Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, the bronze for the things of bronze, iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, also onyx stones, stones to be set, stones for inlaid work of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 2. Onyx, or “emeralds.” Calmet.—Septuagint “soom,” from the Hebrew shoham.—Alabaster. Hebrew puc. Bible.—The dark paint used for the eyes, has the same name. 4 Kennicott. 9:30, Jeremiah 4:30. Yet the stibium or stimmi, or alabaster, mentioned by Pliny, (xxxiii. 6.) was of a sliver colour, but not transparent. The stone here specified was probably alabaster, as it was used for the pavement. There is a very fine species at Damascus, and in Arabia, which was much sought after to decorate buildings. Calmet.—Chal. has “emeralds.” Septuagint “stones of perfection, rich and various, and every precious stone, and much Parion.” Bible.—But Isaiah 54:11, they translate the same term, “carbuncle.” Calmet.—The stone might resemble the agate, which is beautifully shaded with clouds and other fanciful figures. Tirinus.—Paros: this is taken from the Septuagint Hebrew has simply, “and stones of ssiss.” Bible.—Whether it denote the isle of Chio, or that of Chitis, in the Red Sea, the former famous for marble, and the latter for topaz; or it may refer to Sais, a city of Egypt, which had most beautiful porphyry. Pliny xxxvi. 7. and xxxvii. 8.—But Paros, one of the Cyclades, was most renowned for its white marble. ib. xxxvi. 5.—Josephus (Bel. vi. 6.) informs us, that the temple was built of large white marble stones; so that it appeared, at a distance, to be covered with snow. Calmet.