Hebrews 9:4

4. Golden censer A censer (a shortened form of incenser) was a vessel for containing the ritual incense. The Greek word here θυμιατηριον ( thumiaterion) may signify any bearer of incense, whether vessel or altar. Delitzsch affirms that the censer proper (though appearing, incorrectly, in our translation) is not mentioned in the Pentateuch, but only the coal pan in which were the embers for burning incense. On the great day of atonement the priest entered the holy of holies, with the coal pan containing coals from the Great Brazen Altar in his left hand, and the censer in the right; and, setting down the former before the ark, he shook the incense over the coals, producing the fragrant vapour. Twice only is the censer in the temple of Solomon called thumiaterion; but in the age of our apostle, by Philo and Josephus the term is applied to the golden altar of incense. There can be no reasonable doubt that such is its meaning here.

For it can hardly be supposed that our apostle would specify so incidental a utensil as the censer, and omit so important an object as the golden altar of incense.

The main reason against the altar is, that it seems to be said to stand in the holy of holies, whereas a glance at our diagram shows that it is a central object in the holy place. But it is equally true that the censer was not in the holiest, being usually kept in the utensil room; a silver one for daily use, and a golden for the great day of atonement, when it was taken by the high priest into the holiest, used, brought back, and returned to the utensil room. But it is not really said, or truly meant, that the thumiaterion was in the holiest. The wherein of Hebrews 9:2 is significantly changed to had in Hebrews 9:4. Now had is the more generic term, and may mean either that the object was in the holiest, or was appropriated to the use of the holiest; and the latter was the fact with the incense altar. There are points that show that, in the mind of a Hebrew, the altar belonged to the holiest. 1. Its position was directly in front of the position of the ark of the covenant. Hence in 1 Kings 6:22, it is called “the altar which was by the oracle;” or, more literally, the altar belonging to the inner apartment, the very phrase by which a Hebrew would say that the inner apartment had the altar. 2. On the day of atonement the altar, as well as the inner shrine of the holiest, was sprinkled with blood.

The altar of incense was called golden to distinguish it from the great brazen altar of burnt offerings, placed in front of the tabernacle, and afterwards temple, under the open sky. No victim was offered upon the golden altar, but on the great day of atonement the blood of the sin offering was sprinkled upon its four horns. This golden altar was made of the durable acacia, overlaid entire with pure gold, and was one cubit in length and breadth, and two in height. It had a horn projecting upwards from each of its four corners, and a border lining its top to keep things from failing off.

The sacred incense (the English word is from incendio, to burn) was composed of ingredients divinely prescribed in Exodus 30:34. Of this composition all other than the holy use was severely forbidden. Morning and evening, daily, was the incense offered. See note on Luke 1:9. On the great day of atonement the incense was offered, and the blood sprinkled, by the high priest alone.

King Jehovah was at first sole sovereign of Israel, and the tabernacle, as afterwards the temple, was symbolically his house; and his personal abode was, as we shall soon more fully see, in the holiest. To symbolize his presence, in the solemn absence of all idol, image, or visible form, was his bread upon the table, his candlestick, and his fragrant perfumery. And this last, the incense, becomes a beautiful image of devout emotions and prayers, issuing from the censer as from a glowing heart, upward in its movement, and acceptably reaching the divine Receiver.

Ark of the covenant The sacred ark, or chest, in which was deposited the covenant, or decalogue, and other things soon to be mentioned. Exodus 25:10-16. As the decalogue is sometimes called covenant, and sometimes testimony, so we have the epithets, ark of the covenant, ark of the testimony. It was made of acacia, gold-plated without and within, was two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half broad, and a cubit and a half high. It had borders, rings, and staves, like the table. Its lid, of pure gold, served both as the cover of the ark and the throne of Jehovah, whose glory there attested his presence. As it was here that the high priest approached with his incense and sacrificial blood for mercy, so this lid was called “the mercy-seat.”

Gold The most precious of metals, and so symbolizing that our best is to be consecrated to God.

Golden pot Exodus 16:34. The pot, or urn, containing a memorial specimen of the miraculous manna, was deposited “before the testimony,” that is, by the decalogue in the ark. But by Solomon’s time (1 Kings 8:9) the vessel had disappeared. Our author follows the Septuagint, and applies to the pot the epithet golden, which is not found in our copies of the Hebrew. According to the Gemara tradition, after the ark was taken by the Philistines, (1 Samuel 4:11,) disappeared the pot, the cruse of anointing oil, Aaron’s rod, and the coffer which the Philistines sent as a present to the God of Israel.

Rod that blossomed Blossomed miraculously, to attest Aaron’s right to the priesthood. Numbers 17:10.

Tables of the covenant The two stone tables of the decalogue.