Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. VI.

Vers. 1. ANd it came to passe in the four hundred and fourscore yeare. &c.] Here the time is noted when Solomon began to bind the Temple, to wit, in the fourth yeare of his reigne, in the second moneth, the moneth Zif, (which was the April moon, and comprehended part of our April, and part of May: the fittest time in the yeare to begin a building) and how long it was after the Israelites came out of Egypt, which was the first beginning of the commonwealth of Israel; namely four hundred and fourscore years, and how this summe agrees with the se∣verall years of the government of such Judges and Kings, as had since that time ru∣led over Israel, we may see in the notes upon Josh. 24.29. three years and upward, had been spent in settling the affairs of the kingdome, against the opposition of those that looked with a malignant eye upon Solomons advancement to the crown, and in taking order for making such further provision as was necessary (besides what David had prepared) both for the Temple, and for his own palace; and now in the fourth yeare the foundations of the Temple were laid: in 2. Chron. 3.1. the place is also expressed where the Temple was built, to wit, that it was at Jerusalem in mount Moriah (the very place in which Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his sonne, Gen. 22.2.) where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshing floore of Ornan the Jebusite. Now both the place and the time when the foundation of this house was first laid, are thus punctually ex∣pressed, not onely because it was indeed the most glorious and sumptuous building that ever was in the world, but also especially because it was the house of the Lord, as it is here called, the place which he chose for his settled habitation, amongst the children of Israel, and so was a type or figure, first, of Christ, for in him dwelleth al the fulnesse of the God-head bodily, Col. 2.9. secondly, of every true Christian and that because God dwells in them by his holy spirit, Know ye not that your bodie is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you? 1. Cor. 6.19. and thirdly, of the Church of Christ: Ye also as living stones, saith Peter, are built up a spiritual

house to offer up spirituall sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ 1. Pet. 2.5. but especially of the Church triumphant in heaven, (for indeed as the ta∣bernacle did principally signifie the Church in her militant condition, when she is in an unsettled restlesse estate, travelling up and down in the world towards the hea∣venly Canaan, so the Temple did chiefly signifie the Church in her rest, when she comes to be settled in heaven) whence it was also that the Temple was farre larger and farre more magnificent then was the tabernacle, to signifie that the glory of the Church there, should wonderfully exceed that she hath here, even then when she is in her greatest glory.

Vers. 2. The length thereof was threescore cubits, &c.] Here the dimensions of the Temple are set down, first, the length thereof threescore cubits, that is, the length of the whole Temple containing both the holy, and the most holy place, which is therefore called the length by cubits, after the first measure, 2. Chron. 3.3. for, first, they measured out sixty cubits of ground for the whole house, and then afterwards divided it, assigning twenty cubits to the oracle, or the most holy place, and fourty to the Temple before it, as vers. 17. so that the Temple therefore was double the length of Moses tabernacle; for that was but thirty cubits long: see Exod. 26.18. se∣condly, the breadth thereof twenty cubits, which was also double the breadth of the tabernacle, for that was but ten cubits broad, Exod. 26.24. and thirdly, the height thereof thirty cubits, that is, at least on the outside; for some gather from vers. 20. that the most holy place was but twentie cubits high within, and it is most likely that the roof of the whole house was of the same height; so that by this it might ap∣pear, that the Temple was on the inside twice as high also as was the tabernacle (for that was but ten cubits high, Exod. 26.16.) and on the outside thrice as high, see the note vers. 20. and all this was thus ordered by Gods direction, 2. Chr. 3.3. Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God, &c.

Vers. 3. And the porch before the Temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, &c.] This was joyned to the house in the front thereof, 2. Chron. 3.4. whence is that Joel 2.17. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep be∣tween the porch and the altar; and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, &c. there is mention of a porch called Solomons porch, wherein Christ and his Apostles, and the people, did so usually meet, Joh. 10.23, 24. and Acts 3.11. and 5.12. but that porch was neither built by Solomon (for Solomons Temple was burnt by the Chaldeans) nor was it in the same place; for this joyned to the Temple within the priests Court, whither none but the priests might come; as for the dimensions of this porch, first, twenty cubits was the length, according to the breadth of the house, that is, from north to south, for though the length of the rest of the Temple is count∣ed from east to west; yet because this porch was larger from north to south, then from east to west; therefore this is counted the length of it: secondly, ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house, the breadth therefore of this porch being added to the length of the Temple, the whole house (porch and all) was threescore and ten cubits long; how high this porch was, it is not here expressed, but 2. Chron. 3.4. that is added, to wit, that it was one hundred and twenty cubits high, so that it was as a tower to the rest of the house.

