Huram for Workmen.

(3) And Solomon sent to 1Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send

6. 18.

on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. (5) And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. (6) a But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain

or thought, purposed, resolved, as in 1 Kings v. 5. The context seems to favour the latter sense.

And an house for his kingdom.-Or, for his royalty; that is, as the Vulg. renders, a palace for himself. Solomon's royal palace is mentioned again in verse 12; vii. 11; viii. 1; but the building of it is not related in the Chronicle. (See 1 Kings vii. 1—12.)

(2) And Solomon told out.-That is, counted out. (Comp. Ps. xxii. 17; Exod. v. 8.) For the rest of this verse see Note on verse 18, where its contents are repeated. (Comp. 1 Kings v. 15.)

to hew

...

To bear to oversee.-Bearers of... hewers . overseers over, as in verse 18. (2) The treaty with Huram of Tyre (verses 3—16). (3) And Solomon sent to Huram.-Comp. 1 Kings v. 2-11, from which we learn that Huram or Hiram had first sent to congratulate Solomon upon his accession. The account here agrees generally with the parallel passage of the older work. The variations which present themselves only prove that the chronicler has made independent use of his sources.

build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him? (7) Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and

and a continual pile (of shewbread) and burnt offerings. (See Lev. xxiv. 5, 8; Num. xxviii. 4.)

On the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts.-1 Chron. xxiii. 31. Solemn feasts:" set seasons. These special sacrifices are prescribed in Num. xxviii. 9—xxix.

66

This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.— Literally, for ever this is (is obligatory) upon Israel, viz., this ordinance of offerings. (Comp. the similar phrase, 1 Chron. xxiii. 31; and the formula, "a statute for ever," so common in the Law, Exod. xii. 14; xxix. 9.) (5) And the house which I build is great.1 Chron. xxix. 1.

Great is our God above all gods.—Exod. xviii. 11; Deut. x. 17; Ps. lxxvii. 13; xcv. 3. According to modern notions of magnitude, the Temple of Solomon was a small building. (See on 1 Kings vi. 2, 3.) Shelley's

"There once proud Salem's haughty fane

Reared high to heaven its thousand golden domes,

is pure fancy.

Huram.-In Kings the name is spelt Hiram (1 Kings v. 1, 2, 7) and Hirom (1 Kings v. 10, 18, Hebr.). (Comp. 1 Chron. xiv. 1.) Whether the Tyrian name Siromos (Herod. vii. 98) is another form of Hiram, as Bertheau supposes, is more than doubtful. It is interesting to find that the king of Tyre bore this name in the time of Tiglath-pileser II., to whom he paid tribute (B.C. 738), along with Menahem of Samaria. (Assyr. Hi-ru-um-mu, to which the Hirôm of 1 Kings v. 10, 18 comes very near.)

As thou didst deal... dwell therein.-See 1 Chron. xiv. 1. The sense requires the clause, added by our translators, in italics, "Even so deal with me," after the Vulg. "sic fac mecum.' 1 Kings v. 3 makes Solomon refer to the wars which hindered David from building the Temple.

(4) I build.-Am about to build (bôneh).

To the name of the Lord.-1 Kings iii. 2; 1 Chron. xvi. 35; xxii. 7.

To dedicate.-Or, consecrate. (Comp. Lev. xxvii. 14; 1 Kings ix. 3, 7.) The italicised and should be omitted, as the following words define the purpose of the dedication, viz., for burning before him, &c. Comp. Vulgate: "Ut consecrem eam ad adolendum incensum coram illo." (See Exod. xxv. 6; xxx. 7, 8.)

And for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings.-In the Hebrew this is loosely connected with the verb rendered to burn, as part of its object for offering before him incense of spices

(6) But who is able.-Literally, who could keep strength? (See 1 Chron. xxix. 14.)

The heaven cannot contain him.—This high thought occurs in Solomon's prayer (1 Kings viii. 27; 2 Chron. vi. 18).

