Exodus 25:1-3
New English Translation
The Materials for the Tabernacle
25 [a] The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to take[b] an offering[c] for me; from every person motivated by a willing[d] heart you[e] are to receive my offering. 3 This is the offering you[f] are to accept from them: gold, silver, bronze,
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- Exodus 25:1 sn Now begin the detailed instructions for constructing the tabernacle of Yahweh, with all its furnishings. The first paragraph introduces the issue of the heavenly pattern for the construction, calls for the people to make willing offerings (vv. 2-7), and explains the purpose for these offerings (vv. 8-9). The message here is that God calls his people to offer of their substance willingly so that his sanctuary may be made.
- Exodus 25:2 tn The verb is וְיִקְחוּ (veyiqekhu), the Qal imperfect or jussive with vav; after the imperative “speak” this verb indicates the purpose or result: “speak…that they may take” and continues with the force of a command.
- Exodus 25:2 tn The “offering” (תְּרוּמָה, terumah) is perhaps better understood as a contribution since it was a freewill offering. There is some question about the etymology of the word. The traditional meaning of “heave-offering” derives from the idea of “elevation,” a root meaning “to be high” lying behind the word. B. Jacob says it is something sorted out of a mass of material and designated for a higher purpose (Exodus, 765). S. R. Driver (Exodus, 263) corrects the idea of “heave-offering” by relating the root to the Hiphil form of that root, herim, “to lift” or “take off.” He suggests the noun means “what is taken off” from a larger mass and so designated for sacred purposes. The LXX has “something taken off.”
- Exodus 25:2 tn The verb יִדְּבֶנּוּ (yiddevennu) is related to the word for the “freewill offering” (נְדָבָה, nedavah). The verb is used of volunteering for military campaigns (Judg 5:2, 9) and the willing offerings for both the first and second temples (see 1 Chr 29:5, 6, 9, 14, 17).
- Exodus 25:2 tn The pronoun is plural.
- Exodus 25:3 tn The pronoun is plural.
Exodus 25:11
New English Translation
11 You are to overlay[a] it with pure gold—both inside and outside you must overlay it,[b] and you are to make a surrounding border[c] of gold over it.
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- Exodus 25:11 tn The verbs throughout here are perfect tenses with the vav (ו) consecutives. They are equal to the imperfect tense of instruction and/or injunction.
- Exodus 25:11 tn Here the verb is an imperfect tense; for the perfect sequence to work the verb would have to be at the front of the clause.
- Exodus 25:11 tn The word זֵר (zer) is used only in Exodus and seems to describe something on the order of a crown molding, an ornamental border running at the top of the chest on all four sides. There is no indication of its appearance or function.
Exodus 25:17-19
New English Translation
17 “You are to make an atonement lid[a] of pure gold;[b] its length is to be 45 inches, and its width is to be 27 inches. 18 You are to make two cherubim[c] of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid. 19 Make[d] one cherub on one end[e] and one cherub on the other end; from the atonement lid[f] you are to make the cherubim on the two ends.
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- Exodus 25:17 tn The noun is כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet), translated “atonement lid” or “atonement plate.” The traditional translation “mercy-seat” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) came from Tyndale in 1530 and was also used by Luther in 1523. The noun is formed from the word “to make atonement.” The item that the Israelites should make would be more than just a lid for the ark. It would be the place where atonement was signified. The translation of “covering” is probably incorrect, for it derives from a rare use of the verb, if the same verb at all (the evidence shows “cover” is from another root with the same letters as this). The value of this place was that Yahweh sat enthroned above it, and so the ark essentially was the “footstool.” Blood was applied to the lid of the box, for that was the place of atonement (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 269-270).
- Exodus 25:17 tn After verbs of making or producing, the accusative (like “gold” here) may be used to express the material from which something is made (see GKC 371 §117.hh).
- Exodus 25:18 tn The evidence suggests that the cherubim were composite angelic creatures that always indicated the nearness of God. So here images of them were to be crafted and put on each end of the ark of the covenant to signify that they were there. Ezekiel 1 describes four cherubim as each having human faces, four wings, and parts of different animals for their bodies. Traditions of them appear in the other cultures as well. They serve to guard the holy places and to bear the throne of God. Here they were to be beaten out as part of the lid.
- Exodus 25:19 tn The text now shifts to use an imperative with the vav (ו) conjunction.
- Exodus 25:19 tn The use of זֶה (zeh) repeated here expresses the reciprocal ideas of “the one” and “the other” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 26, §132).
- Exodus 25:19 sn The angels were to form one piece with the lid and not be separated. This could be translated “of one piece with” the lid, but it is likely the angels were simply fastened to it permanently.