Vers. 4. And for the house, he made windows of narrow lights.] That is, broad within, and narrow without; or else, as some conceit, broad both without and within, but narrowed in the midst of the wall: some Expositours understand by the house in this place, only the holy place, concluding, that the most holy place had no windows: but there is no great waight in any of the reasons they give to prove this; for considering first the thicknesse of the wall: secondly, the fashion of the windows above described, purposely no doubt so made, both to keep out birds, and the gazing in of any that should attempt to looke in at them: and thirdly, the place where these windows were made, which was toward the roof of the house, at least above fifteen cubits high in the wall (for so high the chambers were built, on the outside of the wall,) and there were three stories of chambers one over the other, verse 8. and verse 10. and fourthly, that the Tabernacle had no windows at all, neither in the holy, nor in the most holy place, since it is expresly said, that in this house which Solomon built, he made windows for the house, I see no reason why it should be restrained only to the holy place.

Vers. 5. And against the wall of the house, hee built Chambers round about, &c.] That is, westward, northward, and southward, round about the house he built Chambers, (for on the east side before the porch, where was the court of the priests, there could be no chambers built) and because these chambers were built up close to the house on the outside of the walls, so that the beams of the upper floores of these Chambers were laid on that side towards the Temple, upon the very wall of the Temple, therefore it may be well said, that these Chambers were built against the wall of the house, that is, close adjoyning thereto, or, as it is in the margin, upon the wall of the house; there were of these Chambers three stories or rows, each above the other, and each of them five Cubits high, verse 10. and they were doubt∣lesse provided for the lodging of the priests, for the laying up of the holy things of the Temple, and such other uses, for of these partly is that spoken, 1 Chro. 28.11, 12. Then David gave to Solomon his sonne the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper Chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat: And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the Courts of the house of the Lord, &c.

Vers. 6. For without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, &c.] This is added to shew, how it came to passe that the middle Chambers were broader than the undermost, and the third loft, broader by a Cubit than the middle ones; the reason was, because to the end that the beams might not be fasten∣ed in the wall of the Temple, but might be only laid upon the outlets of the wall, and so if occasion were, might be removed without any dammage to the wall, at every five Cubits high, (for that was the height of the Chambers, verse 10.) he narrowed the Temple walls a cubit in breadth; as suppose the wall was at the ground six cubits broad, (according to that Ezek. 41.5. He measured the wall of the house six cubits,) when they had built it five cubits high, there they narrowed the wall a cubit in breadth, and built it up five cubits broad, and on that outlet of the wall, was the beams of the first floore laid, and by that means, the Chambers there were a cubit broader than those beneath, and so likewise it was againe at the third floore, there they left a cubit space for the beams of the third floore to rest upon, and built

up the wall but foure Cubits broad, and so those Chambers were seven Cubits broad.

Vers. 7. There was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any toole of Iron, heard in the house while it was in building.] To wit, because all the stones and timber were hewed and fitted for the building, before they were brought to the the place where the Temple was built; and this was done, partly out of a reverent respect, to the ends for which the house was built, and partly to signifie, first, that in the Church, the house of God, all should be carried on in a peaceable way, without any of those jarres and tumults that are in the world: secondly, to signifie the everlasting peace of the Church in heaven, whereof the Temple was especially a type; here the best are sometimes at variance, but there they shall live in perfect peace, here they are hewed, and squared, and fitted for the Temple of God in heaven, partly by the word, I have hewed them by the Prophets, saith the Lord, Hos. 6.5. and partly by afflictions, which is for paring away their corruptions, but when they come to be joyned to the Church triumphant in heaven, there will be no need of any such thing.

Vers. 8. The doore for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house, &c.] That is, in the south side, for that in the Scripture is called the right side of the world, as is evident, Psalm. 89.12, where that which is translated the North and the South, thou hast created them, is in the Originall, the North and the right side thou hast created them; and the right side of the Temple, to wit, as they came out of the Temple, with their faces eastward: It seemes therefore, that in the side of the Temples wall, either in the holy place, or else rather in the porch, there was a doore whereby they turned into the lowest floore of the chambers, built on the outside of the house, from whence they went up with winding staires (which were happely in the thicknesse of the Temples wall) into the middle chamber, that is, the middle story, which was divided doubtlesse into severall chambers, and so out of the mid∣dle into the third: now if there were no other doore with staires to goe up, but this on the south, it must needs be yielded, that from hence they went to the furthest chambers on the North side; and that by some void place, after the manner of a cloyster below, and galleries above, that went round about the house between the chambers and the wall of the Temple: but indeed, the most that have written con∣cerning the fabrick of the Temple, hold, that there was another doore also, with winding staires, going up on the North side, though it be not here expressed, which they would also prove by the description of the doores that led to these chambers, Ezek. 41.11.

