Chest

Chest - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

(Heb. 'aron, generally rendered "ark"), the coffer into which the contributions for the repair of the temple were put (2 Kings 12:9, 10; 2 Chr. 24:8, 10, 11). In Gen. 50:26 it is rendered "coffin." In Ezek. 27:24 a different Hebrew word, genazim (plur.), is used. It there means "treasure-chests."

Chest - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

CHEST, n.

1. A box of wood or other material, in which goods are kept or transported. It differs from a trunk in not being covered with skin or leather.

2. The trunk of the body from the neck to the belly; the thorax. Hence, broad-chested, narrow-chested, having a broad or narrow chest.

3. In commerce, a certain quantity; as a chest of sugar; a chest of indigo; _c.

Chest of drawers is a case of movable boxes called drawers.

CHEST, v.t. To reposit in a chest; to hoard.

chest ('aron, genazim; kibotos):

(1) The ark of the covenant in Old Testament is invariably denoted by the word 'aron, elsewhere rendered the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) "chest."

See ARK.

(2) 'Aron is also the word rendered "coffin" (Ge 50:26: "and he was put in a coffin in E.").

See COFFIN.

(3) In Kings and Chronicles (2Ki 12:9,10; 2Ch 24:8,10,11) 'aron stands uniformly for a money chest. It is the "chest" that Jehoiada, the priest, placed in the court "beside the altar" and "bored a hole in the lid of" that the priests might "put therein all the money that was brought into the house of Yahweh" (2Ki 12:9); and "the chest" that King Joash commanded to be made and set "without at the gate of the house of Yahweh" to receive "the tax that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel" (2Ch 24:8,10,11). One feature is common to the thing meant in all these applications--the c. was rectangular in shape, and, most probably in every instance, made of wood.

(4) Josephus (Ant., VI, 1,2) uses the equivalent of the word to denote the "coffer" (1Sa 6:8 ff English Versions), or small chest, in which the princes of Philistia deposited the gold mice.

(5) In New Testament times the "chests" that were provided in the court of the women, in the temple of Herod, to receive the various kinds of money gifts had the exceptional shape of a trumpet (if Sheqalim, vi.5 may be trusted)--wide at the bottom and gradually narrowing toward the top, hence, called shopharoth. It was into these that the Master was watching the multitude casting in their money when He saw the poor widow cast in her two mites (Mr 12:41,42).

(6) In Eze 27:24, where the prophet is giving an inventory of the merchandise of Tyre, another word entirely is used (genazim), and it is rendered in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) "chests" ("chests of rich apparel, bound with cords and made of cedar"). According to Cornill, Davidson, Smend and others this rendering is without sufficient support (see Smith, Dictionary of the Bible and commentary in the place cited.).

George B. Eager

1. Aron ; this is invariably used for the ark of the covenant, and, with two exceptions, for that only. The two exceptions alluded to are (a) the "coffin" in which the bones of Joseph were carried from Egypt, (Genesis 50:26) and (b) the "chest" in which Jehoiada the priest collected the alms for the repairs of the temple. (2 Kings 12:9,10; 2 Chronicles 24:8-11)
2. Genazim , "chests." (Ezekiel 27:24) only.