2 Samuel 11

2Sa 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

After the year was expired - The next spring after the escape of the Ammonites into their city 2Sa_10:14. At the end of the year, which concluded with the month Adar or February, the spring of the year This was a fit time to go out to war; when the rains were over, and there were grass in the fields, and fruit on the trees, and corn ripe, and so food for horse and men.

David tarried at Jerusalem - The Syrians being subdued, the war with Ammon was not of sufficient moment to require David’s personal presence. The whole section relating to David’s adultery and Uriah’s death, from this verse to 2Sa_12:26, is omitted in the Book of Chronicles.

When kings go forth - This was about a year after the war with the Syrians spoken of before, and about the spring of the year, as the most proper season for military operations.

besieged Rabbah - their chief city.

2Sa 11:2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

An eveningtide - The evening began at three o’clock in the afternoon. Not in the dusk of the evening, for then he saw could not have seen Bathsheba distinctly.

David arose from off his bed - He had been reposing on the roof of his house, to enjoy the breeze, as the noonday was too hot for the performance of business. This is still a custom on the flat-roofed houses in parts of the MidEast.

David's Adultery - David's deep fall forms a turning-point not only in the inner life of the king, but also in the history of his reign. Up to this point, David had kept free from the grosser sins, and had only exhibited such infirmities and failings as simulation, prevarication, etc., which clung to all the saints of the Old Covenant. Among the unacknowledged sins which God tolerated because of the hardness of Israel's heart was polygamy, which encouraged licentiousness and the tendency to sensual excesses, and to which but a weak barrier had been presented by the warning that had been given for the Israelite kings against taking many wives Deu_17:17 Nor shall he multiply wives to himself, so that his heart does not turn away. Nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold to himself. The custom to which this notion gave rise opened a dangerous precipice in David's way, and led to a most grievous fall. This occasioned a long series of most severe humiliations and divine chastisements that marred the splendor of his reign, notwithstanding the fact that the great sin was followed by deep and sincere repentance.

2Sa 11:3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

The daughter of Eliam - Or Ammiel; a word of the same meaning, The people of my God, The God of my people. This name expressed the covenant - I will be your God; We will be thy people.1Ch_3:5 And these were born to him in Jerusalem Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four of Bathsheba the daughter of Ammiel the component words being placed in an inverse order. Bathsheba was the granddaughter of Ahithophel 2Sa_23:34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite; Eliam the son of Ahithophel, the Gilonite;

David sent and inquired after the woman - Instead of suppressing that desire which the sight of his eyes had kindled, he seeks rather to feed it; and first enquires who she was; that if she were unmarried, he might make her either his wife or his concubine. Jam_1:15 Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin. And sin, when it is fully formed, brings forth death.

2Sa 11:4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

he took her, and she came to him - there is no intimation whatever that David brought Bathsheba into his palace through craft or violence, but rather that she came at his request without any hesitation, and offered no resistance to his desires. However, a subject cannot easily refuse a king anything. Bathsheba is not to be regarded as free from blame. Nevertheless in any case the greatest guilt rests upon David, that he, a man upon whom the Lord had bestowed such grace, did not resist the temptation to the lust of the flesh, but sent to fetch the woman.

purified from her uncleanness - Defilement from sexual intercourse rendered unclean till the evening Bathsheba thought it her duty to observe this statute most scrupulously, though she did not shrink from committing the sin of adultery. Lev_15:18 And the woman with whom a man shall lie with emission of semen shall both bathe in water and be unclean until the evening.

she was purified from her uncleanness – some say this is the reason of her washing herself, which was not for health and pleasure, and to cool herself in a hot day, but to purify herself from her menstrual pollution, according to the law in Lev_15:19 And if a woman has a discharge, and her discharge in her flesh is blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days. And whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening.

and he lay with her - This is recorded to show that the best of men are, when left to themselves are still subject to the sinful condition of man; how strong and prevalent corrupt nature is in regenerate persons, when grace is not in exercise. It becomes us to abstain from all appearance of sin, and whatever leads unto it, and to watch and pray that we enter not into temptation.

2Sa 11:5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

And the woman conceived - Whereby the sin would be discovered, and shame, and disgrace, or worse, would follow upon it:

sent and told David - this message she sent to David, that he might think of some ways and means to prevent the scandal that would fall both upon him and her, and the danger she was exposed unto; fearing the outcries of the people against her; and the rage and jealousy of her husband when he should come to the knowledge of it, and the death which by the law required that both adulterer and adulteress should be put to death, Lev_20:10 And a man who commits adultery with a man's wife, who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

2Sa 11:6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

David sent to Joab - Who was with the army.

send me Uriah the Hittite - the scheme David had contrived in his mind was to get Uriah home to his wife for a few days, that it might be thought the child she had conceived was his, whereby the sin of David, and her own, might be concealed. David was forced to stoop to falsehood and dissimulation in the vain hope of hiding his sin.

Uriah the Hittite - According to 2Sa_23:39, Uriah was one of the gibborim (“mighty men”) of David, and therefore held some post of command in the army.

2Sa 11:7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

2Sa 11:8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.

A mess of meat - The word denotes the honorable portion given by the host to his chief guest.

Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet - Uriah had come off a journey, and needed this refreshment. The Israelites were accustomed to wash their feet when they returned home from work or from a journey, to take refreshment and rest themselves. Consequently these words contained an intimation that he was to go and refresh himself in his own home. David’s design was that he should go and lie with his wife, that the child now conceived should pass for his, the honor of Bathsheba be screened, and his own crime concealed. At this time he had no design of the murder of Uriah, nor of taking Bathsheba to wife.

David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house — This sudden recall, the manner of the king, his frivolous questions, and his urgency for Uriah to sleep in his own house, possibly awakened suspicions of the cause of this procedure.

2Sa 11:9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

Slept at the door - That is, in one of the apartments or niches in the court of the king’s house. It is customary for servants to sleep in the porch or long gallery; and the guards of the Hebrew king did the same. Perhaps this arose solely from a high and honorable sense of military duty and propriety. It was by the providence of God, which directed him to act in this manner, that the sin of David and Bathsheba might be discovered.

with all the servants of his lord - The bodyguards, which were placed there to watch the palace in the night.

2Sa 11:10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?

And when they had told David - The next morning, either those that went with the mess of meat, or the guards with whom he slept all night informed him of this act of disobedience. Some might say this disobedience justifies the actions of David to sending him to his death, however it is clear from the full text that this is not why Uriah was sent to his death in battle.

2Sa 11:11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

The ark, and Israel and Judah abide in tents - It appears that they had taken the ark with them to battle.

Uriah said unto David - As an apology for this conduct:

shall I then go into mine house – A sharp contrast to David. Uriah forgoes the lawful pleasures of the flesh while the army does battle with the enemies of God’s people, while David indulges his sin with the unlawful pleasures of the flesh.

2Sa 11:12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

2Sa 11:13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

He made him drunk - with the hope that when in this state he would give up his intention of not going home to his wife. But Uriah lay down again the next night to sleep with the king's servants, without going down to his house; for, according to the counsel and providence of God, David's sin was to be brought to lift to his deep humiliation. This was another sin of David's, done in order to make him forget his oath and vow

2Sa 11:14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

David wrote a letter - This was the sum of treachery and villany. He made this man the carrier of letters which prescribed the mode in which he was to be murdered. David compounds his original sin of adultery with Bathsheba, with the murder of her husband.

2Sa 11:15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

2Sa 11:16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

Observed the city - Where lay its greatest strength, and where it was best defended; or besieged it

2Sa 11:17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

There fell some of the people - They, too were victims of David’s cruel artifice, which made David's sin the more heinous, that several lives were lost through the stratagem he devised to procure the death of Uriah.

2Sa 11:18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

2Sa 11:19 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,

And charged the messenger - Joab assumed that David might possibly be angry at what had occurred, or at any rate that he might express his displeasure at the fact that Joab had sacrificed a number of warriors by imprudently approaching close to the wall: he therefore instructed the messenger, if such should be the case, to announce Uriah's death to the king, for the purpose of mitigating his wrath.

