Psalms 74:6

“But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.] Formerly it was an honour to be employed in cutting down a tree for the building of the temple; but now so little regard was paid to it, that all its fine carved work, which Solomon made, (<110618>1 Kings 6:18,29,30), was demolished at once in a rude and furious manner with axes and hammers; which was done either by the Chaldeans in Nebuchadnezzar’s time, or by the Syrians in the times of Antiochus, or by the Romans in the times of Vespasian; the first seems intended; (see <244622> Jeremiah 46:22,23).”

“But now they break down the carved work thereof ... - literally, “But now the carvings of it together, at once, with sledge and hammers they beat down.” The carved work refers evidently to the ornaments of the temple. The word used here - פתוח pittûach - is rendered engraving, carved work, or carving; Exodus 28:11, Exodus 28:21, Exodus 28:36; Exodus 39:6, Exodus 39:14, Exodus 39:30; Zechariah 3:9; 2 Chronicles 2:14. It is the very word which in 1 Kings 6:29 is applied to the ornaments around the walls of the temple - the “carved figures of cherubim, and palm trees, and open flowers,” and there can be no doubt that the allusion here is to those ornaments. These were rudely cut down, or…”

“Axes and hammers - These words are not Hebrew, but Chaldee or Syriack, to point out the time when this was done, even when the Chaldeans brought in their language, together with their arms, among the Israelites. Psalms 74:8”

“Kg1 6:18, Kg1 6:29, Kg1 6:32, Kg1 6:35 Psalms 74:7”