Who am I then . . . before him ?-That is, I am not so ignorant of the infinite nature of Deity, as to think of localising it within an earthly dwelling. I build not for His residence, but for His worship and service. (Comp. Isa. xl. 22.)

To burn sacrifice.-Literally, to burn incense. Here, as in verse 4, used in a general sense.

(7) Send me now -And now send me a wise man, to work in the gold and in the silver (1 Chron. xxii. 15; verse 13).

And in (the) purple, and crimson, and blue.— No allusion is made to this kind of art in chap. iv. 11-16, nor in 1 Kings vii. 13 seq., which describe only metallurgic works of this master, whose versatile genius might easily be paralleled by famous names of the Renaissance.

Solomon's Requests.

Huram's Answer.

the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide. (8) Send me also

gravings.

thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

(11) Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over

3 wonderful great. (10) And, behold, I

be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with

Can skill.-Knoweth how.

To grave.-Literally, to carve carvings; whether in wood or stone. (1 Kings vi. 29; Zech. iii. 9; Exod. xxviii. 9, on gems.)

With the cunning men.-The Hebrew connects this clause with the infinitive to work at the beginning of the verse. There should be a stop after the words to grave.

Whom David my father did provide (prepared, 1 Chron xxix. 2).-1 Chron. xxii. 15; xxviii. 21. (8) Fir trees.-The word běrôshim is now often rendered cypresses. But Professor Robertson Smith has well pointed out that the Phoenician Ebusus (the modern Iviza) is the "isle of běrōshim," and is called in Greek Пiтvoûσai, i.e., "Pine islets." Moreover a species of pine is very common on the Lebanon.

Algum trees.-Sandal wood; Heb. 'algummim, which appears a more correct spelling of the native Indian word (valgûka) than the 'almuggim of 1 Kings x. 11. (See Note on chap. x. 10.)

Out of Lebanon. The chronicler knew that sandal wood came from Ophir, or Abhira, at the mouth of the Indus (chap. x. 10; comp. 1 Kings x. 11). The desire to be concise has betrayed him into an inaccuracy of statement. Or must we suppose that Solomon himself believed that the sandal wood, which he only knew as a Phoenician export, really grew, like the cedars and firs, on the Lebanon? Such a mistake would be perfectly natural; but the divergence of this account from the parallel in 1 Kings leaves it doubtful whether we have in either anything more than an ideal sketch of Solomon's message.

For I know that thy servants. . .-Comp. the words of Solomon as reported in 1 Kings v. 6.

(9) Even to prepare me timber in abundance. -Rather, And they shall prepare, or, let them prepare. (A use of the infinitive, to which the chronicler is partial: see 1 Chron. v. 1; ix. 25; xiii. 4; xv. 2; xxii. 5.) So Syriac, "Let them be bringing to me.'

Shall be wonderful great. See margin; and LXX., μéyas kal évôokos, “great and glorious;" Syriac, "an astonishment" (temha).

66

(10) And, behold, I will give . . . barley.Rather, And, behold, for the hewers, that is, for the woodcutters, I will give wheat as food for thy servants, viz., twenty thousand kors, and barley twenty thousand kors, &c. "For the hewers" may mean as for the hewers," or perhaps on account of the hewers" (Gen. iv. 23). The latter sense would bring the verse into substantial harmony with 1 Kings v. 11, where we read: "And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand

66

kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors" (LXX., 20,000 baths) "of pure oil: so used Solomon to give to Hiram year by year," i.e., during his building operations.

Beaten wheat.-The Hebrew (hittîm makkôth) is literally wheat-strokes. But it is obvious that makkoth is a misreading for makkoleth, food, the word used in 1 Kings v. 11; and so the LXX. renders. The expression "thy servants" here seems to correspond with the phrase "his household" there; and the drift of the whole passage is that, in return for the services of the Tyrian artificers, Solomon engages to supply Hiram's royal household with provisions of corn and wine and oil.

