Exodus 25:23-30

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.

Exodus 35:13

35:13 the table with its poles and all its vessels, and the Bread of the Presence;

Exodus 40:4

40:4 You are to bring in the table and set out the things that belong on it; ¹²  then you are to bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.

Exodus 40:22-23

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 ¹³  before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Ezekiel 40:39-42

40:39 In the porch of the gate were two tables on either side on which to slaughter the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering. 40:40 On the outside of the porch as one goes up at the entrance of the north gate were two tables, and on the other side of the porch of the gate were two tables. 40:41 Four tables were on each side of the gate, eight tables on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered. 40:42 The four tables for the burnt offering were of carved stone, 32 inches ¹⁴  long, 32 inches ¹⁵  wide, and 21 inches ¹⁶  high. They would put the instruments which they used to slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice on them.

Malachi 1:12

1:12 “But you are profaning it by saying that the table of the Lord is common and its offerings ¹⁷  despicable.

John 1:14

1:14 Now ¹⁸  the Word became flesh ¹⁹  and took up residence ²⁰  among us. We ²¹  saw his glory – the glory of the one and only, ²²  full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.

John 1:16

1:16 For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. ²³ 

Colossians 1:27

1:27 God wanted to make known to them the glorious ²⁴  riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[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.

[40:4]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn Heb uses a cognate accusative construction, “he arranged the arrangement.”

[40:42]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “one and a half cubits” (i.e., 78.75 cm).

[40:42]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “one and a half cubits” (i.e., 78.75 cm).

[40:42]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).

[1:12]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “fruit.” The following word “food” in the Hebrew text (אָכְלוֹ, ’okhlo) appears to be an explanatory gloss to clarify the meaning of the rare word נִיב (niv, “fruit”; see Isa 57:19 Qere; נוֹב, nov, “fruit,” in Kethib). Cf. ASV “the fruit thereof, even its food.” In this cultic context the reference is to the offerings on the altar.

[1:14]  ¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic, the incarnation of the Word. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.

[1:14]  ¹⁹ tn This looks at the Word incarnate in humility and weakness; the word σάρξ (sarx) does not carry overtones of sinfulness here as it frequently does in Pauline usage. See also John 3:6.

[1:14]  ²⁰ tn Grk “and tabernacled.”

[1:14]  ²¹ tn Grk “and we saw.”

[1:14]  ²² tn Or “of the unique one.” Although this word is often translated “only begotten,” such a translation is misleading, since in English it appears to express a metaphysical relationship. The word in Greek was used of an only child (a son [Luke 7:12, 9:38] or a daughter [Luke 8:42]). It was also used of something unique (only one of its kind) such as the mythological Phoenix (1 Clem. 25:2). From here it passes easily to a description of Isaac (Heb 11:17 and Josephus, Ant., 1.13.1 [1.222]) who was not Abraham’s only son, but was one-of-a-kind because he was the child of the promise. Thus the word means “one-of-a-kind” and is reserved for Jesus in the Johannine literature of the NT. While all Christians are children of God, Jesus is God’s Son in a unique, one-of-a-kind sense. The word is used in this way in all its uses in the Gospel of John (1:14, 1:18, 3:16, and 3:18).

[1:16]  ²³ tn Grk “for from his fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” The meaning of the phrase χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος (carin anti carito") could be: (1) love (grace) under the New Covenant in place of love (grace) under the Sinai Covenant, thus replacement; (2) grace “on top of” grace, thus accumulation; (3) grace corresponding to grace, thus correspondence. The most commonly held view is (2) in one sense or another, and this is probably the best explanation. This sense is supported by a fairly well-known use in Philo, Posterity 43 (145). Morna D. Hooker suggested that Exod 33:13 provides the background for this expression: “Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found χάρις (LXX) in your sight, let me know your ways, that I may know you, so that I may find χάρις (LXX) in your sight.” Hooker proposed that it is this idea of favor given to one who has already received favor which lies behind 1:16, and this seems very probable as a good explanation of the meaning of the phrase (“The Johannine Prologue and the Messianic Secret,” NTS 21 [1974/75]: 53).

[1:27]  ²⁴ tn The genitive noun τῆς δόξης (ths doxhs) is an attributive genitive and has therefore been translated as “glorious riches.”