Hebrews 9:4

"Which had" (he says) "a golden Censer, and the ark of the Covenant overlaid round about with gold: wherein was the golden pot that held the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant." All these things were venerable and conspicuous memorials of the Jewish obstinacy; "and the tables of the covenant" (for they brake them) "And the manna" (for they murmured; and therefore handing on the memory thereof to posterity, He commanded it to be laid up in a golden pot). "And Aaron's rod that budded. And over it, the Cherubim of glory." What is "the Cherubim of glory"? He either means "the glorious," or those which are under God. "Shadowing the mercy-seat." But in another point of view also he extols these things in his discourse, in order to show that those which come after them are greater. "Of which" (he says) "we cannot now speak particularly." In these words he hints that these were not merely what was seen, but were a sort of enigmas. "Of which" (he says) "we cannot now speak particularly," perhaps because they needed a long discourse.

The Ark of the Covenant is called so because it contained the tablets bearing the law (Exod. 40:20). All these things served as memorials of Jewish ingratitude. "The golden pot of manna" — in remembrance of the fact that, while being miraculously fed by it, …

Now the golden urn in the ark holding the manna is the holy soul in Christ that contains in itself all the fullness of divinity. Aaron's rod that budded although cut off from the tree is the invincible power of his priesthood, concerning which the …

The ark can also be taken figuratively as the holy church that is constructed from incorruptible wood, that is, from holy souls. Extended throughout the four quarters of the world, with faith in the holy gospel, the church expects from God the eternal crown of …

420. – Then when he says, Behind the veil the second tabernacle called the Holy of Holies, he describes the things that were in the second tabernacle, namely, the ark of the covenant made of incorruptible sethim wood, covered about on every part, i.e., inside …

Having the golden censer - Used by the high priest only, on the great day of atonement. And the ark, or chest, of the covenant - So called from the tables of the covenant contained therein. Wherein was the manna - The monument of God's care over Israel.

This typified Christ, his perfect obedience to the law and his fulfilling of all righteousness for us. Now here we are told both what was in this ark and what was over it. [1.] What was in it.

Which had the golden censer,....

In 1Ki 6:22, Hebrew, "the altar" is said to belong to the oracle, or holiest place (compare Ex 30:6). ark--of shittim wood, that is, acacia. Not in the second temple, but in its stead was a stone basement (called "the stone of foundation"), three fingers high. pot--"golden," added in the Septuagint, and sanctioned by Paul. manna--an omer, each man's daily portion.

Which had the golden censer - The censer was a “fire-pan,” made for the purpose of carrying fire, in order to burn incense on it in the place of worship. The forms of the censer were various. Some difficulty has been felt respecting the statement of Paul here that the “golden censer” was in the most holy place, from the fact that no such utensil is mentioned by Moses as pertaining to the tabernacle, nor in the description of Solomon’s temple, which was modelled after the tabernacle, is there any account of it given. But the following considerations will probably remove the difficulty. (1) Paul was a Jew, and was familiar with what pertained to the temple, and gave such a description of it as would be in accordance with what actually existed in his time. The fact that Moses does not expressly mention it, does not prove that in fact no such censer was laid up in the most holy place. (2) Aaron and his successors were expressly commanded to burn incense in a “censer” in the most holy place before the mercy-seat. This was to be done on the great day of atonement, and but once in a year; Lev 16:12-13. (3) There is every probability that the censer that was used on such an occasion was made of gold. All the implements that were employed in the most holy place were made of gold, or overlaid with gold, and it is in the highest degree improbable that the high priest would use any other on so solemn an occasion; compare 1Ki 7:50. (4) As the golden censer was to be used only once in a year, it would naturally be laid away in some secure situation, and none would so obviously occur as the most holy place. There it would be perfectly safe. No one was permitted to enter there but the high priest, and being preserved there it would be always ready for his use. […]