of the "-sockets" or" bases" (ver. two millions of souls, their gold ornaments e.rn 27). likely to he.ve been worth very much morn than £200;000-of our money. On the shekel Ver, 21.-lhili is the Blllll, O, "number- of the aanotuary, see the comment upon eh. ing" (as in Nu.m. xxvi. 63). The tabemaol11- xxx.13. of teatimon.y. The tabernacle, i.e., of which Ver. 25.-The ailwr. The silver seeIDS to the great glocy was that it contained "the have amollIIted to about four times the testimony" or "Two Tables." Compare eh, weight of the gold ; but the .-alue of it was xxv. 16. l!'or- the. aervioe of tho, Levites. very much less, not exceeding £-10,000 of our Literally " a service of the Levites by the money (Cook). It llllP-Y seem surprising that hand of Itbamar," etc.-i.e. "a. service which this should he.ve been so ; but there are we.s performed by the Levites at the oo)Jllll8.lld grounds fur believing that both in Africa and of Ithamar." It is somewhat remarkable that in Asia gold was more plentiful than silver in the direotion of the L&vites should be assigned. the ear_ly ages. And it is certainly much to ltbamar, rather than to Nada.b or Abihu. more suitable for ornaments. Of them that Ver. 22.-:ae111aleel made all. The direc- were nVJDberecl, ·see above, eh. :nx. 12-16. tion of the 10hule work by Bezaleel is here The silver for the sanctuary was collected by asserted more definitely and decidedly than a compulsory tu, of the nature of a church- elsewhere. Compare eh. uxi 2-6.; xxxvi._ rate. This pr.oduced the amo11I1t here given, 1, 2. No estimate is made of the weight of the Ver. 23.-Aboliab's special gifts are hexe silvet freewill offerings (ch. x.-u.v. 24), nor is pointed out. He was I. An artificer (a general e.ny acco11I1t given of tbeir application. It term with no special application); 2. A skilled bas beea- suggested that they were returned to weaver ; and S. An 11D1broiderer. Altogether, the donors as superfluous, which is certa.iuly bis business was with the textile fabrics-not possible, with the wood-work or the metal-work-of the Ver. 26.-A beka.h for every man. Liter- sanctuary. ally, "for every head." l!'rom twenty years old Ver. 24.-The gold. The value of the gold and upward. Compare Num. i. 3, 22, etc. Six has been estimated by Canon Cook e.t hun.dred thousa.nd, etc. It is remarkable th11t £175,075 lSs. Od. of our money; by Thenius this number agrees a:i:ootly with the sum total at 877,300 Prussian thalers, or about £131,595. of the numbering in Num. ii. 32, which took It was certainly under £200,000. De Wette place e.bout six months le.ter, and was exclu- and others he.ve argued that the possession of sive of 22,000 Levites. Perhaps the nmuber ,o large a swn in gold at this time b,v the was lost iu tbi, place, and restored from Num  'l'HE BOOK 01<' EXODUS. [ell. Xl1VIU. 2i-31, -------- ------------------------- ii :12. wit h ..nt it• being r~~nllllf"ted that. the Ver. 29.-The brae■ or the oll'erillf-, r, L,•,1tes we1e n,,t inclnd.-d in that l"l'Cknning. the bronze v.·hich had been brought by th~ VPr. 2~.-The ■oolm1a orthe ■anotuaryand people in answer to the invitation of Mos,• or the veil. See above, eh. xxxvi. 24, 26, 80, (eh. xu:v. 24). and !16. The numbeni given are 4'), 40, 16, Vers. 80, 81.-The eoeket■ . See eh. xxxvi. and 4. rnalung exactly the hundred. 38. The bruen alt.ar and the bruan grate. Ver. 28.-lloollll for the pill&n. See abo,•e, See ven. l and 4. The veaell. See ver. 8. """'· 10, 12, Ii, and 19. Ohapiten. See The ■oobt.l of the oourt. See above, ven. 11, Yer. 19. Fillet.ea th1111.. Rather, "collllected 14, 15, 17, and 19. The pl.111 of the ta.her• them with rod& " naole and of the oom. See above, ver. 20.