The Torah · Old Testament
Exodus 37
The ark, table, lampstand and incense altar are made
General context
Bezalel makes the wooden ark and overlays it with gold inside and out. Gold rings and covered wooden poles provide for carrying it. The pure-gold mercy seat has two cherubim at its ends, their wings spread above it and their faces toward one another and the mercy seat. The account continues with a gold-covered wooden table, its border, rings, carrying poles and gold vessels. A hammered-gold lampstand is made with six side branches, almond-shaped cups, buds and flowers. Its seven lamps and implements are gold, and a talent of gold is assigned to the lampstand and its vessels. The incense altar is made of wood, a cubit square and two high, covered with gold and fitted with carrying rings and poles. Holy anointing oil and fragrant incense are also made. The chapter records completed craftwork without yet describing placement of all these objects in an erected sanctuary.
Cited passages: Exodus 37:1, Exodus 37:2, Exodus 37:3, Exodus 37:4, Exodus 37:5, Exodus 37:6, Exodus 37:7, Exodus 37:8, Exodus 37:9, Exodus 37:10, Exodus 37:11, Exodus 37:12, Exodus 37:13, Exodus 37:14, Exodus 37:15, Exodus 37:16, Exodus 37:17, Exodus 37:18, Exodus 37:19, Exodus 37:20, Exodus 37:21, Exodus 37:22, Exodus 37:23, Exodus 37:24, Exodus 37:25, Exodus 37:26, Exodus 37:27, Exodus 37:28, Exodus 37:29
Exodus 37 (KJV)
1And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
2And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.
3And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.
4And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
5And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
6And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
7And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;
8One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
9And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.
10And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:
11And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.
12Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.
13And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.
14Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.
15And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
16And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.
17And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
18And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:
19Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.
20And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:
21And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.
22Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.
23And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.
24Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
25And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.
26And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.
27And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.
28And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.
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Historical context
The ark measures two and a half cubits long, one and a half wide and one and a half high. The table measures two by one by one and a half cubits. The ark, table and incense altar each have provision for carrying, while the lampstand is described as hammered gold rather than gold-covered wood. The cherubim's wings and orientation are specified, but the passage does not provide a complete bodily description. Table-vessel names vary across the translations, including King James 'covers' and American Standard 'flagons.' The oil and incense are credited to the perfumer's craft without repeating the earlier ingredient lists here. No modern dimensions, object locations or later archaeological identification are asserted.
Cited passages: Exodus 37:1, Exodus 37:2, Exodus 37:3, Exodus 37:4, Exodus 37:5, Exodus 37:6, Exodus 37:7, Exodus 37:8, Exodus 37:9, Exodus 37:10, Exodus 37:11, Exodus 37:12, Exodus 37:13, Exodus 37:14, Exodus 37:15, Exodus 37:16, Exodus 37:17, Exodus 37:18, Exodus 37:19, Exodus 37:20, Exodus 37:21, Exodus 37:22, Exodus 37:23, Exodus 37:24, Exodus 37:25, Exodus 37:26, Exodus 37:27, Exodus 37:28, Exodus 37:29
Literary context
The chapter opens by naming Bezalel and then continues with repeated statements of making. Descriptions of wood overlaid with gold and carrying fittings link the ark, table and incense altar, while the lampstand's single hammered work receives a different kind of detail. Its floral forms and branching arrangement are described alongside practical lamps and implements. The sequence closes with oil and incense, extending the craft account from solid furnishings to prepared mixtures. It emphasizes execution of the designs rather than adding a new interpretation of their symbols.
Cited passages: Exodus 37:1, Exodus 37:2, Exodus 37:3, Exodus 37:4, Exodus 37:5, Exodus 37:6, Exodus 37:7, Exodus 37:8, Exodus 37:9, Exodus 37:10, Exodus 37:11, Exodus 37:12, Exodus 37:13, Exodus 37:14, Exodus 37:15, Exodus 37:16, Exodus 37:17, Exodus 37:18, Exodus 37:19, Exodus 37:20, Exodus 37:21, Exodus 37:22, Exodus 37:23, Exodus 37:24, Exodus 37:25, Exodus 37:26, Exodus 37:27, Exodus 37:28, Exodus 37:29
Key moments
- Bezalel makes the ark (Exodus 37:1). The account names Bezalel as the maker and gives the ark’s dimensions in cubits.
- The cherubim face inward (Exodus 37:9). Their wings cover above the mercy seat and their faces turn toward one another and toward it.
- Seven lamps are made (Exodus 37:23). The lampstand’s lamps and accompanying implements are made of gold.
- Oil and incense complete this craft account (Exodus 37:29). Holy anointing oil and pure incense are made according to the perfumer’s craft.
For reflection
What do the repeated material and carrying details make you notice about the work described here?
