1-kings 8:8

Oracle - The inner santuary; "Holy of Holies".

Oracle - A declaration; something uttered.

Staves - Rods; clubs.

Without - Outside.

And there they are unto this day - This proves that the book was written before the destruction of the first temple, but how long before we cannot tell.

It was forbidden to withdraw the staves wholly from the rings (margin reference); but they appear to have been now drawn forward in such a way that their ends or heads could be seen from the holy place, or great chamber of the temple, though without their being visible from the porch or vestibule. Either the doorway into the holy of holies was not exactly opposite the ark, but a little on one side; or, though that doorway was in the middle, opposite the ark, the doorway from the porch into the main chamber was not opposite to it. In Assyrian temples the arrangement of the outer door, the inner door, and the sanctuary, seems to have been designedly such that a mere passer-by on the outside should not obtain even a glimpse of the shrine. It is suggested that the withdrawal of the staves was intended as a sign that the ark had reached "the place of its rest," and was not to be borne about anymore.

There they are unto this day - This is a quotation from an author who lived while the temple was still standing. See also 1 Kings 9:21.

8:8 Drew out - Not wholly, which was expressly forbidden, Exodus 25:15 , Nu 4:6, but in part.Seen out - In the most holy place, which is oft called by way of eminency,the holy place, and the Hebrew words rendered before the oracle,may be as well rendered, within the oracle. And these staves were leftin this posture, that the high - priest might hereby be certainly guided tothat very place where he, was one day in a year to sprinkle blood, and tooffer incense before the ark, which otherwise he might mistake in thatdark place, where the ark was wholly covered with the wings of the greatcherubim, which stood between him and the ark when he entered in.