2 Chronicles 4:7

THE TEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS, THE TEN TABLES, THE HUNDRED GOLDEN BOWLS, AND THE COURTS (2Ch_4:7-9).

This section is peculiar to Chronicles.

(7) And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form.—And he made the golden lampstands ten, according to their rule, or, prescribed manner. (Comp. 1Ki_7:49; and Exo_25:31-40, where their type is described.) So the Vulg., “secundum speciem quâ jussa erant fieri.” Syriac and Arabic, “according to their laws.” Others explain “as their use required,” which is less likely.

In the temple.—And before the chancel (1Ki_7:49; 2Ch_4:20, infra).

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

2Ch 4:7 And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set [them] in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

Ver. 7. And he made ten candlesticks of gold, according to their form.] According to David’s pattern.

Five on the right hand.] See 1Ki 7:49.

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.

The golden furniture of the holy place and the courts. These three verses are not found in the parallel narrative 1 Kings 7, where in Kg1 7:39 the statement as to the position of the brazen sea (Ch2 4:10) follows immediately the statement of the position of the stands with the lavers. The candlesticks and the table of the shew-bread are indeed mentioned in the summary enumeration of the temple furniture, Kg1 7:48 and Kg1 7:49, as in the corresponding passage of the Chronicle (Ch2 4:19, Ch2 4:20) they again occur; and in Kg1 6:36 and Kg1 7:12, in the description of the temple building, the inner court is spoken of, but the outer court is not expressly mentioned. No reason can be given for the omission of these verses in 1 Kings 7; but that they have been omitted or have dropped out, may be concluded from the fact that not only do the whole contents of our fourth chapter correspond to the section 1 Kings 7:23-50, but both passages are rounded off by the same concluding verse (Ch2 5:1 and Kg1 7:51).

Ch2 4:7

He made ten golden candlesticks כּמשׁפּטם, according to their right, i.e., as they should be according to the prescript, or corresponding to the prescript as to the golden candlesticks in the Mosaic sanctuary (Exo 25:31.). משׁפּט is the law established by the Mosaic legislation.

Ch2 4:8

Ten golden tables, corresponding to the ten candlesticks, and, like these, placed five on the right and five on the left side of the holy place. The tables were not intended to bear the candlesticks (Berth.), but for the shew-bread; cf. on Ch2 4:19 and Ch1 28:16. And a hundred golden basins, not for the catching and sprinkling of the blood (Berth.), but, as their connection with the tables for the shew-bread shows, wine flagons, or sacrificial vessels for wine libations, probably corresponding to the מנקּיּות on the table of shew-bread in the tabernacle (Exo 25:29). The signification, wine flagons, for מזרקים, is placed beyond a doubt by Amo 6:6.

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.)

4:7 The seven lights of each of the ten gold lampstands might have represented the Pleiades, a cluster of stars symbolized by seven dots in ancient Mesopotamia (cp. Job 9:9; 38:31; Amos 5:8).

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

Even as they should be made.

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

ten candlesticks--(See on Kg1 7:49). The increased number was not only in conformity with the characteristic splendor of the edifice, but also a standing emblem to the Hebrews, that the growing light of the word was necessary to counteract the growing darkness in the world [LIGHTFOOT].

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

According to their form - Rather, “after their manner” (compare 2Ch 4:20). There is no allusion to the shape of the candlesticks, which were made, no doubt, after the pattern of the original candlestick of Moses.

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

According to their form; either,

1. the form which was appointed for them by God, who signified it to David. Or rather,

2. The old form which God prescribed to Moses, Exo 25:31, &c., for so these were made. And this clause seems to be added here, because in many things there was a great variation from the old form, as in the posture of the cherubims, the height of the altar, and divers other things.

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

Ten candlesticks of gold. The only allusion to these in the parallel is found later on in part of the forty-ninth verse of 1Ki

7. According to their form. This expression, though so vague, might point to the fact that the form of the old candlestick of the tabernacle was adhered. (Exo_25:31) But considering the recurrence of the same words (ver. 20), there can be no doubt that the phrase is identical in its meaning with the use found in such passages as Lev_5:10 Lev_9:16, and means "according to the prescribed ordinance,

Lights in the world.

