Exodus 35:13 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

But neither did God prescribe the making of the shewbread amongst the other utensils, Exo 25, nor was this made by the workmen here spoken of, but by others. How then comes this to be mentioned here? Answ. 1. The shew-bread may be here put for the vessels for the receiving the shew-bread, by a usual metonymy of the adjunct, the thing contained put for the thing containing; as treasures are put for the place where the treasures are put, Psalms 135:7 Matthew 2:11; Matthew 2:35, and the gifts or offerings of God for the treasury where they were put, Luke 21:4. Hence Tremellius renders this place, and the vessels of the shew-bread. Object. All the vessels of the table are mentioned before, of which this was one. Answ. It is not unusual after a general expression comprehending all distinctly to name one eminent member of that kind, such as this unquestionably was, the table being made principally for this use. Thus Mark 16:7, Tell my disciples and Peter. Like examples are in 2 Samuel 2:30 1 Kings 11:1 Psalms 18:1 Acts 11:4, and in other authors. And for the particle vau, and, which may seem to imply that these were things of another kind, and not any vessels of the table, that is oft put for especially, as Joshua 2:1 Mark 16:7, and so only notes an eminent thing of the same kind, as hath been said. Answ. 2. Though God did not prescribe the making of the shew-bread, yet he mentions it, together with the table, Exodus 25:30, and therefore it is conveniently mentioned with the table in this place also, where Moses, to show his exactness and fidelity, doth punctually repeat the same things to the people which he had received in command from God. In like manner the oil, which fed the light of the lamps, is mentioned here in the next verse, because the lighting of the lamps was prescribed, Exodus 25:37.