Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the bronze for things of bronze, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistening stones, and of various colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.
All Commentaries on 1 Chronicles 29:2 Go To 1 Chronicles 29
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Onyx, or "emeralds. "(Calmet)
Septuagint, "soom "form the Hebrew shoham.
Alabaster. Hebrew puc. (Haydock)
The dark paint used for the eyes, has the same name, 4 Kings ix. 30., and Jeremias iv. 30. Yet the stibium or stimmi, or alabaster, mentioned by Pliny, ( xxxiii. 6.) was of a sliver colour, but not transparent. The stone here specified was probably alabaster, as it was used for the pavement. There is a very fine species at Damascus, and in Arabia, which was much sought after to decorate buildings. (Calmet)
Chaldean has "emeralds. "Septuagint, "stones of perfection, rich and various, and every precious stone, and much Parion. "(Haydock)
But Isaias liv. 11, they translate the same term, "carbuncle. "(Calmet)
The stone might resemble the agate, which is beautifully shaded with clouds and other fanciful figures. (Tirinus)
Paros: this is taken from the Septuagint. Hebrew has simply, "and stones of ssiss. "(Haydock)
Whether it denote the isle of Chio, or that of Chitis, in the Red Sea, the former famous for marble, and the latter for the topaz; or it may refer to Sais, a city of Egypt, which had most beautiful porphyry. (Pliny, xxxvi. 7., and xxxvii. 8.)
But Paros, one of the Cyclades, was most renowned for its white marble. (Pliny xxxvi. 5.)
Josephus (Jewish Wars vi. 6.) informs us, that the temple was built of large white marble stones; so that it appeared, at a distance, to be covered with snow. (Calmet)
