Table Of Shew-Bread, (שֻׁלחִן הִפָּנַים, table of the faces, Numbers 4:7; שֻׁלחִן הִמִּעֲרֵכֶת, table of the arrangement, 1 Chronicles 28:16; הִשֻּׁלחָן הִטָּהֹר, the pure table, Leviticus 24:6; 2 Chronicles 13:11; Sept. ἡ τράπεζα τῆς προθέσεως), one of the pieces of furniture in the Mosaic tabernacle (Exodus 25:23 sq.; 37:10 sq.), in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 7:48; comp; 2 Chronicles 29:18), in its restoration by Zerubbabel (1 Maccabees 1:22), and in Herod’s reconstruction of that edifice (Josephus, War, 7:5, 5). It stood in the outer apartment or holy place, on the right hand or north side, and was made of acacia (shittim) wood, two cubits long, one broad, and one and a half high, and covered with laminate of gold. According to the Mishna (Menach. 11:5), it was ten handbreadths long and five wide; other traditions make it twelve handbreadths long and six wide. The top of the leaf of this table was encircled by a border or rim (זֵר, a crown or wreath) of gold. The frame of the table, immediately below the leaf, was encircled with a piece of wood of about four inches in breadth, around the edge of which was a rim or border (מַסגֶּרֶת, a margin) similar to that around the leaf. A little lower down, but at equal distances from the top of the table, there were four rings of gold fastened to the legs, through which staves covered with gold were inserted for the purpose of carrying it (Exodus 25:23-28; 37:10-16). The description of Josephus, which is quite minute, varies in several particulars (Ant. 3, 6,6). These rings were not found in the table which was afterwards made for the Temple, nor indeed in any of the sacred furniture, where they had previously been, except in the ark of the covenant. Twelve unleavened loaves were placed upon this table, which were sprinkled with frankincense (the Sept. adds salt; Leviticus 24:7). The number twelve represented the twelve tribes, and was not diminished after the defection of ten of the tribes from the worship of God in his sanctuary, because the covenant with the sons of Abraham was not formally abrogated, and because there were still many true Israelites among the apostatizing tribes. The twelve loaves were also a constant record against them, and served as a standing testimonial that their proper place was before the forsaken altar of Jehovah (see Philo, Opp. 2, 151; Clem. Alex. Strom. 6:279).
Wine also was placed upon the table of shew-bread in bowls, some larger, קעָרוֹת, and some smaller, כִּפּנֹת; also in vessels that were covered, קשָׂווֹת, and in cups, מנִקַּיּוֹת, which were probably employed in pouring in and taking out the wine from the other vessels, or in making libations. Gesenius calls them “paterse libatoria;” and they appear in the A. V. as “spoons.” Some of them were perhaps for incense (בזיכי לבונה, Mishna, Yoma, 5, 1). See generally Exodus 25:29-30; 37:10-16; 40; 4; 24; Leviticus 24:5-9; Numbers 4:7.
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Author: McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia
Keywords: Table of Shew-bread, shewbread, shew bread, showbread, show bread, tabernacle, tent of meeting, pure table, furniture, furniture tabernacle, tabernacle furniture
Bible reference(s): Exodus 25:23-30, Exodus 35:13, Exodus 39:36, Numbers 4:7, 1 Kings 7:48, 1 Chronicles 28:16, 1 Maccabees 1:22, 2 Chronicles 13:11, 2 Chronicles 29:18, Exodus 37:10, Leviticus 24:6, Numbers 4:7, Hebrews 9:2
Source: John McClintock and James Strong, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature.
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