There are many difficulties and disagreements about the spiritual significance of the temple furniture; but there is a general agreement as to the meaning of the "candlestick," or of these "ten candlesticks of gold" to which the text refers. As in the "Divine compartment" of the "most holy place" the Shechinah was the symbol of the Divine presence, and spoke of the Lord God of Israel as the one true Light of the world, so in the human department of the "holy place" these lights were the symbol of the Hebrew Church, regarded as the centre and source of light in the midst of surrounding darkness. And such it was. We may well regard

I ISRAEL AS THE SOURCE OF LIGHT. Perhaps rather as the possessor than the source, for communication between neighbouring countries was very much more limited then than it is now; and it was in its later days that the Jew was such a traveller and such a propagandist. But from the time that God made himself and his will known to Moses, down to the birth of Christ, Divine truth was known in Israel as it was not known elsewhere, and "salvation was of the Jews," as our Lord declared. Comparing the theological and ethical ideas of the people of God with those of contemporary peoples, we see how really enlightened they were. And some of the most essential doctrines, on which all Divine wisdom, and all moral excellency, and all national prosperity, and all individual wellbeing must always rest, were carried by the worshippers of Jehovah to Egypt, to Persia, to Rome, to still more distant countries. The light that shone in the sanctuary went forth and illumined a large space.

II THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AS A SOURCE OF LIGHT. Said the great Teacher to his disciples, and through them to his Church for all time, "Ye are the light of the world." The Apostle Paul wrote to his converts at Ephesus, and through them to us, "Ye are light in the Lord." And it becomes us to do two things.

1. Manifest the great characteristic of light purity. To "walk as children of light, in all goodness and righteousness and truth"; (Eph_5:8, Eph_5:9) as the servants of him who himself "is light, in whom is no darkness at all;" to be "holy as he is holy.

2. Discharge the great function of light to reveal. To "make manifest" (Eph_5:13) those great verities which renew and sustain and ennoble us in heart and life. We are so to let our light shine that men may see our good works, and glorify our Divine Father. It does not take any prolonged study, or any range of experience, or any remarkable talent, to cause men to know the redeeming truths which restore them to God; which give them spiritual rest and abiding joy, and a hope that will not make ashamed; which build them up in manly virtues and in Christian graces; which prepare for the heavenly kingdom. Even the humbler disciples, who claim no rank in the community, may render this valuable service.

(1) By living a trite, faithful, earnest life, day by day, in the love of Christ;

(2) by speaking familiar Christian truth to those who are willing to hear it, this good work can be wrought. C.

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

Their form - The old form which God prescribed to Moses.

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

He made ... he placed ... He made ... He made

Here "he" refers to Solomon. The readers should understand that Solomon probably commanded other people to do the actual work. AT: "Solomon's workers made ... they placed ... They made ... They made" (See: Metonymy)

that were made from the instructions for their design

This can be stated in active form. AT: "according to the instructions for their design" or "according to how Solomon instructed his workers to design them" (See: Active or Passive)

on the right hand ... on the left

"on the right side ... on the left side" or "on the south side ... on the north side"

one hundred basins

"100 basins" (See: Numbers)

basins

shallow bowls used for washing

translationWords

lampstand

gold

temple

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

And he made the ten golden candelabra according to their regulations Why is it stated in connection with the candelabra, “according to their regulations”? Because he informs us why he made ten candelabra, and everything he deduced from the Torah: the flowers, the knobs, the almond-shaped cups enumerated in the chapter were seventy, meaning that for each of the ten candelabra were seven lamps. (This is how my mother’s brother, my uncle, Rabbi Klonimos the son of Rabbi Judah explained it, and it is a midrash), and its seven lamps corresponded to the seven planets: Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars.

and placed them in the Heichal, five from the right of Moses’ candelabrum.

and five from the left but they were all in the south.

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.