Coa may signify either some city, (Mariana) or an "exporium," where things are sold, as kuch means "a collection." (Tirinus) (3 Kings x. 28.) Neglecting the points of the Masorets, we may well understand Coa, a city of Egypt, or an island of the Mediterranean. The Masorets read Mikve, instead of Micoa. (Du Hamel) CHAPTER I. Himself, worthy of his great empire. He deemed that which David had built too mean, though that pious king had been ashamed to dwell in such a magnificent palace, while the ark of God was under skins, 2 Kings vii. 2. (Calmet) Numbered, of the proselytes, ver. 17. (Tirinus) --- Hew. The stones were made ready for use, as well as the wood, before it was brought to the temple, 3 Kings vi. 7. --- Six. Only three are mentioned [in] 3 Kings v. 16. (Calmet) --- But three hundred overseers of higher order are here included. (Tirinus) Before him. For this purpose do I design to build. (Menochius) --- Temples are more for our use than for God's, as none can be worthy of him. (Calmet) Purple. Hebrew argevan, (Haydock) a Chaldean word, of the same import as argueman, in Exodus. --- Scarlet and blue were also species of purple. The finest sort was found between Tyre and Carmel. See Vitruvius vii. 13. Pine. Hebrew algum, which rather denotes a species of fir, than the juniper-tree; though the domestic kind was tall, and used in edifices. (Calmet) --- Arceuthina, "juniper," is taken from the Septuagint. (Du Hamel) Exceedingly. Hebrew, "wonderfully great." (Haydock) Wheat. Hebrew adds, "beaten." --- Barley and wine are not specified [in] 3 Kings v. 11. (Calmet) --- Measures, like the Roman amphora, contained 960 ozs. (Cornelius a Lapide) --- Hebrew has, "batim," in both places; but [in] 3 Kings we find, "twenty cores of oil." The satum, "measure," was only one-third of the bath or epha. (Calmet) Father. Hebrew Abi, is considered by some as the surname of Hiram. (Pagnin, &c.) --- But he might have that title in consideration of his great skill, as Solomon gives it him, chap. iv. 16. We use master in the same sense. Septuagint have, "servant," except the Roman edition, which agrees with the Hebrew and reads, Greek: patera. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "of Huram, my father's;" (Haydock) supply servant, or architect. (Tirinus) Dan, the city, as the widow as of the tribe of Nephthali. (Du Hamel) --- Whose. Hebrew, "and his father," (Haydock) or "this Abi." (Calmet) See 3 Kings vii. 14. --- Silk. Hebrew, "byssus," which is the silk extracted from a fish, and not the fine linen of Egypt, or cotton which as sometimes this appellation, 1 Paralipomenon xv. 27. --- My lord, a term of civility. CHAPTER II. Floats. So the Septuagint well express the Hebrew raphsodoth, which seems to be borrowed from the Greek Rapsodia, which denotes a collection of verses (Calmet) and was applied to Homer's poems, before they were collected. (\'c6lian xiii. 14.) Joppe was a port much used, (Calmet) though dangerous. (Josephus, Jewish Wars iii. 15.) Had made, at the commencement of Solomon's reign, when David put such immense treasures into his hands. The second list was taken when the temple was begun. The proselytes were the remnants of the nations of the natives of Chanaan. The Jews foolishly pretend, (Calmet) that no strangers were allowed to embrace the law of Moses, under David and Solomon, for fear lest they might be influenced by self-interest rather than by the love of religion. (Seldon, Syn. iii. 2, 5.) Six. We read three, 3 Kings v. 16.: people who where strangers, as the Israelites were not forced to work, chap. viii. 9. (Calmet) Moria, which signifies vision; (Calmet) the place pointed out to Abraham, (Genesis xxii. 2.; St. Augustine, de C.[City of God?] xvi. 32.) and to David, 1 Paralipomenon xxi. 15., and xxii. 1. Second. Hebrew adds, (Du Hamel) "in the second day of the second month." (Protestants, &c.) (Haydock) By the first, or ancient measure, used before the captivity. The Babylonian cubit was a hand smaller, as Ezechiel (xl. 3.) intimates. (Calmet) --- Solomon used the same cubit as Moses, but doubled the proportions. (Menochius) A hundred. The Arabic and some copies of the Septuagint read only twenty. Capellus and Toinard would substitute, ten cubits. A small change in the Hebrew might occasion these variations. (Calmet) --- In 3 Kings vi. 2., we find the height was thirty cubits: but that might be only to the first floor. Many think that the temple was 120 cubits high: but Salien (the year of the world 3024) explains it of the four-square tower, (Menochius) in the front. (Calmet) House. between the most holy place and the porch, (Tirinus) or it may comprise all but the porch. Hebrew, "he covered (or boarded) all this great house." (Calmet) --- Deal boards interspersed with those of cedar, 3 Kings vi. 9. (Tirinus) --- Fine, Hebrew, "of Parvaim, which is probably the same as Sepharvaim, Ophir, &c., not far from Media and Colchis. (Calmet) Amounting to about, is not in Hebrew. (Haydock) Sicles. This weight seems enormous for each nail. Mariana supposes every nail weighed one sicle. But who will believe that only fifty were used? Hebrew, "And the weight of the nails was fifty," &c. The Syriac and Arabic omit this verse entirely. --- Chambers, or rather "the ceiling." Work. Hebrew, "of the work of young men," or resembling them. (Munster) --- Septuagint, "the work of wood." Vulgate literally, "of sculpture work," (Haydock) as Le Clerc renders the original. Some moderns translate, "of a work like men in motion." (Mariana, Buxtorf) --- The cherubims were in an erect posture. Cubits, comprising the breadth of their body. Each occupied ten cubits. Toward. Hebrew, "inward;" looking at each other, (Exodus xxv. 20.) or towards the altar of holocausts. A veil. Abulensis places it between the court and the holy: but Jansenius would have it before the holy of holies. It seems rather that there was a veil in both places, (Barad. t. ii. b. iii. 23.; Menochius) as Josephus ([Antiquities?] viii. 2., and xii. 10.) clearly intimates; and St. Paul speaks of the second veil, Hebrews ix. 3. It is not certain which of them was torn at the death of Jesus Christ, Matthew xxvii. 51. Cherubims; extraordinary figures. (Calmet) Five. 3 Kings vii. 15., we read each was eighteen cubits. It is probable that each was 17\'bd and the other half was for the crown, (Calmet) or cornice. (Haydock) In, or "as in." (Sa) (Menochius) --- Protestants supply as. (Haydock) --- Hundred, for one row, or 200 for both, 3 Kings. (Du Hamel) Booz. "Stability and strength" are derived from God alone. Thus Solomon designed to insinuate that God established the harmony of the universe. (Haydock) --- An orrery, or globe, was therefore placed on each of these pillars.