Exodus25
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for me an offering: of every man whose heart maketh him willing ye shall take my offering.
3And this is the offering which ye shall take of them: gold, and silver, and brass,
4and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,
5and rams’ skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia wood,
6oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
7onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
8And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
9According to all that I show thee, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the furniture thereof, even so shall ye make it.
10And they shall make an ark of acacia wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
11And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
12And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four feet thereof; and two rings shall be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
13And thou shalt make staves of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
14And thou shalt put the staves into the rings on the sides of the ark, wherewith to bear the ark.
15The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17And thou shalt make a mercy-seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat.
19And make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end: of one piece with the mercy-seat shall ye make the cherubim on the two ends thereof.
20And the cherubim shall spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy-seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.
21And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
23And thou shalt make a table of acacia wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
24And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
25And thou shalt make unto it a border of a handbreadth round about; and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
26And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
27Close by the border shall the rings be, for places for the staves to bear the table.
28And thou shalt make the staves of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
29And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and the spoons thereof, and the flagons thereof, and the bowls thereof, wherewith to pour out: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
30And thou shalt set upon the table showbread before me alway.
31And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made, even its base, and its shaft; its cups, its knops, and its flowers, shall be of one piece with it:
32and there shall be six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:
33three cups made like almond-blossoms in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three cups made like almond-blossoms in the other branch, a knop and a flower: so for the six branches going out of the candlestick:
34and in the candlestick four cups made like almond-blossoms, the knops thereof, and the flowers thereof;
35and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of the candlestick.
36Their knops and their branches shall be of one piece with it; the whole of it one beaten work of pure gold.
37And thou shalt make the lamps thereof, seven: and they shall light the lamps thereof, to give light over against it.
38And the snuffers thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
39Of a talent of pure gold shall it be made, with all these vessels.
40And see that thou make them after their pattern, which hath been showed thee in the mount.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 25.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle. (1–9). The ark. (10–22). The table, with its furniture. (23–30). The candlestick. (31–40).
vv1-9
God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, called a sanctuary, or holy place, or habitation. There he showed his presence among them. And because in the wilderness they dwelt in tents, this royal palace was ordered to be a tabernacle, that it might move with them. The people were to furnish Moses with the materials, by their own free will. The best use we can make of our worldly wealth, is to honour God with it in works of piety and charity. We should ask, not only, What must we do? but, What may we do for God? Whatever they gave, they must give it cheerfully, not grudgingly, for God loves a cheerful giver, 2Co 9:7. What is laid out in the service of God, we must reckon well bestowed; and whatsoever is done in God's service, must be done by his direction. (Ex 25:10-22)
vv10-22
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled, and the incense burned, before it, by the high priest; and above it appeared the visible glory, which was the symbol of the Divine presence. This was a type of Christ in his sinless nature, which saw no corruption, in personal union with his Divine nature, atoning for our sins against it, by his death. The cherubim of gold looked one towards another, and both looked downward toward the ark. It denotes the angels' attendance on the Redeemer, their readiness to do his will, their presence in the assemblies of saints, and their desire to look into the mysteries of the gospel. It was covered with a covering of gold, called the mercy-seat. God is said to dwell, or sit between the cherubim, on the mercy-seat. There he would give his law, and hear supplicants, as a prince on his throne.
vv23-30
A table was to be made of wood, overlaid with gold, to stand in the outer tabernacle, to be always furnished with the shew-bread. This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with his redeemed people in his ordinances, the provisions of his house, the feasts they are favoured with. Also the food for their souls, which they always find when they hunger after it; and the delight he takes in their persons and services, as presented before him in Christ.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
תְּרוּמָה: a present (as offered up), especially in sacrifice or as tribute
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
לֵב: the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything
נָדַב: to impel; hence, to volunteer (as a soldier), to present spontaneously
זָהָב: gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil, a clear sky
Cross References
Exodus 25Explicitly cites God's command to Moses to make the tabernacle according to the pattern shown on the mount.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Directly quotes verse 40 regarding making all things according to the pattern shown on the mount.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Directly links giving 'willingly with his heart' to God loving a cheerful giver.
Supported by Matthew Henry
New Testament description of the ark of the covenant, its construction, and the golden contents.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Identifies Christ as the true 'propitiatory' (hilasterion), fulfilling the type of the golden mercy seat.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Mentions the cherubims of glory overshadowing the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Explains the contents of the Ark of the Covenant, including the tables of the covenant.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Fulfillment of God speaking to Moses from between the two cherubims above the mercy seat.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament description of the Tabernacle's first room containing the table, showbread, and candlestick.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The historical execution of this command, where willing-hearted Israelites bring these exact materials.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
The ultimate fulfillment of God's desire to dwell ('tabernacle') among His people.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Historical confirmation that nothing was in the ark except the two tables of stone (the testimony).
Supported by Matthew Poole
Echoes the cherubims looking down by describing angels desiring to look into the mysteries of salvation.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The actual fabrication of the table of showbread and its golden vessels by Bezaleel.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Prescribes the setting of the twelve cakes of showbread upon the pure table before Jehovah.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The historical execution of Bezaleel making the golden candlestick and its bowls, knops, and flowers.
Supported by Matthew Henry
David receives a similar divinely revealed pattern by the Spirit for the construction of the temple.
Supported by John Calvin
The parallel passage detailing the actual construction of the ark of shittim wood by Bezaleel.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Describes Moses hearing God's voice speaking to him from between the two cherubims over the mercy seat.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
An earlier command in this chapter to place the Testimony inside the Ark.
Supported by Matthew Poole, Calvin
Poetic address to God who 'dwellest between the cherubims,' based on this verse's promise.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jesus references David eating the showbread, which was not lawful but for the priests.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Zechariah's prophetic vision of a golden candlestick with seven lamps, reflecting the Tabernacle design.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Repeats the command to rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion shown in the mount.
Supported by Calvin
Mentions badgers' skin (tachash) used for luxury leather, illuminating the material used for the tabernacle covering.
Supported by JFB
Shows the fulfillment of the command regarding the permanent placement of the ark's carrying staves.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Warns Aaron not to enter the Holy Place at all times, where God appears over the mercy seat.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Historical account of the priest giving David the hallowed showbread taken from before the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Confirms the candlestick was made according to the pattern shown to Moses on the mount.
Supported by Matthew Poole