2 Chronicles 4

1 fecit quoque altare aeneum viginti cubitorum longitudinis et viginti cubitorum latitudinis et decem cubitorum altitudinis

2 mare etiam fusile decem cubitis a labio usque ad labium rotundum per circuitum quinque cubitos habebat altitudinis et funiculus triginta cubitorum ambiebat gyrum eius

3 similitudo quoque boum erat subter illud et decem cubitis quaedam extrinsecus celaturae quasi duobus versibus alvum maris circuibant boves autem erant fusiles

4 et ipsum mare super duodecim boves inpositum erat quorum tres respiciebant aquilonem et alii tres occidentem porro tres alii meridiem et tres qui reliqui erant orientem mare habentes superpositum posteriora autem boum erant intrinsecus sub mari

5 porro vastitas eius habebat mensuram palmi et labium illius erat quasi labium calicis vel repandi lilii capiebatque mensurae tria milia metretas

6 fecit quoque concas decem et posuit quinque a dextris et quinque a sinistris ut lavarent in eis omnia quae in holocaustum oblaturi erant porro in mari sacerdotes lavabantur

7 fecit autem et candelabra aurea decem secundum speciem qua iussa erant fieri et posuit ea in templo quinque a dextris et quinque a sinistris

8 necnon et mensas decem posuitque eas in templo quinque a dextris et quinque a sinistris fialas quoque aureas centum

9 fecit etiam atrium sacerdotum et basilicam grandem et ostia in basilica quae texit aere

10 porro mare posuit in latere dextro contra orientem ad meridiem

11 fecit autem Hiram lebetas quoque et creagras et fialas et conplevit omne opus regis in domo Dei

12 hoc est columnas duas et epistylia et capita et quasi quaedam retiacula quae capita tegerent super epistylia

13 malagranata quoque quadringenta et retiacula duo ita ut bini ordines malagranatorum singulis retiaculis iungerentur quae protegerent epistylia et capita columnarum

14 bases etiam fecit et concas quas superposuit basibus

15 mare unum bovesque duodecim sub mari

16 et lebetas et creagras et fialas omnia vasa fecit Salomoni Hiram pater eius in domo Domini ex aere mundissimo

17 in regione Iordanis fudit ea rex in argillosa terra inter Socchoth et Saredatha

18 erat autem multitudo vasorum innumerabilis ita ut ignoraretur pondus aeris

19 fecitque Salomon omnia vasa domus Dei et altare aureum et mensas et super eas panes propositionis

20 candelabra quoque cum lucernis suis ut lucerent ante oraculum iuxta ritum ex auro purissimo

21 et florentia quaedam et lucernas et forcipes aureos omnia de auro mundissimo facta sunt

22 thymiamateria quoque et turibula et fialas et mortariola ex auro purissimo et ostia celavit templi interioris id est in sancto sanctorum et ostia templi forinsecus aurea sicque conpletum est omne opus quod fecit Salomon in domo Domini

2 Chronicles 4 Commentary

Chapter 4

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.