1 Chronicles 28:18

18 And he gave most fine gold to the altar, wherein incense was burnt, (and) that a likeness of the cart of cherubims, holding forth (their) wings, and covering the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord, should be made thereof. (And he told him the weight of the most fine gold for the altar, on which the incense was burned, and also for the likeness, or the model, of the chariot of the cherubim, with them holding forth their wings, and covering the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.)

1 Chronicles 28:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 28:18

And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight
This was also one hundred pounds weight in gold, with which it was to be overlaid F23:

and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubim;
which were two large ones, besides those which Moses made; and these were not made of gold, as they were, but overlaid with it, see ( 1 Kings 6:23-28 ) which with them made four; and to which the four living creatures in Ezekiel's vision allude, and make the "mercavah", or chariot, the Jews so much speak of, perhaps from this and other like phrases; and the Lord sitting here as in a chariot, not only denotes the glory and splendour of the Shechinah, or divine Majesty; but, as some observe, his readiness to ride off and depart, when displeased and provoked, see ( Ezekiel 10:18 Ezekiel 10:19 ) ,

that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the
Lord;
not that spread their wings over the ark, and covered it, that the Mosaic cherubim did; but these spread their wings before it from wall to wall, so that it could not be seen by any that turned aside the vail, and even by the high priest when he entered into the holy of holies: the ark, with the cherubim, which were on that, weighed two hundred pounds of pure gold, according to the Jacob Leon F24.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Ibid. (Relation of Memorable Things in the Tabernacle and Temple, ch. 4. p. 20.)
F24 Ibid.

1 Chronicles 28:18 In-Context

16 And he gave gold into the board[s] of setting forth, for the diversity of measure, also and he gave silver into other silveren boards; (And he told him the weight of the gold for the tables for the loaves of proposition, or the loaves of setting forth, and the weight of the silver for the other silver tables;)
17 also to [the] fleshhooks, and vials, and to censers of purest gold; and to golden basins, for the manner of measure, he separated a weight into a basin and a basin; also and into silveren basins he separated diverse weight of silver. (and the weight of the pure gold for the fleshhooks, and the bowls, and the censers; and also the weight of the gold for the gold basins, in the manner of the measure; and the diverse weight of the silver for the silver basins.)
18 And he gave most fine gold to the altar, wherein incense was burnt, (and) that a likeness of the cart of cherubims, holding forth (their) wings, and covering the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord, should be made thereof. (And he told him the weight of the most fine gold for the altar, on which the incense was burned, and also for the likeness, or the model, of the chariot of the cherubim, with them holding forth their wings, and covering the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.)
19 And David said, All (these) things came written by the hand of the Lord to me, that I should understand all the works of the exemplar/of the ensampler (so that I could understand all the works in the example).
20 And David said to Solomon, his son, Do thou manly, and be thou comforted, and make; dread thou not withoutforth, neither dread thou within; for my Lord God shall be with thee, and he shall not leave thee, neither shall forsake thee, till thou perform all the work of the service of the house of the Lord. (And David said to his son Solomon, Be thou confident, and be thou strengthened, and make it; fear thou not anything from withoutforth, nor fear thou anything from within; for the Lord my God shall be with thee, and he shall not leave thee, nor shall desert thee, until thou finish all the work needed in the service of the House of the Lord.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.