Description and usage
A snuffer is a kind of cap placed over the burning wick of a lamp to extinguish it by cutting off the air supply. The specific ones mentioned for the Temple service would have been made of gold.
A wick trimmer is a kind of scissors for cutting off the burnt part of the wick so that it makes less smoke when it burns.
Translation
Translations are divided concerning the proper identification of the Hebrew word mzamereth. The word could indicate some kind of musical instrument, although no translation consulted reflects this meaning. The same Hebrew root can also mean “to cut, to trim” (see LEV 25:4), and it is on this basis that some versions (for example, NIV and NCV) interpret it to mean a kind of scissors for trimming a burnt wick. Others (for example, RSV and CEV) take it to be a kind of cap placed over the burning wick to put it out. Another interpretation is that it was a small plate set under a lamp to catch the ashes of the wick as it burned down.
In any society where oil lamps or at least extensive candle lighting is unfamiliar, it will be difficult to find a suitable term for this Hebrew word. Even something like “wick trimmers” (NCV) or “lamp snuffers” (CEV) is not readily understood by modern English readers. Translators are advised to select a term that will be understood by most people and, where possible, to include a note or glossary entry describing the operation of an oil lamp (see Oil lamp and wick).
Curtain, veil, drape: See Curtain, veil, drape.