The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 42

EXPOSI'l.'ION. xxxi. 9; xxxv. 16; xxxix. 39). It was CHAPTER IV. cnlled a see. on o.ocount of its size. We are This che.pter is occupied with some e.c- told in 1 Chron. xviii. 8 whence Do.vid had count of the wntenu of the house, following drawn the supplies of mete.I necessary for naturally upon the o.ccount of the structure, this work. The size of the diameter mee.- sured from upper rim to rim (ten cubits) ciimension.s, and ma.in feo.tures of the build- harmonizes, of course, to e.11 practical pur- ing given in the previous chapter. The poses, with that of the circumference (thirty po.ro.llel, so fe.r 11B it goes, is found in I Kings cubits); it would assist questions connected vii. and viii. with the contents of this large vessel, how- Ver. 1.-An altar of bra.SB. This in ever, if we had been told whether the cir- worthier me.terial superseded the temporary cumference were measured at the rim, or, altar of the tabernacle (Exod. x:xvii. 1, 2), e.s the form of language here used might made of shittim wood, e.nd its dimensions slightly favour, round the girth. (For these five cubits long and broe.d and three cubits questions, see ver. 5 below.) This sea for high. Lo.rge as was the present altar of the washing of the priests significantly fol- bl"8Bs e.s compared with the alte.r that pre- lows the altar. Beside the general sugges- oeded, it fell fo.r short of the requirements of tion of the need of purification or sanctifica- the grand day of dedication (1 Kings viii. tion, it here reminds of the fact that the 64). No statement of tl.Je making of this earthly priest and high priest must need alw OCCIU& in the pe.mllel. The place of the purification, which their great Antitype it would be between vers. 22 and 23 of I would not need. Kings vii. But that Solomon made it is Ver. 3.-The aimilitude of oxen. The stated in I Kings ix. 25, and other references parallel gives simply" knopd" (i.e. fiower- to its presence are found in 1 Kings viii. 22, buds) in the room of this expression, and 54, 64, etc. The position given to the altar no word "similitude" e.t all, the characters is referred to alike in 1 Kings "ri.i.i. 22 and eh. spelling the word for "knops" being c•v.p.q, vi. 12, 13, as in the court of the temple. It e.nd those for "oxen" being c•:iR,;i, The me.y be well to note that the e.lta.r, sacrifice, presence of the word "similitude" strongly comes first, and is first spoken of. suggests that the circles of decoration under Ver. 2.-A molten sea.. The Hebrew of description showed the likenesses of oxen, this verse e.nd of 1 Kings vii 23 a.re fac- not necessarily (as Patrick) "stamped" on similes of one author, except that here ,p. the so-called knops, but possibly constitut- stands, where the parallel shows mp, pro- ing them. For the ambiguous under it of our bably the fruit merely of some error in present verse the parallel so.ye with defi- transcription. Verses like these point not niteness, "under the brim of it." There is to the derive.tion of Chronicles from Kings, intelligibility, at all events, in the orna- but rathr,r of both from some older common mentation being of these miniature oxen, source. This sea of brass superseded the presumably three hundred in the circle of l~ver of the to.beme.cle (Exod. x:u:. 18, 28; the thirty cubits. The symbolism would oa. 1v. 1-22.] THE SEOOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 43