(21) And the flowers . . . gold.--See 1Kings 7:49.

And that perfect gold.--It was perfection of gold. The word mikloth, "perfections" (intensive plural) occurs nowhere else. It is derived from k?l?h, "to be finished," not k?lal (Bishop Wordsworth). The LXX. omits the clause; not so the Vulg., which renders "all were made of purest gold." This little touch, added to heighten the effect, is quite in the manner of the chronicler, and is certainly not to be suspected, as Z�ckler asserts. Perhaps we should read miklol, "perfection" (Ezekiel 23:12), instead of the isolated mikloth.

And the snuffers.--Before this expression, and the basons (1Kings 7:50) has probably fallen out.

Snuffers.--Shears or scissors, for trimming the lamps.

The spoons, and the censers.--Or, trays and snuff-dishes.--See 1Kings 7:50; Exodus 25:38.

And the entry of the house.--Including both the doors of the nave or holy place, and those of the chancel or holiest. The words are explained by those which follow: "viz., its inner doors to the holy of holies and the doors of the house--viz., to the nave (heh?l, great hall)." In 1Kings 7:50 we read, "And the hinges to the doors of the inner house--viz., the holy of holies, (and) to the doors of the house--viz., to the nave, were of gold." The word rendered hinges (pothoth) resembles that rendered entry (pethah); and some have supposed that the latter is a corruption of the former, and would alter our text accordingly. Two reasons seem to be decisive against such a change. (1) Pothoth, "hinges," occurs nowhere else in the Bible; and may not be genuine. It is likely enough that the doors of the Temple were plated with gold (1Kings 6:32; 1Kings 6:35), but hardly that their hinges were made of gold.

Verse 21. - The flowers; Hebrew, פֶרַה, occurring sixteen times, of which number it is translated" flowers "thirteen times, "buds" twice, and "blossom" once. The flower was a part of the ornamentation of the branches of the candelabrum (Exodus 25:31, 33). The tongs; Hebrew, מֶלְקָחַיִם, occurring six times, of which number it is translated five times "tongs," but once "snuffers" (Exodus 37:23). This latter is the correcter translation, perhaps. The instrument, at any rate, was to trim the lamp-wicks (Exodus 25:38).

4:1-22 The furniture of the temple. - Here is a further account of the furniture of God's house. Both without doors and within, there was that which typified the grace of the gospel, and shadowed out good things to come, of which the substance is Christ. There was the brazen altar. The making of this was not mentioned in the book of Kings. On this all the sacrifices were offered, and it sanctified the gift. The people who worshipped in the courts might see the sacrifices burned. They might thus be led to consider the great Sacrifice, to be offered in the fulness of time, to take away sin, and put an end to death, which the blood of bulls and goats could not possibly do. And, with the smoke of the sacrifices, their hearts might ascend to heaven, in holy desires towards God and his favour. In all our devotions we must keep the eye of faith fixed upon Christ. The furniture of the temple, compared with that of the tabernacle, showed that God's church would be enlarged, and his worshippers multiplied. Blessed be God, there is enough in Christ for all.See Introduction to Chapter 4