Exodus 25 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Exodus 25 meaning explained in AI Summary

God instructs Moses to collect offerings from the Israelites for the construction of the Tabernacle. He provides detailed instructions for the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred chest that will house the tablets of the covenant. The Ark is to be made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, with two cherubim on top.

This chapter marks a significant shift in Exodus. After escaping Egypt, the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai receive instructions from God, through Moses, on building the tabernacle – a portable sanctuary where God's presence would reside among them.

1. Offerings for the Tabernacle (v. 1-9): God commands Moses to collect voluntary offerings from the Israelites for the construction and furnishing of the tabernacle. Specific materials are listed, including gold, silver, bronze, fine linens, animal skins, wood, oil, spices, and precious stones.

2. The Ark of the Covenant (v. 10-22): Detailed instructions are given for building the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred chest made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. It would house the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments (a symbol of God's covenant with Israel). The Ark's lid, called the "mercy seat," with two golden cherubim facing each other, represents the place where God's presence would dwell.

3. The Table and the Lampstand (v. 23-40): God details the construction of two other essential furnishings for the tabernacle:

* The Table of Showbread: Made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, it would hold twelve loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, constantly offered to God.

* The Golden Lampstand: A seven-branched lampstand made of pure gold, it symbolizes God's eternal light and presence within the tabernacle. Specific instructions are given for its design and the pure olive oil to be used for its continual burning.

Significance:

Exodus 25 is crucial as it lays the foundation for God's dwelling among his people. The detailed instructions emphasize the sacredness of the task and the importance of obedience. The tabernacle, with its specific furnishings and rituals, becomes a tangible representation of God's holiness, presence, and covenant with Israel.

Exodus 25 bible study ai commentary

This chapter marks a pivotal shift from narrative to legislation, focusing on God's desire to dwell among His people. It begins with a call for a voluntary offering (terumah) from the Israelites to construct a sanctuary (miqdash). The core of the chapter details the divine blueprint (tavnit) for the most sacred objects of this Tabernacle: the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Showbread, and the Golden Lampstand. Each object, meticulously described, serves not as an idol but as a functional and symbolic piece of furniture in God's earthly throne room, pointing to profound theological truths about His presence, provision, atonement, and revelation, which find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Exodus 25 Context

The instructions for the Tabernacle are given to Moses on Mount Sinai, in the immediate context of the covenant ratification (Exodus 24). This portable sanctuary was culturally intelligible in the Ancient Near East (ANE), where deities were believed to inhabit temples and where portable shrines were used in military campaigns or by semi-nomadic peoples. However, Israel's Tabernacle presented a radical contrast. ANE temples housed physical idols, often grotesque and zoomorphic, which were fed and cared for by priests. YHWH’s sanctuary is for an invisible God who cannot be represented by an image. Its purpose is not to "house" or "contain" God but to be the designated meeting place where Heaven and Earth connect and where He manifests His presence to dwell "among" (betokam) His people. The structure and its elements function as a visual theology, a micro-cosmos re-establishing an Eden-like space where God and humanity can coexist in a covenant relationship.

Exodus 25:1-7

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. And this is the contribution that you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair, tanned rams' skins, anointing oil, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

In-depth-analysis

A Willing Offering: The command is to "take" an offering (terumah - a contribution, something lifted up), but only from those "whose heart moves him." This is not a tax but a freewill offering. God desires a dwelling place built not from coercion but from the willing, generous hearts of His redeemed people.
Divine Provision: The materials listed—precious metals, luxurious fabrics, skins, oils, and gems—are precisely the kinds of things Israel would have "plundered" from the Egyptians (Ex 12:35-36). God first provides the wealth, then invites them to give it back for His purposes.
Symbolic Materials:
- Gold, Silver, Bronze: Represent degrees of holiness and value, used in areas of progressively lesser sanctity (Holy of Holies, Holy Place, Courtyard).
- Blue, Purple, Scarlet: Royal and heavenly colors, incredibly expensive dyes, signifying the supreme royalty and heavenly origin of the One who would dwell there. Blue from the sky, purple for royalty, scarlet symbolizing blood/life/sacrifice.
- Fine Linen: Represents purity and righteousness.
- Skins (orot): Provided protection and covering. Tachash skins (ESV: "goats' hair," KJV: "badgers' skins") likely refers to skins from a sea animal like a dugong or dolphin, prized for durability and water resistance, forming the rugged outer layer.
- Oil & Spices: For light (menorah) and fragrant incense, symbolizing prayer, the Holy Spirit, and creating a sacred, set-apart atmosphere.
- Gemstones: For the High Priest's garments (ephod and breastpiece), representing the 12 tribes of Israel, showing he carries the people on his heart and shoulders into God's presence.

