Hebrews 9:2

9:1-5 The apostle shows to the Hebrews the typical reference of their ceremonies to Christ. The tabernacle was a movable temple, shadowing forth the unsettled state of the church upon earth, and the human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily. The typical meaning of these things has been shown in former remarks, and the ordinances and articles of the Mosaic covenant point out Christ as our Light, and as the Bread of life to our souls; and remind us of his Divine Person, his holy priesthood, perfect righteousness, and all-prevailing intercession. Thus was the Lord Jesus Christ, all and in all, from the beginning. And as interpreted by the gospel, these things are a glorious representation of the wisdom of God, and confirm faith in Him who was prefigured by them.

Was made (κατεσκευάσθη) See on Hebrews 3:3. The first The first tabernacle, that is, the first division of the tabernacle. He speaks of the two divisions as two tabernacles. Candlestick (λυχνία) Rend. lampstand. See on Matthew 5:15; see on Revelation 1:12. Description in Exodus 25:31-37. Comp. Zechariah 4:1-14. The table and the shewbread (ἡ τράπεξα καὶ ἡ πρόθεσις τῶν ἀρτῶν) See Exodus 25:23-30; Exodus 35:13; 2 Chronicles 2:4; 2 Chronicles 13:11. The table and the loaves are treated as one item. Lit. the table and the setting forth of the loaves, that is, the table with its loaves set forth. See on Mark 2:26; see on Acts 11:23. Which is called the sanctuary (ἥτις - ἅγια) Since it was thus furnished. See on Hebrews 8:2.

Hebrews 9:2 . For there was a tabernacle made — Namely, the first part of it of which he speaks, of boards and curtains, pillars and coverings, which constituted a little apartment, as a kind of ante-chamber to the oracle; wherein was the candlestick — Of pure gold, with its seven lamps perpetually burning with pure oil, and so giving light to all holy administrations. This undoubtedly represented the fulness of spiritual light which was to be in the Messiah, and by him to be communicated to his whole church; and the table and show-bread — That is, the bread shown continually before God and his people, consisting of twelve loaves, according to the number of the tribes, and placed on this table in two rows, six upon one another in each row. As the candlestick typified the light, so the bread seems to have been an emblem of the spiritual food provided in Christ, especially in his doctrine, merits, and Spirit for the support of the spiritual life, health, and strength of believers. This is set forth at large, John 6:27-58 . There was also in this first tabernacle the golden altar of incense placed at the west end of it, where the veil opened into the most holy place. On this incense was burned every morning and evening, emblematical doubtless of the prayers of God’s people, and especially of the efficacy given to them by the mediation and intercession of Christ.

Hebrews 9:2 . Ἡ πρώτη , the first ) the anterior tabernacle.— ἥ τε λυχνία καὶ ἡ τράπεζα , the candlestick and the table ) A type of light and life.— ἡ πρόθεσις τῶν ἄρτων , the setting forth of bread ) A Metonymy of the abstract for the concrete, i.e. the loaves which were set forth.— ἄγια ) The accent is on the first syllable;[47] and the feminine ἥτις , is no objection to this construction, for we have a similar phrase presently, ἡ λεγομένη ἅγια ἁγίων . Τὰ ἅγια often in this epistle signifies the holy of holies; but here ἅγια without the article denotes the holy place or sanctuary , in antithesis to ἅγια ἁγίων , the holy of holies . Some have ἁγία in this place.[48] [47] That is, in other words, the last syllable is short, and it is therefore the neuter plural: not long, which would make it feminine singular.—ED. [48] Lachm. reads ἅγια ἁγίων , with AD( Δ ) corrected f . B reads τὰ ἅγια ; Vulg. ‘sancta;’ Tisch. and Elzev. Rec. Text, ἅγια : but Stephens’ Rec. Text ἁγία .—ED.

2 . made ] “prepared” or “established.” He treats of the Sanctuary in 2–5, and of the Services in 6–10. the first ] By this is not meant the Tabernacle in contrast with the Temple, but “ the outer chamber (or Holy Place).” It is however true that the writer is thinking exclusively of the Tabernacle of the Wilderness, which was the proper representative of the worship of the Old Covenant. He seems to have regarded the later Temples as deflections from the divine pattern, and he wanted to take all that was Judaic at its best. His description applies to the Tabernacle only. It is doubtful whether the seven-branched candlestick was preserved in the Temple of Solomon; there was certainly no ark or mercy-seat, much less a Shechinah, in the Herodian Temple of this period. When Pompey profanely forced his way into the Holy of Holies he found to his great astonishment nothing whatever ( vacua omnia ). was ] Rather, “is.” The whole tabernacle is ideally present to the writer’s imagination. the candlestick ] Exodus 25:31-39 ; Exodus 37:17-24 . The word would more accurately be rendered “lamp-stand.” In Solomon’s temple there seem to have been ten ( 1 Kings 7:49 ). There was indeed one only in the Herodian temple ( 1Ma 1:21 ; 1Ma 4:49 ; Jos. Antt. xii. 7. § 6, and allusions in the Talmud). It could not however have exactly resembled the famous figure carved on the Arch of Titus (as Josephus hints in a mysterious phrase, Jos. B.