Vers. 9. So he built the house and finished it, &c.] To wit, the bulk and body of the house, for it was not yet cieled and boarded, &c.

Vers. 10. And they rested on the house with timber of Cedar.] That is, the side chambers. See the note above verse 6.

Vers. 12. Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walke in my Statutes, &c.] When Solomon had only yet set up the frame or body of the house, the Lord spake to him, either by some revelation, or by the ministery of some Prophet, thereby to encourage him the better to goe on in the work, and as∣sured him, that he would performe the word which he spake unto David, to wit, in

making that house his settled dwelling place, and in settling him and his posteritie to sit on the throne of Israel, onely withall he added this condition, If thou wilt walk in my Statutes, and execute my judgements, and keep all my commandments, thereby giving him to understand, that however glorious the work was which he had in hand for the service of God, yet it would be of no avail to him, except he were care∣full to live holily and righteously in all other respects.

Vers. 15. And he built the walls of the house within, with boards of Cedar, both the floore of the house, and the walls, &c.] That is, the whole wall, from the floore to the cieling, as it is in the margin; or else the meaning is, that both floore and roof and all, was on the outside cedar; for though it is manifest that the holy place was cieled with boards of firre, 2. Chron. 3.5. And the greater house he cieled with firre tree, &c. and floored with the same, as it is in the last clause of this verse, he covered the floore of the house with planks of firre; yet perhaps the firre was next the stones, and then they were overlaid with cedar.

Vers. 16. And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floore, and the walls, &c.] That is, as he did to the holy place, so also in those twenty cu∣bits which were set out, he covered there also, both floore and walls with cedar.

Vers. 20. And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length and twen∣ty cubits in breath, and twenty cubits in the height thereof.] So that the oracle or most holy place, was every way square: but how is it then said, vers. 2. of the whole house, containing in length threescore cubits, that the height thereof was thirty cu∣bits? I answer, some conceive that the oracle was thirty cubits high, as was the rest of the Temple, but that it is said here to be but twenty cubits high in the forepart of it, because the wall in the forepart of it, whereby the holy place was divided from the most holy, was indeed but twenty cubits high, and so there was a space of ten cubits above that wall, left open (onely the vail hung before it) at which the in∣cense might enter into the most holy place, and indeed, say they, why should it be thus expressed, that the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in height, but to di∣stinguish the height of the wall on that side, from the height of the wall on the other sides? but, first, because these words in the forepart, have clearly reference to the length and breadth of the oracle, as well as to the height, And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, &c. and secondly, because the holy place might be said to be twenty cubits high, as well as the most holy, in relation to the wall that divided the one from the other, therefore I think it more probable which others say, for the resolving of this difficultie, to wit, that where it is said, vers. 2. that the house was thirty cubits high, the roof is also there included, which went up vault-wise, ten cubits higher then the walls, which were but twenty cubits high, neither in the most holy, nor in the holy place, and that these words are added not to make any difference betwixt the height of the walls in the holy place, and the height of the walls in the oracle (for they were all round about twenty cubits high) but to shew that the oracle in the forepart, that is, which was in the forepart of the Temple, the furthest part westward (for that is here called the forepart of the house) was every way square, twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits broad, and twenty cubits high, which could not be said of the Temple or holy place; yea and perhaps too, there went a floore over, from wall to wall in the oracle, whereas the vault-covering of the Temple lay open, and there was no floore over it.

And he overlaid it with pure gold, and so covered the altar which was of cedar.] That is, as he covered the oracle it self with gold, to shadow forth the majesty of God, and the exceeding glory of heaven, so also he covered the altar with gold, which is therefore called the golden altar, chap. 7.48. being otherwise made of ce∣dar-wood, as that in the tabernacle was of Shittim wood, Exod. 30.13. concerning which, see the note there.

Vers. 21. So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold.] The gold that was spent in overlaying the most holy place, amounted to six hundred talents, 1. Chron. 3.8. and yet besides, it was garnished with precious stones, vers. 6. And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold of Parvaim.

And he made a partition, by the chains of gold before the oracle.] That is, the chains whereon the vails hung, before this partition, betwixt the holy and the most holy place, 2. Chron. 3.14. And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crim∣son, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon: that which was made in stead of this, at the rebuilding of the Temple, was rent in twain at the death of Christ, Matth. 27.51. of the like vail, see Exod. 26.31.