Others assume, without much likelihood, that the two passages relate to two distinct agreements, by one of which Solomon undertook to supply Hiram's court, and by the other his Tyrian workmen, with provisions.

Hewers (hotěbîm).—An old word, not recurring in the chronicle, and therefore explained by the writer.

Measures (kōrîm).—The kor was a dry measure= one quarter. (Syriac, reb'e, "quarters.") The bath, a liquid measure, of six or seven gallons' capacity. Both words occur in the Greek of Luke xvi. 6, 7.

(11-15) Huram's reply. (Comp. 1 Kings v. 7-9.)

(11) Answered in writing.-Said in a letter. This seems to imply that Solomon's message had been orally delivered.

Because the Lord hath loved his people.— So chap. ix. 8; 1 Kings x. 9. In the parallel passage Huram blesses Jehovah, on hearing Solomon's message, apparently before writing his reply.

(12) Huram said moreover.-And Huram said, that is, in his letter to Solomon.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that made heaven and earth.-In 1 Kings v. 7 we read simply, "Blessed be the Lord this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people.' The chronicler has perhaps modified the words of his source in a monotheistic sense; although it is quite possible that Jehovah was known to the polytheist Phoenician by the title of "Maker of heaven and earth." (Comp. Gen. xiv. 19.) An inscription of the Persian emperor Xerxes speaks of the Supreme in terms which resemble what Solomon says in verse 5, as well as Huram's language here: The great god Ahuramazda, great one of the gods, who made this earth, who made these heavens" (inscription on rocks at Elvend).

66

An house for his kingdom.-A royal palace (chap. vii. 11; viii. 1).

(13) Endued with understanding.-See the same phrase in 1 Chron. xii. 32.

Of Huram my father's.-Rather, Huram my father-i.e., master, preceptor, as in chap. iv. 16, where Huram is called the "father" of Solomon. (Comp. Gen. xlv. 8; Judg. xvii. 10; xviii. 19. So LXX. and Vulgate; Syriac omits.)

(14) The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan.-In 1 Kings vii. 14 Hiram is called "son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali." Bertheau explains,

66

She was by birth a Danite, married into the tribe of Naphtali, became a widow, and as a widow of the tribe of Naphtali became the wife of a man of Tyre, by whom she had a son Huram. Thus two of the tribes of Israel could boast that on the mother's side Huram belonged to them." But in the Hebrew words "daughters of Dan" it is possible to see a corruption of the word NAPHTALI.

Skilful.-This epithet belongs to Huram, not to his Tyrian father.

To work in gold.-1 Kings vii. 14 calls Huram simply "a worker in brass," or bronze.

Purple.-The strictly Hebrew form (verse 7). Fine linen (bûç, byssus).-1 Chron. xv. 27. Neither this material of Huram's art, nor stone nor timber was mentioned in verse 7. Huram is naturally represented as enhancing the accomplishments of his artist.

To find out every device which shall be put to him.-Rather, to devise any manner of device that may be given him (to devise); that is, to invent all kinds of artistic objects according to commission. The words are a reminiscence of Exod. xxxi. 4, xxxv. 32, probably interpolated by the chronicler.

With thy cunning men-i.e., to work along with them. (Comp. verse. 7.)

My lord David.-A touch of Oriental politeness. Huram was independent of David, as of Solomon.

(15) The wheat, and the barley.-See verse 10. Huram accepts Solomon's proposed exchange of

benefits.

His servants.-Huram means himself and his court. The term is the correlative of "lord." (16) And we will cut wood.-The we is emphatic, and we, on our part, the pronoun being expressed in the Hebrew.

Wood (="timber," verses 8, 9, 10, 14).-Properly trees.

As much as thou shalt need. See margin. "Need" (çōrek) occurs here only in the Old Testament. The word is common in the Targums, and in Rabbinic

The Strangers in the Land

which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants: (16) and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, 1as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in flotes by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.

(17) a And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred. (18) And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be

writings; 1 Kings v. 8 has the classical phrase, “all thy desire."