2Sa 11:20 And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

2Sa 11:21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

the son of Jerubbesheth – Another name of Jerubbaal, who was Gideon, Jdg_6:32; Baal, one part of his name, was the name of an idol, and sometimes called Bosheth or Besheth, which signifies shame, being a shameful idol; Gideon had a son called Abimelech, who was smitten, and it is here asked, by whom?

a woman cast a millstone - which should have been a warning not to go too near the wall of an enemy; the history is recorded in Jdg_9:52-54 And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and went hard to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman threw a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head and crushed his skull. Then he called hastily to the young man who was his armor-bearer, and said to him, Draw your sword and kill me, so that men may not say of me, A woman killed him! And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also - this Joab ordered to be told last, as knowing very well it would pacify the king's wrath, and was the agreeable news he wanted to hear.

2Sa 11:22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

2Sa 11:23 And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.

2Sa 11:24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

2Sa 11:25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

The sword devoureth one as well as another - What abominable hypocrisy. He well knew that Uriah’s death was not random; he was by his own order thrust on the edge of the sword. David's heart being hardened by sin, made light of the death of his brave soldiers, to which he himself was accessory; his conscience was very different now from what it was when he cut off the skirt of Saul's robe, and his heart in a different frame from that in which he composed the lamentation over Saul and Jonathan.

2Sa 11:26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

She mourned for her husband - Bathsheba’s mourning, like that of Abigail 1Sa_25:39-42, was probably limited to the customary time of seven days. The ordinary mourning of the Israelites lasted seven days (Gen_50:10; 1Sa_31:13). The whole of her conduct indicates that she observed the form without feeling the power of sorrow.

2Sa 11:27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

She became his wife - This hurried marriage was no doubt intended on both sides to cover the pregnancy.

the thing that David had done displeased the Lord - It was necessary to add this, lest the splendor of David’s former virtues should induce any to suppose his crimes were passed over, or looked on with an indulgent eye, by God. Sorely he sinned, and sorely did he suffer for it; he sowed one grain of sin, and reaped a long harvest of calamity and woe.

the thing that David had done displeased the Lord - it was not done in the eyes of men, being scarcely or very little known, yet was in the eyes of the Lord, which sees all things that are done: the adultery he had been guilty of with another man's wife was abominable to the Lord, and for which, according to the law, both he and she ought to have been put to death, Lev_20:10; the murder of her husband, which he was accessory to, as well as the death of many others, and the marriage of her under such circumstances, were all displeasing to God, and of such an heinous nature, that His eyes could not look upon with approbation The account of these two grievous sins on the part of David is then closed with the assurance that “the thing that David had done displeased the Lord,” which prepares the way for the following chapter.

2 Samuel 10

2Sa 10:1 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

The king of the sons of Ammon - The Ammonites are almost always spoken of as the children of Ammon, from the name of their first ancestor Ben-ammi Gen_19:38 And the younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day.

And it came to pass after this - After the wars with the Moabites, Syrians, and Edomites, being friendly with the children of Ammon, David sent an embassy to their king; by which it appears what is said concerning the spoils of the children of Ammon, 2Sa_8:12 of Syria, and of Moab, and of the sons of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah is by anticipation; for these spoils were not taken until the war with them told in this chapter.

the king of the children of Ammon died - whose name was Nahash, as is clear from 2Sa_10:2, and probably was the same that came against Jabeshgilead, from whom Saul delivered the inhabitants of that place, 1Sa_11:1 And Nahash the Ammonite came up and camped against Jabesh-gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.

2Sa 10:2 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash - We do not know exactly the nature or extent of the obligation which David was under to the king of the Ammonites; but it is likely that the Nahash here mentioned was the same who had attacked Jabesh-gilead, and whom Saul defeated: as David had taken refuge with the Moabites, 1Sa_22:3, and this was contiguous to the king of the Ammonites, his hatred to Saul might induce him to show particular kindness to David.

David sent to comfort him - for the death of his father; to condole the loss of him, which was the custom of kings in friendship and alliance in former times, and still continues:

2Sa 10:3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

The princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun - The suspicion expressed by the chiefs was founded upon national hatred and enmity, possibly increased by David's treatment of Moab, as the subjugation and severe punishment of the Moabites 2Sa_8:2 had certainly taken place a short time before. King Hanun therefore gave credence to the suspicions expressed as to David's honorable intentions, and had his ambassadors treated in the most insulting manner.

The princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun - Their suspicion was not warranted either by any overt act or by any cherished design of David: it must have originated in their knowledge of the denunciations of God’s law against them (Deu_23:3-6), and of David’s policy in steadfastly adhering to it.

David sends comforters - an Israelite was forbidden to seek peace and prosperity of its enemies in the promised land nor might Ammonite enter into their congregation unto the tenth generation, Deu_23:3. Some have thought that David did not do a right thing in sending this embassy,; but he acted according to the laws of friendship, and was cordial and sincere in what he did.

2Sa 10:4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

The half of the beard - the beard on one side. Beards were important in biblical times, and still so in many cultures today. The cutting off of one-half of it was the greatest insult that could have been offered to the ambassadors, and through them to David their king. The insult was still further increased by cutting off the long dress which covered the body; the lower half of the body was quite exposed since the ancient Israelites wore no undergarments. The beard was never cut off but in mourning, or as a sign of slavery. Cutting off half of the beard and the clothes rendered the men ridiculous, and made them look like slaves: what was done to these men was an accumulation of insult.

2Sa 10:5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

Tarry at Jericho - This city had not been rebuilt since the time of Joshua; but there were, no doubt, many cottages still remaining, and larger dwellings also, but the walls had not been repaired. As it must have been comparatively a private place, it was proper for these men to tarry in, as they would not be exposed to public notice.

When they told it unto David - Not the ambassadors, for they were not yet arrived, but some of their servants, perhaps, they sent before them to acquaint David with the events that took place.

he sent to meet them - he sent men to meet them likely with proper garments to put on, and to give them further directions. When David received information of the insults that had been heaped upon his ambassadors, he sent messengers to meet them, and direct them to remain in Jericho until their beard had grown again.

because the men were greatly ashamed – ashamed to proceed on their journey, and come to court in the condition they were:

then return - that is, to Jerusalem

2Sa 10:6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.

They stank before David - A strong figure for to be odious or detested. That their conduct rendered them abominable. This is the Hebrew mode of expressing such a feeling. Gen_34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have troubled me, to make me stink among those who live in the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And I, being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and kill me. And I shall be destroyed, my house and I.

King Maacah - Also 1Ch_19:6-7. It appears to have been a very small state, since its king only brought a thousand men into the field.

the Syrians of Bethrehob - a place near Hamath, Num_13:21; there was a city of this name in the tribe of Asher, out of which the Canaanites could not be driven, and perhaps now inhabited by Syrians, or by a people so called, Jos_19:28,

the Syrians of Zoba - Hadadezer was their king, with whom David had fought before, and beat, and who owed him a grudge on that account, and was ready to assist the Ammonites against him, 2Sa_8:3 David also struck Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates .

King Maacah - that is, of the king of Maacah, a place in the tribe off Manasseh, from whence the inhabitants could not be expelled, Jos_13:11; and seems now to have been inhabited by Syrians, and therefore is called Syriamaachah, 1Ch_19:6

Ishtob - thought to be the same with the land of Tob, whither Jephthah fled, and dwelt in it, when ill used by his brethren, Jdg_11:3.

This account slightly differs from the corresponding one in 1 Chronicles 19. There, only some of the participants mentioned here are listed. It is likely that the writer of the Chronicles omitted Beth-rehob and Tob as being names that were less known, this being the only place in the Old Testament in which they occur as separate kingdoms, and simply mentioned the kingdoms of Maacah and Zoba, which frequently occur; and that he included “Aram of the two rivers,” and placed it at the head, because the Syrians obtained succor from Mesopotamia after their first defeat.

2Sa 10:7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

2Sa 10:8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.

At the entering in of the gate - This was the city of Medeba, a city that lay on the borders of their country, and was a frontier town. 1Ch_19:7 And they hired thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, who came and pitched before Medeba. And the Ammonites gathered themselves from their cities and came to battle.

were by themselves in the field - at some distance from the city. Perhaps the Ammonites were choosing not to trust: mercenaries in it; or perhaps they placed these in ambush in the field, to get Joab between two lines.

