Exodus 37
Making the Furnishings
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.
Exodus 37 details the skilled craftsman Bezalel's construction of the sacred furnishings for the tabernacle, following the divine specifications given to Moses. The chapter methodically describes the creation of the ark of the covenant with its mercy seat and cherubim, the table of showbread, the golden lampstand, and the altar of incense. This careful craftsmanship demonstrates Israel's obedience to God's detailed instructions and their commitment to creating a holy space for divine worship.
Context
This chapter continues the tabernacle construction narrative from chapter 36, showing the completion of the sacred furnishings before the final assembly in chapters 39-40.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-9The Ark and Mercy SeatBezalel constructs the ark of acacia wood overlaid with gold, complete with carrying poles and the mercy seat topped with golden cherubim.
- 10-16The Table of ShowbreadThe table is made of gold-overlaid acacia wood with rings and poles for transport, along with all its golden vessels and utensils.
- 17-24The Golden LampstandThe lampstand is crafted from one talent of beaten gold, featuring six branches with almond blossom decorations and seven lamps.
- 25-29The Altar of IncenseThe square incense altar is built of acacia wood with gold overlay, horns, and carrying poles, along with the holy anointing oil and incense.
Making the Furnishings
37:1–37:29Bezalel crafts the sacred furnishings of the tabernacle including the ark, mercy seat, table, and lampstand from precious materials. These items represent God's presence and provision for worship among the Israelites.
person_contrast
Bezalel's name appears exclusively in construction contexts throughout Exodus, yet here his craftsmanship transforms ordinary materials into vessels of divine holiness through precise sacred geometry.
Exodus 37:1
Exodus 25:10lexical“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a c…
Exodus 25:23lexical“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Its length shall be two cubits, and its width a cubit, and its height one and a…
Exodus 27:1lexical“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide. The altar shall be square. Its height…
Exodus 38:1lexicalHe made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. It was square. Its length was five cubits, its width was five cubits…
1 Kings 6:20lexicalWithin the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height. He…
Exodus 37:2
Exodus 25:11lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around i…
Exodus 30:3lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding arou…
Exodus 25:24lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
Exodus 25:25lexicalYou shall make a rim of a hand width around it. You shall make a golden molding on its rim around it.
2 Chronicles 9:17lexicalMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
Exodus 37:3
Exodus 25:12lexicalYou shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four feet. Two rings shall be on the one side of it, and t…
Exodus 30:4lexicalYou shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and the…
Exodus 38:5lexicalHe cast four rings for the four corners of bronze grating, to be places for the poles.
Exodus 25:26lexicalYou shall make four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that are on its four feet.
Exodus 36:36lexicalHe made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold. He cast four sockets of si…
Exodus 37:4
Exodus 30:5lexicalYou shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exodus 25:13lexicalYou shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exodus 25:28lexicalYou shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.
Exodus 38:6lexicalHe made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze.
Exodus 27:6lexicalYou shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
Exodus 37:5
Exodus 25:14lexicalYou shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.
Exodus 30:4lexicalYou shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and the…
Exodus 38:7lexicalHe put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.
Exodus 27:7lexicalIts poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when carrying it.
Exodus 25:15lexicalThe poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it.
Exodus 37:6
Exodus 25:17lexicalYou 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.
2 Chronicles 3:4lexicalThe porch that was in front, its length, across the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred tw…
Exodus 25:23lexical“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Its length shall be two cubits, and its width a cubit, and its height one and a…
Exodus 25:10lexical“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a c…
Exodus 26:16lexicalTen cubits shall be the length of a board, and one and a half cubits the width of each board.
Exodus 37:7
Exodus 25:18lexicalYou shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exodus 25:19lexicalMake one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. You shall make the cherubim on its two ends of one piec…
Exodus 37:8
Exodus 25:19lexicalMake one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. You shall make the cherubim on its two ends of one piec…
Exodus 25:18lexicalYou shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exodus 37:9
Exodus 25:20lexicalThe cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one…
1 Kings 8:7lexicalFor the cherubim spread their wings out over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.
2 Chronicles 5:8lexicalFor the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.
1 Chronicles 28:18lexicaland for the altar of incense, refined gold by weight; and gold for the plans for the chariot, and the cherubim that spre…
1 Kings 6:27lexicalHe set the cherubim within the inner house. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one to…
Exodus 37:10
Exodus 25:23lexical“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Its length shall be two cubits, and its width a cubit, and its height one and a…
Exodus 25:10lexical“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a c…
Exodus 27:1lexical“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide. The altar shall be square. Its height…
Exodus 38:1lexicalHe made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. It was square. Its length was five cubits, its width was five cubits…
Ezekiel 40:42lexicalThere were four cut stone tables for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit…
Exodus 37:11
Exodus 30:3lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding arou…
Exodus 25:24lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
Exodus 25:11lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around i…
Exodus 25:25lexicalYou shall make a rim of a hand width around it. You shall make a golden molding on its rim around it.
2 Chronicles 9:17lexicalMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
Exodus 37:12
Exodus 25:25lexicalYou shall make a rim of a hand width around it. You shall make a golden molding on its rim around it.
Exodus 30:3lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding arou…
Exodus 25:24lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
Exodus 25:11lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around i…
Exodus 37:13
Exodus 25:26lexicalYou shall make four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that are on its four feet.
