The golden censer [χ ρ υ σ ο υ ν θ υ μ ι α τ η ρ ι ο ν]. The noun N. T. o. It may mean either censer or altar of incense. In LXX the altar of incense is called qusiasthrion qumiamatov Exodus 30:1; Exodus 30:27; Leviticus 4:7; comp. Luke 1:11. Qumiathrion is used of a censer, 2 Chronicles 26:19; Ezekiel 8:11; Ezekiel 4 Macc. 7 11. These are the only instances of the word in LXX : accordingly, never in LXX of the altar of incense. Josephus uses it for both. The golden censer is not mentioned in O. T. as a part of the furniture of the holy of holies. The facts of the case then are as follows :

(a) according to Exodus 31 the incense - altar was in the holy place, not in the holy of holies;

(b) Philo and Josephus use qumiathrion for the altar of incense; 208

(c) there is no mention in O. T. Of a censer set apart for the day of atonement;

(d) the high priest was to enter with incense, so that the ark might be veiled by the smoke (Leviticus 16:12). Hence the censer could not have been kept in the holy of holies;

(e) the writer clearly speaks of an abiding - place of the qumiathrionin a particular division of the tabernacle.

There is evidently a discrepancy, probably owing to the fact that the writer drew his information from the O. T. by which he might have been led into error. Thus Exodus 26:35, there are mentioned in the holy place without the veil only the candlestick and the table, and not the incense - altar. Again, when the standing - place of the incense altar was mentioned, the expressions were open to misconstruction : see Exodus 30:6; Exodus 40:5. On the day of atonement, the incense - altar, like the most holy place, was sprinkled with blood. This might have given rise to the impression that it was in the holy of holies.

With gold [χ ρ υ σ ι ω]. Properly, wrought gold.

Wherein [ε ν η]. But according to Exodus 16:34; Numbers 17:10, neither the pot of manna nor Aaron's rod was in the ark, but "before the testimony "; while in Exodus 25:16, Moses was commanded to put only the tables of the law into the ark; and in 1 Kings 8:9 it is said of the ark in the temple," there was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone. " The writer follows the rabbinical tradition that the pot of manna and the rod were inside of the ark.

Golden pot (stamov crush). Stamov, N. T. o, a few times in LXX, rare in Class. Golden is an addition of the LXX Comp. Exodus 16:33.

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Old Testament