2Sa 10:9 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:

Before and behind - When Joab fronted this army, the other appears to have issued from the city, and to have taken him in the rear; he was therefore obliged to divide his army as here mentioned; one part to face the Syrians commanded by himself, and the other to face the Ammonites commanded by his brother Abishai.

he chose of all the choice men of Israel - the most eminent for strength, and valor, and military skill, who had been tried, and were famous for warlike exploits.

2Sa 10:10 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.

2Sa 10:11 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.

And he said, if the Syrians be too strong for me - Which he might perceive by Joab's forces giving way, or by some signal agreed on between them

2Sa 10:12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.

for our people, and for the cities of our God - that the people of Israel might not be carried captive, and their cities spoiled and plundered; and instead of being cities where the people of God dwelt, and he was worshipped, would, if taken, become the habitations of idolatrous people, and where temples would be erected to idols. These were the arguments he used to engage them to fight manfully for their country, the liberties and religion of it:

Be of good courage - This Joab said, not only to encourage Abishai and himself, but in the hearing of the rest of the officers of the army, and of many of the people, to hearten them to the battle; who might be somewhat intimidated with the number of their enemies, and the position they were in, being before and behind them; and therefore he thought proper to make such a speech to.

the Lord do that which seemeth him good - suggesting that victory was of the Lord, and that it became them to do their part in fighting courageously, and leave the issue to the Lord, on whom alone success depended.

2Sa 10:13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.

Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians - Fell upon them; attacked them first, began the battle with them, rightly judging, that if they, being hired soldiers, were closely pressed, they would give way, which would discourage the Ammonites, who depended much upon them.

2Sa 10:14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

The Syrians were fled - They betook themselves to their own confines, while the Ammonites escaped into their own city.

Joab returned – he did not stay to lay siege to their city, the season of the year not being proper for it, winter drawing near; 2Sa_11:1 And it happened at the turn of the year, at the time kings go forth, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they destroyed the sons of Ammon and circled Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. and the Syrians were not sufficiently broken to make it safe to undertake a regular siege.

came to Jerusalem - in triumph, to report to David the victory he had obtained.

2Sa 10:15 And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together.

2Sa 10:16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

The Syrians that were beyond the river - That is, the Euphrates.

Hadarezer - This is the same that was overthrown by David, 2Sa_8:3 and there called Hadadezer. He was at the head of this confederacy, and to whom the rest of the kings of Syria were servants, 2Sa_10:19.

2Sa 10:17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him - they formed themselves in a line of battle, and attacked him first, being eager to fight, and perhaps confident of victory, because of their numbers.

2Sa 10:18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

Seven hundred chariots - In the parallel place, 1Ch_19:18, it is said, David slew of the Syrians Seven Thousand men, which fought in chariots. It is difficult to ascertain the right number in this and similar places. The frequent errors in numbers arise from the practice of expressing numerals by letters, with one or more dots or dashes to indicate hundreds, thousands, etc. Some scholars think that here the chariots are numbered, and in 1 Chronicles, the men were numbered, 10 men to a chariot. One scholar thinks only the best chariots were counted here. That view seems unlikely.

forty thousand horsemen - in 1Ch_19:17 it is forty thousand footmen.

2Sa 10:19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

Servants to Hadarezer - This gives us an idea of the great power of Hadarezer, and consequently of the strength of Israel in David’s victorious reign.

Made peace with Israel - They made this peace separately, and were obliged to pay tribute to the Israelites whereby the promise of the land of Canaan made to Abraham and his seed, as reaching to the river Euphrates, had its accomplishment, Gen_15:18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, I have given this land to your seed, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. In the space of nineteen or twenty years, David had the good fortune to finish gloriously eight wars, all righteously undertaken, and all honorably terminated; 1. The civil war with Ish-bosheth. 2. The war against the Jebusites. 3. The war against the Philistines and their allies. 4. The war against the Philistines alone. 5. The war against the Moabites. 6. The war against Hadadezer. 7. The war against the Idumeans. 8. The war against the Ammonites and Syrians. This last victory was soon followed by the complete conquest of the kingdom of the Ammonites, abandoned by their allies.

We have now done with the first part of this book, in which we find David great, glorious, and pious: we come to the second part, in which we shall have the pain to observe him fallen from God, and his horn defiled in the dust by sin.

2 Samuel 9

2Sa 9:1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?

Is there yet any that is left - David recollecting the covenant made with his friend Jonathan, now inquires after his family.

that I may show him kindness, for Jonathan's sake - not for Saul's sake, who had been his implacable enemy; but for Jonathan's sake, his dear friend, whose memory was precious to him. It was customary when defeating an enemy to kill all surviving members of the royal household. In this case, David merely wanted to extend kindness to the remaining family member. This seems to be a long time after David had become king; for Mephibosheth, after an inquiry found out, was now he was married, and had a young son, 2Sa_9:12. He was five years of age when his father was slain, and twelve when David was made king over all Israel.

2Sa 9:2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.

And there was of the house of Saul a servant - there was a servant that belonged to Saul's family; not that any of Saul's family was a servant.

2Sa 9:3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.

that I may show the kindness of God unto him - great kindness, some large favor or benefit. This kindness is in imitation of God, or such as he had sworn in the presence of God to show; and that is expressed in the same language, 1Sa_20:14-15 And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, so that I do not die, but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off the enemies of David, every one, from the face of the earth.

the kindness of God - That is, the highest degree of kindness; besides which, this kindness was according to the covenant of God made between him and Jonathan.

2Sa 9:4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.

Machir - David reaped the fruit of his kindness to Mephibosheth, for, when he fled from Absalom, Machir, the son of Ammiel, was one of those who were most liberal in providing him and his army with necessaries.

Lodebar - Evidently on the east of Jordan River, and in the neighborhood of Ish-bosheth’s capital, Mahanaim.

And the king said unto him, where is he - In what part of the land, city, or town, does he dwell.

2Sa 9:5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

2Sa 9:6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!

Mephibosheth - Also called Meribbaal (and Meribaal, 1Ch_9:40). The two names seem to have the same meaning: Bosheth, shame, being the equivalent for Baal, and Mephi (scattering or destroying, being equivalent to Merib (contending with).

He fell on his face – as subject to a king, although perhaps with some trepidation. Such generosity to a fallen rival as David showed in restoring him his paternal property seemed to him scarcely credible.

he answered, behold thy servant - he answered to his name, and owned his subjection to David, and was ready to take the oath of allegiance to him, and give him homage, and serve him in what way he could.

2Sa 9:7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

And thou shalt eat bread at my table - This was kindness, (giving up the land was justice), and it was the highest honor that any subject could enjoy, as we may see from the reference made to it by our Lord, Luk_22:30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. For such a person David could do no more. His lameness rendered him unfit for any public employment.

for Jonathan thy father's sake - whom he loved as his own soul, and to whom he had sworn that he would not cut off his kindness from his house for ever, and now remembering his oath was determined to observe it:

and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father - his grandfather, such sometimes being called fathers; Saul’s family estate, which had fallen to David in right of his wife (Num_27:8), or been forfeited to the crown by Ish-bosheth’s rebellion (2Sa_12:8), was provided (2Sa_9:11; also 2Sa_19:28), for enabling Mephibosheth to maintain an establishment suitable to his rank, and Ziba appointed steward to manage it, on the condition of receiving one-half of the produce in remuneration for his labor and expense, while the other moiety was to be paid as rent to the owner of the land (2Sa_19:29).

2Sa 9:8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

And he bowed himself and said - In token of gratitude, and as a sign of humility, and of the sense he had of his unworthiness to enjoy such a favor: Mephibosheth’s humility of expression is painful. It was perhaps in part the result of his helpless lameness, and of the other misfortunes of his life.

A dead dog - The wild dogs are the natural objects of contempt and dislike.

Bowed himself - It is good to have the heart humbled under humbling providences. If when divine providence brings our condition down, divine grace brings our spirits down, we shall be easy.

2Sa 9:9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

Saul’s servant - Josephus calls him one of Saul’s freedmen. The difference this would make in Ziba’s position would only be that instead of paying in the fruits of the confiscated land to David, he would have to pay them to Mephiboseth.

