SHEW-BREAD. The Hebrew1 signifies literally, Bread of Faces, or, of the Face. They thus call’d the Loaves of the Bread, that the Priest of the Week put every Sabbath-day upon the Golden Table which was in the Sanctum before the Lord. These Loaves were square, and had four Faces, as the Rabbins say: They were cover’d with Leaves of Gold: They were twelve in number, and represented the twelve Tribes of Israel. Every Loaf must be of a considerable Bigness, since they us’d Lev. xxiv. 5, 6, 7.two Tenth-deals of Flour for each, which are about six Pints. They served them up hot on the Sabbath-day in the Presence of the Lord, and at the same time took away the stale ones, which had been expos’d for the whole Week, and which could not be eaten but by the Priests alone. Mat. xii. 4.If, in an extraordinary Case, David 1 Sam. xxi. 4. Lev. xxiv. 9.thought he might eat of them, nothing but urgent Necessity could exempt him from Lev. xxiv. 7.Sin. This Offering was accompany’d with Frankincense and Salt. Some Commentators Lev. ii. 13.think,2 that Wine was added to it also. The Frankincense was burnt upon the Golden Table every Saturday, when they set on fresh Loaves.
They are not agreed as to the Manner in which the Loaves of Shew-bread were ranged upon the Altar of the Sanctum. Some think there were three Piles of them, of four in each. Others will have them to be in two Piles of six in each; and it is hard to conceive it could be otherwise, or that a Table of two Cubits in Length, and one in Breadth, could allow Room enough for twelve Loaves, in each of which were six Pints of Flour. The Rabbins say, that between every two Loaves there were two Golden Pipes, supported by Forks of the same Metal, whose Ends rested upon the Ground, to convey Air to the Loaves, and to hinder them from growing mouldy.
Lev. xxi. 8.Moses seems to say, that the Israelites furnished the Loaves that were presented before the Lord; but this ought to be understood only, as it was the People that paid the First-fruits and Tenths to the Priests, which was the chief of their Income. And of these Tenths and First-fruits they took wherewith to make the Shew-bread, and whatever else belong’d to ‘em to furnish, in the Service of the Temple. In the Time of David,3 the Levites of the Family of Kahath had the Care of the Shew-bread, or, as it is call’d in the Chronicles, the Bread of Ordering. Probably it was the Levites that baked and prepared them; but it was the Priests that offer’d them before the Lord, as it is said in another Place, Sacerdotes autem 1 Chron. xxiii. 28. Vulg. Hieron. in Mal. i.super panes propositionis. However, St. Jerom says, from a Tradition of the Jews, that the Priests sowed, reaped, ground, kneaded, and baked the Shew-bread: Panes propositionis, quos juxta traditiones Hebraicas, ipsi ferere, ipsi demetere, ipsi molere, ipsi coquere debeatis. See the Commentary upon 1 Chron. ix. 33. & xxiii. 28.
There are still several Rabbinical Remarks about these Loaves, which the Commentators take care to glean: They were placed six in a Pile one upon another, upon a Salver of Gold; and above they were cover’d with another Golden Salver, upon which stood a Golden Cup full of the purest Incense. They were made without Leven, and kneaded with Oil. Tostat says, that they were baked on a Baking-pan of Gold. Others maintain, they were baked in an ordinary Oven, but one that was kept for this Use only; and that the Wood used on this Occasion was chosen on purpose, the soundest and closest that could be got. Beside these Loaves was a Vessel full of excellent Wine; this Vessel was close stopt, that the Wine might not grow sour, and it held the fourth-part of an Hin; that is, something above two Pints.
When the Loaves were changed, the Wine was poured out as a Libation before the Lord. The Vessel or Cup that was fill’d with Salt near these Loaves was of Gold, and cover’d, as well as the Vessel of Incense, that no Dust or any other thing should defile it. These Loaves were eaten in the Temple by the Priests of the Week; and it was not allow’d to take them out of the Temple, to eat them at Home.
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