In flotes.-Heb., raphsōdoth. Another isolated expression. Rendered "rafts" by the LXX. and Vulgate, but omitted by Syriac and Arabic. 1 Kings v. 9 has dôběróth, "rafts," which settles the meaning.

To Joppa.-1 Kings v. 9 has the less definite “unto the place that thou shalt appoint me." Joppa (modern Jaffa) was the harbour nearest Jerusalem.

And thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.— This interprets the curt phrase of 1 Kings v. 9, "and thou shalt take (them) away."

A comparison of this and the parallel account of Huram's letter makes it clear (1) that the chronicler has not written without knowledge of the older text; (2) that neither text has preserved the exact form of the original documents. From Josephus (Ant. viii. 2, 8) it would appear that some record of the negotiations between Huram and Solomon was still extant at Tyre in his day, if only we might trust his authority.

(17, 18) Solomon's levy of Canaanite labourers. (A return to the subject of verse 2.)

(17) All the strangers.-The indigenous Canaanite population. (Comp. the use of the term in Gen. xxiii. 4; Exod. xxii. 21; Lev. xvii. 8.)

After the numbering. The word sephâr, “reckoning," ," "census," occurs here only in the Old Testament.

Wherewith David his father.-The former census of the native Canaanites, which had taken place by order of David, is briefly recorded in 1 Chron. xxii. 2. (Comp. 2 Sam. xx. 24, "and Adoram was over the levy," from which it appears that the subject population was liable to forced labour under David; comp. also 1 Kings iv. 6; v. 14; xii. 4-18.)

And they were found.-The total of the numbers here given is 153,600, which is the sum of the figures assigned in the next verse, viz., 70,000 + 80,000 +5,600.

(18) And he set...-Literally, and he made seventy thousand of them bearers of burdens, and eighty thousand hewers in the mountains. This exactly agrees with 1 Kings v. 15.

And three thousand and six hundred overseers. The same number was given in verse 2. In 1 Kings v. 16 we read of 3,300 officers. In the Hebrew, three (shālôsh) and six (shesh) might easily be confused; our reading appears right. The chronicler omits all notice of the levy of 30,000 Israelites, which

The Place of the Temple.

The Measure and Ornaments.

the parallel passage records (1 Kings v. 13, 14); whether by an oversight, or from disapproval, we cannot say. Adding that number to the 70,000 and 80,000 other labourers, we get a grand total of 180,000, which gives a company of 50 for each of the 3,600 overseers.

Overseers.-Heb. měnaççěhim. Only here and in verse 2 supra, and chap. xxxiv. 13. It is the plural of a participle which occurs only in the titles of the Psalms (including Hab. iii. 19), while the verb is read only in Chronicles and Ezra iii. 8, 9. (See Note on 1 Chron. xv. 21.)

66

To set the people a work-i.e., on work or a-working. (Comp. "I go a-fishing," John xxi. 3.) Literally, to make the people work.

III.

THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE AND MAKING OF THE SACRED VESSELS (chaps. iii.-v. 1; comp. 1 Kings vi., vii.).

(a) Site and date (verses 1, 2). (b) Its dimensions : the porch and the Holy Place, or nave (verses 3—7). (c) The Holy of holies, or chancel, with the cherubim and the vail (verses 8-14). (d) The two bronze pillars in the porch (verses 15—17).

(a) SITE AND DATE (verses 1, 2).

(1) At Jerusalem in mount Moriah.-Nowhere else in the Old Testament is the Temple site so specified. (Comp. "the land of Moriah," the place appointed for the sacrifice of Isaac, Gen. xxii. 2.)

66

Where the Lord appeared unto David his father. So LXX.; rather, who appeared unto David his father. Such is the meaning according to the common use of words. There is clearly an allusion to the etymology of MORIAH, which is assumed to signify appearance of Jah." (Comp. Gen. xxii. 14.) Translate, "in the mount of the Appearance of Jah, who appeared unto David his father." The Vulgate reads: "in Monte Moria qui demonstratus fuerat David patri ejus;" but nir'ah never means to be shown or pointed out. The Syriac, misunderstanding the LXX. ('Aμwpía), renders "in the hill of the Amorites."

