πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος. This seems to shew that the vision took place either on a sabbath, or some great feast-day.

προσευχόμενον. The prayer of the people without was typified by the rising incense-smoke within. The analytic form ἦν προσευχόμενον for προσεύχετο slightly emphasises the delay. Comp. ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ἦν καιομένη, Luke 24:32. The imperfect was no longer sufficient when the continuance needed to be emphasised. (Cf. ἦν διανεύων, 22, ἦν προσδοκῶν, 21). The Temple was mainly used for sacrifice. Prayer in the Tabernacle is only once mentioned in the Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 26:12-15). But the Temple had naturally become a ‘House of Prayer’ (Isaiah 56:7; Nehemiah 11:17; Matthew 21:13). One of the Rabbis went so far as to argue that prayer was a Rabbinic not a Mosaic institution! See Cohen, Jud. Gottesdienst, p. 186.

τοῦ θυμιάματος. The hour of “the incense.” More accurately it would be τῆς θυμιάσεως ‘of the burning of the incense.’

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Old Testament