Chest
The Ark of the Covenant as Chest
The most significant chest in the Bible is the Ark of the Covenant, described in detail in Exodus 25:10-22. The Hebrew word used for it is the same word translated "chest" in other contexts, emphasizing its basic form as a rectangular wooden container. The ark was made of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, and contained the tablets of the Law, Aaron's rod that budded, and a jar of manna (Hebrews 9:4). It served as the most sacred object in Israelite worship, representing God's presence among his people.
Joseph's Coffin
The same Hebrew word appears in Genesis 50:26 to describe the coffin in which Joseph's embalmed body was placed in Egypt. This usage reminds us that the word simply denotes a rectangular wooden box. Joseph's coffin remained in Egypt for centuries until Moses carried Joseph's bones out during the Exodus (Exodus 13:19), fulfilling the oath the sons of Israel had sworn to their ancestor.
Jehoiada's Temple Collection Chest
Perhaps the most vivid biblical story involving a chest is found in 2 Kings 12:9-10 and 2 Chronicles 24:8-11. When the priest Jehoiada saw that the temple of the Lord needed repairs, he took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord. The priests who guarded the threshold placed into it all the money that was brought into the temple.
In the parallel account in 2 Chronicles, King Joash commanded that a chest be made and set outside at the gate of the temple to receive the tax that Moses had established for the tabernacle in the wilderness. The Levites carried the chest to the king's office whenever they saw it was full, and the royal secretary and the chief priest's officer would count the money and then return the empty chest to its place. This was done regularly, and they collected a large amount of money used to hire stonemasons and carpenters to restore the temple.
The Philistine Gold Coffer
When the Philistines returned the captured Ark of the Covenant to Israel, they placed gold offerings in a small chest or coffer alongside it (1 Samuel 6:8-11). The Philistine priests and diviners had instructed them to make golden images of tumors and mice as guilt offerings and to place them in this box beside the ark on the cart drawn by two cows.
Treasury Chests in the New Testament Temple
In the temple of Herod, thirteen trumpet-shaped collection receptacles were placed in the Court of the Women. These containers were wide at the bottom and narrowed toward the top, designed to receive various types of monetary offerings. It was beside these treasury chests that Jesus sat and watched the crowds putting in their money, observing the poor widow who cast in her two small copper coins (Mark 12:41-44). Jesus declared that she had put in more than all the others, because while they gave out of their abundance, she gave out of her poverty everything she had to live on.
Chests of Rich Apparel
In Ezekiel's description of the merchandise of Tyre, the prophet mentions chests of rich apparel bound with cords and made of cedar (Ezekiel 27:24). This reference gives us a glimpse into the luxury trade of the ancient Phoenician city and the kinds of storage containers used in international commerce.
Biblical Context
Chests appear throughout Scripture in several important narratives. The Ark of the Covenant is central to the Torah and the historical books. The temple collection chest features in the reforms of Jehoiada and King Joash (2 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 24). The Philistine coffer appears in the ark narrative (1 Samuel 6). The trumpet-shaped treasury chests in Herod's temple provide the setting for Jesus' teaching about the widow's offering (Mark 12:41-44). Ezekiel mentions cedar chests in his oracle against Tyre (Ezekiel 27:24).
Theological Significance
The various chests in Scripture consistently serve purposes related to worship, sacrifice, and devotion to God. The Ark of the Covenant represented God's covenant presence. Jehoiada's collection chest facilitated the restoration of God's temple. The temple treasury chests became the setting for Jesus' profound teaching about sacrificial giving. Together, these objects demonstrate that even humble containers can play significant roles in the relationship between God and his people.
Historical Background
Archaeological discoveries throughout the ancient Near East have uncovered numerous wooden and stone chests used for storage and burial. In Egypt, elaborately decorated coffins and chests were essential to burial practices. The Phoenicians and other trading peoples used wooden chests bound with cords for transporting valuable goods. In the Second Temple period, the Mishnah (Shekalim 6:5) describes the thirteen trumpet-shaped collection boxes in the Court of the Women, each designated for a specific type of offering.