Exodus 37

1 Bezalel made the Chest using acacia wood: He made it three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide and deep.

2 He covered it inside and out with a veneer of pure gold and made a molding of gold all around it.

3 He cast four gold rings and attached them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other.

4 He made poles from acacia wood, covered them with a veneer of gold,

5 and inserted the poles for carrying the Chest into the rings on the sides.

6 Next he made a lid of pure gold for the Chest, an Atonement-Cover, three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide.

7 He sculpted two winged angel-cherubim out of hammered gold for the ends of the Atonement-Cover,

8 one angel at one end, one angel at the other. He made them of one piece with the Atonement-Cover.

9 The angels had outstretched wings and appeared to hover over the Atonement-Cover, facing one another but looking down on the Atonement-Cover.

10 He made the Table from acacia wood. He made it three feet long, one and a half feet wide and two and a quarter feet high.

11 He covered it with a veneer of pure gold and made a molding of gold all around it.

12 He made a border a handbreadth wide all around it and a rim of gold for the border.

13 He cast four rings of gold for it and attached the rings to the four legs

14 parallel to the table top. They will serve as holders for the poles used to carry the Table.

15 He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of gold. They will be used to carry the Table.

16 Out of pure gold he made the utensils for the Table: its plates, bowls, jars, and jugs used for pouring.

17 He made a Lampstand of pure hammered gold, making its stem and branches, cups, calyxes, and petals all of one piece.

18 It had six branches, three from one side and three from the other;

19 three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and petals on one branch, three on the next, and so on - the same for all six branches.

20 On the main stem of the Lampstand, there were four cups shaped like almonds, with calyxes and petals,

21 a calyx extending from under each pair of the six branches.

22 The entire Lampstand with its calyxes and stems was fashioned from one piece of hammered pure gold.

23 He made seven of these lamps with their candle snuffers, all out of pure gold.

24 He used a seventy-five-pound brick of pure gold to make the Lampstand and its accessories.

25 He made an Altar for burning incense from acacia wood. He made it a foot and a half square and three feet high, with its horns of one piece with it.

26 He covered it with a veneer of pure gold, its top, sides, and horns, and made a gold molding around it

27 with two rings of gold beneath the molding. He placed the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried.

28 He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of gold.

29 He also prepared with the art of a perfumer the holy anointing oil and the pure aromatic incense.

Exodus 37 Commentary

Chapter 37

The making of the ark, and the furniture of the tabernacle.

- In the furniture of the tabernacle were emblems of a spiritual and acceptable service. The incense represented the prayers of the saints. The sacrifice of the alter represented the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. The golden pot with manna, or bread from heaven, the flesh of Jesus Christ, which he gave for the life of the world. The candlestick, with its lights, the teaching and enlightening of the Holy Spirit. The shew-bread represented that provision for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, which the gospel, the ordinances and the sacraments of the house of prayer, abundantly bestow. The exactness of the workmen to their rule, should be followed by us; seeking for the influences of the Holy Spirit, that we may rejoice in and glorify God while in this world, and at length be with him for ever.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 37

This chapter continues the account of the making of the tabernacle, and the furniture of it, particularly the ark, mercy seat, and cherubim, Ex 37:1-9 the shewbread table, and what appertained to that, Ex 37:10-16 the candlestick, and all the vessels of it, Ex 37:17-24 and the altar of incense, together with the anointing oil, and pure incense, Ex 37:25-29.

because he gave his mind to this work more than the rest of the wise men, it is called by his name. It is a notion of some Jewish writers that the ark was made by Bezaleel, without the help of others; but there is no sufficient reason to be given for it; for other things are equally ascribed to him in this and the following chapter, as the mercy seat with the cherubim, the shewbread table, the candlestick of pure gold, the two altars, the laver of brass, with other things, which are only said to be made by him, because they were made by his direction, and he having the oversight of them while making; wherefore Aben Ezra observes, that this is particularly said for the glory of the ark. Of the ark, and all other things mentioned in this chapter, \\see Gill on "Ex 25:1"\\ &c. to end of chapter, \\see Gill on "Ex 30:1"\\ &c. to end of chapter. 10564-941108-1324-Ex37.2