Exodus
Exodus 37
1Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Its length was two and a half cubits, and its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height. 2He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold for it around it. 3He cast four rings of gold for it, in its four feet—two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side. 4He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6He made a mercy seat of pure gold. Its length was two and a half cubits, and a cubit and a half its width. 7He made two cherubim of gold. He made them of beaten work, at the two ends of the mercy seat: 8one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. 9The cherubim spread out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
10He made the table of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits, and its width was a cubit, and its height was a cubit and a half. 11He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. 12He made a border of a hand’s width around it, and made a golden molding on its border around it. 13He cast four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that were on its four feet. 14The rings were close by the border, the places for the poles to carry the table. 15He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 16He made the vessels which were on the table, its dishes, its spoons, its bowls, and its pitchers with which to pour out, of pure gold.
17He made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand of beaten work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18There were six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of its other side: 19three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower, and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower; so for the six branches going out of the lamp stand. 20In the lamp stand were four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers; 21and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of it. 22Their buds and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole thing was one beaten work of pure gold. 23He made its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, of pure gold. 24He made it of a talent of pure gold, with all its vessels.
25He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. It was square: its length was a cubit, and its width a cubit. Its height was two cubits. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26He overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides around it, and its horns. He made a gold molding around it. 27He made two golden rings for it under its molding crown, on its two ribs, on its two sides, for places for poles with which to carry it. 28He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 29He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.
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What others are saying
4 commentators · 13 notes on this chapter
Matthew Henry3
Writes as a pastor rather than a critic. Expect devotional and practical application over historical or linguistic analysis, read through a Reformed covenantal frame — and expect the Old Testament to be read forward toward Christ throughout.
Why this voice is here: The most widely read English commentary for three centuries. Included as a baseline: where Henry and a modern voice diverge, the divergence itself is usually the interesting part.
I. It may be thought strange that Moses, when he had recorded so fully the instructions given him upon the mount for the making of all these things, should here record as particularly the making of them, when it might have sufficed only to have said, in a few…
Here is, 1. The making of the table on which the show-bread was to be continually placed. God is a good householder, that always keeps a plentiful table. Is the world his tabernacle? His providence in it spreads a table for all the creatures: he provides food…
Here is, 1. The making of the golden altar, on which incense was to be burnt daily, which signified both the prayers of saints and the intercession of Christ, to which are owing the acceptableness and success of those prayers. The rings and staves, and all…
John Gill1
The most exhaustive and the most doctrinally committed here. Expect high — even supralapsarian — Calvinism applied consistently, and unusually heavy use of rabbinic and Talmudic sources for Jewish context. Where a passage bears on election or the will, Gill will read it in one direction, and knowing that in advance is the point.
Why this voice is here: The strongest Calvinist reading available in the public domain, and the best on Jewish background. Read alongside Clarke, not instead of him — between them you get both sides of the argument.
And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood,.... Jarchi says, because he gave his mind to this work more than the rest of the wise men, it is called by his name. It is a notion of some Jewish writers that the ark was made by Bezaleel, without the help of…
Adam Clarke7
The linguist of this set. Expect Hebrew and Greek word study, oriental custom, and geography — and an Arminian reading of grace and free will where Gill or Henry would read election. Note one real divergence: Clarke denied the eternal sonship of Christ, a position most of the tradition rejects, so read him closely on the person of Christ.
Why this voice is here: Where you want to know what a word actually says, Clarke is the one who will tell you — with the caveat above on Christ’s sonship.
And Bezaleel made the ark, etc. - For a description of the ark, see Exo 25:10 (note), etc.
He made the mercy-seat - See this described Exo 25:17 (note).
He made the table - See Exo 25:23.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown2
The concise option. Three authors split the canon, so the voice shifts between sections. Expect brief, sober, conservative notes that resolve difficulties rather than dwelling on them — useful for orientation, thinner than Gill or Clarke where a passage is genuinely contested.
Why this voice is here: The quickest way to see what the mainstream Reformed reading of a passage is. Start here, then go to Gill or Clarke when it matters.
made the mercy seat of pure gold--To construct a figure, whether the body of a beast or a man, with two extended wings, measuring from two to three feet from tip to tip, with the hammer, out of a solid piece of gold, was what few, if any, artisans of the…
he made the candlestick of pure gold--Practical readers will be apt to say, "Why do such works with the hammer, when they could have been cast so much easier--a process they were well acquainted with?" The only answer that can be given is, that it was done…
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