2 Chronicles 4:21 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Bible Comments

And the flowers... gold. — See 1 Kings 7:49.

And that perfect gold.It was perfection of gold. The word miklôth, “perfections” (intensive plural) occurs nowhere else. It is derived from kâlâh, “to be finished,” not kâlal (Bishop Wordsworth). The LXX. omits the clause; not so the Vulg., which renders “all were made of purest gold.” This little touch, added to heighten the effect, is quite in the manner of the chronicler, and is certainly not to be suspected, as Zöckler asserts. Perhaps we should read miklôl, “perfection” (Ezekiel 23:12), instead of the isolated miklôth.

And the snuffers. — Before this expression, and the basons (1 Kings 7:50) has probably fallen out.

Snuffers.Shears or scissors, for trimming the lamps.

The spoons, and the censers. — Or, trays and snuff-dishes. — See 1 Kings 7:50; Exodus 25:38.

And the entry of the house. — Including both the doors of the nave or holy place, and those of the chancel or holiest. The words are explained by those which follow: “viz., its inner doors to the holy of holies and the doors of the house — viz., to the nave (hêhâl, great hall).” In 1 Kings 7:50 we read, “And the hinges to the doors of the inner house — viz., the holy of holies, (and) to the doors of the house — viz., to the nave, were of gold.” The word rendered hinges (pôthôth) resembles that rendered entry (pethah); and some have supposed that the latter is a corruption of the former, and would alter our text accordingly. Two reasons seem to be decisive against such a change. (1) Pôthôth, “hinges,” occurs nowhere else in the Bible; and may not be genuine. It is likely enough that the doors of the Temple were plated with gold (1 Kings 6:32; 1 Kings 6:35), but hardly that their hinges were made of gold.

2 Chronicles 4:21

21 And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfecth gold;