Exodus 25:23-40

The Table for the Bread of the Presence

25:23 ¹ “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. 25:24 You are to overlay it with ²  pure gold, and you are to make a surrounding border of gold for it. 25:25 You are to make a surrounding frame ³  for it about three inches broad, and you are to make a surrounding border of gold for its frame. 25:26 You are to make four rings of gold for it and attach ⁴  the rings at the four corners where its four legs are. ⁵  25:27 The rings are to be close to the frame to provide places ⁶  for the poles to carry the table. 25:28 You are to make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that the table may be carried with them. ⁷  25:29 You are to make its plates, ⁸  its ladles, ⁹  its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings; ¹⁰  you are to make them of pure gold. 25:30 You are to set the Bread of the Presence ¹¹  on the table before me continually.

The Lampstand

25:31 ¹² “You are to make a lampstand ¹³  of pure gold. The lampstand is to be made of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups, ¹⁴  its buds, and its blossoms are to be from the same piece. ¹⁵  25:32 Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand, ¹⁶  three branches of the lampstand from one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it. ¹⁷  25:33 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on the next ¹⁸  branch, and the same ¹⁹  for the six branches extending from the lampstand. 25:34 On the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, 25:35 with a bud under the first ²⁰  two branches from it, and a bud under the next ²¹  two branches from it, and a bud under the third ²²  two branches from it, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 25:36 Their buds and their branches will be one piece, ²³  all of it one hammered piece of pure gold.

25:37 “You are to make its seven lamps, ²⁴  and then set ²⁵  its lamps up on it, so that it will give light ²⁶  to the area in front of it. 25:38 Its trimmers and its trays ²⁷  are to be ²⁸  of pure gold. 25:39 About seventy-five pounds ²⁹  of pure gold is to be used for it ³⁰  and for all these utensils. 25:40 Now be sure to make ³¹  them according to the pattern you were shown ³²  on the mountain. ³³ 

Exodus 26:35

26:35 You are to put the table outside the curtain and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle, opposite the table, and you are to place the table on the north side.

Exodus 37:10-24

The Making of the Table

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. 37:11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and he made a surrounding border of gold for it. 37:12 He made a surrounding frame for it about three inches wide, and he made a surrounding border of gold for its frame. 37:13 He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings at the four corners where its four legs were. 37:14 The rings were close to the frame to provide places for the poles to carry the table. 37:15 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 37:16 He made the vessels which were on the table out of pure gold, its ³⁴  plates, its ladles, its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings.

The Making of the Lampstand

37:17 He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its blossoms were from the same piece. ³⁵  37:18 Six branches were extending from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it. 37:19 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the next ³⁶  branch, and the same ³⁷  for the six branches that were extending from the lampstand. 37:20 On the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, 37:21 with a bud under the first two branches from it, and a bud under the next two branches from it, and a bud under the third two branches from it; according to the six branches that extended from it. ³⁸  37:22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece; ³⁹  all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 37:23 He made its seven lamps, its trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 37:24 He made the lampstand ⁴⁰  and all its accessories with seventy-five pounds of pure gold.

Exodus 39:36-38

39:36 the table, all its utensils, and the Bread of the Presence; 39:37 the pure ⁴¹  lampstand, its lamps, with the lamps set in order, and all its accessories, and oil for the light; 39:38 and the gold altar, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense; and the curtain for the entrance to the tent;

Exodus 40:4

40:4 You are to bring in the table and set out the things that belong on it; ⁴²  then you are to bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.

Exodus 40:22-24

40:22 And he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain. 40:23 And he set the bread in order on it ⁴³  before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

40:24 And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.

[25:23]  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.

[25:24]  ² tn “Gold” is an adverbial accusative of material.

[25:25]  ³ sn There is some debate as to the meaning of מִסְגֶּרֶת (misgeret). This does not seem to be a natural part of the table and its legs. The drawing on the Arch of Titus shows two cross-stays in the space between the legs, about halfway up. It might have been nearer the top, but the drawing of the table of presence-bread from the arch shows it half-way up. This frame was then decorated with the molding as well.

[25:26]  ⁴ tn Heb “give.”

[25:26]  ⁵ tn Heb “which [are] to four of its feet.”

[25:27]  ⁶ tn Heb “houses”; NAB, NASB “holders.”

[25:28]  ⁷ 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).

[25:29]  ⁸ tn Or “a deep gold dish.” The four nouns in this list are items associated with the table and its use.

[25:29]  ⁹ tn Or “cups” (NAB, TEV).

[25:29]  ¹⁰ tn The expression “for pouring out offerings” represents Hebrew אֲשֶׁר יֻסַּךְ בָּהֵן (’asher yussakh bahen). This literally says, “which it may be poured out with them,” or “with which [libations] may be poured out.”

