Hebrews 9:4 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Hebrews 9:4
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;
a jar or earthen tank · noun — nominative singular feminine
golden
χρυσῆchrusē
G5552
made of gold · adjective — nominative singular feminine
pot
στάμνοςstámnos
G4713
a jar or earthen tank
had
ἔχουσαechousa
G2192
to hold (used in very various applications · verb — present active participle, nominative singular feminine
manna
μάνναmanna
G3131
manna (i.e. man) · noun — accusative singular neuter, Hebrew
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
Aaron’s
ἈαρὼνAarōn
G2
Aaron · noun — genitive singular masculine, a proper name
rod
ῥάβδοςrhabdos
G4464
a stick or wand (as a cudgel · noun — nominative singular feminine
budded
βλαστήσασαblastēsasa
G985
to germinate · verb — aorist active participle, nominative singular feminine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
tables
πλάκεςplakes
G4109
a moulding-board · noun — nominative plural feminine
covenant
διαθήκης·diathēkēs
G1242
properly · noun — genitive singular feminine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Numbers 17:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite…
Exodus 26:33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail s…
Exodus 40:3 And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.
Leviticus 16:12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten smal…
2 Chronicles 5:10 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…
Exodus 16:32-34 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread…
Exodus 34:29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount…
Exodus 40:20-21 And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Hebrews 9:1-7
Here, I. The apostle gives an account of the tabernacle, that place of worship which God appointed to be pitched on earth; it is called a worldly sanctuary, wholly of this world, as to the materials of which it was built, and a building that must be taken down; it is called a worldly sanctuary, because it was the court and palace of the King of Israel. God was their King, and, as other kings, had his court or place of residence, and attendants, furniture, and provision, suitable thereto. This tabernacle (of which we have the model, Ex. 25-27) was a moving temple, shadowing forth the unsettled state of the church militant, and the human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom the fullness of…
golden censer--The Greek, must not be translated "altar of incense," for it was not in "the holiest" place "after the second veil," but in "the holy place"; but as in Ch2 26:19, and Eze 8:11, "censer": so Vulgate and Syriac. This GOLDEN censer was only used on the day of atonement (other kinds of censers on other days), and is therefore associated with the holiest place, as being taken into it on that anniversary by the high priest. The expression "which had," does not mean that the golden censer was deposited there, for in that case 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, and used…
Which had the golden censer - It is evident that the apostle speaks here of the tabernacle built by Moses, and of the state and contents of that tabernacle as they were during the lifetime of Moses. For, as Calmet remarks, in the temple which was afterwards built there were many things added which were not in the tabernacle, and several things left out. The ark of the covenant and the two tables of the law were never found after the return from the Babylonish captivity. We have no proof that, even in the time of Solomon, the golden pot of manna, or the rod of Aaron, was either in or near the ark. In Solomon's temple the holy place was separated from the holy of holies by a solid wall, instea…
The Church Fathers
The pledge and earnest of a perpetual priesthood, furnished no contemptible symbol of thy supernatural child-bearing. On thy account, and the undefiled Incarnation of God, the Word, which by thee had place for the sake of that flesh which immutably and indivisibly remains with Him for ever.
"the Ark of the Covenant." It carries the symbols of the covenant, such as the tablets of the law and the others. "having a golden censor." All these were in the Ark, rebuking the ingratitude of the Jews. "the rod", because of the insurrection against the priesthood. the tablets, because the Jews had a ploy to break the first commandments. and the manna, because of their grumbling while eating. Therefore, these symbols should also be sent to their descendants for their caution.
