Exodus25
World English Bible · Public Domain
1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, that they take an offering for me. From everyone whose heart makes him willing you shall take my offering.
3This is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, bronze,
4blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair,
5rams’ skins dyed red, sea cow hides, 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.
8Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
9According to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all of its furniture, even so you shall make it.
10“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height.
11You shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around it.
12You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four feet. Two rings shall be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
13You 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 to carry the ark.
15The poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it.
16You shall put the covenant which I shall give you into the ark.
17You 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.
18You shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
19Make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. You shall make the cherubim on its two ends of one piece with the mercy seat.
20The cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward 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 covenant that I will give you.
22There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the covenant, all that I command you for the children of Israel.
23“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Its length shall be two cubits, and its width a cubit, and its height one and a half cubits.
24You shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
25You shall make a rim of a hand width around it. You shall make a golden molding on its rim around it.
26You shall make four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that are on its four feet.
27The rings shall be close to the rim, for places for the poles to carry the table.
28You 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 spoons, its ladles, and its bowls with which to pour out offerings. You shall make them of pure gold.
30You shall set bread of the presence on the table before me always.
31“You shall make a lamp stand of pure gold. The lamp stand shall be made of hammered work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it.
32There shall be six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of its other side;
33three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower, so for the six branches going out of the lamp stand;
34and in the lamp stand four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers;
35and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of the lamp stand.
36Their buds and their branches shall be of one piece with it, all of it one beaten work of pure gold.
37You shall make its lamps seven, and they shall light its lamps to give light to the space in front of it.
38Its snuffers and its snuff dishes shall be of pure gold.
39It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these accessories.
40See that you make them after their pattern, which has been shown to 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