Bible references

Exodus 35:5, 21-22: ...Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the LORD's offering... And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him... (Fulfillment of the willing-hearted offering).
2 Corinthians 9:7: Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (NT principle of joyful, willing giving).
1 Chronicles 29:9: Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. (David's collection for the Temple mirrors this principle).

Cross references

Ex 12:36 (Israel receives Egypt's wealth); Ex 36:3-7 (the people gave too much); Prov 3:9 (honor the LORD with your wealth); 1 Pet 2:5 (believers as living stones and holy priesthood); Rev 21:19-21 (the New Jerusalem adorned with jewels).

Polemics

The call for voluntary contributions stands in stark contrast to the state-mandated slave labor used to build the monumental temples and pyramids of Egypt. Israel's sanctuary is built from free and joyful worship, not the whips of taskmasters.

Exodus 25:8-9

And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

In-depth-analysis

Miqdash (Sanctuary): From the root qadash, meaning "to be holy, set apart." This is a sacred space, distinct from the common.
Shakanti (that I may dwell): From shakan, the root of Shekinah, the later term for God's manifest presence. The purpose is divine immanence—God coming to live among them, not just be worshipped from afar. It’s a portable Sinai.
Tavnit (Pattern): This is a key term. It means a model, blueprint, or architectural plan. God is the architect; Moses is the contractor. This is not of human design or imagination. This pattern is a replica of a heavenly reality. The Tabernacle is a copy, a shadow of the true heavenly sanctuary.

Bible references

John 1:14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us... (The Greek word for "dwelt" - skenoo - literally means "to pitch a tent" or "tabernacle," a direct echo of God's desire to dwell with His people).
Hebrews 8:5: They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” (Explicitly defines the earthly tabernacle as a copy of a heavenly original).
Revelation 21:3: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people..." (The ultimate fulfillment of God's desire expressed in Ex 25:8).

Cross references

Acts 7:44 (the "tent of witness" was made according to the pattern); Heb 9:23-24 (the earthly copies were cleansed, but Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary itself); Ex 40:34-35 (God's glory fills the completed Tabernacle); 1 Kgs 6:13 (promise to dwell among Israel in the Temple).

Exodus 25:10-16

They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet... And you shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold... And you shall put the poles into the rings... they shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

In-depth-analysis

Aron (Ark): The word simply means a "box" or "chest." This is the only piece of furniture in the Holy of Holies.
Acacia Wood (atsei shittim): A dense, hard, desert wood, resistant to rot and insects. It symbolizes incorruptible, enduring humanity. Some scholars see it as a picture of Christ's humanity.
Gold, Inside and Out: Pure gold symbolizes deity, glory, and absolute holiness. The wood (humanity) is completely encased in gold (divinity). This is a profound image of the incarnation of Christ—his divine and human natures perfectly united in one person.
Poles: The poles for carrying were to remain in the rings, signifying the Ark was always ready to move. God’s presence was not static but journeyed with His people through the wilderness.
Testimony (edut): The two tablets of the Ten Commandments. God's presence is inextricably linked to His Word and covenant law. To be in His presence is to be under the authority of His commands.

Bible references

Deuteronomy 10:1-5: "...make an ark of wood... So I made an ark of acacia wood... And he wrote on the tablets... and put them in the ark that I had made. And there they are, as the LORD commanded me." (Recounts the placement of the Testimony in the Ark).
Hebrews 9:4: ...having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. (NT description of the Ark's contents, which grew over time).
Colossians 2:3: in whom [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Christ is the "box" in whom the ultimate truth and wisdom of God are contained).

Cross references

Num 4:5-6 (instructions for covering and transporting the ark); Jos 3:3-6 (the Ark leads the people into the promised land); 1 Sam 4 (the Ark is wrongly used as a magical talisman and captured); 2 Sam 6:6-7 (the holiness of the Ark is demonstrated in Uzzah's death).

