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The significance of the Manna is indicated in Apoc. 2:17 to; m. to; kekrummevnon .
crusou'n ... crusivw/ ... crush' ...] The solemn repetition of the word emphasises the splendour of this typical sanctuary (comp. AEn. 4.138f.). Gold was the characteristic metal of the Holy of Holies. Comp. 1 Kings 7:48 ff. It is remarkable that Ezekiel in describing the Temple of his vision makes no mention of the materials of which it was constructed.
hJ rJavbdo" ] Num. 17:10 ff. The pot of manna and Aaron's rod are not mentioned in Scripture except in the places of the Pentateuch referred to, and here.

When the Ark was removed to the Temple it contained only the Tables of the Law (1 Kings 8:9; comp. Jos. Ant. 3.6, 5).
aiJ plavke" th'" diaq. ] Vulg. tabulae testamenti. These are called in the

LXX. aiJ plavke" tou' marturivou ( tdU[eh; tjolu ) Ex. 31:18; 32:15, and ( aiJ )

plavke" ( th'" ) diaqhvkh" ( tyrIB]h' tjoWl ) Deut. 9:9, 11, 15. In 1 Kings 8:9

plavke" th'" diaqhvkh" is added as a gloss to plavke" livqinai .

Chrysostom remarks that these memorials in the Ark were monuments of the rebellious spirit of Israel: pavnta tau'ta semna; h\n kai; lampra; th'" jIoudai>kh'" ajgnwmosuvnh" uJpomnhvmata . kai; aiJ plavke" th'" diaqhvkh" : katevaxe ga;r aujtav" : kai; to; mavnna : ejgovggusan gavr ... kai; hJ rJavbdo" jAarw;n hJ blasthvsasa : ejpanevsthsan gavr .

Heb. 9:5. uJperavnw de; aujth'" ...] and above it , i.e. the Ark ( superque eam V.), Cherubim of glory (Ex. 25:18 ff.), not simply ‘glorious Cherubim,’ as if the epithet characterised their nature, but ‘Cherubim of glory’ ministering to the divine revelation. The divine glory, the revelation of God's majesty, was in a peculiar sense connected with them. God revealed Himself ‘from between them’: Ex. 25:22; Num. 7:89; 1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15 || Is. 37:16; Ps. 80:1; 99:1. Comp. Lev. 16:2; Ecclus. 49:8.
kataskiavzonta ] The Cherubim are treated as zw'/a (Apoc. 4:6). Compare Ex. 25:20 suskiavzonte" .
to; iJlasthvrion ] Vulg. propitiatorium , O.L expiationem. Lev.xvi.14f.(

tr<P&oK' , H4114). The literal meaning of tr<P&oK' , H4114 is simply covering , but

the ‘covering’ is distinct from the Ark which is complete without it (comp. Dillm. Ex. 25:17). It is possible that at a later time the idea of the ‘covering,’ atonement, for sin may have been added to the material sense (1 Chron.

28:11 tr<PoK'h' tbe ). In itself the ‘covering’ of the Ark had a natural symbolic

meaning. It was interposed between the Ark containing the Tables of the Law and the Divine glory.

On its first occurrence tr<P&oK' , H4114 is translated in the LXX.

iJlasthvrion ejpivqema (Ex. 25:15); but generally it is rendered by iJlasthvrion only. The rendering qusiasthvrion in Lev. 16:14 seems to be an error, though there is a trace of this rendering in one of the Greek Versions in Ex. 37:6
(
a[llo" : qusiasthvrion ). The word iJlasthvrion is used as technical by Philo: de vit. Mos. iii. § 8, ii. p. 150 M.; de prof. § 19, 1.561 M.

This rendering was taken from the use made of the ‘covering’ on the Day of Atonement when it was sprinkled with the atoning blood: Lev. 16:15.

In Ezekiel iJlasthvrion is used as the rendering of hr:z:[} , H6478 (Eze.

43:14: Aqu. krhpivdwma ; Sym. peridromhv ; 17, 20), the ‘settle’ or ‘ledge’ of the


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