Exodus 37
New English Translation
The Making of the Ark
37 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was 45 inches, its width 27 inches, and its height 27 inches. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and out, and he made a surrounding border[a] of gold for it. 3 He cast four gold rings for it that he put[b] on its four feet, with[c] 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 made[d] an atonement lid of pure gold; its length was 45 inches, and its width was 27 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 end[e] and one cherub on the other end.[f] He made the cherubim from the atonement lid on its two ends. 9 The cherubim were spreading their wings[g] upward, overshadowing the atonement lid with their wings. The cherubim[h] faced each other,[i] looking toward the atonement lid.[j]
The Making of the Table
10 Bezalel[k] made the table of acacia wood; its length was 36 inches, its width 18 inches, and its height 27 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, its[l] plates, its ladles, its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings.
The Making of the Lampstand
17 Bezalel[m] 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.[n] 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 next[o] branch, and the same[p] 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.[q] 22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece;[r] 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 lampstand[s] and all its accessories with seventy-five pounds of pure gold.
The Making of the Altar of Incense
25 Bezalel[t] made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was 18 inches and its width 18 inches—a square—and its height was 36 inches. Its horns were of one piece with it.[u] 26 He overlaid it with pure gold—its top,[v] its four walls,[w] and its horns—and he made a surrounding border of gold for it.[x] 27 He also made[y] two gold rings for it under its border, on its two sides, on opposite sides,[z] as places[aa] 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.
Footnotes
- Exodus 37:2 tn Or “molding.”
- Exodus 37:3 tn “that he put” has been supplied.
- Exodus 37:3 tn This is taken as a circumstantial clause; the clause begins with the conjunction vav.
- Exodus 37:6 tn Heb “and he made.”
- Exodus 37:8 tn Heb “from/at [the] end, from this.”
- Exodus 37:8 tn The repetition of the expression indicates it has the distributive sense.
- Exodus 37:9 tn The construction is a participle in construct followed by the genitive “wings”—“spreaders of wings.”
- Exodus 37:9 tn The subject, “the cherubim,” has been added again in the translation for smoothness.
- Exodus 37:9 tn Heb “and their faces a man to his brother.”
- Exodus 37:9 tn Heb “to the atonement lid were the faces of the cherubim.”
- Exodus 37:10 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Exodus 37:16 tn The suffixes on these could also indicate the indirect object (see Exod 25:29).
- Exodus 37:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Exodus 37:17 tn Heb “from it”; the referent (“the same piece” of wrought metal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Exodus 37:19 tn Heb “the one branch.” But the repetition of “one…one” means here one after another, or the “first” and then the “next.”
- Exodus 37:19 tn Heb “thus for six branches….”
- Exodus 37:21 tn 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.
- Exodus 37:22 tn Heb “were from it.”
- Exodus 37:24 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the lampstand) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Exodus 37:25 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Exodus 37:25 tn Heb “from it were its horns,” meaning that they were made from the same piece.
- Exodus 37:26 tn Heb “roof.”
- Exodus 37:26 tn Heb “its walls around.”
- Exodus 37:26 tn Heb “and he made for it border gold around.”
- Exodus 37:27 tn Heb “and he made.”
- Exodus 37:27 sn 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.
- Exodus 37:27 tn Heb “for houses.”
Exodus 37
New American Standard Bible
Construction Continues
37 (A)Now Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was [a]two and a half cubits, its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits; 2 and he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all around. 3 He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the [b]other side of it. 4 And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry [c]it. 6 He also made [d]an atoning cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits [e]long and one and a half cubits [f]wide. 7 And he made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work [g]at the two ends of the atoning cover: 8 one cherub [h]at the one end and one cherub [i]at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the atoning cover [j]at the two ends. 9 And the cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the atoning cover with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the atoning cover.
10 (B)Then he made the table of acacia wood, [k]two cubits [l]long, a cubit [m]wide, and one and a half cubits [n]high. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding for it all around. 12 And he made a rim for it of a [o]hand width all around, and made a gold molding for its rim all around. 13 He also cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four legs. 14 Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table. 15 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 16 He also made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes, its pans, its libation bowls, and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold.
17 (C)Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its [p]bulbs, and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18 There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the [q]other side of it; 19 three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a [r]bulb and a flower on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a [s]bulb and a flower on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its [t]bulbs and its flowers; 21 and a [u]bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a [v]bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a [w]bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 22 Their [x]bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps with its tongs and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its utensils from a [y]talent of pure gold.
25 (D)Then he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit [z]long and a cubit [aa]wide, square, and two cubits [ab]high; its horns were of one piece with it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its [ac]sides all around, and its horns; and he made a gold molding for it all around. 27 He also made two golden rings for it under its molding, on its two sides—on opposite sides—as holders for poles with which to carry it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 29 (E)Then he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.
Footnotes
- Exodus 37:1 About 3.7 ft. long and 2.2 ft. wide and high or about 1.1 m and 68 cm
- Exodus 37:3 Lit second
- Exodus 37:5 Lit the ark
- Exodus 37:6 Also called a mercy seat, and so throughout the ch; i.e., where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement
- Exodus 37:6 Lit its length
- Exodus 37:6 Lit its width
- Exodus 37:7 Lit from
- Exodus 37:8 Lit from
- Exodus 37:8 Lit from
- Exodus 37:8 Lit from
- Exodus 37:10 About 3 ft. long, 1.5 ft. wide, and 2.2 ft. high or about 90 cm, 45 cm, and 68 cm
- Exodus 37:10 Lit its length
- Exodus 37:10 Lit its width
- Exodus 37:10 Lit its height
- Exodus 37:12 About 3 in. or 7.5 cm
- Exodus 37:17 Or calyxes
- Exodus 37:18 Lit second
- Exodus 37:19 Or calyx
- Exodus 37:19 Or calyx
- Exodus 37:20 Or calyxes
- Exodus 37:21 Or calyx
- Exodus 37:21 Or calyx
- Exodus 37:21 Or calyx
- Exodus 37:22 Or calyxes
- Exodus 37:24 About 75 lb. or 34 kg
- Exodus 37:25 Lit its length
- Exodus 37:25 Lit its width
- Exodus 37:25 Lit its height
- Exodus 37:26 Lit walls
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