[25:30]  ¹¹ 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.

[25:31]  ¹² sn Clearly the point here is to provide light in the tent for access to God. He provided for his worshipers a light for the way to God, but he also wanted them to provide oil for the lamp to ensure that the light would not go out. Verses 31-36 describe the piece. It was essentially one central shaft, with three branches on either side turned out and upward. The stem and the branches were ornamented every so often with gold that was formed into the shape of the calyx and corolla of the almond flower. On top of the central shaft and the six branches were the lamps.

[25:31]  ¹³ tn The word is מְנֹרָה (mÿnorah) – here in construct to a following genitive of material. The main piece was one lampstand, but there were seven lamps on the shaft and its branches. See E. Goodenough, “The Menorah among the Jews of the Roman World,” HUCA 23 (1950/51): 449-92.

[25:31]  ¹⁴ sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 342-44) says that the description “the cups, knobs and flowers” is explained in vv. 32-36 as three decorations in the form of a cup, shaped like an almond blossom, to be made on one branch. Every cup will have two parts, (a) a knob, that is, the receptacle at the base of the blossom, and (b) a flower, which is called the corolla, so that each lamp rests on top of a flower.

[25:31]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “will be from/of it”; the referent (“the same piece” of wrought metal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:32]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “from the sides of it.”

[25:32]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “from the second side.”

[25:33]  ¹⁸ tn The text uses “one” again; “the one…the one” means “the one…and the next” in the distributive sense.

[25:33]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “thus.”

[25:35]  ²⁰ tn For clarity the phrase “the first” has been supplied.

[25:35]  ²¹ tn For clarity the phrase “the next” has been supplied.

[25:35]  ²² tn For clarity the phrase “the third” has been supplied.

[25:36]  ²³ tn Heb “will be from it.”

[25:37]  ²⁴ tn The word for “lamps” is from the same root as the lampstand, of course. The word is נֵרוֹת (nerot). This probably refers to the small saucer-like pottery lamps that are made very simply with the rim pinched over to form a place to lay the wick. The bowl is then filled with olive oil as fuel.

[25:37]  ²⁵ tn The translation “set up on” is from the Hebrew verb “bring up.” The construction is impersonal, “and he will bring up,” meaning “one will bring up.” It may mean that people were to fix the lamps on to the shaft and the branches, rather than cause the light to go up (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 277).

[25:37]  ²⁶ tn This is a Hiphil perfect with vav consecutive, from אוֹר (’or, “light”), and in the causative, “to light, give light.”

[25:38]  ²⁷ sn The first word refers to something like small tongs or tweezers used to pull up and trim the wicks; the second word refers to fire-pans or censers.

[25:38]  ²⁸ tn “are to be” has been supplied.

[25:39]  ²⁹ tn Heb “a talent.”

[25:39]  ³⁰ tn The text has “he will make it” or “one will make it.” With no expressed subject it is given a passive translation.

[25:40]  ³¹ tn The text uses two imperatives: “see and make.” This can be interpreted as a verbal hendiadys, calling for Moses and Israel to see to it that they make these things correctly.

[25:40]  ³² tn The participle is passive, “caused to see,” or, “shown.”

[25:40]  ³³ sn The message of this section surely concerns access to God. To expound this correctly, though, since it is an instruction section for building the lampstand, the message would be: God requires that his people ensure that light will guide the way of access to God. The breakdown for exposition could be the instructions for preparation for light (one lamp, several branches), then instructions for the purpose and maintenance of the lamps, and then the last verse telling the divine source for the instructions. Naturally, the metaphorical value of light will come up in the study, especially from the NT. So in the NT there is the warning that if churches are unfaithful God will remove their lampstand, their ministry (Rev 2-3).

[37:16]  ³⁴ tn The suffixes on these could also indicate the indirect object (see Exod 25:29).

[37:17]  ³⁵ tn Heb “from it”; the referent (“the same piece” of wrought metal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:19]  ³⁶ tn Heb “the one branch.” But the repetition of “one…one” means here one after another, or the “first” and then the “next.”

[37:19]  ³⁷ tn Heb “thus for six branches….”

[37:21]  ³⁸ tn As in Exod 26:35, the translation of “first” and “next” and “third” is interpretive, because the text simply says “under two branches” in each of three places.

[37:22]  ³⁹ tn Heb “were from it.”

[37:24]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the lampstand) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:37]  ⁴¹ tn Possibly meaning “pure gold lampstand.”

[40:4]  ⁴² 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.

[40:23]  ⁴³ tn Heb uses a cognate accusative construction, “he arranged the arrangement.”