Commentary on Exodus, Commentary · Chapter 38
CHAP. XXXVIII.
Verſe 1. AND he made the Altar of Burnt-offering, &c.] Having given an Account of the making of all the Furniture of the Houſe, he proceeds to ſhow how all things were made without doors, with the ſame exactneſs, according to the Divine Preſcriptions. All which Bezaleel could not make with his own hands; but he was chief Director in theſe things, as well as the reſt of the Work.
Five Cubits was the length thereof, &c.] See XXVII. 1, 2, &c. where this, and the ſix following Verſes are explained.
Ver. 8. And he made the Laver of braſs, &c.] See XXX. 18. where order is given for the making of this Laver, and its ſituation directed: but neither there, nor here are we told the figure or dimenſions of it; but have a particular remark, in this place, concerning the Materials out of which it was made in the following words.
Of the Looking glaſſes.] So we interpret the Hebrew word Maroth; becauſe now ſuch things are commonly made of Glaſs: but anciently of poliſhed Braſs; which they lookt upon as far better than Silver, for that made a weaker reflection, as Vitruvius informs us, L. VII. c. 3. And the beſt of theſe Specula were, among the ancient Romans, made at Brunduſium, of Braſs and Tin mixed together, as Pliny tells us, L. XXXIII. 9. XXXIV. 17. This ſhows the Laver was made of the fineſt and moſt pure Braſs.
Of the Women aſſembling, which aſſembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.] The Hebrew word Hattzobeoth ſignifies that they came by Troops to make this Preſent to the LORD. And the LXX. and Chaldee underſtanding it, of ſuch Women as came together to ſerve God, by Faſting and Prayer (for there is the ſame word uſed in 1 Sam. II. 22.) moſt Interpreters think, they that made this Oblation, were very devout Women, who were wont to ſpend much time at the Tabernacle, where the Preſence of God was. For Moſes his Tent, ſerved inſtead of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and was ſo called, till this Tabernacle was built, XXXIII. 7, &c. Thus Aben-Ezra alſo obſerves, upon theſe words; That theſe Women making a Freewill Offering of the Looking-glaſſes, wherein they were wont to behold the Beauty of their Faces, and to dreſs and adorn their Heads; it ſeems to argue their very Religious Mind, deſpiſing the Vanity of the World, and delighting far more in the Service of God.
Ver. 9. And he made the Court, &c.] All that follows from this place to v. 21. is explained in the XXVII Chapter, from v. 9. to v. 20. except two or three words, which I ſhall here take notice of.
Ver. 17. The Chapiters of Silver.] There is no mention of Raſhim (Chapiters) in the XXVII Chapter; but only of Vauim (or hooks) which were of Silver, v. 10. & 17. But this Verſe ſhows that thoſe hooks, were in the Chapiters, or Heads of the Pillars, out of which thoſe aroſe, as an Ornament to them.
Ver. 18. And the heighth in the breadth, &c.] This is an Hebrew Phraſe, ſignifying the height of the Hanging it ſelf: whoſe breadth when it lay along, was called its height when it was hung up. And that was five Cubits; proportionable to the Hangings of the Court, which was five Cubits high, XXVII. 18.
Ver. 21. This is the ſum of the Tabernacle, even of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, &c.] Some will have this relate to the fore-named things, mentioned in this and in the fore-going Chapters. But I take it rather to be a Preface to the Account which Moſes ordered to be taken of all the Gold, Silver and Braſs that was employed in building of the Tabernacle. Which being ſummed up, amounted to ſo many Talents as are mentioned v. 24, &c.
For the Service of the Levites.] Rather, By the Miniſtry of the Levites; whom Moſes appointed to take the Account of all the Expences.
By the hand of Ithamar, Son to Aaron the Priest.] Under the Conduct of Ithamar, the youngeſt Son of Aaron; whom he appointed to preſide over the Levites, in taking this account.
Ver. 22. And Bezaleel the Son of Uri, made all that the LORD commanded Moſes.] Which Gold, Silver and Braſs was committed into the hands of Bezaleel (though in the Preſence of all the reſt of the Workmen, XXXVI. 2, 3.) as the principal Perſon, who was to ſee it employed, in making every thing which the LORD commanded Moſes.
Ver. 23. And with him was Aholiab, &c.] Unto whom God joyned Aholiab as his Aſſociate in ſo great an Undertaking; who made uſe of ſeveral others, whom they taught in thoſe Arts, which God by an extraordinary Inſpiration had made them to underſtand, XXXV. 30, 31, 34, 35.
