1 Chronicles 28:18

1Ch 28:18 And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out [their wings], and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

Ver. 18. The chariot of the cherubims.] So called, because God sat between them, {Psa 99:1} rode upon them; {Psa 18:10} the angels - represented by those cherubims - are called the chariots of God; {Psa 68:17} and the Hebrews have a saying, that such as saw God of old saw only Merehavah velo harocheb, the chariot in which God rode, but not the rider in it; some created image and glory testifying his presence they saw, but himself they saw not. It is a good note also that is given here by some expositors - viz., that by this chariot of the cherubims God gave his people to understand that his presence in the ark was not so fixed among them, but that he would leave them, and ride clean away from them, if they should thereunto provoke him by their sins. In the 9th, 10th, and llth chapters of Ezekiel, God maketh various moves: as first, From the cherubims in the oracle to the threshold; {Eze 9:3} secondly, To the cherubims on the right side of the house; {Eze 10:1} thirdly, To the east gate of the house and the first entrance into the temple; {Eze 10:19} fourthly, To Mount Olivet, quite out of the city; - and {Eze 11:23} then followed the fatal calamity of that state.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch 28:18. For the altar of incense reigned gold — Purer than any of the rest. For that was typical of the intercession of Christ, than which nothing can be more pure and perfect. The chariot of the cherubim — Which Solomon was to make, (for those which were fastened to the mercy-seat were made by Moses long before,) which he fitly compares to a chariot, because within them God is said to sit and to dwell. And because a chariot is made to carry a person from place to place, this expression may be used to intimate, that God was not so fixed to them by the building of this temple, but that he would remove from them if they forsook him. Covered the ark — Not above it, for that was done by Moses’s cherubim, but before it, to keep it from the eyes of the high-priest, when he entered into the most holy place.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28:18 for the Lord’s “chariot”—the gold cherubim: The cherubim were various images of composite creatures found in connection with thrones and palaces. Ancient kings sat on cherub thrones. In God’s throne room (the Most Holy Place of Israel’s sanctuary), cherubim atop the Ark of the Covenant served a similar function (see Exod 25:18-22; 2 Sam 6:2; Ps 99:1; cp. Ezek 10).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, of the mercy seat which covered the Ark, which was called the chariot, because the Lord declared himself there.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the chariot of the cherubim--The expanded wings of the cherubim formed what was figuratively styled the throne of God, and as they were emblematical of rapid motion, the throne or seat was spoken of as a chariot (Psa 18:10; Psa 99:1). It is quite clear that in all these directions David was not guided by his own taste, or by a desire for taking any existing model of architecture, but solely by a regard to the express revelation of the divine will. In a vision, or trance, the whole edifice, with its appurtenances, had been placed before his eyes so vividly and permanently, that he had been able to take a sketch of them in the models delivered to Solomon.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 18. The chariot of the cherubims] "And the figure of the chariot, like to the figure of the propitiatory, where are the figures of the golden cherubim, extending their wings and covering the ark of the covenant of the Lord." - T.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. the altar of incense] 2Ch_26:16; Exo_30:1-10.

the chariot of the cherubims] R.V. the chariot, even the cherubim. Cp. Eze_1:5-10; Eze_1:15-17.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 (w):

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 Kg1 6:23 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 Eze 10:18,

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 (x).

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

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The chariot of the cherubims - The cherubim are themselves the chariot upon which Yahweh rides Psa 18:10; Psa 99:1.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Purest. Hebrew, "refined." --- Lord. He was represented as riding in a chariot, drawn by Cherubim, (Calmet) or sitting on their wings. (Haydock) --- Two, particularly, filled up the space between the walls in the most holy place, and covered the ark, and also the Cherubim made by Moses, 3 Kings vii. 23.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Of the chariot of the cherubims, i.e. of the cherubims, which Solomon was to make, of which see 1Ki 6:23, (for those which were fastened to the mercy-seat were made by Moses long before,) which he fitly compares to a chariot, because within them God is oft said to sit and to dwell, as 2Ki 19:5; Psa 80:1; 99:1; and sometimes he is said to ride upon a cherub, Psa 18:10. And because a chariot is made to carry a person from place to place, this expression may be used to intimate that God was not so fixed to them by the building of his temple, but that he both could and would remove from them if they forsook him. And when they did so, God did make use of the chariot of his cherubims to convey himself away from them, as is noted, Eze 10:15, &c.

Covered the ark; not above it, for that was done by Moses’s cherubims, but before it, to keep it from the eyes of the high priest when he entered into the most holy place, 1Ki 6:23.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. The chariot of the cherubim — The words chariot and cherubim are grammatically in apposition — the chariot, namely, the cherubim. The cherubim were themselves regarded as the chariot on which Jehovah rode. Psa_18:10.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

By the chariot of the cherubims, is of course not meant that the cherubim had a chariot, but that they constituted the chariot of Jehovah. (Psa_18:11)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Refined gold - Purer than any of the rest. For that was typical of the intercession of Christ, than which nothing can be more pure and perfect. The cherubim - Which Solomon was to make, (for those which were fastened to the mercy-seat were made by Moses long before) which he fitly compares to a chariot, because within them God is said to sit and to dwell. And because a chariot is made to carry a person from place to place, this expression may be used to intimate that God was not so fixed to them by the building of this temple, but that he would remove from them if they forsook him. Covered - Not above it, for that was done by Moses's cherubim, but before it, to keep it from the eyes of the high-priest, when he entered into the most holy place.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

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 (w):

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 Kg1 6:23 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 Eze 10:18,

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 (x).

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

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

refined gold

"purified gold" or "extra valuable gold"

of the gold for the design

The refers to the weight of the gold. AT: "the weight of the gold for the design" (See: Ellipsis)

I have put all this in writing

This is an idiom. AT: "I wrote all of this down" (See: Idiom)

gave me to understand regarding the design

This refers to the detail for the design of the temple. AT: "helped me to understand the details for his temple" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

incense

altar

cherub

ark of the covenant

David

understand

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

refined gold - Heb. זָהָב מְזֻקָּק, like refined silver (כֶּסֶף מְזֻקָּק).

and for the pattern of the chariot They are the cherubim upon which the Shechinah “rides.”

which spread out [their wings] and covered Heb. לְפרְשִׂים. i.e., which were spreading and covering over the Ark, as is stated (Ex. 25: 20): “The cherubim shall spread their wings, etc.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.