HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT

2 PARALIPOMENON 3

CHAPTER III.

Ver. 1. Moria, which signifies vision; (C.) the place pointed out to Abraham, (Gen. xxii. 2. S. Aug. de C. xvi. 32.) and to David. 1 Par. xxi. 15. and xxii. 1.

Ver. 2. Second. Heb. adds, (D.) "in the second day of the second month." Prot. &c. H.

Ver. 3. By the first, or ancient measure, used before the captivity. The Babylonian cubit was a hand smaller, as Ezechiel (xl. 3.) intimates. C. --- Solomon used the same cubit as Moses, but doubled the proportions. M.

Ver. 4. A hundred. The Arab. and some copies of the Sept. read only twenty. Capellus and Toinard would substitute, ten cubits. A small change in the Heb. might occasion these variations. C. --- In 3 K. vi. 2. we find the height was thirty cubits: but that might be only to the first floor. Many think that the temple was 120 cubits high: but Salien (A. 3024) explains it of the four-square tower, (M.) in the front. C.

Ver. 5. House. between the most holy place and the porch, (T.) or it may comprise all but the porch. Heb. "he covered (or boarded) all this great house." C. --- Deal boards interspersed with those of cedar. 3 K. vi. 9. T. --- Fine, (obrizi.) Heb. "of Parvaim, which is probably the same as Sepharvaim, Ophir, &c. not far from Media and Colchis. C.

Ver. 8. Amounting to about, is not in Heb. H.

Ver. 9. Sicles. This weight seems enormous for each nail. Mariana supposes every nail weighed one sicle. But who will believe that only fifty were used? Heb. "And the weight of the nails was fifty," &c. The Syr. and Arab. omit this verse entirely. --- Chambers, or rather "the ceiling."

Ver. 10. Work. Heb. "of the work of young men," or resembling them. Munster --- Sept. "the work of wood." Vulg. lit. "of sculpture work," (H.) as Le Clerc renders the original. Some moderns translate, "of a work like men in motion." Mariana, Buxtorf --- The cherubims were in an erect posture.

Ver. 11. Cubits, comprising the breadth of their body. Each occupied ten cubits.

Ver. 13. Toward. Heb. "inward;" looking at each other, (Ex. xxv. 20.) or towards the altar of holocausts.

Ver. 14. A veil. Abulensis places it between the court and the holy: but Jansenius would have it before the holy of holies. It seems rather that there was a veil in both places, (Barad. t. ii. b. iii. 23. M.) as Josephus (viii. 2. and xii. 10.) clearly intimates; and S. Paul speaks of the second veil. Heb. ix. 3. It is not certain which of them was torn at the death of Jesus Christ. Matt. xxvii. 51. Cherubims; extraordinary figures. C.

Ver. 15. Five. 3 K. vii. 15. we read each was eighteen cubits. It is probable that each was 17Â½ and the other half was for the crown, (C.) or cornice. H.

Ver. 16. In, or "as in." Sa. M. --- Protestants supply as. H. --- Hundred, for one row, or 200 for both. 3 K. D.

Ver. 17. Booz. "Stability and strength" are derived from God alone. Thus Solomon designed to insinuate that God established the harmony of the universe. H. --- An orrery, or globe, was therefore placed on each of these pillars. Parkhurst, in con.