Exodus 25:2-12

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.

Exodus 25:2-12 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

Footnotes

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