Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 4. Blue] tlkt techeleth, generally supposed to mean an azure or sky colour; rendered by the Septuagint vakinqon, and by the Vulgate hyacinthum, a sky-blue or deep violet.
Purple] mgra argaman, a very precious colour, extracted from the purpura or murex, a species of shell-fish, from which it is supposed the famous Tyrian purple came, so costly, and so much celebrated in antiquity. See this largely described, and the manner of dyeing it, in Pliny, Hist. Nat., lib. ix., c. 60-65, edit. Bipont.
Scarlet] t[lwt tolaath, signifies a worm, of which this colouring matter was made; and, joined with yn shani, which signifies to repeat or double, implies that to strike this colour the wool or cloth was twice dipped: hence the Vulgate renders the original coccum bis tinctum, "scarlet twice dyed;" and to this Horace refers, Odar., lib. ii., od. 16, v. x25: - Te BIS Afro Murice TINCTAE Vestiunt LANAE.] "Thy robes the twice dyed purple stains." It is the same colour which the Arabs call al kermez, whence the French cramoisi, and the English crimson. On this subject much may be seen in Bochart, Calmet, and Scheuchzer.
Fine linen] shesh; whether this means linen, cotton, or silk, is not agreed on among interpreters. Because shesh signifies six, the rabbins suppose that it always signifies the fine linen of Egypt, in which six folds constituted one thread; and that when a single fold was meant, db bad is the term used. See the note on "Gen. xli. 42".
Goats' hair] µyz[ izzim, goats, but used here elliptically for goats' hair.
In different parts of Asia Minor, Syria, Cilicia, and Phrygia, the goats have long, fine, and beautiful hair, in some cases almost as fine as silk, which they shear at proper times, and manufacture into garments. From Virgil, Georg. iii., v. 305-311, we learn that goats' hair manufactured into cloth was nearly of equal value with that formed from wool.
Hae quoque non cura nobis leviore tuendae; Nec minor usus erit: quamvis Milesia magno Vellera mutentur, Tyrios incocta rubores.
Nec minus interea barbas incanaque menta Cinyphii tondent hirci, setasque comantes, Usum in castrorum, et miseris velamina nautis.
"For hairy goats of equal profit are With woolly sheep, and ask an equal care.
'Tis true the fleece when drunk with Tyrian juice Is dearly sold, but not for needful use: Meanwhile the pastor shears their hoary beards And eases of their hair the loaden herds.
Their camelots, warm in tents, the soldier hold, And shield the shivering mariner from the cold." DRYDEN.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered royal palace to be set up among them for himself, called a sanctuary or holy place, or habitation. There he showed his presence among them And because in the wilderness they dwelt in tents, this royal palac was ordered to be a tabernacle, that it might move with them. The people were to furnish Moses with the materials, by their own fre will. The best use we can make of our worldly wealth, is to honour God with it in works of piety and charity. We should ask, not only, What must we do? but, What may we do for God? Whatever they gave, they mus give it cheerfully, not grudgingly, for God loves a cheerful giver, 2C 9:7. What is laid out in the service of God, we must reckon wel bestowed; and whatsoever is done in God's service, must be done by his direction. (Ex 25:10-22)
Original Hebrew ותכלת8504 וארגמן713 ותולעת8438 שׁני8144 ושׁשׁ8336 ועזים׃5795
