What Does 2 Chronicles 4:21 Mean?

(21) **And the flowers . . . gold.**—See 1Kings 7:49. **And that perfect gold.**—*It* was *perfection of gold.* The word *miklôth,* “perfections” (intensive plural) occurs nowhere else. It is derived from *kālāh,* “to be finished,” not *kālal* (Bishop Wordsworth). The LXX. omits the clause; not so the Vulg., which renders “all were made of purest gold.” This little touch, added to heighten the effect, is quite in the manner of the chronicler, and is certainly not to be suspected, as Zöckler asserts. Perhaps we should read *miklôl, “*perfection” (Ezekiel 23:12), instead of the isolated *miklôth.* **And the snuffers.**—Before this expression, *and the basons* (1Kings 7:50) has probably fallen out. **Snuffers.**—*Shears* or *scissors,* for trimming the lamps. **The spoons, and the censers.**—Or, *trays and snuff-dishes.*—See 1Kings 7:50; Exodus 25:38. **And the entry of the house.**—Including both the doors of the nave or holy place, and those of the chancel or holiest. The words are explained by those which follow: “viz., its inner doors to the holy of holies and the doors of the house—viz., to the nave (*hêhāl,* great hall).” In 1Kings 7:50 we read, “And the *hinges* to the doors of the inner house—viz., the holy of holies, (and) to the doors of the house—viz., to the nave, were of gold.” The word rendered *hinges* (*pôthôth*) resembles that rendered *entry* (*pethah*)*;* and some have supposed that the latter is a corruption of the former, and would alter our text accordingly. Two reasons seem to be decisive against such a change. (1) *Pôthôth, “*hinges,” occurs nowhere else in the Bible; and may not be genuine. It is likely enough that the doors of the Temple were plated with gold (1Kings 6:32; 1Kings 6:35), but hardly that their hinges were made of gold. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bible Hub