Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Golden censer, х thumiateerion (G2369)] - must not be translated 'altar of incense,' for it was in the outer holy place, not in "the Holiest" place; but as in Ezekiel 8:11, "censer." So Vulgate and Syriac. This GOLDEN censer was only used on the day of atonement (other censers on other days), and is associated with the holiest place, as being taken into it on that anniversary by the high priest. "Which had" does not mean that the golden censer was deposited there, for then the high priest would have had to go in and bring it out before burning incense in it; but that the golden censer was one of the articles belonging to the yearly service in the holiest place. He virtually supposes (without specifying) the 'altar of incense' in the anterior holy place, by mentioning the golden censer filled with incense from it: the incense answers to the prayers of the saints; the altar, though outside, is connected with the holiest place (standing close by the second veil, directly before the ark of the covenant), even as we find an antitypical altar in heaven (Revelation 8:3). The rending of the veil by Christ has brought the antitypes to the altar, candlestick, and showbread of the anterior holy place into the holiest place, heaven. In 1 Kings 6:22 х 'ªsher (H834) ladªbiyr (G1687)] the altar is said to belong to the oracle, or holiest place (cf. Exodus 30:6).
Ark - of shittim wood; i:e., acacia. Not in the second temple, but in its stead, was a stone basement ('the stone of foundation') three fingers high. х 'Arown (H727), from 'aarah (H717), to collect, a repository: its lid, the Greek hilasteerion (G2435), the mercy-seat, was the meeting place of God and man. Teebah (H8392), the ark of Noah; and that of Moses, when exposed in the Nile.]
Pot - "golden," added in the Septuagint; sanctioned by Paul.
Manna - an omer, each man's daily portion. 1 Kings 8:9 states there was nothing in the ark of Solomon's temple except the two stone tables of the law put in by Moses. But the expression that there was nothing THEN therein except the two tables leaves the inference that formerly there were the other things mentioned by the rabbis and by Paul, the pot of manna (the memorial of God's providential care of Israel) and the rod of Aaron (the memorial of the lawful priesthood, Numbers 17:3; Numbers 17:5; Numbers 17:7; Numbers 17:10). Perhaps these were lost when the ark was in the hands of the Philistines. "Before the Lord" (Exodus 16:32-36), and "before the Testimony," or covenant expressed in the two tables (Numbers 17:10), thus mean 'IN the ark' 'In,' however, may refer to appendages [as the Hebrew, l-] attached to the ark, as the book of the law put 'in the side of the ark;' so the golden jewels offered by the Philistines (1 Samuel 6:8).
Tables of the covenant (Deuteronomy 9:9; Deuteronomy 10:2). The purpose of the ark was to guard the sacred deposit; the sanctity attached to it symbolizing the religions observance due to the decalogue. The manna within typifies Jesus "the hidden manna" of the believer (John 6:31-35; Colossians 2:3; Revelation 2:17).