Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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S E C O N D   C H R O N I C L E S

CHAP. IV.

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We have here a further account of the furniture of God’s house.

I. Those things that were of brass. The altar for burnt-offerings

(ver. 1),

the sea and lavers to hold water

(ver. 2-6),

the plates with which the doors of the court were overlaid

(ver. 9),

the vessels of the altar, and other things,

ver. 10-18.

II. Those that were of gold. The candlesticks and tables

(ver. 7, 8),

the altar of incense

(ver. 19),

and the appurtenances of each of these,

ver. 20-22.

All these, except the brazen altar

(ver. 1),

were accounted for more largely,

1 Kings vii. 23,

&c.

The Furniture of the Temple.	B. C. 1012.

     

1 Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length

thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits

the height thereof.

  2 Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim,

round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line

of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

  3 And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass

it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about.

Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

  4 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north,

and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the

south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set

above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

  5 And the thickness of it was a handbreadth, and the brim of

it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies;

and it received and held three thousand baths.

  6 He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and

five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered

for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for

the priests to wash in.

  7 And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form,

and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on

the left.

  8 He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple,

five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an

hundred basons of gold.

  9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great

court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them

with brass.

  10 And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over

against the south.

     

David often speaks with much affection both of the house of the

Lord and of the courts of our God. Both without doors and

within there was that which typified the grace of the gospel and

shadowed out good things to come, of which the substance

is Christ.

     

I. There were those things in the open court, in the view of all the

people, which were very significant.

     

1. There was the brazen altar,
v. 1.

The making of this was not mentioned in the Kings. On this all the

sacrifices were offered, and it sanctified the gift. This altar was

much larger than that which Moses made in the tabernacle; that was five

cubits square, this was twenty cubits square. Now that Israel had

become both numerous and more rich, and it was to be hoped more devout

(for every age should aim to be wiser and better than that which went

before it), it was expected that there would be a greater abundance of

offerings brought to God’s altar than had been. It was therefore made

such a capacious scaffold that it might hold them all, and none might

excuse themselves from bringing those temptations of their devotion by

alleging that there was not room to receive them. God had greatly

enlarged their borders; it was therefore fit that they should enlarge

his altars. Our returns should bear some proportion to our receivings.

It was ten cubits high, so that the people who worshipped in the courts

might see the sacrifice burnt, and their eye might affect their heart

with sorrow for sin: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that I am not thus

consumed, and that this is accepted as an expiation of my guilt.” They

might thus be led to consider the great sacrifice which should be

offered in the fulness of time to take away sin and abolish death,

which the blood of bulls and goats could not possibly do. And with the

smoke of the sacrifices their hearts might ascend to heaven in holy

desires towards God and his favour. In all our devotions we must keep

the eye of faith fixed upon Christ, the great propitiation. How they

went up to this altar, and carried the sacrifices up to it, we are not

told; some think by a plain ascent like a hill: if by steps, doubtless

they were so contrived as that the end of the law (mentioned

Exod. xx. 26)

might be answered.

     

2. There was the molten sea, a very large brass pan, in which they put

water for the priests to wash in,

v. 2, 6.

It was put just at the entrance into the court of the priests, like the

font at the church door. If it were filled to the brim, it would hold

3000 baths (as here,

v. 5),

but ordinarily there were only 2000 baths in it,

1 Kings vii. 26.

The Holy Ghost by this signified,

(1.) Our great gospel privilege, that the blood of Christ cleanseth

from all sin,
1 John i. 7.

To us there is a fountain opened for all believers (who are

spiritual priests,

Rev. i. 5, 6),

nay, for all the inhabitants of Jerusalem to wash in, from sin,

which is uncleanness. There is a fulness of merit in Jesus Christ for

all those that by faith apply to him for the purifying of their

consciences, that they might serve the living God,
Heb. ix. 14.

(2.) Our great gospel duty, which is to cleanse ourselves by true

repentance from all the pollutions of the flesh and the corruption that

is in the world. Our hearts must be sanctified, or we cannot sanctify

the name of God. Those that draw nigh to God must cleanse their

hands, and purify their hearts,
Jam. iv. 8.

If I was thee not, thou hast no part with me; and he that is

washed still needs to wash his feet, to renew his

repentance, whenever he goes in to minister,
John xiii. 10.

     

3. There were ten lavers of brass, in which they washed such

things as they offered for the burnt-offerings,
v. 6.

As the priests must be washed, so must the sacrifices. We must not only

purify ourselves in preparation for our religious performances, but

carefully put away all those vain thoughts and corrupt aims which

cleave to our performances themselves and pollute them.

     

4. The doors of the court were overlaid with brass

(v. 9),

both for strength and beauty, and that they might not be rotted with

the weather, to which they were exposed. Gates of brass we read

of,

Ps. cvii. 16.

     

II. There were those things in the house of the Lord (into which

the priests alone went to minister) that were very significant. All was

gold there. The nearer we come to God the purer we must be, the purer

we shall be.

1. There were ten golden candlesticks, according to the form of

that one which was in the tabernacle,

v. 7.

The written word is a lamp and a light, shining in a dark place. In

Moses’s time they had but one candlestick, the Pentateuch; but the

additions which, in process of time, were to be made of other books of

scripture might be signified by this increase of the number of the

candlesticks. Light was growing. The candlesticks are the churches,

Rev. i. 20.

Moses set up but one, the church of the Jews; but, in the gospel

temple, not only believers, but churches, are multiplied.

2. There were ten golden tables

(v. 8),

tables whereon the show-bread was set,
v. 19.

Perhaps every one of the tables had twelve loaves of show-bread on it.

As the house was enlarged, the house-keeping was. In my father’s

house there is bread enough for the whole family. To those tables

belonged 100 golden basins, or dishes; for God’s table is well

furnished.

3. There was a golden altar

(v. 19),

on which they burnt incense. It is probable that this was enlarged in

proportion to the brazen altar. Christ, who once for all made atonement

for sin, ever lives, making intercession, in virtue of that

atonement.

     

11 And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons.

And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon

for the house of God;

  12 To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the

chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two

wreaths to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on

the top of the pillars;

  13 And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows

of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two pommels of the

chapiters which were upon the pillars.

  14 He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;

  15 One sea, and twelve oxen under it.

  16 The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all

their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for

the house of the LORD of bright brass.

  17 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay

ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

  18 Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for

the weight of the brass could not be found out.

  19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house

of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the

showbread was set;

  20 Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should

burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;

  21 And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of

gold, and that perfect gold;

  22 And the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the

censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner

doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the

house of the temple, were of gold.

     

We have here such a summary both of the brass-work and the gold-work of

the temple as we had before

(1 Kings vii. 13,

&c.), in which we have nothing

more to observe than,

1. That Huram the workman was very punctual: He finished all that he

was to make

(v. 11),

and left no part of his work undone. Huram, his father, he is

called,

v. 16.

Probably it was a sort of nickname by which he was commonly known,

Father Huram; for the king of Tyre called him Huram Abi, my

father, in compliance with whom Solomon called him his, he being a

great artist and father of the artificers in brass and iron. He

acquitted himself well both for ingenuity and industry.

2. Solomon was very generous. He made all the vessels in great

abundance

(v. 18),

many of a sort, that many hands might be employed, and so the work

might go on with expedition, or that some might be laid up for use when

others were worn out. Freely he has received, and he will freely give.

When he had made vessels enough for the present he could not convert

the remainder of the brass to his own use; it is devoted to God, and it

shall be used for him.

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Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708)

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