1 Kings 8:4

4. and the tabernacle of the congregation] Better, as in other places, the Tent of meeting. This consecrated tent, which had up to this time stood in Gibeon, was now taken down, and the curtains and poles of which it consisted seem to have been brought to the Temple to be preserved. There was probably room enough for their bestowal in the ‘side chambers’ which enclosed the Temple on three sides. Others have suggested a chamber above the most holy place. We have nothing to guide us to a conclusion either in history or tradition. A tradition which points to the preservation of the Tent is found 2Ma_2:4.

those did the priests and the Levites bring up] In the parallel passage in 1Ch_5:5, the conjunction ‘and’ is omitted and special attention is called to Deu_17:18, where, and in subsequent places of the same book ‘the priests the Levites’ are spoken of. It is noteworthy that Josephus speaks only of the Levites, until the ark is to be brought within the most holy place. Then, he says, all the rest withdrew and the priests carried it to its resting-place. He also describes the procession, and how the road was drenched with libations and with the blood of many sacrifices, while the abundant burning of incense filled all the air with fragrance so that people at a great distance could note that God was, as men would judge, changing His abode and coming to dwell in the house which had been newly built and dedicated to Him. The LXX. (Vat.) omits nearly the whole of 1Ki_8:2-3, and also a portion of 1Ki_8:4.

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.

1Ki 8:4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that [were] in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.

Ver. 4. And the tabenacle of the congregation.] Made by Moses, and hitherto transportative, and for many years severed from the ark, but now to be reunited and settled in the temple; as the saints, here tossed up and down, shall one day be in heaven, that habitation of God’s holiness.

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.

1Ki 8:4. And the tabernacle of the congregation — That made by Moses, which doubtless before this time had been removed from Gibeon to Zion. And all the holy vessels — Namely, the altar of incense, the table of show- bread, the candlestick, and every thing belonging to them; all these were now carried into the temple, and laid up there, to prevent all idolatrous and superstitious use of them, and to oblige the people to come up to Jerusalem, as the only place where sacrifices were now to be offered, and the various ceremonies of public worship performed.

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

Verse 4. They brought up - the tabernacle] It is generally agreed that there were now two tabernacles at Gibeon, and the other in the city of David, which one David had constructed as a temporary residence for the ark, in the event of a temple being built. Which of these tabernacles was brought into the temple at this time, is not well known; some think both were brought in, in order to prevent the danger of idolatry. I should rather suppose that the tabernacle from Gibeon was brought in, and that the temporary one erected by David was demolished.

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

(4) The tabernacle of the congregation (see 1Ch_16:39-40; 2Ch_1:3) was still at Gibeon; and the priests and Levites had hitherto been divided between it and the lesser tabernacle over the ark on Mount Zion. Probably each section of the priests and Levites now brought up in solemn procession the sacred things entrusted to them. According to the order of the Mosaic law (Num_3:25-37), the Kohathites had charge on the march of the ark and the vessels, the Gershonites of the Tabernacle and its hangings, and the Merarites of the boards and pillars of the Tabernacle and the outer court. This order, no doubt, was followed, as far as possible, on this its last journey. What became of the Tabernacle and its furniture (so far as this was disused), we are not told; but all was probably deposited, as a sacred relic of antiquity, somewhere in the precincts of the Temple. This seems to be implied in the famous Jewish tradition (see 2Ma_2:4-6), that Jeremiah was enabled to hide by miracle “the Tabernacle and the ark and the altar of incense” on the destruction of the Temple.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they brought up the ark of the Lord,.... From the city of David to the temple:

and the tabernacle of the congregation; not the tent David made for the ark, though that might be brought also, but the tabernacle of Moses, which had been many years at Gibeon; but now removed to Zion, and from thence to the temple, where it was laid up, as having been a sacred thing; that it might not be put to common or superstitious uses, and to prevent the being of more places than one for worship:

and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle; as the candlestick, shewbread table, incense altar, &c.

even those did the priests and the Levites bring up; some brought one, and some another; the priests brought the ark, and the Levites the vessels.

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

And the tabernacle of the congregation - Not the tented structure erected for the ark on Mount Zion 2Sa 6:17 by David, but the original tabernacle made by Moses, which had hitherto remained at Gibeon (margin reference). The tabernacle and its holy vessels were probably placed in the treasury.

