Exodus 25: The offering for the sanctuary, the ark, the table and the lamp stand

In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

In plain English: "Speak to the Israelites, so that they take an offering for me. From everyone whose heart makes him willing, you are to take my offering.

In plain English: This is the offering you are to take from them: gold, silver, bronze,

In plain English: blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair,

In plain English: rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,

The Hebrew word: "Sea cow" is the Hebrew tachash. The dictionary gives it as "a (clean) animal with fur, probably a species of antelope". The word "probably" shows that the animal is not certain.

How it is translated: The word is in 14 verses of the Bible. This Bible says "sea cow" in the 6 verses of Exodus (25:5, 26:14, 35:7, 35:23, 36:19 and 39:34), "sealskin" in the 7 verses in Numbers 4, and "leather" in Ezekiel 16:10.

In plain English: oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,

In plain English: onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.

In plain English: They are to make me a sanctuary (a holy place), so that I may dwell (live) among them.

The Hebrew words: "Dwell" is shakan, which the dictionary gives as "to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively)". "Tabernacle" in verse 9 is mishkan, which sounds like it. The dictionary gives mishkan as "a residence" and, specifically, the Tabernacle.

How it is translated: This Bible says "tabernacle" for mishkan in all 55 verses of Exodus that use it, and in 99 of the 129 verses of the whole Bible. "Sanctuary" in this verse is a different word, miqdash, which is in only 2 verses of Exodus: this one and Exodus 15:17.

What changes: Read as "dwelling place", verse 9 speaks of "the pattern of the dwelling place", and the link with "that I may dwell among them" in this verse shows in English.

In plain English: Make it according to everything I show you: the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture. Make it just so.

In plain English: "They are to make an ark of acacia wood. It is to be two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.

The Hebrew word: "Ark" is aron, which the dictionary gives as "a box". Noah's ark and the basket of baby Moses (Exodus 2:3) are a different Hebrew word, tevah, which the dictionary also gives as "a box".

How it is translated: This Bible says "ark" for aron in 168 of the 174 verses that use it. In the other 6 verses it says "chest" in 5 and "coffin" in 1: Genesis 50:26, where Joseph is put in one.

Good to know: A cubit is an old measure of length, based on the forearm. The dictionary gives the Hebrew word, ammah, as "the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit". A cubit is often reckoned at about 18 inches (45 centimeters), but the text gives no conversion and ancient measures varied. Later verses give many more sizes in cubits.

In plain English: Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and outside, and make a gold molding around it.

In plain English: Cast four gold rings for it and put them on its four feet. Two rings are to be on one side of it and two rings on the other side.

In plain English: Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

In plain English: Put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.

In plain English: The poles are to stay in the rings of the ark. They are not to be taken out of it.

In plain English: Put into the ark the covenant (literally: the testimony) that I will give you.

The Hebrew word: "Covenant" here is edut, which the dictionary gives as "testimony".

How it is translated: In Exodus this Bible says "covenant" for edut in 18 of the 20 verses that use it, and "Testimony" in 2: Exodus 16:34 and 38:21.

Good to know: The verse does not say what the covenant (the testimony) is. Exodus 31:18 speaks of "the two tablets of the covenant", and Exodus 40:20 says, "He took and put the covenant into the ark".

In plain English: Make a mercy seat (or: atonement cover) of pure gold. It is to be two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.

The Hebrew word: "Mercy seat" is kapporeth. The dictionary gives it as "a lid (used only of the cover of the sacred Ark)". It sounds like kaphar, the verb behind "make atonement" (Exodus 29:36).

How it is translated: This Bible says "mercy seat" in all 22 verses that use the word, 16 of them in Exodus.

Good to know: The mercy seat has the same length and width as the ark in verse 10, and verse 21 puts it on top of the ark.

In plain English: Make two cherubim of hammered gold. Make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.

Good to know: The text does not say what the cherubim looked like. It says there are two, made of hammered gold as one piece with the mercy seat, one at each end, with wings spread upward that cover the mercy seat and faces turned toward each other and toward the mercy seat (verse 20). It gives no size and says nothing more about their wings or faces.

Good to know: Cherubim are named before this only in Genesis 3:24, where cherubim are placed east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life. They are also on the curtains and the veil (26:1, 26:31).

In plain English: Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. Make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat, on its two ends.

In plain English: The cherubim are to spread their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings. Their faces are to be turned toward one another. The faces of the cherubim are to be toward the mercy seat.

In plain English: Put the mercy seat on top of the ark. In the ark put the covenant (literally: the testimony) that I will give you.

In plain English: There I will meet with you. From above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the covenant (literally: the testimony), I will tell you all that I command you for the Israelites.

In plain English: "Make a table of acacia wood. It is to be two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.

In plain English: Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it.

In plain English: Make a rim around it, a hand width wide. Make a gold molding on its rim, all around.

The Hebrew word: "A hand width" is tophach, which the dictionary gives as "a palm-breadth (not 'span' of the fingers)". It is the width of a hand across the palm. In Exodus the word is only here and in Exodus 37:12.

In plain English: Make four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners, at its four feet.

In plain English: The rings are to be close to the rim, as places to hold the poles that carry the table.

In plain English: Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. The table is to be carried with them.

In plain English: Make its dishes, its spoons, its ladles, and its bowls, which are for pouring out offerings. Make them of pure gold.

In plain English: Put bread of the presence on the table before me, always.

The Hebrew words: "Bread of the presence" is lechem panim, literally "bread of the face". Panim is also the word behind "before me" later in the verse, literally "to my face". The dictionary gives panim as "the face (as the part that turns)".

How it is translated: This Bible says "bread of the presence" here and "show bread" for the same Hebrew words in Exodus 35:13 and 39:36.

In plain English: "Make a lamp stand of pure gold. It is to be made of hammered work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers are to be of one piece with it.

In plain English: Six branches are to go out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of the other side.

In plain English: Three cups made like almond blossoms are to be on one branch, with a bud and a flower. Three cups made like almond blossoms are to be on the other branch, with a bud and a flower. It is the same for all six branches going out of the lamp stand.

In plain English: On the lamp stand itself there are to be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their buds and their flowers.

In plain English: There is to be a bud under two branches, a bud under two more branches, and a bud under two more branches, all of one piece with it. This is for the six branches going out of the lamp stand.

In plain English: Their buds and their branches are to be of one piece with it, all of it one piece of hammered work of pure gold.

In plain English: Make seven lamps for it. The lamps are to be lit so that they give light to the space in front of it.

In plain English: Its snuffers (or: tongs) and its snuff dishes (or: fire pans) are to be of pure gold.

In plain English: It is to be made from a talent of pure gold, together with all these accessories.

The Hebrew word: "Talent" is kikkar. The dictionary gives it as "also a (round) loaf; also a talent (or large [round] coin)". The same word is "loaf" in Exodus 29:23.

Good to know: A talent is a large weight. This verse does not say how heavy it is. Exodus 38:25 to 27 count the silver in talents and shekels: 100 talents and 1,775 shekels, from 603,550 men at half a shekel each. That works out to 3,000 shekels to a talent: 603,550 half shekels is 301,775 shekels, and taking away the 1,775 leaves 300,000 for the 100 talents. This is worked out from those numbers. The text does not state it, and it does not say that the gold talent here is the same weight.

In plain English: See that you make them by their pattern, which has been shown to you on the mountain.

The Hebrew word: "Pattern" is tabnith, which the dictionary gives as "structure; by implication, a model, resemblance". In Exodus it is in only 2 verses, here and verse 9.

Good to know: Hebrews 8:5 quotes the words of this verse: "See, you shall make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain."