Exodus25
New King James Version
1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2“Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.
3And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze;
4blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair;
5ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood;
6oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense;
7onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.
8And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
9According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
10“And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.
11And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around.
12You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side.
13And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
14You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them.
15The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.
16And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.
17“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width.
18And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
19Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat.
20And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.
21You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.
22And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
23“You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.
24And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around.
25You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around.
26And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs.
27The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table.
28And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.
29You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold.
30And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.
31“You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.
32And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side.
33Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand.
34On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower.
35And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand.
36Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold.
37You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it.
38And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold.
39It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils.
40And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.
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