“Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.”
God, under the care of Selemith. See 1 Paralipomenon xxvi. 26. (Calmet)
“Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.”
Ark. Another was not made, as that was most sacred and excellent. (Worthington)
“Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.”
Day, the eighth, 3 Kings viii. 2.
“And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.”
Levites, with the priests alternately; (3 Kings viii. 2.) or the latter were all Levites, (Calmet) though higher in dignity, in the same manner as our bishops are priests.
“And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.”
With the. “And” is omitted in Hebrew but supplied by Protestants, &c., from 3 Kings. (Haydock)
“And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day. there: or, they are there”
Oracle, pushing out the veil, (Haydock) in the tabernacle of Moses, but not in the temple, which was of larger dimensions. (Calmet) — But if. Hebrew, “but they were not seen without. And there it is till this day.”
“There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. when the LORD: or, where, etc”
Ark. See 3 Kings viii. 9. (Haydock) — The other things which had been placed in, or at least on the side of the ark, were now removed to the treasury rooms. (Tirinus)
“And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: present: Heb. found”
Sanctified; free from all legal impediments to offer sacrifice. (Haydock) — Divided. Hebrew, “observed.” (Tirinus) — Protestants, “and they did not then wait by course,” which was the case also with the singers, &c., on this solemn occasion; as the number regulated by David for each week, would not have been sufficient. (Haydock) — The regulation had not yet been reduced to practice. (Menochius) (Calmet) — As yet (Du Hamel) at that time, is omitted (Haydock) by the Septuagint (Du Hamel) and Hebrew.
“Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)”
Linen, or “robes of silk.” Protestants, “white linen.” (Haydock)
“So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”
Cloud. See 3 Kings viii. 10. (Menochius) — It is called the glory of the Lord, because its appearance was luminous and awful, being a symbol of the divine presence. (Haydock)