Exodus 25:12lexicalYou shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four feet. Two rings shall be on the one side of it, and t…
Exodus 38:5lexicalHe cast four rings for the four corners of bronze grating, to be places for the poles.
Exodus 36:36lexicalHe made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold. He cast four sockets of si…
Exodus 37:14
Exodus 25:27lexicalThe rings shall be close to the rim, for places for the poles to carry the table.
Exodus 37:15
Exodus 25:28lexicalYou shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.
Exodus 30:5lexicalYou shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exodus 25:13lexicalYou shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exodus 38:6lexicalHe made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze.
Exodus 27:6lexicalYou shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
Exodus 37:16
Exodus 25:29lexicalYou shall make its dishes, its spoons, its ladles, and its bowls with which to pour out offerings. You shall make them o…
Numbers 4:7lexical“On the table of show bread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, and the cup…
1 Chronicles 28:17lexicaland the forks, the basins, and the cups, of pure gold; and for the golden bowls by weight for every bowl; and for the si…
Jeremiah 52:19lexicalThe captain of the guard took away the cups, the fire pans, the basins, the pots, the lamp stands, the spoons, and the b…
Numbers 7:84lexicalThis was the dedication offering of the altar, on the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve silver…
Exodus 37:17
Exodus 25:31lexical“You shall make a lamp stand of pure gold. The lamp stand shall be made of hammered work. Its base, its shaft, its cups,…
Exodus 25:33lexicalthree cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the…
Numbers 8:4lexicalThis was the workmanship of the lamp stand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work. He ma…
Exodus 25:36lexicalTheir buds and their branches shall be of one piece with it, all of it one beaten work of pure gold.
Exodus 25:34lexicaland in the lamp stand four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers;
Exodus 37:18
Exodus 25:32lexicalThere shall be six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three bran…
Exodus 25:33lexicalthree cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the…
Exodus 25:35lexicaland 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 tw…
Exodus 37:19
Exodus 25:33lexicalthree cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the…
Exodus 25:34lexicaland in the lamp stand four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers;
Exodus 25:31lexical“You shall make a lamp stand of pure gold. The lamp stand shall be made of hammered work. Its base, its shaft, its cups,…
Exodus 25:35lexicaland 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 tw…
Exodus 25:32lexicalThere shall be six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three bran…
Exodus 37:20
Exodus 25:34lexicaland in the lamp stand four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers;
Exodus 25:33lexicalthree cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the…
Exodus 25:31lexical“You shall make a lamp stand of pure gold. The lamp stand shall be made of hammered work. Its base, its shaft, its cups,…
Exodus 37:21
Exodus 25:35lexicaland 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 tw…
Exodus 25:33lexicalthree cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the…
Exodus 37:22
Exodus 25:31lexical“You shall make a lamp stand of pure gold. The lamp stand shall be made of hammered work. Its base, its shaft, its cups,…
Exodus 25:36lexicalTheir buds and their branches shall be of one piece with it, all of it one beaten work of pure gold.
Exodus 37:23
Exodus 25:38lexicalIts snuffers and its snuff dishes shall be of pure gold.
Numbers 4:9lexical“They shall take a blue cloth and cover the lamp stand of the light, its lamps, its snuffers, its snuff dishes, and all…
1 Kings 7:49lexicaland the lamp stands, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the…
2 Chronicles 4:21lexicaland the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold that was purest gold;
2 Chronicles 13:11lexicalThey burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in…
Exodus 37:24
Exodus 25:39lexicalIt shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these accessories.
Ezra 8:26lexicalI weighed into their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver, one hundred talents of silver vessels, one hundred talent…
Exodus 37:25
Exodus 38:1lexicalHe made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. It was square. Its length was five cubits, its width was five cubits…
Exodus 27:1lexical“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide. The altar shall be square. Its height…
Exodus 30:2lexicalIts length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns sh…
Exodus 25:23lexical“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Its length shall be two cubits, and its width a cubit, and its height one and a…
Exodus 25:10lexical“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a c…
Exodus 37:26
Exodus 30:3lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding arou…
Exodus 25:24lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
Exodus 25:11lexicalYou shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around i…
Exodus 25:25lexicalYou shall make a rim of a hand width around it. You shall make a golden molding on its rim around it.
2 Chronicles 9:17lexicalMoreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
Exodus 37:27
Exodus 30:4lexicalYou shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and the…
Exodus 38:7lexicalHe put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.
Exodus 25:14lexicalYou shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.
Exodus 27:7lexicalIts poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when carrying it.
Exodus 25:12lexicalYou shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four feet. Two rings shall be on the one side of it, and t…
Exodus 37:28
Exodus 30:5lexicalYou shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exodus 25:13lexicalYou shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exodus 25:28lexicalYou shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.
Exodus 27:6lexicalYou shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
Exodus 38:6lexicalHe made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze.
Exodus 37:29
Numbers 4:16lexical“The duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the continual meal o…
Exodus 31:11lexicalthe anointing oil, and the incense of sweet spices for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded you they s…
Exodus 30:25lexicalYou shall make it into a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anoi…
Exodus 30:35lexicalYou shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
Exodus 25:6lexicaloil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,
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