I have given unto thy master's son - meaning either, as some think, the son of Mephibosheth, Micha; or rather Mephibosheth himself, the grandson of Saul, whose servant Ziba had been:

As David was a type of Christ, his Lord and Son, his Root and Offspring, let his kindness to Mephibosheth remind us of the kindness and love of God our Savior to fallen man, to whom he was under no obligation, as David was to Jonathan. The Son of God seeks this lost and ruined race, who sought not after him. He comes to seek and to save them!

2Sa 9:10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Thou therefore, and thy sons shall till the land - It seems that Ziba and his family had the care of the whole estate, yielding part of the produce to the family of Mephibosheth. Ziba’s duty and interest was to take proper care of the ground, for the better it was cultivated the more it produced; and his portion would consequently be the greater.

Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat always at my table - wherefore the land was to be tilled not for him personally, but for his family, and for what uses he should think fit to put the produce of it to. Although Mephibosheth himself ate daily as a guest at the king's table, he had to make provision as a royal prince for the maintenance of his own family and servants, as he had children according to 2Sa_9:12 and 1Ch_8:34. Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants (2Sa_9:10), with whom he had probably been living in Gibeah, Saul's native place, and may perhaps have hitherto farmed Saul's land.

2Sa 9:11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.

Said the king - There is nothing in the Hebrew to warrant the insertion of these words. The words are: “So Mephibosheth ate at my table as one of the king’s sons.” The narrator is David himself.

So shall thy servant do - The promises of Ziba were fair and specious, but he was a traitor in his heart, as we shall see in the rebellion of Absalom, and David’s indulgence to this man is a blot in his character; at this time however he suspected no evil.

2Sa 9:12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

According to one commentary, Mephibosheth was five years old at Saul’s death. He may have been thirteen at David’s accession to the throne of Israel. In the eighth year of David’s reign over all Israel he would have been twenty-one. His having a son at this time indicates that we are about the 10th year of David’s reign.

Micha - Or Micah; who, as far as is known, was Mephibosheth’s only son, and had a numerous descendents 1Ch_8:34, 1Ch_8:35; 1Ch_9:40, 1Ch_9:41.

2Sa 9:13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.

Did eat continually at the king’s table - He was fit for no public office, but was treated by the king with the utmost respect and affection.

So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem - Either in some apartments in the king's palace, or in some house in the city provided for him.

Exodus 25

Exo 25:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Background: The Lord had redeemed the Israelites from bondage. He had made a covenant with them and had given them laws. He had promised, on condition of their obedience, to accept them as His own “peculiar treasure,” as “a kingdom of priests and an holy nation” Exo_19:5-6 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And now He was ready visibly to testify that He made his abode with them. He claimed to have a dwelling for Himself, which was to be in external form a tent, to take its place among their own tents, and formed out of the same material. The special mark of His presence within the tent was to be the ark or chest containing the Ten Commandments on two tables of stone Exo31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. symbolizing the divine law of holiness, and covered by the mercy-seat, the type of reconciliation. Moses was divinely taught regarding the construction and arrangement of every part of the sanctuary. The directions which were given him are comprised in Exo. 25:1–31:11. The account of the performance of the work, expressed generally in the same terms, is given Exo. 35:21–40:33.

In this tabernacle, God kept his court, as Israel's king, and it was intended for a sign or token of his presence, that while they had that in the midst of them they might never again ask, Is the Lord among us or not? And because in the wilderness they dwelt in tents, even this royal palace was ordered to be a tabernacle too, that it might move with them. And these holy places made with hands were the figures of the true, Heb_9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Hebrews 8:1-2 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. Compare to John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. The word for dwelt can be translated “to reside as in a tabernacle”, or “tabernacled”. Our Lord tabernacled among us.

And the Lord spake unto Moses - When on the mount, and in the midst of the cloud with him. The business that chiefly occupied Moses on the mount, whatever other disclosures were made to him there, was in receiving directions about the tabernacle, and they are here recorded as given to him.

Exo 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

That giveth it willingly with his heart – This was to be instituted by freewill offerings, not by an enforced tax. Compare to 2 Corinthians 9:7 where God still desires us to give of our free will and not compulsion. 2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

That they bring me an offering - The offering here mentioned is a kind of free-will offering, consisting of any thing that was necessary for the occasion. It signifies properly any thing that was lifted up, the heave-offering (according to some commentators), because in presenting it to God it was lifted up to be laid on his altar. (The word used is Strong’s H8641 תּרמה terûmâh meaning a present (as offered up), especially in sacrifice or as tribute: - gift, heave offering ([shoulder]), oblation, offered (-ing). Yet Deuteronomy distinguishes between free will offerings and heave offerings.) God requires that they should build him a tent, suited in some sort to his dignity and eminence, because he was to act as their king, and to dwell among them; and they were to consider themselves as his subjects, and in this character to bring him presents, which was considered to be the duty of every subject appearing before his prince.

Exo 25:3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

Gold, and silver, and brass - The supply of these metals possessed by the Israelites at this time probably included what they had inherited from their forefathers, what they had obtained from the Egyptians Exo_12:35, and what may have been found amongst the spoils of the Amalekites Exo_17:8-13.

Gold – The gold mentioned here is wrought gold, pure, highly polished gold; probably what was used for overlaying or gilding. It was in a state that rendered it capable of being variously manufactured for the service of the sanctuary. Gold typifies the divine glory of Jesus as the Son of God. Silver and brass typify the preciousness of Christ as the redeemer of sinners (silver) and the divine character of Christ able to sustain the fire of God, holiness and justice (brass).

Note that no mention is made of iron. Nothing in the tabernacle was made of it, nor in the temple of Solomon. There was not so much as a tool of iron heard in it while it was building, 1Ki_6:7 And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. One scholar has speculated that this may be because instruments of war, slaughtering weapons, were made of iron; and God is the God of peace in His sanctuary. Iron also corrodes readily and is therefore imperfect, blemished.

Exo 25:4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,

Blue, and purple, and scarlet - the material dyed with these colors. Jewish tradition holds that this material was wool. When spun and dyed by the women, it was delivered in the state of yarn; and the weaving and embroidering was left to Aholiab and his assistants, Exo_35:25, Exo_35:35. The “blue” and “purple” dye are usually thought to have been obtained from shellfish (Murex species for instance), the “scarlet” from a cochineal insect. The blue color is variously described as sky blue, deep dark blue, blue-purple, or bright violet. The purple dye is a purple-red color from the gland of a Murex snail and was costly in those times. The Hebrew for scarlet here is joined with another word for scarlet and signifies a repeat. It implies a double dipping into the dye or twice dyed scarlet. Blue typifies Christ as the manifestation of God as grace and love. Purple typifies kingly glory of Him who was both God and man, God manifest in the flesh. Scarlet typifies the true dignity and glory as seen in Christ the Suffering One.

Fine linen - The fine flax or the manufactured linen, for which Egypt was famous and which the Egyptians were in the habit of using for dresses of state Gen_41:42. It was used as the groundwork of the figured curtains of the tabernacle as well as of the embroidered hangings of the tent and the court. This typifies Christ as the spotless, righteous Son of man.

goats' hair – One scholar interprets it as the down of goats, the short, small, fine hair that grows as an undercoat under the longer coarser hair. Another says it refers to leather made from goat skin. Still other scholars believe this is the coarser hair from long haired goats, usually black in color, and made into a felt like material. This typifies the memorial of the death of Christ as the sin offering.

Exo 25:5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

And rams' skins dyed red - Of these were made a covering for the tent or tabernacle. All wool was removed and the skins dyed red like Moroccan leather. This typifies the outward aspect of Christ as the man of God whose blood makes atonement.

Badgers’ skins – Few terms have afforded greater perplexity to critics and commentators than this. The badger was an unclean animal. It is believed that this is actually the skin of a marine animal which was well adapted as a protection against the weather. The manatee (or seacow or dugong) has thick hide well suited for the purpose here. A dolphin could also be meant. The wording in this verse implies a blue or violet coloration. Josephus understood it to be the rams' skins died blue. This typifies the outward aspect of Christ toward the world as having no beauty, no form or comeliness.