"Which had" (he says) "a golden Censer, and the ark of the Covenant overlaid round about with gold: wherein was the golden pot that held the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant." All these things were venerable and conspicuous memorials of the Jewish obstinacy; "and the tables of the covenant" (for they brake them) "And the manna" (for they murmured; and therefore handing on the memory thereof to posterity, He commanded it to be laid up in a golden pot). "And Aaron's rod that budded. And over it, the Cherubim of glory." What is "the Cherubim of glory"? He either means "the glorious," or those which are under God. "Shadowing the mercy-seat." But in another point of view also he extols these things in his discourse, in order to show that those which come after them are greater. "Of which" (he says) "we cannot now speak particularly." In these words he hints that these were not merely what was seen, but were a sort of enigmas. "Of which" (he says) "we cannot now speak particularly," perhaps because they needed a long discourse.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Aaron — The eldest son of Amram and Jochebed, a daughter of Levi (Ex. 6:20). Some explain the name as meaning mountaineer, others mountain of strength, illuminator. He was born in Egypt three years before…
Almond — A native of Syria and Palestine. In form, blossoms, and fruit it resembles the peach tree. Its blossoms are of a very pale pink colour, and appear before its leaves. Its Hebrew name, shaked,…
Altar — (Heb. mizbe’ah, from a word meaning “to slay”), any structure of earth (Ex. 20:24) or unwrought stone (20:25) on which sacrifices were offered. Altars were generally erected in conspicuous places…
Ark — Noah’s ark, a building of gopher-wood, and covered with pitch, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits broad, and 30 cubits high (Gen. 6:14-16); an oblong floating house of three stories, with a door in the side…
Censer — The vessel in which incense was presented on “the golden altar” before the Lord in the temple (Ex. 30:1-9). The priest filled the censer with live coal from the sacred fire on the altar of…
Commandments, the Ten — (Ex. 34:28; Deut. 10:4, marg. “ten words”) i.e., the Decalogue (q.v.), is a summary of the immutable moral law. These commandments were first given in their written form to the people of Israel when…
High priest — Aaron was the first who was solemnly set apart to this office (Ex. 29:7; 30:23; Lev. 8:12). He wore a peculiar dress, which on his death passed to his successor in office (Ex. 29:29, 30). Besides…
Holy Ghost — The third Person of the adorable Trinity. His personality is proved (1) from the fact that the attributes of personality, as intelligence and volition, are ascribed to him (John 14:17, 26; 15:26; 1…
Mercy-seat — (Heb. kapporeth, a “covering;” LXX. and N.T., hilasterion; Vulg., propitiatorium), the covering or lid of the ark of the covenant (q.v.). It was of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, or perhaps rather…
Tabernacle — (1.) A house or dwelling-place (Job 5:24; 18:6, etc.). (2.) A portable shrine (comp. Acts 19:24) containing the image of Moloch (Amos 5:26; marg. and R.V., “Siccuth”). (3.) The human body (2 Cor.…
Which had the golden censer,.... There were various censers used by the priests in the daily service, but this was a peculiar one, which was used by the high priest on the day of atonement; on other days he used a silver censer, but on that day a golden one, and with it he entered into the holy of holies (y); and though Moses does not call it a golden one, Leviticus 16:12 yet Josephus does (z); and so do the Jewish doctors in the place referred to, with whom the apostle agrees, and to this the allusion is in Revelation 8:3 but here a difficulty arises, how this can be said to have been in the holy of holies, and within the vail, when, according to Moses, it was without the vail, and was only…
Hebrews 9:1-5
1. Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
1. Habebat quidem prius illud justificationes cultus et sanctum mundanum:
2. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
2. Tabernaculum enim primum compositum erat, in quo candelabrum et mensa et panum propositio; quod dicitur sanctuarium.
3. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
3. Post secundum autem velum tabernaculum quod sancta sanctorum dicitur;
4. Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold,…
The gold incense altar probably stood just outside the inner curtain (Exod 30:1-10); its location is ambiguous at points in the Old Testament, but it was closely associated with the Most Holy Place (Exod 30:6; Lev 16:13; 1 Kgs 6:22). • Since it represented the presence of God, the Ark of the Covenant was the most important item in the Tabernacle (see Exod 25:10-22). • The gold jar containing manna was a reminder of God’s provision in the wilderness (Exod 16:32-34). • Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves (see Num 17:1-11) was a reminder not to rebel against God’s chosen leaders (Num 17:10; cp. Heb 13:17). • The stone tablets of the covenant held the Ten Commandments and were to remind the peopl…
Ark Of The Covenant · Tables of testimony alone placed in — Tables of testimony alone placed in
Censers · One of gold in the most holy place — One of gold in the most holy place
Holy Of Holies · Contained: Golden censer — Contained: Golden censer
Law Of Moses, The · Divided into: Ceremonial, relating to manner of worshipping God — Divided into: Ceremonial, relating to manner of worshipping God
Manna · A golden pot of, laid up in the holiest for a memorial — A golden pot of, laid up in the holiest for a memorial
Symbols And Similitudes · Tabernacle — Tabernacle
Tabernacle · The Holy Place of — The Holy Place of
Table · 8:9; — 8:9;
Types · .The sanctuary a type of the heavenly sanctuary — .The sanctuary a type of the heavenly sanctuary
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
