Charles Ellicott Commentary Leviticus 24:8

"Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before Jehovah continually; it is on the behalf of the children of Israel, an everlasting covenant." — Leviticus 24:8 (ASV)

Every sabbath he shall set it in order.—That is, Aaron is to carry out these instructions in the first instance, as we are told in Leviticus 24:3. After him, or together with him, the priests are to attend to this duty sacredly every Sabbath throughout the year.

Of the manner in which the shewbread, or “bread of His Presence,” was renewed every Sabbath during the Second Temple, we have a detailed account. “Four priests entered the holy place; two of them carried in their hands the two piles of the cakes, and two carried in their hands the two incense cups. Four priests had gone in before them: two to take off the two old piles, and two to take off the two old incense cups.

Those who brought in the new stood at the north side with their faces to the south, and those who took away the old stood at the south side with their faces to the north. As soon as the one party lifted up the old, the others put down the new, so that their hands were exactly opposite each other, because it is written, before my Presence continually (Exodus 25:30). The authorities during the Second Temple interpreted the expression “continually” to mean that the cakes were not to be absent for one moment. Hence the simultaneous action of the two sets of priests, one lifting up the old, and the other at once putting down the new shewbread.

Being taken from the children of Israel.—According to the rule that was in effect during the Second Temple, the shewbread, or “bread of His Presence,” was purchased with the people’s half-shekels. This method of funding was common for many elements of the sanctuary service, including the daily sacrifices, the offerings for the congregation, the salt for the sacrifices, the wood for the altar, the incense, the omer , the two wave-loaves (Leviticus 23:17), the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:5 and following), and the red heifer (Numbers 19:1–22), and other similar items. Every Israelite had to contribute these half-shekels annually toward the maintenance of the service in the sanctuary .