Censers. Hebrew Kapoth, means broad deep dishes or bowls. (Calmet) --- Wherein, meaning the golden vessels aforesaid. (Haydock) CHAPTER XXXVII. Mirrors. Formerly all sorts of metal, silver, copper, tin, &c., were used for mirrors, till the Europeans began to make them of glass. The best were made of a mixture of copper and tin. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xxxiii. 9.) --- Watched. Hebrew, served like soldiers: fasting and praying, according to the Septuagint and Chaldean. These devout women came thither with great alacrity, to shew their affection towards God, and to consecrate to his service what had hitherto served to nourish vanity. Such were the virgins, mentioned 2 Machabees iii. 19, and those who were abused by the sons of Heli, 1 Kings ii. 22. Ann, the prophetess, and our blessed Lady, were thus also employed in the temple, Luke ii. 37. Women kept watch, singing and dancing before the palace of the Persian kings. (Calmet) --- When the tabernacle was fixed at Silo, small apartments were probably built for the convenience of these pious women. (Tirinus) Brass. The Hebrew does not say the pillars were of brass, but only the bases. The body was of wood, encircled with silver, ver. 12. See chap. xxvii. 10. (Calmet) CHAPTER XXXVIII. The, &c. Some render the Hebrew, "The bases of the pillars were of brass, the hooks of the pillars and circles were of silver, their chaptrels were covered with silver." Bonfrere supposes that the pillars were of the Ionic order, and that the chaptrels here designate the summit or abacus; while the hooks (vuim) mean the voluta, (Menochius) or bolster, representing the head-dress of virgins in their long hair. (Vitruvius.) (Haydock) Ithamar, some time after this, (Numbers i. 50,) was appointed to deliver the necessary vessels to the Levites; part of whose duty it was to take down the tabernacle and set it up again, and to keep an account of all things. (Menochius) Gifts, voluntarily. The following verse mentions what arose from the tax of half a sicle per head, chap xxx. 13. And it, &c. Hebrew is rather more express, "And the silver given by those who were numbered, was a hundred talents, 1775 sicles of the weight of the sanctuary, ver. 26. They gave each half a sicle, paid by all those who were 20 years old and upwards, amounting to 603,550 men." Hence the talent would weigh exactly 3000 sicles, (Calmet) or 12,000 drachmas. Some say that the common talent weighed 100 pounds, and that of the sanctuary 120, each pound containing 25 sicles. (Du Hamel) Seventy. Hebrew confines the number of talents to 70, and allows "two thousand and four hundred sicles." The Greek interpreters vary. Vestments. Hebrew distinguishes, "the clothes of service" destined to fold up the tabernacle and vessels, from "the holy garments of Aaron." Threads. Hebrew, "wires to work it in the blue....with cunning work." The ancients had the art of beating gold into thin plates, with which they adorned the horns of their victims, &c. (\'c6neid iv.) See Numbers xvi. 58. (Calmet) Fastened to the girdle. This is not specified in the Hebrew. The Vulgate has abridged some verses, in these chapters, to avoid repetitions. Pomegranate, alternately, chap. xxviii. Clement of Alexandria observes, that the 366 bells denote the leap year, in which Christ began to preach. (Tirinus) Of fine linen, or cotton, and of common linen, as Pollux describes it. The Samaritan copy adds, "Breeches of linen, of byssus, of violet, of scarlet, of purple, of embroidery work, according to the command of the Lord." CHAPTER XXXIX. Veneration, of which it was deserving. Hebrew, "the crown of holiness." It reminded the high priest of his consecration to the Lord, and of the sanctity with which he ought to appear before him. Finished, exactly according to God's prescriptions. --- Blessed them, the people, who had contributed so liberally; and the workmen, who had performed their task so much to his satisfaction. (Calmet) --- He also blessed the sacred vessels, as they were destined for the worship of God. (Haydock) Month of the second year, ver. 15. The first day of every month was kept with some degree of solemnity, though it was not a day of rest. (Numbers xxxiii. 11.; 1 Kings xx. 5.; &c.) (Calmet) Priesthood. Hebrew, "And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may serve me in the priest's office: (14) and thou shalt bring his sons, and put on them their tunics; (15) and thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may perform the office of priests to me for ever, in their generations." As the priesthood was hereditary in Aaron's family, this first unction might suffice for all. Yet, the new high priests were always anointed till the days of our Saviour, chap xxix. 7. Cover of purple, goat skins, &c. Testimony, or tables of the law. The pagans enclosed various symbolical figures, cakes, &c., in their mystic arks. (Clement of Alexandria) But how different were they from the sacred records of religion! (Calmet) Roof, covering both the holy of holies and the sanctuary. (Menochius) Laver. This is a repetition of ver. 7, (Calmet) shewing that the command was fulfilled. (Haydock) Glory. The cloud which had rested over the tent, appointed for prayer, came now to the grand tabernacle, in the midst of the camp. (Calmet) --- By its superior lustre, it signified that the glory of God was there. (St. Augustine, q. 173.) Moses, out of respect, abstained from entering that day. (Calmet) --- The cloud of legal observances, though designed to prefigure Christ and the gospel, seems however to hinder the Jews from recognizing them. (St. Augustine) (Tirinus) A fire. The same cloud overshadowed the camp by day, and enlightened it by night. (Chaldean; Chap. xiii. 22.)