The

(3) Now these are the things wherein Solomon was 3 instructed for the building of the house of God. length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. (And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold. And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine.

(5)

differently. Read simply, " And he began to build in the second month," i.e., in Zif (or April-May). See 1 Kings vi. 1.

(b) DIMENSIONS OF THE TEMPLE; THE PORCH AND THE HOLY Place, or NAVE (verses 3—7). (3) Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed.-Rather, And this is the foundation (or ground-plan) of Solomon. The plural pronoun 'elle," these," is used as a neut. sing. "this" (comp. 1 Chron. xxiv. 19), and the hophal infinitive húsad, "to be founded," is used substantively, as in Ezra iii. 11. So Vulgate, "Et haec sunt fundamenta quæ jecit Solomon.”

After the first measure.-Rather, in the ancient measure, an explanation not found in the parallel passage, 1 Kings vi. 2. The ancient or Mosaic cubit was one hand-breadth longer than the cubit of later times (Ezek. xl. 5; xliii. 13). The chronicler has omitted the height, which was thirty cubits (1 Kings vi. 2).

(1) And the porch . . . twenty cubits.-Heb., and the porch that was before the length (i.e., that lay in front of the oblong main building), before the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits (i.e., the porch was as long as the house was broad). This curious statement answers to what we read in 1 Kings vi. 3: "And the porch before the hell of the house, twenty cubits was its length, before the breadth of the house." But the Hebrew is too singular to pass without challenge, and comparison of the versions suggests that we ought to read here: "And the porch which was before it (Syriac), or before the house (LXX.), its length before the breadth of the house was twenty cubits." This would involve but slight alteration of the Hebrew text. (Comp. verse 8.)

And the height was an hundred and twenty. This would make the porch four times the height of the main building, which was thirty cubits. The Alexandrine MS. of the LXX., and the Arabic version, read "twenty cubits;" the Syriac omits the whole clause, which has no parallel in Kings, and is further suspicious as wanting the word "cubits," usually expressed after the number (see verse 3). The Hebrew may be a corruption of the clause, " and its breadth ten cubits." (Comp. 1 Kings vi. 3.)

And he overlaid it within with pure gold.See 1 Kings vi. 21.

(5) The greater house.-Or, the great chamber, i.e., the Holy Place, or nave. (Comp. 1 Chron. xxviii. 11.) He cieled with fir tree.-He covered with planks of fir; or, panelled with fir. To ciel, or rather seel

(from syle or cyll, a canopy: Skeat, Etymol. Dict. s.v.) a room, meant in old English to wainscot or panel it. (Comp. 1 Kings vi. 15, 16.)

Which he overlaid with fine gold. — And covered it (the chamber) with good gold. The cypress wainscoting was plated with gold.

And set thereon palm trees and chains.Brought up on it (i.e., carved upon it) palms and chainwork (1 Kings vii. 17). (For the palms, see 1 Kings vi. 29; Ezek. xli. 18.) The chain-work must have consisted of garland-like carvings on the fir panels. 1 Kings vi. 18 omits mention of it; LXX., "carved on it palms and chains"; Syriac, "figured on it the likeness of palms and lilies"; Vulgate, "graved on it palms and as it were chainlets intertwining."

(6) Garnished.-Overlaid (verse 4) the chamber. Precious stones.-See 1 Chron. xxix. 2; and 1 Kings x. 11, which relates that Hiram's fleet brought "precious stones" from Ophir for Solomon. But no mention of this kind of decoration is made in 1 Kings vi. The Vulgate explains the phrase as meaning a floor of costly marble.

Gold of Parvaim.-Perhaps Farwâ, an auriferous region in S. Arabia. Others connect the word with the Sanskrit pûrva, "eastern,” and seek Parvaim, like Ophir, in India. The name does not recur in the Old Testament.

