Ex. 25 Moses is commanded to take a free-will offering to set up the tabernacle, and of what, Ex. 25:1–7. God commands him to make a sanctuary, Ex. 25:8; chargeth him how and whereof to make a tabernacle, Ex. 25:9. The form of the ark, Ex. 25:10–16. The mercy-seat, Ex. 25:17–22.

Having delivered the moral and judicial laws, he now comes to the ceremonial law, wherein he sets down all things very minutely and particularly, whereas in the other laws he was content to lay down general rules, and leaveth many other things to be by analogy deduced from them.

Blue, or sky-coloured; but here you must not understand the mere colours, which could not be offered, but some materials proper for the work, and of the colours here mentioned, to wit, wool, or threads, or some suchlike things, as appears from Heb. 9:19, and from the testimony of the Jews.

A kind of wood growing in Egypt and the deserts of Arabia, very durable and precious. See Ex. 35:24, Num. 33:49, Isa. 41:19, Joel 3:18.

Oil for the light; for the lamps or candlesticks, Ex. 25:37. Anointing oil, wherewith the priests, and the tabernacle, and the utensils thereof, were to be anointed. Sweet incense; Heb.

Onyx stones, or, sardonyx stones. Note, that the signification of the Hebrew names of the several stones are not agreed upon by the Jews at this day, and much more may we safely be ignorant of them, the religious use of them being now abolished.

A place of public and solemn worship, that I may dwell among them; not by my essence, which is every where, but by my grace and glorious operations.

An ark, or little chest, or coffer, for the uses after mentioned. Two cubits and a half; understand it of the common cubit, which is generally conceived to contain a foot and a half of our measure. See Gen. 6:15.

Or, a border, raised up above the rest of the ark, as a crown is above that which it is applied to, only a crown is round, and this was square. This was both for ornament, and for the fastening of the covering of the ark to it.

In the four corners; in the middle of each corner, for conveniency of carriage. See 1 Kings 7:30.

To wit, the two tables of stone, wherein the decalogue was written, called the testimony here, and Ex. 30:6, Lev. 16:13; and more fully the tables of the testimony, Ex. 31:18, Num.

Mercy-seat, or, propitiatory; which seems from the sameness of dimensions to be nothing else but the covering of the ark, upon which God is said to sit, whence the ark is called God’s footstool.

Figures of human shape, in which alone the angels used to appear; but they had wings, to signify their expedition in God’s work and messages. And between these angels God is said to sit and dwell.

i.e. Of one and the same piece of massy gold, out of which the cherubims were made.

Towards God, who is supposed to sit there, whose face the angels in heaven always behold, and upon whom their eyes are fixed to observe and receive his commands; and towards Christ, the true propitiatory, which mystery they desire to look into, 1 Pet.

Or, after thou shalt have put in the ark; for the ark was not to be opened after the covering was put upon it. The Hebrew particle vau oft signifies after that, as Jer. 43:13, Jer. 51:60.

There I will meet with thee; there I will be in a special and gracious manner present with thee. From between the cherubims, which spreading forth their wings formed a kind of seat, which the Divine Majesty was pleased to possess.

A square border at the top of it, as Ex. 25:11; partly for ornament, and principally to keep what was put upon it from falling off.

A border, which encompassed and kept together the feet of the table, and seems to have been towards the bottom of it. A golden crown; not the same mentioned before, Ex. 25:24, but another for further ornament to the table.

As much below the top as the border was above the bottom of the feet. of the table, which was a convenient place for the carriage. Others, near the border, in that part of the feet which is next to it.

The dishes, in which the bread and frankincense upon it were put, Lev. 24:7. Of this sort there were twelve, one for every loaf. Spoons, in which incense was put, as appears from Num. 7:14, and by which incense was either put into the dishes or taken out of them, as occasion required.

Heb. Bread of faces, or of the presence, so called, because it was constantly placed in God’s presence. This bread was divided into twelve loaves, one for every tribe; and they were in their name presented to God in the nature of an offering, as the frankincense shows, as a public acknowledgment…

Thou shalt make, either by thyself, or by some other person whom thou shalt cause to make it. His shaft; the trunk, or main body of it. His knops, or, apples, made in form of a pomegranate. His flowers shall be of the same, to wit, beaten out of the same piece by the hammer. Compare Ex. 25:36.

In every one of which was a lamp, and there was a seventh lamp in the chief stem of it, as appears from Ex. 25:37. And all these together represent the seven Spirits of God, Rev. 1:4, Rev. 4:5, Rev.

In the candlestick, i.e. in the shaft or trunk of the candlestick, which is here distinguished from its branches, shall be four bowls, whereas there were but three in each of the branches.

And, to complete the number of four, mentioned in the foregoing verse, we must understand that there was another knop and bowl and flower in the upper part of the shaft, above all the branches, as the rules of proportion, and common use in making such things, will easily evince.

They shall light the lamps, whom I shall appoint for that work. Over against it, i.e. either, 1. The table of shewbread. Or rather, 2. The candlestick, as it is expressed, Num. 8:2, where by the candlestick you are to understand, as here, Ex.

A talent contains three thousand shekels, Ex. 38:25, or one hundred and twenty-five pounds.