J. vii. 5. § 5), for that has marine monsters carved upon its pediment, which would have been a direct violation of the second commandment. and the table ] Exodus 25:23-30 ; Exodus 37:10-16 . There were ten such tables of acacia-wood overlaid with gold in Solomon’s temple ( 2 Chronicles 4:8 ; 2 Chronicles 4:19 ). and the shewbread ] Lit. “the setting forth of the loaves.” The Hebrew name for it is “the bread of the face” (i.e. placed before the presence of God), Exodus 25:23-30 ; Leviticus 24:5-9 . which is called the sanctuary ] In the O.T. Kodesh , “the Holy Place.”

(2) Tabernacle. —It must be carefully observed that the Epistle throughout refers to the Tabernacle, and not once to the Temples which succeeded it. Though they were formed on the same general model, their very nature and design necessitated changes of plan and detail which unfitted them for the writer’s argument here. So far as the Temple was a copy of the Tabernacle, and so far only, was it made “after the pattern” that Moses had seen; and so far only was its symbolism of divine and not human origin. The first, wherein was . . .—In Hebrews 9:6, when the writer passes from place to ministration, he uses the present tense, although it is of the Tabernacle that he is speaking. The explanation is that which has come before us again and again: the arrangements prescribed in Scripture are to him ever present, abiding from age to age in that unchanging word. Hence probably we should here read are instead of “were.” The golden candlestick, the table, and the showbread are in the Holy Place as it is described in the Law. With the symbolical meaning of the furniture of the Holy Place we are not here concerned. The writer contents himself with words which plainly imply that none of the parts and arrangements of the Tabernacle were without significance.

On the golden candlestick (more strictly, lampstand) see Exodus 25:31-37, and on the ten candlesticks of the Temple of Solomon, 1Kings 7:49; on the table and the showbread, Exodus 25:23-30; Leviticus 24:5-9 (1Kings 7:48; 2Chronicles 4:8). It is somewhat remarkable that the table should here be so distinctly mentioned, for usually (both in the Bible and in Jewish tradition) no special importance appears to be assigned to it apart from the offering which was placed thereon. (Comp., however, Leviticus 24:6; 2Chronicles 13:11; Malachi 1:7; Malachi 1:12.) This offering is in Hebrew called “bread of the face”—i.e., bread of the (divine) Presence; in Matthew 12:4, Luke 6:4, “loaves of the setting forth;” here “the setting forth of the loaves.” Sanctuary.—Or, holy place. The same word is applied to the Holy of Holies in Hebrews 8:2; Hebrews 9:8; Hebrews 12:24-25; Hebrews 10:19; and probably in Hebrews 13:11. This verse and the next give the proper names of the two parts of the Tabernacle, which must be used when the one is to be distinguished from the other. Where there is no risk of mistake the simpler designation is sufficient. (See Leviticus 16:2; Leviticus 16:17; Leviticus 16:20.) It will be observed that here and in Hebrews 9:3; Hebrews 9:6-7, these divisions are spoken of as if two distinct Tabernacles.

2. Defining "the worldly tabernacle." a tabernacle—"the tabernacle." made—built and furnished. the first—the anterior tabernacle. candlestick … table—typifying light and life (Ex 25:31-39). The candlestick consisted of a shaft and six branches of gold, seven in all, the bowls made like almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch. It was carried in Vespasian's triumph, and the figure is to be seen on Titus' arch at Rome. The table of shittim wood, covered with gold, was for the showbread (Ex 25:23-30). showbread—literally, "the setting forth of the loaves," that is, the loaves set forth: "the show of the bread" [Alford]. In the outer holy place: so the Eucharist continues until our entrance into the heavenly Holy of Holies (1Co 11:26). which, &c.—"which (tabernacle) is called the holy place," as distinguished from "the Holy of Holies."

Verses 2-5. - For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbead; which is called the holy place. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the holy of holies; having a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid with gold, wherein was a golden pot having the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; and over it the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat; of which things we cannot now speak particularly. The tabernacle as a whole is first spoken of; and then its two divisions, called respectively "the first 'and "the second" tabernacle. The account of them is from the Pentateuch, and describes them as they originally were. In the then existing temple there were neither ark, mercy-seat, nor cherubim, though the ceremonies were continued as though they had been still there. The ark had been removed or destroyed in the sack by the Chaldeans, and was never replaced (for the Jewish tradition on the subject, see 2 Macc. 2:1-8). Josephus says ('Bell.

Jud.,' 5:05. 5) that in the temple of his day there was nothing whatever behind the veil in the holy of holies; and Tacitus informs us ('Hist.,' v 9) that, when Pompey entered the temple, he found there "vacuam sedem et inania arcana." A stone basement is said by the rabbis to have occupied the ark's place, called "lapis fundationis." In the "first tabernacle," called "the holy place" ( ἅγια probably, not ἁγία : i.e. a neuter plural, equivalent to "the holies"), the table of shewbread (with its twelve loaves in two rows, changed weekly) stood on the north side, i.e. the right as one approached the veil; and opposite to it, on the left, the seven-branched golden candlestick, or lamp-stand, carrying an oil-lamp on each branch ( Exodus 25, 37, 40 .). Between them, close to the veil stood the golden altar of incense (ibid.); which, nevertheless, is not mentioned here as part of the furniture of the "first tabernacle," being associated with the "second," for reasons which will be seen. The "second veil" was that between the holy place and the holy of holies ( Exodus 36:35 ), the curtain at the entrance of the holy place ( Exodus 36:37 ) being regarded as the first. The inner sanctuary behind this second veil is spoken of as having ( ἔχουσα ) in the first place "a golden censer ," as the word θυμιατήριον is translated in the A.V. (so also in the Vulgate, thuribulum ). But it assuredly means the" golden altar of incense," though this stood locally outside the veil.