Exodus 37 (NET)

The Making of the Ark

1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was three feet nine inches, its width two feet three inches, and its height two feet three inches. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and out, and he made a surrounding border1 of gold for it. 3 He cast four gold rings for it that he put2 on its four feet, with3 two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. 4 He made poles of acacia wood, overlaid them with gold, 5 and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark.

6 He made4 an atonement lid of pure gold; its length was three feet nine inches, and its width was two feet three inches. 7 He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid, 8 one cherub on one end5 and one cherub on the other end.6 He made the cherubim from the atonement lid on its two ends. 9 The cherubim were spreading their wings7 upward, overshadowing the atonement lid with their wings. The cherubim8 faced each other,9 looking toward the atonement lid.10

The Making of the Table

10 He made the table of acacia wood; its length was three feet, its width one foot six inches, and its height two feet three inches. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and he made a surrounding border of gold for it. 12 He made a surrounding frame for it about three inches wide, and he made a surrounding border of gold for its frame. 13 He cast four gold rings for it and attached the rings at the four corners where its four legs were. 14 The rings were close to the frame to provide places for the poles to carry the table. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 16 He made the vessels which were on the table out of pure gold, its11 plates, its ladles, its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings.

The Making of the Lampstand

17 He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its blossoms were from the same piece.12 18 Six branches were extending from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it. 19 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the next13 branch, and the same14 for the six branches that were extending from the lampstand. 20 On the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, 21 with a bud under the first two branches from it, and a bud under the next two branches from it, and a bud under the third two branches from it; according to the six branches that extended from it.15 22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece;16 all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 23 He made its seven lamps, its trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made the lampstand17 and all its accessories with seventy-five pounds of pure gold.

The Making of the Altar of Incense

25 He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a foot and a half and its width a foot and a half – a square – and its height was three feet. Its horns were of one piece with it.18 26 He overlaid it with pure gold – its top,19 its four walls,20 and its horns – and he made a surrounding border of gold for it.21 27 He also made22 two gold rings for it under its border, on its two sides, on opposite sides,23 as places24 for poles to carry it with. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

29 He made the sacred anointing oil and the pure fragrant incense, the work of a perfumer.

137:2tn Or “molding.” 237:3tn “that he put” has been supplied. 337:3tn This is taken as a circumstantial clause; the clause begins with the conjunction vav. 437:6tn Heb “and he made.” 537:8tn Heb “from/at [the] end, from this.” 637:8tn The repetition of the expression indicates it has the distributive sense. 737:9tn The construction is a participle in construct followed by the genitive “wings” – “spreaders of wings.” 837:9tn “The cherubim” has been placed here instead of in the second clause to produce a smoother translation. 937:9tn Heb “and their faces a man to his brother.” 1037:9tn Heb “to the atonement lid were the faces of the cherubim.” 1137:16tn The suffixes on these could also indicate the indirect object (see Exod 25:29). 1237:17tn Heb “from it”; the referent (“the same piece” of wrought metal) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 1337:19tn Heb “the one branch.” But the repetition of “one…one” means here one after another, or the “first” and then the “next.” 1437:19tn Heb “thus for six branches….” 1537:21tn As in Exod 26:35, the translation of “first” and “next” and “third” is interpretive, because the text simply says “under two branches” in each of three places. 1637:22tn Heb “were from it.” 1737:24tn Heb “it”; the referent (the lampstand) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 1837:25tn Heb “from it were its horns,” meaning that they were made from the same piece. 1937:26tn Heb “roof.” 2037:26tn Heb “its walls around.” 2137:26tn Heb “and he made for it border gold around.” 2237:27tn Heb “and he made.” 2337:27sn Since it was a small altar, it needed only two rings, one on either side, in order to be carried. The second mention of their location clarifies that they should be on the sides, the right and the left, as one approached the altar. 2437:27tn Heb “for houses.”