Shittim wood - The tree is identified with the acacia, a gnarled and thorny tree. (Acacia trees grow in my area and I can attest to its 3 inch or so thorns. I have been stabbed by them many times.) It flourishes in the dry regions, and is scattered more or less numerously over the Sinai Peninsula. It appears to be the only good wood produced in the wilderness. No other kind of wood was employed in the tabernacle or its furniture. In the construction of the temple cedar and fir took its place. The acacia is light, strong, and durable. One modern scholar believes this is a mimosa, a tree with wood that is harder than oak and not subject to insect damage. (It appears that the taxonomic naming of the mimosa today was the acacia tree in the time of the earlier commentaries based on descriptions I did not include here.) This typifies the incorruptible humanity of Christ.

Exo 25:6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

Oil for the light - For the light of the lamps in the candlestick: this was oil olive, Exo_27:20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. This they must have brought with them from Egypt, for they could not get any in the wilderness where there were no olives. Oil typifies the Holy Spirit’s fullness shining forth in Christ.

spices for anointing oil - for the anointing of Aaron and his sons, and the tabernacle and its vessels, such as pure myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, and cassia. Many of these were also likely brought out of Egypt. Exodus 30:22-25 Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. Spices typify the perfect graces of the Spirit as seen in Christ’s life, death and intercession.

And for sweet incense – Exodus 30:34-38 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people. Stacte is a powder taken from the hardened sap of the myrrh bush and considered rare and valuable. The source of the onycha incense is in dispute. Some scholars believe that it is taken from the shell of a snail (the operculum, a small bit of shell that closes off some snails). Since it is unclean, other scholars think that is incorrect source of onycha. Others think it is onyx, while still others think it is some unknown plant source. Galbanum is a rubbery resin from the root of a flowering plant. Frankincense is a resin from the bark of a tree.

Exo 25:7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

Onyx – There seems to be some dispute about what kind of stone this is. An onyx, sardonyx, or beryl. This typifies the effulgent glory and brightness of Christ.

The ephod - It was a garment of some kind peculiar to the priests, and ever considered essential to all the parts of Divine worship, for without it no person attempted to inquire of God. Where the ephod crossed on the breast there was a square ornament, the breastplate, in which twelve precious stones were set, each bearing one of the names of the twelve sons of Jacob engraven on it. There were two sorts of ephods, one of plain linen for the priests, the other very much embroidered for the high priest. As there was nothing singular in this common sort, no particular description is given; but that of the high priest is described in detail Exo_28:6-8. This ephod was fastened on the shoulders with two precious stones, on which the twelve names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved, six names on each stone. These two stones, thus engraved, were different from those on the breastplate.

Exo 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

Let them make me a sanctuary - a holy place, such as God might dwell in; this was that part of the tabernacle that was called the most holy place, into which the high priest entered only once a year, on the great day of atonement.

That I may dwell among them - The purpose of the sanctuary is here definitely declared by the Lord Himself. It was to be the constant witness of His presence among His people.

That I may dwell among them - The sanctuary is to be applied as a type. As the dwelling in this tabernacle was the highest proof of God’s grace and mercy towards the Israelites, so it typified Christ’s dwelling by faith in the hearts of believers, and thus giving them the highest and surest proof of their reconciliation to God, and of his love and favor to them;

1. To Christ’s person, Heb_8:1-2 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. Heb_9:11-12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Joh_2:19-21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.

2. To every Christian, 1Co_6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

3. To the Church; both particular, Heb_3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. 1Ti_3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. and universal, Heb_10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God; and it was because of the very extensive signification of this building, that the different things concerning this sanctuary are particularly set down by Moses, and so variously applied by the prophets and by the apostles.”

Exo 25:9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

After the pattern of the tabernacle - the tabernacle which Moses is ordered to make was to be formed exactly as God showed him in the mount.

Exo 25:10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

The ark of the covenant - The ark is uniformly designated in Exodus the ark of the testimony. Elsewhere it is called the testimony, the ark of the covenant (most frequently in Deuteronomy and the other books of the Old Testament), the ark of the Lord, the ark of God, the ark of the strength of the Lord, and the holy ark.

The ark of the covenant – Consider two previous arks seen in the bible: Noah’s ark, and the ark that carried Moses as a baby. Noah’s ark carried him and his family to safety in the flood, delivering them from the destruction of the world. The bulrush ark that carried Moses the infant delivered him to safety as well. The ark of the covenant represents the deliverance of God’s people to safety through the sacrifice of His ultimate mercy seat – Jesus.

The ark of the covenant - The ark of the covenant was the central point of the sanctuary. It was designed to contain the testimony Exo_25:16; Exo_40:20; Deu_31:26, that is, the tables of the divine law, the terms of the covenant between the Lord and His people: and it was to support the mercy-seat with its cherubim, from between which He was to hold communion with them Exo_25:22. On this account, in these directions for the construction of the sanctuary, it is named first of all the parts. But on the other hand, in the narrative of the work as it was actually carried out, we find that it was not made until after the tabernacle Exo_37:1-9. It was suitable that the receptacle should be first provided to receive and shelter the most sacred of the contents of the sanctuary as soon as it was completed.

The ark of the covenant - Taking the cubit at 18 inches, the ark of the covenant was a box 3 ft. 9 in. long, 2 ft. 3 in. wide, and 2 ft. 3 in. deep.

The ark of the covenant - was a very eminent type of Christ, with whom the name of an ark, chest, or coffer where treasure lies, agrees; for the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and the riches of grace, even all the fullness of it, lie in him; and all the epithets of this ark are suitable to him, as when it is called the ark of God, the ark of his strength, the glory of God, the face of God, Jehovah, and God himself, the holy ark, and ark of the covenant: and its being made of "shittim wood", which is an incorruptible wood, a wood that rots not, may denote the duration of Christ in His person, and the natures united in it; in His divine nature, from everlasting to everlasting, He is God; in His human nature He saw no corruption, and though He died He lived again, and lives for evermore; in His offices, as Mediator, Redeemer, Savior, prophet, priest, and King, He abideth for ever; and in His grace and the fullness of it, which, like Himself, is the same today, yesterday, and forever:

The ark of the covenant - The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled, and the incense burned, before it, by the high priest; and above it appeared the visible glory, which was the symbol of the Divine presence. This was a type of Christ in his sinless nature, which saw no corruption, in personal union with his Divine nature, atoning for our sins against it, by his death. The cherubim of gold looked one towards another, and both looked downward toward the ark. It denotes the angels' attendance on the Redeemer, their readiness to do his will, their presence in the assemblies of saints, and their desire to look into the mysteries of the gospel. It was covered with a covering of gold, called the mercy-seat. God is said to dwell, or sit between the cherubim, on the mercy-seat. There he would give his law, and hear supplicants, as a prince on his throne.

Exo 25:11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

Overlay it with pure gold - Words descriptive of the common process of gilding or of the process of applying thin sheets of gold over the work. The Egyptians in early times were acquainted with both the art of gilding and that of covering a substance with thin plates of gold.

A crown of gold - A border, an edging or molding of gold round the top of the ark, within which the cover or mercy-seat Exo_25:17 may have fitted. There were golden moldings, called by the same name, to the table of showbread Exo_25:24; Exo_37:11-12, and to the golden altar Exo_30:3; Exo_37:26.

Overlay it with pure gold - so that nothing of the wood could be seen: this may denote the glory of Christ in both His natures, divine and human, the riches of His person and office, which are unsearchable and durable, and His preciousness to them that believe.

Exo 25:12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

Four corners thereof - Rather, its four bases, or feet.

thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it - For which a mold was to be made, and the gold being melted was poured into it, and so the rings were fashioned.

Exo 25:13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

Exo 25:14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

thou shall put the staves into the rings --This shows for what use the rings were; namely, to put the staves into them.

that the ark might be borne with them – One commentator believes that this is a type depicting the ministers of Christ, enriched with the gifts and graces of his Spirit, and possessed of the truths of the Gospel, more precious than gold and silver; who bear the name of Christ, and carry his Gospel into the several parts of the world.

Exo 25:15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.

They shall not be taken from it - This direction was probably given in order that the ark might not be touched by the hand. Or because it should always be ready to be moved, God not having told them at what hour he should command them to strike their tents.

Exo 25:16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

The testimony - Literally, “something spoken again and again.” The stone tables of the Ten Commandments are called the Testimony, or, the tables of the Testimony, as the ark which contained them is called the ark of the Testimony, and the tabernacle in which the ark was placed, the tabernacle of the testimony. Taking this in connection with the prohibitory form of the commandments, the name must have been understood as signifying the direct testimony of God against sin in man Deu_31:26-27 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?

