Exodus 25:23
a table: Exo 37:10-16, Exo 40:22, Exo 40:23, Lev 24:6, Num 3:31, 1Ki 7:48, 1Ch 28:16, 2Ch 4:8, 2Ch 4:19, Eze 40:41, Eze 40:42, Heb 9:2 shittim wood: Shittim wood is probably the acacia Nilotica. St. Jerome says, that the shittim wood grows in the deserts of Arabia, and is like white thorn, as to its colour and leaves; but the tree is so large as to furnish very long planks. The wood is hard, tough, and extremely beautiful. It is thought he means the black acacia, because that is the most common tree in the deserts of Arabia. It is of the size of a large mulberry tree. The spreading branches and larger limbs are armed with thorns, which grow three together. The bark is rough; and the leaves are oblong, standing opposite each other. The flowers, though sometimes white, are generally of a bright yellow; and the fruit, which resembles a bean, is contained in pods like those of the lupin. "The acacia," says Dr. Shaw, "being by much the largest and most common tree in the deserts," (Arabia Petræa), we have some reason to conjecture that the shittim wood was the wood of the acacia, especially as its flowers are of an excellent smell; for the shittah tree is, in Isa 41:19, joined with the myrtle and other fragrant shrubs. It may be remarked, that of the two Hebrew names, shittim is masculine, and shittah feminine. So Mr. Bruce says, "the male is called saiel; from it proceeds the gula Arabic, on incision with an axe." Reciprocal: Exo 31:8 - the table Exo 35:13 - General Exo 40:4 - the table Num 4:7 - the table Num 33:49 - Abelshittim