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

Ark, from the city of David, along with the tabernacle, (Salien) which had been made for it in the palace, ver. 1. They also (Haydock) brought the Mosaic tabernacle from Gaboan, (Calmet; Josephus, &c.) and reposited both (Haydock) in the treasury of the temple, as they were now of no other service. Jeremias was authorized to take the ark, the tabernacle, and the altar of incense, in order to prevent their falling into the hands of the Chaldeans. He placed them in a cave, where they have never, perhaps, been discovered, 2 Machabees ii. 4.

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).

The tabernacle of the congregation; that made by Moses, which doubtless before this time had been translated from Gibeon to Zion, and now, together with other things, was put into the treasuries of the Lord’s house, to prevent all the superstitious use and profane abuse of it, and to oblige the people to come up to Jerusalem, as the only place where God would now be worshipped.

The priests and Levites; the priests carrying some, and the Levites others.

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

4. Brought up the ark — From Zion to Moriah; from the tabernacle of David to the most holy place of the temple. This is spoken of as an ascent, or going up, of the ark, though Moriah was lower than Zion; for the Israelite conceived the mountain of the temple as the highest of all mountains, (Psa_68:15; Mic_4:1,) and spoke of going up to it as they did of going up to Jerusalem. So in this same verse the tabernacle is spoken of as brought up to the temple from Gibeon, though Gibeon is higher than any mountain of Jerusalem.

Tabernacle of the congregation — This old structure, a sacred relic of Moses and the elder fathers, but doubtless bearing many marks of the ravages of time, had been standing for a long time on the high place of Gibeon. 2Ch_1:3. But not containing the ark, it had lost much of its sanctity in the eyes of the people, and only served to divide and distract the public worship. It was time to put an end to such confusion; and so the old tabernacle was brought up and stored away among the sacred treasures of the new and glorious temple.

All the holy vessels — The golden altar, the golden candlestick, the table of show-bread, and probably other shrines. Josephus says that “they set the candlestick, the table, and the golden altar in the temple before the most secret place, in the very same places wherein they stood till that time in the tabernacle.” But this may be reasonably doubted in view of the fact that Solomon made altar, tables, and candlesticks all new for this purpose. See notes on 1Ki_7:48-49. Still the old ones may have been placed near the new. Among the sacred relics the brazen serpent was preserved until the days of Hezekiah. 2Ki_18:4.

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

And they brought up the ark of the Lord which had now been for nearly 40 years "in the tabernacle that David had pitched for it" on the Mount Zion, (2Sa_6:17) and the tabernacle of the congregation Heb, "the tabernacle of meeting". (Exo_29:42, Exo_29:46. See Dict. Bib. 2. p. 1414; Bahr, Symbolik, 1:80, 81) This had been for many years at Gibeon. (Cf. ch. 3:4 2Ch_1:8 1Ch_16:8. See note on 1Ki_3:4) The tabernacle of Mount Zion is never called"the tabernacle of the congregation indeed, it is expressly distingnished from it, 2Ch_1:3, 2Ch_1:4. The ark and the tabernacle were now reunited in the temple of Solomon, thus "marking the identity and continuity of the life and ritual of the Hebrew Church" (Wordsworth), and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle. Perhaps the brazen altar. Certainly the altar of incense, the table of shewbread, the candlestick, and also the brazen serpent (Stanley), even those did the priests and Levites bring up. We are hardly justified in saying (as Keil, al.) that the Levites carried all but the ark. The text rather favours the view that the priests assisted in bringing up the tabernacle and its furniture. 2Ch_5:5. Neither the tabernacle nor its vessels were designed for further use in the temple; the latter had been replaced by vessels better suited to the enlarged sanctuary they were simply preserved, so far as we know, as relics of the past. in the treasury or side chambers.

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

The tabernacle - That made by Moses, which doubtless before this time had been translated from Gibeon to Zion, and now together with other things, was put into the treasuries of the Lord's house, to prevent all superstitious use of it, and to oblige the people to come up to Jerusalem, as the only place where God would now be worshipped.

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

The Tent of Meeting. Which Moshe made and Shlomo stored this away as soon as the first Beis [Hamikdosh] was built, as we have learned in the Tosefta of Maseches Sotah.

That were in the Tent. Which Dovid pitched for the Ark.

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.