Leviticus 24:1-4

Regulations for the Lampstand and Table of Bread

24:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 24:2 “Command the Israelites to bring ¹  to you pure oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. ²  24:3 Outside the veil-canopy ³  of the congregation in the Meeting Tent Aaron ⁴  must arrange it from evening until morning before the Lord continually. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations. ⁵  24:4 On the ceremonially pure lampstand ⁶  he must arrange the lamps before the Lord continually.

[24:2]  ¹ tn Heb “and let them take.” The simple vav (ו) on the imperfect/jussive form of the verb לָקַח (laqakh, “to take”) following the imperative (“Command”) indicates a purpose clause (“to bring…”).

[24:2]  ² tn Heb “to cause to ascend a lamp continually.”

[24:3]  ³ tn The Hebrew term פָּרֹכֶת (parokhet) is usually translated “veil” or “curtain,” but it seems to have stretched not only in front of but also over the top of the ark of the covenant which stood behind and under it inside the most holy place (see R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 3:687-89).

[24:3]  ⁴ tc Several medieval Hebrew mss, Smr, and the LXX add “and his sons.”

[24:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “for your generations.”

[24:4]  ⁶ tn Alternatively, “pure [gold] lampstand,” based on Exod 25:31, etc., where the term for “gold” actually appears (see NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT, and the remarks in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 395, etc.). However, in Lev 24:4 the adjective “pure” is feminine, corresponding to “lampstand,” not an assumed noun “gold” (contrast Exod 25:31), and the “table” in v. 6 was overlaid with gold, but was not made of pure gold. Therefore, it is probably better to translate “[ceremonially] pure lampstand” (v. 4) and “[ceremonially] pure table” (v. 6); see NEB; cf. KJV, ASV; B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 164-65; and G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [NICOT], 307.