John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. There was nothing in the ark, save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb , etc.] That is, there were no other writings; or, as Ben Gersom says, no other part of the law, but the decalogue otherwise he observes there were in it Aaron’s rod and the pot of manna, according to ( Hebrews 9:4) though the particle there may be rendered “at”, or “with”, or “by”, (see Gill on “ Hebrews 9:4”) and so they might be not within it, but in some place on the sides of it, (see Deuteronomy 31:26), when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt ; about two months after.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - The bringing in the ark, is the end which must crown the work: this wa done with great solemnity. The ark was fixed in the place appointed for its rest in the inner part of the house, whence they expected God to speak to them, even in the most holy place. The staves of the ark wer drawn out, so as to direct the high priest to the mercy-seat over the ark, when he went in, once a year, to sprinkle the blood there; so tha they continued of use, though there was no longer occasion to carry it by them. The glory of God appearing in a cloud may signify, 1. The darkness of that dispensation, in comparison with the light of the gospel, by which, with open face, we behold, as in a glass, the glor of the Lord. 2. The darkness of our present state, in comparison with the sight of God, which will be the happiness of heaven, where the Divine glory is unveiled.
Original Hebrew אין369 בארון727 רק7535 שׁני8147 לחות3871 האבנים68 אשׁר834 הנח3240 שׁם8033 משׁה4872 בחרב2722 אשׁר834 כרת3772 יהוה3068 עם5973 בני1121 ישׂראל3478 בצאתם3318 מארץ776 מצרים׃4714