The testimony - Not only the tablets of stone, but all the contents of the ark, Aaron’s rod, the pot of manna, the holy anointing oil, etc., bore testimony to the Messiah in his prophetic, sacerdotal, and regal offices.

The testimony - called “the testimony,” because by it God did testify His sovereign authority over Israel as His people, His selection of them as the guardians of His will and worship, and His displeasure in the event of their transgressing His laws; while on their part, by receiving and depositing this law in its appointed place, they testified their acknowledgment of God’s right to rule over them, and their submission to the authority of His law. By the "testimony" is meant the law, written on two tablets of stone; so called, because it was a testification of the mind and will of God, what He would have done or omitted. The Israelites had declared their obedience to it, therefore, should they transgress it, it would be a testimony against them.

The testimony - Because these ten words were the declaration of God upon the basis of which the covenant was concluded Exo_34:27-28 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. these tables were called the tables of testimony Exo_31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. Exo_34:29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. or tables of the covenant Deu_9:9 When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:

Exo 25:17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

A mercy seat of pure gold - In external form, the mercy-seat was a plate of gold with the cherubim standing on it, the whole beaten out of one solid piece of metal Exo_37:7; it was placed upon the ark and so took the place of a cover. “mercy” seat expresses well the distinct significance and recognized designation of the Hebrew name. It is a “seat”, a place of rest, and a place of God’s mercy in giving us salvation we do not deserve. A mercy-seat.

A mercy seat of pure gold - to cover or overspread; because by an act of pardon sins are represented as being covered, so that they no longer appear in the eye of Divine justice to displease, irritate, and call for punishment; and the person of the offender is covered or protected from the stroke of the broken law. On and before this, the high priest was to sprinkle the blood of the expiatory sacrifices on the great day of atonement: and it was in this place that God promised to meet the people, for there He dwelt, and there was the symbol of the Divine presence. At each end of this was a cherub, between whom this glory was manifested; hence in Scripture it is so often said that He dwelleth between the cherubim.

A mercy seat of pure gold – Exodus 25:17 And thou shalt make a propitiatory, a lid of pure gold; the length of two cubits and a half, and the breadth of a cubit and a half. (Septuagint) In the Septuagint, the word in Greek is propitiatory or mercy-seat, (from a root word for atonement), and is applied to Christ, Rom_3:25, whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in His blood - for the remission of sins that are past; hence we learn that Christ was the true mercy-seat to the ancient believers. And we learn farther that it was by His blood that an atonement was to be made for the sins of the world. Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. And as God showed himself between the cherubim over this propitiatory or mercy-seat, so it is said, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself; 2Co_5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Exo 25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

The cherubim - The cherubim of the mercy-seat were possibly human figures (according to one commentator), each having two wings. Or perhaps like the angels described in Revelation and Ezekiel. A cherub is usually depicted as a composite creature with wings, a human head, and a body combining elements of an ox, a lion, or an eagle. Josephus noted that in his time no one knew what they looked like. It is supposed these were designed to represent the holy angels, who always attend the Shechinah, or divine majesty. Note that the golden cherubim from between which the Lord spoke to His people bore witness, by their place on the mercy-seat, to His redeeming mercy Exo_25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. while the cherubim that took their stand at the gate of Eden, to keep the way to the tree of life, witnessed to His condemnation of sin in man Gen_3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Of beaten work - elaborately worked with the hammer, a common technique in fine metalwork. One commentator says they were not from a mold, or created then soldered to the mercy seat, but beaten out of the same mass as the mercy seat. This may represent in type the union of believers to Christ, who are one body and one spirit with Him; and the union of the Old and New Testament churches in Him, and who are but one church, one body, of which He is the head; and as He is the foundation of the apostles or prophets, on whom they are laid, He is the cornerstone in which they are united; and so it may likewise signify the nearness of the ministers of the word to Christ, their dependence on Him, and their partaking of the same gifts and graces of His Spirit, only in measure, being made by Him able ministers of the Gospel.

Exo 25:19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end – According to one commentator they are opposite to each other, and both pointing to the mercy seat; which may express the situation and office of the ministers of the word, who are so placed as to derive all their gifts and graces from Christ, and to point Him out unto the sons of men as the only way of salvation, the only propitiation for sin, and through whom alone grace and mercy are to be had:

Exo 25:20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

their faces shall look one to another – One commentator sees this as being expressive of the harmony, concord, and agreement of the true and faithful ministers of Christ one with another; who all agree in preaching Christ, and him crucified, and in the several momentous and important doctrines of the Gospel. Another sees this as their directing souls to Christ as the only way of salvation, keeping always in all their ministrations this great truth in view, atonement and satisfaction by the blood and sacrifice of Christ, and salvation alone by him.

the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high - screening with their wings above the mercy seat. The reason for this is given in Exo_25:22 And I will meet with you there, and I will talk with you from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubs on the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give you in commandment to the sons of Israel. There the Lord would present Himself to Moses.

Through this divine promise and the fulfillment of it, the ark of the covenant together with the mercy seat became the throne of God in the midst of His chosen people, the footstool of the God of Israel 1Ch_28:2 And David the king stood up on his feet and said, Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building. Psa_132:7 We will go into His dwellings; we will worship at His footstool. Psa_99:5 Praise the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool; He is holy. The ark, with the tables of the covenant as the self-attestation of God, formed the foundation of this throne, to show that the kingdom of grace which was established in Israel through the medium of the covenant, was founded in justice and righteousness Psa_97:2 Clouds and darkness are all around Him; righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne. The gold plate upon the ark formed the footstool of the throne for Him, who caused His name, the real presence of His being, to dwell in a cloud between the two cherubim above their outspread wings; and there He not only made known His will to His people in laws and commandments, but revealed Himself as the jealous God who visited sin and showed mercy, - the latter more especially on the great day of atonement, when, through the medium of the blood of the sin-offering sprinkled upon and in front of the mercy seat, He granted reconciliation to His people for all their transgressions in all their sin. Thus the footstool of God became a throne of grace Heb_4:16 Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Exo 25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

in the ark thou shalt put the testimony - the sense is, that then the mercy seat should be put upon the ark, as the covering of it, after the law, or the two tables of testimony, were put into it; for then it was covered, and not to be opened any more.

Exo 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

And there I will meet with thee - That is, over the mercy-seat, between the cherubim. In this place God chose to give the most especial manifestations of himself; here the Shekinah or Divine glory was to be seen; and here Moses (the high priest in later times) would go in and inquire for them of the Lord: Hence God is described as “dwelling” or “sitting” between the cherubim.

And there I will meet with thee - this may signify that the way to communion with God lies through Christ, the mercy seat and propitiation, through His blood and righteousness, through the vail, that is to say, His flesh; and the encouragement to it is from Him, our great high priest, and from His propitiatory sacrifice.

Exo 25:23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

A table was to be made - This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with His redeemed people in His ordinances, the provisions of His house, the feasts they are favored with. Also the food for their souls, which they always find when they hunger after it; and the delight He takes in their persons and services, as presented before Him in Christ.

A table was to be made - The table taken from the second temple by Antiochus Epiphanes is depicted on the Arch of Titus. It was among the items the Romans took back to Rome in A.D. 70. This table was to be always furnished with the shew - bread, or bread of faces, twelve loaves, one for each tribe, set in two rows, six in a row. As the ark signified God's being present with them, so the twelve loaves signified their being presented to God. This bread was designed to be, a thankful acknowledgment of God's goodness to them in giving them their daily bread, a token of their communion with God; this bread on God's table being made of the same corn as the bread on their own tables. And a type of the spiritual provision which is made in the church, by the gospel of Christ, for all that are made priests to our God.

Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood - This table was to be in the same place with the ark and mercy seat; on the other side of the curtain, outside the Holy of Holies, on the north side of it, Exo_26:35. Its principal use was to set the shewbread on, and was typical of Christ, and communion with Him, both in this life, and that to come. There is the table of the Lord, to which His people are now admitted, where He sits down with them, and they with Him, to have fellowship with Him in the ministration of the word and ordinances, of which He is the sum and substance; and this is very desirable and delightful, and an instance of His condescending grace, and He will have a table in his kingdom hereafter, where His saints shall eat and drink with Him, in which their chief happiness will consist, Luk_22:30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. This table may be considered as typical of Christ himself, for He is both table and provisions and everything to His people; and of Him in both His natures; in His human nature, it being made of shittim wood, incorruptible; for though Christ died in, yet He saw no corruption, He rose again and lives for evermore; in His divine nature, by the gold it was covered with:

two cubits shall be the length thereof - it was 36 inches long by 18 inches wide by 27 inches high, going on the estimate of a cubit = 18 inches.