Exodus 25:17-22

You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold... And you shall make two cherubim of gold... The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat... Their faces shall be to the mercy seat. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark... There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you...

In-depth-analysis

Mercy Seat (Kapporet): This is not a "seat" in the common sense, but a solid gold "lid" or "cover." The root word is kaphar, which means "to atone" or "to cover." It was the place of atonement, where the High Priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Cherubim (Keruvim): Angelic beings associated with guarding holy spaces (Gen 3:24, the Garden of Eden) and being the bearers of God's throne (Ezek 10:1-20). Here, they are not worshipped but are part of God's throne. Their posture is one of worship and awe, gazing down at the place of atonement.
The Meeting Place: God does not dwell in the box, but on the Kapporet. He is enthroned above the Law (the testimony inside the Ark). His presence and communication are predicated on atonement (the blood-sprinkled lid). The Law inside cries out for judgment, but the blood on the Mercy Seat satisfies it, allowing God to "meet" and "speak" with humanity in mercy.
Speech, Not Image: The climax is God speaking from between the cherubim. The focus of Israelite worship is on revelation through the divine word, not contemplation of a physical image.

Bible references

Romans 3:25: whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood... (The Greek word for "propitiation," hilasterion, is the same word the Septuagint uses for the "mercy seat." Paul explicitly identifies Jesus as the true Mercy Seat).
Leviticus 16:14-15: And he shall take some of the blood... and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat... (The ritual of the Day of Atonement, activating the function of the Kapporet).
Hebrews 4:16: Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (The Mercy Seat is the OT "throne of grace" which we now access through Christ).
Psalm 99:1: The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! (Imagery of God's cherubim-throne).

Polemics

ANE deities sat on elaborate physical thrones, often in the form of an animal or monster, and their statues were placed upon them. Here, YHWH's throne is empty, a powerful polemic against idolatry. The cherubim are not the deity but attendants to His invisible presence, which is mediated by atonement and defined by His spoken word.

Exodus 25:23-30

You shall make a table of acacia wood... And you shall overlay it with pure gold... You shall make its plates and dishes... its flagons and bowls... of pure gold... And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.

In-depth-analysis

Table (Shulchan): Another item made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, symbolizing the sanctified meeting of God and man. Placed in the Holy Place.
Bread of the Presence (Lechem ha-Panim): Literally "bread of the face." Twelve loaves were placed on the table, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, continually in God's "presence" or "face." This bread signified several things:
1. Fellowship: A shared table symbolizes fellowship and covenant relationship.
2. Sustenance: It acknowledged God as the source of Israel’s physical sustenance.
3. Israel's Offering: The tribes offering themselves, the fruit of their labor, as a continual memorial before God.

Bible references

John 6:35: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger..." (Jesus fulfills the symbolism of the Bread of the Presence, being the true spiritual sustenance from God who gives eternal life).
Leviticus 24:5-9: You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves... and you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile... It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place... (Details of the weekly ritual and its purpose).
1 Corinthians 10:16-17: The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body... (The Lord's Supper echoes the themes of covenant fellowship and remembrance seen in the Bread of the Presence).

Cross references

1 Sam 21:1-6 (David eats the consecrated bread); Mal 1:7, 12 (God rebukes priests for defiling His "table"); Heb 9:2 (the table located in the Holy Place).

Exodus 25:31-40

You shall make a lampstand of pure gold... its base and its shaft... its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it... six branches shall come out of its sides... And you shall make for it seven lamps... And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

In-depth-analysis

Lampstand (Menorah): A unique object beaten from a single talent (approx. 75 lbs) of pure gold. Not cast or assembled, but hammered into its intricate shape from one piece, suggesting a perfect, divine unity.
Organic Design: It is designed to look like a tree or flowering almond branch. Its cups, calyxes (buds), and flowers recall the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. The Menorah is the new Tree of Life in this new Eden-sanctuary.
Seven Lamps: Seven is the number of divine completion and perfection. The lamps provided the only light within the Holy Place, which had no windows. This signifies that spiritual illumination comes only from God. It is not natural light, but supernatural light.
The Pattern: Verse 40 reiterates the command from verse 9, emphasizing that every detail of this intricate design comes directly from the heavenly reality shown to Moses.

