Exodus 25:12
ESV
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.
NIV
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.
NASB
You shall also cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet; two rings shall be on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
CSB
Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side.
NLT
Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side.
KJV
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.
NKJV
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.
What does Exodus 25:12 mean?
For the main body of the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:10), Israel was to use wood covered in a thin layer of gold (Exodus 25:11). The rings for carrying poles (Exodus 25:13) are to be "cast," implying that they are solid gold. The ark is a large box and will carry stone tablets (Exodus 24:12; 25:16; 2 Chronicles 5:10). But gold, the element, is incredibly soft. This raises questions about how to make the rings strong enough to bear weight.In both the modern and ancient worlds, very few objects are made of 100% pure elemental gold. Most are made of an alloy: a blending of metals. Gold mined from the earth is almost always naturally blended with other metals. Today, the most common alloy for gold jewelry, called "14 karat," is only about half elemental gold. These mixtures make the metal far more durable. Alloying is what makes bronze (Genesis 4:22) out of copper and tin, brass out of copper and zinc, and steel out of iron and carbon. Most likely, the rings were made of an alloy, in the same way we refer to modern alloys as "gold." This same idea probably applies to the other "pure gold" items listed in this section (Exodus 25:17, 29, 31).
These carrying rings are important. This is the only way in which the ark should be transported (Numbers 4:15; 1 Chronicles 15:13–15). In fact, the poles are meant to stay in their rings permanently (Exodus 25:14–15). Putting the rings on the ark's feet means it would be lifted higher. If poles were carried on men's shoulders, the ark would be well above their heads.