Ver. 24. All the gold which was occupied for the work, &c.] About the Ark, the Table, the Candleſtick, and all belonging to them, XXXVII. 2, 11, 17, 24, 26. and about the holy Garments mentioned XXXIX. 5, &c. 15, 25, 30.
What was not employed about this work (for the People brought more than enough, XXXVI. 5, 7.) it is very probable was laid up in the Treaſury, for Sacred Uſes, as there ſhould be occaſion.
Twenty and nine Talents, and ſeven hundred and thirty Shekels.] It hath been noted before, that a Shekel is near half a Crown of our Money: Now it is evident (from v. 25, 26.) that there were Three thouſand Shekels in a Talent; ſo that a Talent of Silver, as Dr. Cumberland, now Biſhop of Peterburgh, computes it (in his learned Treatiſe of Scriptures of Weights and Meaſures, c. 4.) amounts to Three hundred fifty three pound, eleven ſhillings, and ſome odd pence, in our Money. And a Talent of Gold (reckoning Gold to be above fourteen times in value) to Five thouſand ſeventy Six pound, three ſhillings and ten pence.
Ver. 25. And the Silver of them that were numbred of the Congregation was an hundred Talents, and a thouſand ſeven hundred and threeſcore and fifteen ſhekels, &c.] There being Six hundred, and three thouſand, five hundred and fifty men, that offered each of them half a Shekel (as the next Verſe tells us) they make Three hundred and one thouſand, ſeven hundred and ſeventy five thouſand Shekels. Which amounting to an Hundred Talents, with 1775. Shekels more, demonſtrates that a Talent contains Three thouſand Shekels. For no Number (as the ſame Learned Biſhop hath ſhown) but Three thouſand, dividing 301775. will produce an Hundred, and leave 1775 in Remainder.
Ver. 26. A Bekah for every man, that is half a Shekel, &c.] See XXX. 13. Some may poſſibly think it unaccountable, that ſo great Treaſures ſhould be found among the Iſraelites in the Deſert; and eſpecially that they ſhould be furniſhed with ſuch precious Stones, as are mentioned in the next Chapter v. 10. &c. as they were before, XXVIII. 17, 18, &c. But ſuch Perſons ſhould conſider, that their Anceſtors were very great Men, and had gathered great Riches, before they came into Egypt: where Joſeph, it is likely, left them no ſmall Treaſures: And though Pharaoh perhaps ſqueezed them (as I ſaid upon Chapter the firſt) yet they preſerved moſt of their Riches, and were re-imburſed what they loſt, by what they borrowed of the Egyptians. From whoſe dead bodies, thrown on the Sea-ſhore, we may well ſuppoſe they got ſtill more; as they did alſo from the Amalekites, who being a People near to Arabia (from whence a great part of the precious Stones came) we may likewiſe ſuppoſe were not unfurniſhed with them. And beſides all this, they had Shittim-wood good ſtore in the Wilderneſs (as I noted Chap. XXV.) and ſome of the Jews, particularly Abarbinel, think it not improbable, that they traded with the Neighbouring Nations, who bordered upon the Wilderneſs, while they continued in it.
Ver. 27. And of the hundred Talents of Silver were cast the Sockets of the Sanctuary, &c.] It appears by the XXVI Chapter, that there were juſt an Hundred of theſe Sockets, which were the Foundation of the Houſe of God, v. 19, 21, 25, 32. To the making of every one of which there went a Talent of Silver.
Ver. 28. And of the thouſand ſeven hundred ſeventy five ſhekels, he made, &c.] An hundred Talents being ſpent in making the Sockets, the Remainder, which was 1775 Shekels (v. 25.) was laid out upon Hooks, and Chapiters, and Fillets about the Pillers. Which make up the whole Account of the Silver.
Ver. 29. And the braſs of the Offering, &c.] This Verſe gives an account of the value of the Braſs, which the People offered; as the former Verſes of the Gold and Silver.
Ver. 30. And therewith he made the Sockets to the Door of the Tabernacle, and the brazen Altar, &c.] This Verſe and the next gives an Account how the Braſs was employed, according to God's Order before-mentioned, XXVI. 37. XXVII. 2, 3, 4.
Ver. 31. And the Sockets of the Court, &c.] See XXVII. 10, 17, 18, 19. Here is not ſuch a particular Account given, upon what things the Gold was employed (but only in general, in all the work of the holy place, v. 24.) becauſe all things that were not made of Silver and Braſs, were made of Gold; and a great deal, it appears by the next Chapters, was imployed in making Aaron's glorious Attire.