Old Testament Commentary - Exodus 25

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 25 Israel commanded to denote property and build a tabernacle; also the ark of testimony (with its mercy seat and the cherubims), a table (for the shewbread), and the candlestick, all according to pattern shown Moses in the mount.
1 AND the LORD ^aspake unto Moses, saying, 2 ^aSpeak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it ^bwillingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4 And ^ablue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine ^blinen, and goats' hair, 5 And ^arams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and ^bshittim wood, 6 ^aOil for the light, ^bspices for ^canointing oil, and for sweet ^dincense, 7 ^aOnyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the ^bbreastplate.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
8 And let them make me a ^asanctuary; that I may ^bdwell among them. 9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the ^atabernacle, and the pattern of all the ^binstruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.		3^a Lev. 1:1; Moses 1:17 ^b Ex. 3:12; Moses 1:1-3 4^a Deut. 327:11; D&C 124:18 (18,99) 5^a TG Obedience ^b TG Abrahamic Covenant TG Covenants ^c TG Israel, Twelve Tribes TG Peculiar People ^d TG Israel, Blessing of TG Treasure 6^a TG Election ^b TG Israel, Mission of; TG; Priesthood; TG Priesthood, History of ^c Ex. 22:31; 1 Pet. 2:9 (5-9); TG Holiness ^d TG Separation
10 ¶ And they shall make an ^aark 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 ^aark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15 The ^astaves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16 And thou shalt put into the ark the ^atestimony which I shall give thee.
17 And thou shalt make a ^amercy 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 ^amake two ^bcherubims 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 ^aof the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and ^atheir faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. 21 And thou shalt put the ^amercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the ^btestimony that I shall give thee.
22 And there I will ^ameet with thee, and I will ^bcommune with thee from above the ^cmercy seat, from between the two ^dcherubims 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 ^atable 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 ^adishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and ^bcovers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them. 30 And thou shalt set upon the table ^ashewbread before me alway.
31 ¶ And thou shalt make a ^acandlestick 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 ^bthe 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 ^aa knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: ^bso in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 34 And in the candlestick 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 ^alamps thereof: and they shall ^blight the ^clamps 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 ^apattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.