patristic support: th;n skhnh;n ou{tw" ejkavlese tuvpon ejpevcousan tou' kovsmou pantov" (Theodt.).
But in connexion with this thought it is to be remarked that both Josephus and Philo speak of the Jewish service as having a universal, a cosmical, destination: Philo De Monarch. 2.6 (ii. p. 227 M.) bouvletai to;n ajrciereva prw'ton me;n eijkovna tou' panto;" e[cein ejmfanh' peri; eJauto;n i{na ejk th'" sunecou'" qeva" a[xion parevch/ to;n i[dion bivon th'" tw'n o{lwn fuvsew", e[peita o{pw" ejn tai'" iJerourgivai" sulleitourgh'/ pa'" oJ kovsmo" aujtw'/ . Joseph. B. J. 4.5, 2 th'" kosmikh'" qrhskeiva" katavrconte" . And this thought was adopted by Chrysostom and many later fathers in various forms: ejpei; kai; {Ellhsi bato;n h\n kosmiko;n aujto; kalei', ouj ga;r dh; oiJ jIoudai'oi oJ kovsmo" h\san (Chrys.). Sanctum saeculare i.e. quo saeculi homines, hoc est, gentiles, ad Judaismum transeuntes recipiebat; patebat enim non solum Judaeis sed etiam talibus gentilibus (Primas.).
Such an interpretation however belongs to the later development of Judaism and not prominently to its first institution, though indeed it had from the first a universal element.
Heb. 9:2. skhnh; gavr ... hJ prwvth ] For a tabernacle (tent) was prepared, the first ...the outermost as approached by the worshipper. The writer explains and justifies the general statement in 9:1. For this construction, by which a noun first regarded indefinitely (a tabernacle) is afterwards defined (the first), see Heb. 6:7; 2 John 7; Acts 10:41; Phil. 3:6, & c. and especially with a partic. 1 Pet. 1:7; Moulton-Winer, pp. 174 f.
The two parts of the Tabernacle are regarded as two Tabernacles.
kateskeuavsqh
]
was prepared...factum est
V. Comp. Heb. 3:3 note. The tense points to the first construction of the Tabernacle. Contrast 5:6
kateskeuasmevnwn
.
ejn h|/
...] The substantive verb appears to be omitted purposely. The whole description (v. 4) will not apply to the existing Temple; and yet the writer will not exclude the Temple (
levgetai
, v. 6
eijsivasin
). He says therefore neither was nor is, but uses, as in v. 4
e[cousa
, a neutral form of expression.
hJ lucniva ] candelabra V. (- brum O.L.); literally the lampstand ( hr:/nm] ,
H4963) on which the lamp ( rnErnE , H5944) was placed (Ex. 25:37; Zech. 4:2;
Matt. 5:15 and parallels; comp. Apoc. 1:12; 2:5; 11:4). See Ex. 25:31-40; 35:16; 37:17-24 (38:13-17); Zech. 4:2 f.; 11 ff.; Jos. B. J. 5.5.5; 7.5.5.
In the account of Solomon's Temple ten candlesticks are mentioned: 1 Kings 7:49 (35); 2 Chron. 4:7; comp. 1 Chron. 28:15; Jer. 52:19.
So also in 2 Chron. 4:8 Solomon is said to have made ten tables; but in 1 Kings 7:48 (34) only one table is mentioned. Comp. Jos. Antt. 8.3, 7. Primasius, following the plural of the Vulgate, supposes that the allusion is to the Temple: non de illo tabernaculo disputaturus est hic apostolus quod Moyses fecit in eremo ubi tantummodo unum candelabrum fuit, sed de templo quod postea Salomon aedificavit in Hierusalem ubi fuerunt plura candelabra.
hJ travpeza ] the table...mensa V. Ex. 25:23-30 ( $ j;l]Vuh' , : ynIP;h'
$ j'l]vu , tk,r<[}M'h' ' v , ahrhoF;h' ; 37:10-16.
hJ provqesi" tw'n a[rtwn ] Vulg. propositio panum, the shewbread , literally the setting out of the bread (loaves) that is the bread set forth in two rows.