Vers. 22. And the whole house he overlaid with gold.] That is, not onely the most holy place, but also the holy, and the upper chambers also; yea, and the very nails wherewith the plates were fastned, had at least heads of gold, the weight where∣of was fifty shekels of gold, 2. Chron. 3.9. and the hinges of the doores, chap. 7.50. Now all this was to signifie the precious, and glorious gifts and graces of the spirit of Christ, wherewith every member of Christ must be adorned.

Also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.] That is, that was by the entrance into the oracle, in the holy place, not the most holy; so was the altar of incense placed in the tabernacle, Exod. 30.6. and so also it was doubtlesse placed here in the Temple; for into the most holy place the high priest entered onely once a yeare, Heb. 9.6, 7. but the other priests used to burn incense upon this altar, Luke 1.6. and that twice every day, Exod. 30.7, 8. see the notes concerning that altar of incense that was in Moses tabernacle.

Vers. 23. And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.] So that besides the two cherubims of beaten gold, at the ends of the mercy-seat, made by Moses, Exod. 25.18. which were part of the propitiatory wherewith the ark was covered, concerning which see the note there; there was now for the most holy place in the Temple, two other cherubims made, by Solomons ap∣pointment, of farre greater size, but not of beaten gold, as the other were, but of olive wood, covered with plates of gold; and these it seems were made after the shape of men (as appears by that description of them, 2. Chro. 3.13. They stood upon their feet, and their faces were inward, that is, eastward toward the holy place) and were to stand before the ark, to hide and cover it from the eyes even of the high priest, and to represent the glorious maiesty of God and of Christ, in the continuall attendance and ministery of the Angels; and therefore it may well be, that the stature of these cherubims so farre surpassing the stature of men, ten cubits, that is five yards high, was to represent of what mighty strength and excellency the Angels are.

Vers. 24. From the uttermost part of the one wing, unto the uttermost part of

the other, were ten cubits.] So that the wings of the one Cherub, took up ten cu∣bits, which was one half of the breadth of the most holy place, vers. 20. and the other took up the other half: the outer wing of the one touching the South wall, and the outer wing of the other, the North wall, and their inner wings meeting in the middest of the house. Neither is there any space allowed for the body of the Cherubs, because their wings did arise, as it were, out of the middest of their backs.

Vers. 30. And the floore of the house he overlaid with gold, within, and with∣out. That is, both in the Oracle, and without in the Temple.

Vers. 31. The lintell and side-posts were a fift part of the wall.] The partition wall was twenty cubits long, and twenty cubits high, and the doore therefore be∣ing a fift part of it, was foure cubits wide, and foure cubits high, narrower by a cubit then the doore of the Temple, which was the fourth part of the wall, vers. 33. Some read this clause thus, the lintell and side-posts were five square, and then the meaning I conceive must be, that the upper lintell was made of two pieces, which went up in the midst like the ridge of a house; and so the doore was five square.

Vers. 33. So also made he for the doore of the Temple, posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.] It was therefore five cubits broad; for the partition must needs be twenty cubits, the breadth of the Temple.

Vers. 36. And he built the inner court with three rowes of hewed stone, and a row of Cedar beams.] This Court here mentioned was questionlesse that which is called the court of the Priests, 2 Chron. 4.9. but here called the inner Court, in respect to that greater Court of the people, which was without this; but concern∣ing these rowes of Stone and Cedar, the opinion of Expositours is very different; for some understand it of a low wall raised about this Court, not above three cubits high (over which the people might looke and see their sacrifices offered by the priests on the altar of burnt offering, which was in this Court) made of three rowes of stone, perhaps of severall kinds and colours, and a row of Cedar beames on the top. Againe, others understand it of a faire building about this Court, wherein were foure galleries, three of stone, and one of Cedar; which may seeme most probable, first, because this phrase (he built the inner Court) seemes to imply more then the raising of a low wall: and secondly, because in 1 Chron. 28.11.12. it seemes apparent, that there were chambers and treasuries about the Courts of the Temple. Then David gave to Solomon his sonne, the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy-seat. And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the Courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the Chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicate things: and the like ex∣pression we have concerning the Temple, Ezra 6.43.

Vers. 38. So was he seven yeares in building it.] From the second moneth of the fourth yeare of Solomons reigne, when the foundation of this house was laid, vers. 1. to the eight moneth of the eleventh yeare, when this house was finished, is seven yeares, and six moneths, but the odd moneths (as usually in other places) are not here expressed.