Exodus 36:38

been executed according to the directions given. At the commencement of this chapter the reader will observe that I have advanced the dates a. m. and b.c. one year, without altering the year of the exodus, which at first view may appear an error; the reason is, that the above dates commenced at Tisri, but the years of the exodus are dated from Abib. Introduction Bezaleel and Aholiab make the ark, Exo 37:1-5 . The mercy-seat, Exo 37:6 . The two cherubim, Exo 37:7-9 . The table of the shew-bread, and its vessels, Exo 37:10-16 . The candlestick, Exo 37:17-24 . The golden altar of incense, Exo 37:25-28 . The holy anointing oil and perfume, Exo 37:29 . Verse 1 And Bezaleel made the ark, etc. - For a description of the ark, see Exo 25:10 (note), etc. Verse 6 He made the mercy-seat - See this described Exo 25:17 (note). Verse 10 He made the table - See Exo 25:23 . Verse 16 He made the vessels - See all these particularly described in the notes on Exo 25:29 (note). Verse 17 He made the candlestick - See this described in the note on Exo 25:31 (note). Verse 25 He made the incense altar - See this described Exo 30:1 (note). Verse 29 He made the holy anointing oil - See this and the perfume, and the materials out of which they were made, described at large in the notes on Exo 30:23-25 and Exo 30:34-38 . As this chapter also is a repetition of what has been mentioned in preceding chapters, the reader is desired to refer to them. Introduction Bezaleel makes the altar of burnt-offering, Exo 38:1-7 . He makes the laver and its foot out of the mirrors given by the women, Exo 38:8 . The court, its pillars, hangings, etc., Exo 38:9-20 . The whole tabernacle and its work finished by Bezaleel, Aholiab, and their assistants, Exo 38:21-23 . The amount of the gold contributed, Exo 38:24 . The amount of the silver, and how it was expended, Exo 38:25-28 . The amount of the brass, and how this was used, Exo 38:29-31 . Verse 1 The altar of burnt-offering - See Clarke's note on Exo 27:1 ; and for its horns, pots, shovels, basins, etc., see the meaning of the Hebrew terms explained, Exo 27:3-5 (note). Verse 8 He made the laver - See Clarke's note on Exo 30:18 , etc. The looking-glasses - The word מראת maroth, from ראה raah, he saw, signifies reflectors or mirrors of any kind. Here metal, highly polished, must certainly be meant, as glass was not yet in use; and had it even been in use, we are sure that looking - Glasses could not make a Brazen laver. The word therefore should be rendered mirrors, not looking-glasses, which in the above verse is perfectly absurd, because from those maroth the brazen laver was made. The first mirrors known among men were the clear, still, fountain, and unruffled lake; and probably the mineral called mica, which is a very general substance through all parts of the earth. Plates of it have been found of three feet square, and it is so extremely divisible into laminae, that it has been divided into plates so thin as to be only the three hundred thousandth part of an inch. A plate of this forms an excellent mirror when any thing black is attached to the opposite side. A plate of this mineral, nine inches by eight, now lies before me; a piece of black cloth, or any other black substance, at the back, converts it into a good mirror; or it would serve as it is for a square of glass, as every object is clearly perceivable through it. It is used in Russian ships of war, instead of glass, for windows. The first artificial mirrors were apparently made of brass, afterwards of polished steel, and when luxury increased they were made of silver; but they were made at a very early period of mixed metal, particularly of tin and copper, the best of which, as Pliny tells us, were formerly manufactured at Brundusium: Optima apud majores fuerant Brundisina, stanno et aere mixtis - Hist. Nat. lib. xxxiii., cap. 9. But, according to him, the most esteemed were those made of tin; and he says that silver mirrors became so common that even the servant girls used them: Specula (ex stanno) laudatissima Bru

with cherubims made he it of cunning work. 36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver. 37 And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework; 38 And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass. In the building of a house there is a great deal of work about the doors and partitions. In the tabernacle these were answerable to the rest of the fabric; there were curtains for doors, and veils for partitions. 1. There was a veil made for a partition between the holy place, and the most holy, v. 35, 36 . This signified the darkness and distance of that dispensation, compared with the New Testament, which shows us the glory of God more clearly and invites us to draw near to it; and the darkness and distance of our present state, in comparison with heaven, where we shall be ever with the Lord and see him as he is. 2. There was a veil made for the door of the tabernacle, v. 37, 38 . At this door the people assembled, though forbidden to enter; for, while we are in this present state, we must get as near to God as we can. Bezaleel and