Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

The golden furniture of the holy place and the gilded doors of the temple. This section is found also in Kg1 7:40-50. The enumeration of the things wrought in brass coincides to a word, with the exception of trifling linguistic differences and some defects in the text, with Kg1 7:40-47. In Ch2 4:12 והכּתרות הגּלּות is the true reading, and we should so read in Kg1 7:41 also, since the גּלּות, circumvolutions, are to be distinguished from the כּתרות, crowns; see on Ch2 3:16. In Ch2 4:14 the first עשׂה is a mistake for עשׂר, the second for עשׂרה, Kg1 7:43; for the verb עשׂה is not required nor expected, as the accusative depends upon לעשׂות, Ch2 4:11, while the number cannot be omitted, since it is always given with the other things. In Ch2 4:16 מזלנות is an orthographic error for מזרקות; cf. Ch2 4:11 and Kg1 7:44. ואת־כּל־כּליחם is surprising, for there is no meaning in speaking of the utensils of the utensils enumerated in Ch2 4:12-16. According to Kg1 7:45, we should read האלּה כּל־הכּלים את. As to אביו, see on Ch2 2:12. מרוּק נחשׁת is accusative of the material, of polished brass; and so also ממרט נח, Kg1 7:45, with a similar signification. In reference to the rest, see the commentary on Kg1 7:40. Ch2 4:19-21 In the enumeration of the golden furniture of the holy place, our text diverges somewhat more from Kg1 7:48-50. On the difference in respect to the tables of the shew-bread, see on Kg1 7:48. In Ch2 4:20 the number and position of the candlesticks in the holy place are not stated as they are in Kg1 7:49, both having been already given in Ch2 4:7. Instead of that, their use is emphasized: to light them, according to the right, before the most holy place (כּמּשׁפּט as in Ch2 4:7). As to the decorations and subordinate utensils of the candlesticks, see on Kg1 7:49. To זהב, Ch2 4:21 (accus. of the material), is added זהב מכלות הוּא, "that is perfect gold." מכלה, which occurs only here, is synonymous with מכלל, perfection. This addition seems superfluous, because before and afterwards it is remarked of these vessels that they were of precious gold (סגוּר זהב), and it is consequently omitted by the lxx, perhaps also because מכלות was not intelligible to them. The words, probably, are meant to indicate that even the decorations and the subordinate utensils of the candlesticks (lamps, snuffers, etc.) were of solid gold, and not merely gilded. Ch2 4:22 מזמּרות, knives, probably used along with the snuffers for the cleansing and trimming of the candlesticks and lamps, are not met with among the utensils of the tabernacle, but are here mentioned (Chr. and Kings), and in Kg2 12:14 and Jer 52:18, among the temple utensils. Along with the מזרקות, sacrificial vessels (see on Ch2 4:8), in Ch1 28:17 מזלנות, forks of gold, are also mentioned, which are not elsewhere spoken of. Among the utensils of the tabernacle we find only מזלגות of brass, flesh-forks, as an appurtenance of the altar of burnt-offering (Exo 27:3; Exo 38:3; Num 4:14; cf. Sa1 2:13.), which, however, cannot be intended here, because all the utensils here enumerated belonged to the holy place. What purpose the golden forks served cannot be determined, but the mention of golden knives might lead us to presuppose that there would be golden forks as well. That the forks are not mentioned in our verse does not render their existence doubtful, for the enumeration is not complete: e.g., the ספּות, Kg1 7:50, are also omitted. כּפּות, vessels for the incense, and מחתּות, extinguishers, as in Kg1 7:50. Instead of דּלתותיו הבּית וּפּתח הבּית , "and as regards the opening (door) of the house, its door-leaves," in Kg1 7:50 we have הבּית לדלתות והפּתת, "and the hinges of the door-leaves of the house." This suggests that פתח is only an orthographical error for פּתת; but then if we take it to be so, we must alter דּלתותיו into לדלתותיו. And, moreover, the expression הבּית פּתת, door-hinges of the house, is strange, as פּות properly denotes a recess or space between, and which renders the above-mentioned conjecture improbable. The author of the Chronicle seems rather himself to have generalized the expression, and emphasizes merely the fact that even the leaves of the doors in the most holy place and on the holy place were of gold; - of course not of solid gold; but they were, as we learn from Ch2 3:7, overlaid with gold. This interpretation is favoured by the simple זהב being used without the predicate סגוּר. To the sing. פּתח no objection can be made, for the word in its fundamental signification, "opening," may easily be taken collectively.