Bible references

John 8:12: Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jesus is the fulfillment of the Menorah, the true and perfect light from God).
Revelation 1:12-13, 20: Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man... As for the mystery of the... seven golden lampstands, the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (The lampstand imagery is used for the Church, which is to bear Christ's light in the world).
Zechariah 4:2-6: ...I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it... This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. (The lampstand is explicitly connected to the power and presence of God's Spirit).

Cross references

Num 8:1-4 (instructions for lighting the lamps); Ps 119:105 (God's word is a lamp); Prov 6:23 (the commandment is a lamp); Matt 5:14-16 (believers are the light of the world).

Exodus chapter 25 analysis

A Gospel in Furniture: The layout and objects of the Tabernacle preach a visual gospel. To approach God, one needs atonement covering the Law (Ark & Mercy Seat), sustained fellowship and provision (Table of Showbread), and spiritual light/revelation (Golden Lampstand). This entire system is fulfilled in Christ, who is our atonement, our bread of life, and our light.
Eden Revisited: The Tabernacle is a restored Eden, a space where God and humanity can dwell together. The motifs reinforce this: the cherubim who guarded Eden's gate now guard God's holy presence, and the Menorah, with its branch-like design, is a symbol of the Tree of Life, providing spiritual light and life in God's presence.
Theology of Presence: The chapter's central theme is God's immanence—His desire to dwell among his people. This is not a static presence, as the portability of the Tabernacle shows. He is a God who journeys with his covenant community through the wilderness of this world toward a promised inheritance.
The Heavenly Blueprint (Tavnit): The repeated emphasis on the "pattern" shown on the mountain establishes that human worship is not to be a product of creative imagination or syncretism with other cultures. True worship is responsive and obedient to divine revelation. The earthly sanctuary is a tangible shadow of the greater, ultimate spiritual reality of God's heavenly throne room. This concept is foundational to the book of Hebrews' argument that Christ's ministry is superior because it occurs in the true heavenly sanctuary, not the earthly copy.
Increasing Holiness: The materials used signal a gradient of holiness. Bronze for the outer court (judgment/atonement for all), silver for structural elements of the holy court, and gold for the furniture in the Holy Place and Holy of Holies (deity/glory). This physical layout taught Israel about the progressive nature of approaching a perfectly holy God.

Exodus 25 Summary

God commands Moses to receive a freewill offering from the Israelites to build Him a sanctuary so He can dwell among them. He then provides the divine pattern for the Tabernacle's most sacred items: the Ark of the Covenant, a wooden chest overlaid with gold to contain the Testimony, topped by the golden Mercy Seat and cherubim, which would be God's throne of grace and a place of revelation; the golden Table for the Bread of the Presence, symbolizing fellowship and God's provision; and the pure gold Menorah, a Tree of Life-like lampstand providing spiritual light.

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Exodus chapter 25 kjv

¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
² Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
³ And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,
⁴ And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,
⁵ And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
⁶ Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
⁷ Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
⁸ And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
⁹ According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
¹⁰ And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
¹¹ And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
¹² And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
¹³ And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
¹⁴ And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
¹⁵ The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
¹⁶ And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
¹⁷ And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
¹⁸ And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
¹⁹ And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubim on the two ends thereof.
²⁰ And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.
²¹ And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
²² And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
²³ Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
²⁴ And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
²⁵ And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
²⁶ And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
²⁷ Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
²⁸ And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
²⁹ And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
³⁰ And thou shalt set upon the table showbread before me always.
³¹ And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
³² And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
³³ Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
³⁴ And in the candlesticks shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
³⁵ And there shall be 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 that proceed out of the candlestick.
³⁶ Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
³⁷ And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
³⁸ And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
³⁹ Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
⁴⁰ And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount.

Exodus chapter 25 nkjv

¹ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
² "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.
³ And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze;
⁴ blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats' hair;
⁵ ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood;
⁶ oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense;
⁷ onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.
⁸ And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
⁹ According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
¹⁰ "And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.
¹¹ And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around.
¹² You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side.
¹³ And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
¹⁴ You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them.
¹⁵ The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.
¹⁶ And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.
¹⁷ "You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width.
¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
¹⁹ Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat.
²⁰ And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.
²¹ You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.
²² And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
²³ "You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.
²⁴ And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around.
²⁵ You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around.
²⁶ And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs.
²⁷ The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table.
²⁸ And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.
²⁹ You shall make its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold.
³⁰ And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.
³¹ "You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.
³² And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side.
³³ Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower?and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand.
³⁴ On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower.
³⁵ And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand.
³⁶ Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold.
³⁷ You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light in front of it.
³⁸ And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold.
³⁹ It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils.
⁴⁰ And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.