Exo 25:24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold - Cover it with a plate of gold, so that the wood was not seen; which may denote either the excellency of Christ's human nature, being pure and spotless, and adorned with the grace of the Spirit of God without measure; or rather of His divine nature, which is the head of Christ, and said to be as the most fine gold, for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Made of both wood and gold, it typifies the dual nature of Jesus as both man and God when He was on earth.

make thereto a crown of gold round about - the molding or ornamental rim, this was both to ornament the table, and to keep anything set on it from falling off of it. One scholar says it was a sign of the crown of the kingdom, for a table signifies riches and greatness, as they say a king's table: and indeed this was the table of the King of kings, who has on His head many crowns, and one must be made upon His table.

Exo 25:25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.

A border – Believed to be a framing, which reached from leg to leg so as to make the table firm, as well as to adorn it with a second molding of gold. Two fragments of such framing are still seen in the sculpture on the Arch of Titus attached to the legs halfway down.

Exo 25:26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.

And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold - As the ark had, and for the same use.

Exo 25:27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.

Over against the border - Rather, Over against the framing; that is, the rings were to be placed not upon the framing itself, but at the extremities of the legs answering to each corner of it.

Exo 25:28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

thou shall make the staves of shittim wood - as the staves for the ark, and which were made of the same wood.

Exo 25:29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.

The dishes thereof – probably the deep bowls on which the shewbread loaves were set. One scholar says they were of the form of the bread, and that there were two sorts, one of gold, and one of iron; in the iron one the bread was baked, and when they took it out of the oven, they put it into the golden one until the day of the sabbath, when they set it in order upon the table. Other scholars seem to think these are just platters for the showbread.

And spoons thereof - cups or concave vessels, used for holding incense, censers. This is evident from Num_7:14, Num_7:20, Num_7:26, Num_7:32, Num_7:38, Num_7:44, Num_7:50, Num_7:56, Num_7:62, Num_7:68, Num_7:74, Num_7:80, Num_7:86, where the same word is used, and the instrument is always represented as being filled with incense. Another scholar has a conflicting view, that these were just spoons to pour out liquid offerings. The former seems to be the more likely use.

Bowls thereof – Most scholars suppose they were vessels which they dipped into the kesoth, to take out the wine for libations. One scholar thinks these are either the sieves by which the Levites cleansed the wheat they made into bread, (for it is asserted that the grain, out of which the shew-bread was made, was sowed, reaped, ground, sifted, kneaded, baked, etc., by the Levites themselves), or the ovens in which the bread was baked.

Covers thereof - supposed to be a large cup or tankard, in which pure wine was kept on the table along with the shewbread for libations, which were poured out before the Lord every Sabbath, when the old bread was removed, and the new bread laid on the table. The Septuagint supports this view.

the covers thereof, and the bowls thereof, to cover withal – The Jews give a different account of these two last, and of their use, which we render "covers" and "bowls": the first of these one scholar says were like the half of hollow reeds divided to their length, made of gold; and three of them were laid in order on the top of every loaf, so that one loaf rested upon these reeds; and they separated between loaf and loaf, so that the air could come in between them, and they did not become moldy; the latter, he says, were props like stakes of gold standing on the ground, and they were higher than the table, even as high as the rows of bread; and they were forked with live forks, one above another, and the tops (or ends) of the reeds, which were between each loaf, rested upon these forks, that so the weight of the upper loaves might not be too heavy for the lower ones, and break them. Other scholars support that view, including Jewish commentaries.

Please note that these utensils were not for the purpose of serving God food as they do in pagan nations.

Exo 25:30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

Shewbread before me alway - The showbread table was placed in the holy place on the north side Exo_26:35. Directions for preparing the showbread are given in Lev_24:5-9. It consisted of twelve large cakes of unleavened bread, which were arranged on the table in in two rows of six each, with a golden cup of frankincense on top of each row. It was renewed every Sabbath day. The stale loaves were given to the priests, and the frankincense appears to have been lighted on the altar for a memorial. The showbread, with all the characteristics and significance of a great national Meat offering, in which the twelve tribes were represented by the twelve cakes, was to stand before the Lord “perpetually,” in token that He was always graciously accepting the good works of His people, for whom atonement had been made by the victims offered on the altar in the court of the sanctuary. The showbread or bread which is set forth would be more fairly rendered “bread of the presence” or “bread of faces” since it was always before the Face of God.

showbread - literally, presence bread, so called because it was constantly exhibited before the Lord, or because the bread of His presence, like the angel of His presence, pointed symbolically to Christ. This bread was designed to be a symbol of the full and never-failing provision which is made in the Church for the spiritual sustenance and refreshment of God’s people.

Shewbread before me alway - This shewbread may be considered either as typical of the church and people of God, who are all one bread, 1Co_10:17 For we, the many, are one bread and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread. These pure and unleavened cakes may denote their purity, simplicity, and sincerity, being without the “leaven” or sin of malice and wickedness; the number twelve, the twelve tribes of Israel, the whole spiritual Israel of God; their being called shewbread, or bread of faces, the presentation of themselves to the Lord in public worship, and their being ever under the eye and care of God; their being set on the table, their standing in Christ, and security by Him, who is the foundation of the apostles and prophets; and being set in rows, their order and harmony; being renewed every sabbath, the constancy of their worship, and the succession of them in all ages; the frankincense put on each row, the acceptance of their persons and services through the incense of Christ's mediation; the border round about them, the power of Christ around them to keep them from falling: or else as typical of Christ Himself, of His being the food of believers, the bread of life: the shewbread of fine flour may fitly signify Christ, the bread that comes from thence; its quantity, twelve cakes, the sufficiency of food with him, bread enough and to spare for the whole Israel of God; its continuance, the permanency of Christ as the food believers have always to feed upon; the frankincense on it, the gratefulness of Christ to such, to whom His flesh is meat indeed, and His blood drink indeed; and being set for priests, and only for them, may show that Christ is only food to such who are made priests to God: or this may be an emblem of the intercession of Christ, ever before God, and represents the whole Israel of God, for whom He intercedes; and His intercession is continual, He ever lives to make intercession for them, and that is always acceptable to God.

showbread - These loaves were called “bread of the face” (shew-bread), because they were to lie before the face of God as a meat-offering presented by the children of Israel (Lev_24:8), not as food for God, but as a symbol of the spiritual food which Israel was to prepare (Joh_6:27), a figurative representation of the calling it had received from God; so that bread and wine, which stood upon the table by the side of the loaves, as the fruit of the labor bestowed by Israel upon the soil of its inheritance, were a symbol of its spiritual labor in the kingdom of God, the spiritual vineyard of its Lord.

Exo 25:31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

A candlestick of pure gold - A lampstand rather than a candlestick. Its purpose was to support seven oil-lamps. Its height appears to have been about three feet, and its width two feet. A depiction of this is seen in the Arch of Titus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carrying_off_the_Menorah_from_the_Temple_in_Jerusalem_depicted_on_a_frieze_on_the_Arch_of_Titus_in_the_Forum_Romanum.JPG The original foot was lost or stolen when the candlestick was taken out of the temple, and the pedestal in the sculpture was added by some Roman artist to set off the trophy.

A candlestick of pure gold - This candlestick or chandelier is generally described as having one shaft or stock, with six branches proceeding from it, adorned at equal distances with six flowers like lilies, with as many bowls and knops placed alternately. On each of the branches there was a lamp, and one on the top of the shaft which occupied the center; thus there were seven lamps in all. These seven lamps were lighted every evening and extinguished every morning.

A candlestick of pure gold - This candlestick was set in the holy place, on the south side of it, opposite the shewbread table, Exo_26:35 and was typical of the church of God. It is used to put forth light, and typifies the light of the world, Jesus. John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke again to them, saying, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. This is not the light of nature and reason, nor the law of Moses, but the Gospel of Christ. In addition, the light from this candlestick cannot be seen by the outside world. In this it typifies the Holy Spirit within believers, unseen yet lighting the temple that we are now.

