The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 114

oracle is significant. In ver. 22 it is called elude the porch, the interior of which wa, the II altar that (belonged) to the oracle," gild~d._ B~cause the porch is elsewhere (ver. becanse it stood just outside it. In the 3) u1strngmshed from the " house " it cloes tabernacle it was placed '' before the vail" not follow that it can never be comprehended (Exod. xxx. 6; xl. 5, 26; Levit. xvi. 12-18), nnder that term] until he had finished all and it occupied this position because the the house : also [Heb. and~ the altar that incense burned upon it was offered before was by [Heb. to. See on ver. 20) the oracle the Invisible Presence within. It is an he overlaid with gold. argument in favour of the textual emenda- Ver. 23.-A.nd withl.D the oracle [The tion suggested above that the altar in the description now passes on to the mysterions tabernacle was of wood (Exod. xxx. 1), and symbolic figures which were placed in the that Ezekiel speaks of the "altar of wood" holy of holies] he made two cherubims (eh. xli. 22), the altar of sacrifice being of [As to the nature, composition, and signifi- enrth, stones (Exod. xx. 24, 25), or brass cance of the cherubim, see notes on Exod. (2 Chron. iv. 1). If we retain the Received xxv. 19; xxxvii. 7. The only particulars Text we a.re almost compelled to believe that which will reqnire notice here are those this altar was also of stone, as they would in which the cherub of the temple differed hardly cover a wooden altar with wood. from that of the tabernacle] of olive tree Ver. 21.-So [Heb . .And. The ornamen- [Heb. trees or wood of oil. The oleaster tation of the holy place is next mentioned] (wild olive) is supposed to be intended, the Solomon overlaid the house [as well as the proper name for the olive tree being n!t oracle] within with pure gold: and he made (Neh. viii. 15). The wood of the oleaster, a partition by the cha.ins of gold before the which is firm, fine-grained, and durable, oracle [These words a.re extremely obscure. was nsed by the Greeks for the images of '.!.'he prevailing view is that of Gesenins, al., their gods (Winer). The cherubim of the that i;W! = 11 he bolted," &c. But, if so, tabernacle were of solid gold ; those of the what did the chains bolt? Bahr says, the temple, on account of their great size. boards of the cedar partition, jnst as the (fifte,en feet high) were necessarily of less bars fastened together the boards of the taber- costly materiel. But thongh of wood, yet nacle (Exod. xxvi. 26-29). Gesen. himself the most durable and beantiful of wood, (together with Keil, me.rg., al.) nnderstands the olive, was employed in their constrnc- the doors, "he bolted the doors of the tion. It is noticeable how olive wood is oracle," so as to keep them closed, except employed for the cherubim and doors of on the day of atonement. Bnt the literal oracle, and for the posts of the temple rendering is, " he carried over with chains doorway; the less precious cedar was used of gold before the oracle," where nothing is for lining the walls and for beams, &c., said of either boards or doors. The more while for the floor and doors of house, the natural interpretation, therefore, would per- co=oner cypress sufficed] , each ten cubit■ haps be: he carried on the gold plates of the h!gh. [Half the height of the oracle. They house in chains of gold across the partition, occupied its entire width (ver. 24). and so fastened it to the side wal!B. Per- Ver 24.-And 11.ve cubits was the one wing haps this was done to avoid any fracture of, of the cherub, and 11.ve cubits the other or insertion into, the stonework]; and he wing of the cherub : from the uttermost overlaid it [What? Keil says, the cedar pa.rt of the one wing unto the uttermost altar last mentioned at the end of ver. 20. part of the other were ten cubits. [ As the But the e.lte.r has now dropped out of the four wings alone covered the whole extent reader's, and therefore presumably out of of the oracle, each pair must clearly have the writer's mind. It would be more natural been in contact on the body of the cherub.] to understand the words of the oracle just Ver. 25.-And the other cherub was ten mentioned, but the adornment of the oracle cubits ; both the cherubims were of one has already been related (ver. 20), and it is measure and one size [or shape]. hardly likely that having stated that it was Ver. 26.-The height of the one cherub covered with pure gold in one verse, he would was ten cubits, and so it was of the other mention that it was overlaid with gold in cherub. [The constant recurrence of the the next. It looks as if the cedar partition number ten, the symbol of completeness were referred to, the boards "before the and perfection, is not to be overlooked.] oracle "] with gold. Ver. 27.-A.nd he set the cherubims Ver. 22.-And the whole house he over- withl.D the 1n.ner house: and theystretched laid with gold [This no mere repetition, forth the wings of the cherubims [The more Hebraico, as Bii.hr and Keil would have ma.rg. reading, the cherubim stretched forth ns think. Something additional must surely t1uiir wings, is altogether inadmissible], so be referred to, and 2 Chron. iii. 4 warrants that the w1ng of the 0110 touched the one 'ILS in understanding this 11tatement to in- wall, and the w1Dg of the other cherub 0B, VL 1-88,] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 109