Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Chronicles 5:9

"And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without: and there it is unto this day." — 2 Chronicles 5:9 (ASV)

And they drew out ... were seen: Rather, And the staves were so long that the tips of the staves were seen, etc.

From the ark: In 1 Kings 8:8, this is rendered from the Holy Place. This reading is supported by the Septuagint and four Hebrew manuscripts. The priests in the great hall could see the tips of the staves projecting within the Holy of Holies, but people outside the great hall could not see them.

And there it is to this day: This likely means, And it (the ark) remained there to this day, as the Vulgate translates, “fuit itaque arca ibi.” However, the Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Arabic versions suggest, They—that is, the poles—were there. This latter reading is also supported by some Hebrew manuscripts and 1 Kings 8:8, and is undoubtedly correct. A letter has fallen out of the Hebrew text.

That the chronicler preserved this remark without modification to suit altered circumstances, and indeed that the compiler of Kings did the same long before him, is a striking example of how Oriental historiographers are content to borrow with literal exactness from the works of predecessors, even when such borrowing appears infelicitous to the modern mind.