25:23 2 “You are to make a table of acacia wood; its length is to be three feet, its width one foot six inches, and its height two feet three inches.
37:10 He made the table of acacia wood; its length was three feet, its width one foot six inches, and its height two feet three inches.
40:22 And he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain.
40:24 And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.
1 sn The name basically means that the bread is to be set out in the presence of Yahweh. The custom of presenting bread on a table as a thank offering is common in other cultures as well. The bread here would be placed on the table as a symbol of the divine provision for the twelve tribes – continually, because they were to express their thanksgiving continually. Priests could eat the bread after certain times. Fresh bread would be put there regularly.
1 sn The Table of the Bread of the Presence (Tyndale’s translation, “Shewbread,” was used in KJV and influenced ASV, NAB) was to be a standing acknowledgment that Yahweh was the giver of daily bread. It was called the “presence-bread” because it was set out in his presence. The theology of this is that God provides, and the practice of this is that the people must provide for constant thanks. So if the ark speaks of communion through atonement, the table speaks of dedicatory gratitude.
1 tn Heb “houses”; NAB, NASB “holders.”
1 tn The verb is a Niphal perfect with vav consecutive, showing here the intended result: “so that [the table] might be lifted up [by them].” The noun “the table” is introduced by what looks like the sign of the accusative, but here it serves to introduce or emphasize the nominative (see GKC 365 §117.i).
1 tn Heb “and you will set in order its setting” or “arrange its arrangement.” See 25:29-30 for items that belonged on the table.
1 tn The suffixes on these could also indicate the indirect object (see Exod 25:29).