Exodus 25:1-22

Contributions for the Sanctuary

1 The LORD said to Moses,

2 ¹"Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From ²every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.

3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze,

4 ³blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair,

5 tanned ⁴rams' skins, goatskins,^[a] acacia wood,

6 ⁵oil for the lamps, ⁶spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,

7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ⁷ephod and for the breastpiece.

8 And let them make me a ⁸sanctuary, that ⁹I may dwell in their midst.

9 ¹⁰Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the ¹¹tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

The Ark of the Covenant

10 ¹²"They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits^[b] and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.

11 You shall overlay it with ¹³pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it.

12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its ¹⁴four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.

13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them.

15 The ¹⁵poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.

16 ¹⁶And you shall put into the ark the ¹⁷testimony that I shall give you.

17 ¹⁸"You shall make a mercy seat^[c] of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.

18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of ¹⁹hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.

19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. ²⁰Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends.

20 ²¹The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.

21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you.

22 ²²There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from ²³between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

Exodus 25:1-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 25

In this chapter an order is given for a freewill offering towards various things for the worship and service of God, and the materials to be offered, which would be useful and acceptable, are mentioned particularly, Ex 25:1-7, as also another order to build a sanctuary for God, after a model that he would give, Ex 25:8,9, and, an ark to put in the law on tables of stone, the fashion of which, and the various things belonging to it, are described, Ex 25:10-16, and a mercy seat with cherubim on it to be set over the ark, where the Lord promises to meet Moses and commune with him, Ex 25:17-22 and a table with various appurtenances to it to place the shewbread on, Ex 25:23-30 and a candlestick of gold, whose parts are described, and all the instruments relative to it, Ex 25:31-40.

Cross References

• 1. For ver. 1-7, see Exodus 35:4-9
• 2. Exodus 35:5, 21, 29; Exodus 36:2; Judges 5:2; 1 Chronicles 29:5; [Ezra 1:6; Ezra 2:68; Ezra 3:5; Ezra 7:16]; Nehemiah 11:2; [2 Corinthians 8:12; 2 Corinthians 9:7]
• 3. Exodus 26:1, 31, 36
• 4. Exodus 26:14
• 5. Exodus 27:20
• 6. Exodus 30:7, 23, 34; Exodus 31:11
• 7. Exodus 28:4, 15
• 8. Hebrews 9:1, 2; See Exodus 36:1-4
• 9. Exodus 29:45; 1 Kings 6:13; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Revelation 21:3
• 10. ver. 40
• 11. Exodus 26:1
• 12. Exodus 37:1-3; Deuteronomy 10:3; Hebrews 9:4
• 13. ver. 24, 25; Exodus 30:3, 4; Exodus 37:2
• 14. Exodus 37:3
• 15. 1 Kings 8:8
• 16. [Deuteronomy 31:26; 1 Kings 8:9]
• 17. See Exodus 16:34
• 18. Exodus 37:6; Hebrews 9:5
• 19. ver. 31; Exodus 37:7, 17, 22; Numbers 8:4; Numbers 10:2
• 20. Exodus 37:8
• 21. 1 Kings 8:7; 1 Chronicles 28:18; Hebrews 9:5
• 22. Exodus 29:42, 43; Exodus 30:6, 36; Leviticus 16:2; Numbers 17:4
• 23. Numbers 7:89

Footnotes

• [a]. Uncertain; possibly dolphin skins, or dugong skins; compare 26:14
• [b]. A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
• [c]. Or cover