Exodus chapter 25

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King James Version

1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak 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. 3And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 5And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 6Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. 8And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. 10And 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. 11And 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. 12And 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. 13And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 14And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. 16And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17And 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. 18And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20And the cherubims 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 cherubims be. 21And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. 23Thou 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. 24And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. 25And 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. 26And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. 27Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table. 28And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them. 29And 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. 30And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway. 31And 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. 32And 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: 33Three 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. 34And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. 35And 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. 36Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
New King James Version

What does Exodus chapter 25 mean?

When Israel left Egypt (Exodus 12:40–41), they took great wealth with them. This came from the Egyptians (Exodus 11:2–3) who urged their former slaves to go (Exodus 12:35–36). Three months later (Exodus 19:1), Israel has arrived at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:2). The Lord has begun to deliver the laws of His covenant (Exodus 19:5–6). Here, He calls for voluntary donations so the people can build a portable temple.

The sanctuary will be in the form of a large tent, also called a "tabernacle." The tabernacle and its sacred objects will require a wide range of materials. Among these are precious metals, wood, animal skins, textiles, oils, spices, and gemstones. Yet God does not demand anything an Israelite is not willing to give. God designs the sanctuary, and Israel is to follow His instructions carefully (Exodus 25:1–9).

Among the most famous religious objects in history is the "ark of the covenant." The English word "ark" has been used to translate two different Hebrew terms. One, used in relation to Noah (Genesis 6:14) and Moses' infancy (Exodus 2:3), refers to a floating basket or container. The other, used here, means "chest" or "box." The ark of the covenant is a large wooden trunk overlaid with gold. One of its main purposes is to store stone tablets recording the Mosaic covenant. The ark has a decorative border and rings so it can be carried by gilded poles (Exodus 25:10–16).

The ark's lid is made of solid metal. On this are figures of two cherubim. These are angel-like beings seen elsewhere with four wings and four faces (Ezekiel 1:5–6, 15; 10:2–3). The lid itself is named using a unique Hebrew word associated with atonement. The most common English translation for this is "mercy seat." Priests will sprinkle blood there for an important ritual (Leviticus 16:14–16). God will speak to Moses from the space between the mercy seat and the cherubim's wings (Exodus 25:17–22).

Another important piece of furniture for the tabernacle is a sacred table. This is slightly shorter and narrower than the ark, though just as high, and includes a decorative rim. On this, priests will place a series of solid gold containers. They will also stack twelve loaves of ceremonial bread (Leviticus 24:5–7; Numbers 4:7). Only priests are allowed to eat these (Leviticus 24:8–9). However, centuries after Moses, David would take this bread during an emergency (1 Samuel 21:4–6; Mark 2:25–26). Like the ark, the table features rings so it can be carried using poles covered in gold (Exodus 25:23–30).

The menorāh is one of the most famous symbols of Judaism. Here, the Lord gives designs for this ornate lampstand. The object is to be made of solid gold. It includes seven lamps. These are held by the central shaft and six branches, three from each side. Below the lamp-holders are a series of almond blossoms. Most depictions of this show an arrangement of three half-circles, but some suggest the branches were to be straight, making the lampstand triangular. The menorah and its utensils are not wood covered in gold, but solid. This requires around seventy-five pounds, or thirty-four kilograms, of metal (Exodus 25:31–40).

The Lord intends all these instructions to be followed carefully. The rest of the book of Exodus is mostly a record of these designs and Israel's careful obedience to them (Exodus 31:1–11). The next chapters will focus on tent materials, sacred garments, and altars.
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