Exodus chapter 25 niv

¹ The LORD said to Moses,
² "Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.
³ These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze;
⁴ blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair;
⁵ ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood;
⁶ olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;
⁷ and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.
⁸ "Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.
⁹ Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.
¹⁰ "Have them make an ark of acacia wood?two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
¹¹ Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it.
¹² Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other.
¹³ Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
¹⁴ Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.
¹⁵ The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed.
¹⁶ Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you.
¹⁷ "Make an atonement cover of pure gold?two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
¹⁸ And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover.
¹⁹ Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends.
²⁰ The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.
²¹ Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you.
²² There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.
²³ "Make a table of acacia wood?two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.
²⁴ Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it.
²⁵ Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim.
²⁶ Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are.
²⁷ The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table.
²⁸ Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them.
²⁹ And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings.
³⁰ Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.
³¹ "Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them.
³² Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand?three on one side and three on the other.
³³ Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand.
³⁴ And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms.
³⁵ One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair?six branches in all.
³⁶ The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.
³⁷ "Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it.
³⁸ Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold.
³⁹ A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories.
⁴⁰ See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

Exodus chapter 25 esv

¹ The LORD said to Moses,
² "Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.
³ And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze,
⁴ blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats' hair,
⁵ tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood,
⁶ oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense,
⁷ onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.
⁸ And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.
⁹ Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
¹⁰ "They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.
¹¹ You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it.
¹² You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
¹³ You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
¹⁴ And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them.
¹⁵ The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.
¹⁶ And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.
¹⁷ "You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth.
¹⁸ And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.
¹⁹ Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends.
²⁰ The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.
²¹ And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you.
²² There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.
²³ "You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.
²⁴ You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it.
²⁵ And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim.
²⁶ And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs.
²⁷ Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table.
²⁸ You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these.
²⁹ And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold.
³⁰ And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.
³¹ "You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it.
³² And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it;
³³ three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch ? so for the six branches going out of the lampstand.
³⁴ And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers,
³⁵ and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand.
³⁶ Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold.
³⁷ You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it.
³⁸ Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold.
³⁹ It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold.
⁴⁰ And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

Exodus chapter 25 nlt

¹ The LORD said to Moses,
² "Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them.
³ Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze;
⁴ blue, purple, and scarlet thread;
fine linen and goat hair for cloth;
⁵ tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
acacia wood;
⁶ olive oil for the lamps;
spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;
⁷ onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest's chestpiece.
⁸ "Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.
⁹ You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.
¹⁰ "Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood ? a sacred chest 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.
¹¹ Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it.
¹² Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side.
¹³ Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
¹⁴ Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it.
¹⁵ These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them.
¹⁶ When the Ark is finished, place inside it the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you.
¹⁷ "Then make the Ark's cover ? the place of atonement ? from pure gold. It must be 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.
¹⁸ Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover.
¹⁹ Mold the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold.
²⁰ The cherubim will face each other and look down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they will protect it.
²¹ Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark.
²² I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.
²³ "Then make a table of acacia wood, 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high.
²⁴ Overlay it with pure gold and run a gold molding around the edge.
²⁵ Decorate it with a 3-inch border all around, and run a gold molding along the border.
²⁶ Make four gold rings for the table and attach them at the four corners next to the four legs.
²⁷ Attach the rings near the border to hold the poles that are used to carry the table.
²⁸ Make these poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
²⁹ Make special containers of pure gold for the table ? bowls, ladles, pitchers, and jars ? to be used in pouring out liquid offerings.
³⁰ Place the Bread of the Presence on the table to remain before me at all times.
³¹ "Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. Make the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece ? the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals.
³² Make it with six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side.
³³ Each of the six branches will have three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals.
³⁴ Craft the center stem of the lampstand with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals.
³⁵ There will also be an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extend from the center stem.
³⁶ The almond buds and branches must all be of one piece with the center stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold.
³⁷ Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward.
³⁸ The lamp snuffers and trays must also be made of pure gold.
³⁹ You will need 75 pounds of pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories.
⁴⁰ "Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.