(7) He overlaid also the house.-And he covered (verse 5) the chamber-that is, the great chamber or Holy Place. (See 1 Kings vi. 21, 22, 23.) The beams.-Of the roof.

The posts.-The thresholds (Isa. vi. 4).

And graved cherubims on the walls.-See 1 Kings vi. 29, which gives a fuller account of the mural decorations.

Cherubims.-Cherubim, or cherubs (Ps. xviii. 10). Cherubim is the Hebrew plural, for which we have the Chaldee (Aramaic) form "cherubin" in the Te Deum. Shakspeare has:

"The roof of the chamber With golden cherubins is fretted."

Cymbeline, ii. 4.

Why Reuss calls this sketch of the porch and nave "confused" is hardly evident.

(c) THE HOLY OF HOLIES, OR CHANCEL, WITH THE CHERUBIM AND THE VAIL (verses 8-14).

(8) The most holy house.-The chamber of the Holy of holies, or chancel, called also the oracle (Debîr), 1 Kings vi. 5. (So verse 10.)

The length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits.—Its length before the breadth of the house was twenty cubits. (See Note on verse 4.)

And the breadth thereof twenty cubits.1 Kings vi. 20 adds that the height also was twenty cubits, so that the chamber formed a perfect cube.

The Cherubims.

the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents. (9) And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

(10) And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold. (11) And the wings of the cherubims were twenty

Six hundred talents.-The weight of gold thus expended on the plating of the walls of the inner shrine is not given in Kings. Solomon's whole yearly revenue was 666 talents (1 Kings x. 14).

(9) And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold.-Literally, And a weight for nails for shekels-fifty in gold. The LXX. and Vulg. take this to mean that the weight of each nail was fifty shekels; and this is probably right, for fifty shekels as a total would be a trifling sum to record along with six hundred talents. The nails were used to fasten the golden plates to the wooden wainscoting of the edifice.

66

Whatever may be thought of the apparently incredible quantities of gold and silver stated to have been amassed by David for the Temple (1 Chron. xxii. 14; xxix. 4, 7), it is clear that no inconsiderable amount of the former metal would be required for the plating of the chambers as described in this chapter. And it is well known, from their own monuments, that the Babylonian sovereigns of a later age were in the habit of thus adorning the houses of their gods. Nebuchadnezzar, for instance, who restored the great temple of Borsippa, says: E-zida, the strong house, in the midst thereof I caused to make, with silver, gold, alabaster, bronze . . cedar I caused to adorn (or, completed) its sibir. The cedar of the roof (?) of the shrines of Nebo with gold I caused to clothe." In another inscription we read: "The shrine of Nebo, which is amid E-Sagili, its threshold, its bolt, and its babnaku, with gold I caused to clothe." And again: "The cedar roof of the oracle I caused to clothe with bright silver." The Assyrian Esarhaddon, a century earlier, boasts that he built ten castles in Assyria and Accad, and "made them shine like day with silver and gold."

And he overlaid.-And the upper chambers he covered with gold. The chambers over the Holy of holies are mentioned in 1 Chron. xxviii. 11. The two statements of this verse are peculiar to the chronicle. The Syriac and Arabic omit the verse.

66

(10) Two cherubims.-1 Kings vi. 23-28. They were made of oleaster, plated with gold. Of image work.-Literally, a work of statuary. The Hebrew word meaning statuary" occurs here only, and looks suspicious. The Vulg. renders opere statuario; the LXX. "a work of logs"; the Syriac "a durable work." With the last three renderings comp. 1 Kings vi. 23, “wood (or blocks) of oleaster," a specially hard wood. The rendering of the LXX. suggests that the original reading may have been ma'aseh 'ēçim, "woodwork."

And overlaid.-Heb., and they overlaid.

(11) And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long.-Their length was, altogether. twenty cubits; so that, being outspread, they reached from wall to wall of the Holy of holies, which was