A candlestick of pure gold – Many types can be seen in the tabernacle and its equipment. In type, it was made from gold signifying that which is divine in its origin. The central shaft and branches typify the inseparable relationship between Christ and the church. The olive oil used to light the lamp typifies the Holy Spirit. All together it is a symbol of the Church of Christ indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The candlestick was beaten, as Christ was beaten, and stands finished before the Holy of Holies, as He stands now in heaven in the tabernacle fashioned by God. Hebrews 9:24 For Christ has not entered into the Holy of Holies made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.

A candlestick of pure gold – The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe_1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: and a dark place indeed the world would be without it. Let us remember that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit, that we have the law of God in our hearts, that we are to live a life of communion with God, feast on his ordinances, and are the light of the world, if indeed we are followers of Christ.

His shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers - its base, its stem, its flower cups, its knobs, and its lilies.

of beaten work shall the candlestick be made - not of gold melted, and poured into a mold, from whence it might take its form; but it was beaten with an hammer out of an entire mass of gold.

Exo 25:32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

Exo 25:33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

Three bowls made like unto almonds - Three cups of either almond flowers or almond nuts, depending on the scholar. On each of these branches (the repetition of the same words expresses the distributive sense) there were to be “three cups in the form of an almond (flower or nut), (with) knob and flower,” and on the shaft of the candlestick, or central stem, “four cups in the form of almonds (flower or nut), its knobs and its flowers.”

Three bowls made like unto almonds - There were three bowls or cups in the form of almond nuts to each branch, which were to hold oil for the lamps; and there were a "knop", which, according to the signification of the word, was in the form of a pomegranate, and a flower, which some render as a lily; and they are both in Scripture emblems of the saints endowed with the gifts and graces of the Spirit:

A flower - A lily; and this rendering well agrees with the sculpture.

knops — old spelling for “knobs” or “bosses”.

Exo 25:34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

And in the candlestick shall be four bowls - That is, in the trunk or body of it; the branches had but three apiece, but this being larger had four.

Exo 25:35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

there shall be a knop under two branches - at the point where the three pairs of the six side arms branched off from the main stem of the candlestick, a knob should be so placed that the arms should proceed from the knob, or from the main stem immediately above the knob. According to some scholars, these knops were either like an apple or a pomegranate or the bulb on a branch.

Overall the design of the candlestick, according to one commentator, appears to be like that of an almond tree, one of the first trees in spring to leaf and bloom. He views the cups as either the calyx or nut, the knop a bulb on the tree, and the flower reminiscent of Aaron’s almond rod flowering.

Exo 25:36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

all of it shall be one beaten work - not made in parts, and then put and soldered together, but the whole candlestick in all its parts and branches were to be beaten out of one piece of gold.

Exo 25:37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

thou shall make the seven lamps thereof - six of them, on the top of the six branches that came out of the sides of the candlestick, and the seventh on the top of the shaft which ran up in the middle of it. Perhaps this foreshadows Rev_4:5 And out of the throne came lightnings and thunderings and voices. And seven lamps of fire were burning in front of the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. by typifying the several gifts and graces of the Spirit, which are sometimes called the seven spirits of God, and are compared to seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. Seven is the number of completion, associated with God.

they shall light the lamps thereof - Aaron and his sons, the priests in successive generations. Lamps typically had pinched rims, held oil and a wick.

that they may give light over against it - to the table of shewbread, which was opposite to it on the north side of the tabernacle, and so by the light of these lamps the priests could see to place the shewbread in its order. The light was derived from pure olive oil, and kept continually burning Lev_24:2 Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you pure olive oil, beaten, for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.

that they may give light over against it – In type, light from this candlestick has several significances.

a) It is used of God - 1 John 1:5 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

b) It is used of Christ - John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke again to them, saying, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 1:4-5 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

c) It is used of the church - Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. Philippians 2:15 so that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. Among these you shine as lights in the world, Revelation 1:20 the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand and the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

d) It is used of the Gospel - John 3:19-20 And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

that they may give light over against it – Please note that although there were 7 lamps, only one light is mentioned in reference to it. Just as we are many lamps (believers), there is but one Light, Jesus. Leviticus 24:2 Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you pure olive oil, beaten, for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. The oil in the lamps is significant too in its type of the Holy Spirit. 1 John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 2 Corinthians 1:21 But He confirming us and anointing us with you in Christ is God. As the oil here is constantly lit, so too are we to keep the Holy Spirit lit within our lives. Jesus tells us to keep our light lit and visible to others.

Exo 25:38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.

The tongs - Used to trim and adjust the wicks.

The snuffdishes - These were shallow vessels used to receive the burnt fragments of wick removed by the tongs.

Exo 25:39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

A talent of pure gold – roughly 75 pounds according to some measurements. From this quantity of gold it was possible to make a candlestick of considerable size.

The signification of the seven-armed candlestick is apparent from its purpose, viz., to carry seven lamps, which were trimmed and filled with oil every morning, and lighted every evening, and were to burn throughout the night Exo_27:20-21 And you shall command the sons of Israel that they bring you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always in the tabernacle of the congregation, outside the veil which is before the testimony. Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the sons of Israel. Lev_24:2-4 Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you pure olive oil, beaten, for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. Aaron shall order it from evening until the morning before the LORD forever outside the veil of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. He shall order the lamps on the pure lampstand before the LORD forever. As the Israelites were to prepare spiritual food in the shew-bread in the presence of the Lord, and to offer continually the fruit of their labor in the field of the kingdom of God, as a spiritual offering to the Lord; so also were they to present themselves continually to God in the burning lamps, as the vehicles and media of light, as a nation letting its light shine in the darkness of this world Mat_5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. Luk_12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning. Phi_2:15 so that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. Among these you shine as lights in the world, The oil is throughout the Scriptures a symbol of the Spirit of God, by which the congregation of God was tilled with higher light and life. By the power of this Spirit, Israel, in covenant with the Lord, was to let its light shine, the light of its knowledge of God and spiritual illumination, before all the nations of the earth.

In its seven arms the stamp of the covenant relationship was impressed upon the candlestick; and the almond-blossom with which it was ornamented represented the seasonable offering of the flowers and fruits of the Spirit, the almond-tree is the earliest of all the trees in both its blossom and its fruit. The symbolical character of the candlestick is clearly indicated in the Scriptures. The prophet Zechariah (Zec_4:1-14) sees a golden candlestick with seven lamps and two olive-trees, one on either side, from which the oil-vessel is supplied; and the angel who is talking with him informs him that the olive-trees are the two sons of oil, that is to say, the representatives of the kingdom and priesthood, the divinely appointed means through which the Spirit of God was communicated to the covenant nation. And in Rev_1:20, the seven churches, which represent the new people of God, i.e., the Christian Church, are shown to John in the form of seven candlesticks standing before the throne of God.

Exo 25:40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

And look that thou make - This verse should be understood as an order to Moses after the tabernacle had been described to him. The tabernacle was a type of the Church of God; that Church is built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone,. the doctrines, therefore, delivered by the prophets, Jesus Christ, and his apostles, are essential to the constitution of this church. Eph_2:20-22 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom every building having been fitly framed together, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord; in whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit. As God, therefore, gave the plan or form according to which the tabernacle must be constructed, so He gives the doctrines according to which the Christian Church is to be modeled; and apostles, and subordinate builders, are to have and hold fast that Form of sound words, and construct this heavenly building according to that form or pattern which has come through the express revelation of God.

After their pattern – God showed Moses the pattern of what He wanted with the tabernacle. The tabernacle, as well as the temple, was a type of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Joh_1:14 And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth. Joh_2:19-21 Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, This temple was forty-six years building, and will you rear it up in three days? But He spoke of the temple of His body. It is impossible to account for the circumstance of God’s condescending to such minute details, except on the assumption that this tabernacle was to be of a typical character, and eminently subservient to the religious instruction and benefit of mankind, by shadowing forth in its leading features the grand truths of the Christian Church. Hebrews 10:1 For the Law which has a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, appearing year by year with the same sacrifices, which they offer continually, they are never able to perfect those drawing near.