Exodus 25:31
New English Translation
The Lampstand
31 [a] “You are to make a lampstand[b] of pure gold. The lampstand is to be made of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups,[c] its buds, and its blossoms are to be from the same piece.[d]
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- Exodus 25:31 sn Clearly the point here is to provide light in the tent for access to God. He provided for his worshipers a light for the way to God, but he also wanted them to provide oil for the lamp to ensure that the light would not go out. Verses 31-36 describe the piece. It was essentially one central shaft, with three branches on either side turned out and upward. The stem and the branches were ornamented every so often with gold that was formed into the shape of the calyx and corolla of the almond flower. On top of the central shaft and the six branches were the lamps.
- Exodus 25:31 tn The word is מְנֹרָה (menorah)—here in construct to a following genitive of material. The main piece was one lampstand, but there were seven lamps on the shaft and its branches. See E. Goodenough, “The Menorah among the Jews of the Roman World,” HUCA 23 (1950/51): 449-92.
- Exodus 25:31 sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 342-44) says that the description “the cups, knobs and flowers” is explained in vv. 32-36 as three decorations in the form of a cup, shaped like an almond blossom, to be made on one branch. Every cup will have two parts, (a) a knob, that is, the receptacle at the base of the blossom, and (b) a flower, which is called the corolla, so that each lamp rests on top of a flower.
- Exodus 25:31 tn Heb “will be from/of it”; the referent (“the same piece” of wrought metal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Exodus 30:12-16
New English Translation
12 “When you take a census[a] of the Israelites according to their number,[b] then each man is to pay a ransom[c] for his life to the Lord when you number them,[d] so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. 13 Everyone who crosses over to those who are numbered[e] is to pay this: a half shekel[f] according to the shekel of the sanctuary[g] (a shekel weighs twenty gerahs). The half shekel is to be an offering[h] to the Lord. 14 Everyone who crosses over to those numbered, from twenty years old and up, is to pay an offering to the Lord. 15 The rich are not to pay more and the poor are not to pay less than the half shekel when giving[i] the offering of the Lord, to make atonement[j] for your lives. 16 You are to receive the atonement money[k] from the Israelites and give it for the service[l] of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial[m] for the Israelites before the Lord, to make atonement[n] for your lives.”
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- Exodus 30:12 tn The expression is “when you take [lift up] the sum [head] of the Israelites.”
- Exodus 30:12 tn The form is לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם (lifqudehem, “according to those that are numbered of/by them”) from the verb פָּקַד (paqad, “to visit”). But the idea of this word seems more to be that of changing or determining the destiny, and so “appoint” and “number” become clear categories of meaning for the word. Here it simply refers to the census, but when this word is used for a census it often involves mustering an army for a military purpose. Here there is no indication of a war, but it may be laying down the principle that when they should do this, here is the price. B. Jacob (Exodus, 835) uses Num 31 as a good illustration, showing that the warrior was essentially a murderer, if he killed anyone in battle. For this reason his blood was forfeit; if he survived he must pay a כֹּפֶר (kofer) because every human life possesses value and must be atoned for. The payment during the census represented a “presumptive ransom” so that they could not be faulted for what they might do in war.
- Exodus 30:12 tn The “ransom” is כֹּפֶר (kofer), a word related to words translated “atone” and “atonement.” Here the noun refers to what is paid for the life. The idea is that of delivering or redeeming by a substitute—here the substitute is the money. If they paid the amount, their lives would be safe (W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:473).
- Exodus 30:12 tn The temporal clause uses a preposition, an infinitive construct, and then an accusative. The subject is supplied: “in numbering them” means “when [you] number them.” The verb could also be rendered “when you muster them.”
- Exodus 30:13 sn Each man was to pass in front of the counting officer and join those already counted on the other side.
- Exodus 30:13 sn The half shekel weight of silver would be about one-fifth of an ounce (6 grams).
- Exodus 30:13 sn It appears that some standard is in view for the amount of a shekel weight. The sanctuary shekel is sometimes considered to be twice the value of the ordinary shekel. The “gerah,” also of uncertain meaning, was mentioned as a reference point for the ancient reader to understand the value of the required payment. It may also be that the expression meant “a sacred shekel” and looked at the purpose more—a shekel for sanctuary dues. This would mean that the standard of the shekel weight was set because it was the traditional amount of sacred dues (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 333). “Though there is no certainty, the shekel is said to weigh about 11,5 grams…. Whether an official standard is meant [by ‘sanctuary shekel’] or whether the sanctuary shekel had a different weight than the ‘ordinary’ shekel is not known” (C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:181).
- Exodus 30:13 tn Or “contribution” (תְּרוּמָה, terumah).
- Exodus 30:15 tn The form is לָתֵת (latet), the Qal infinitive construct with the lamed preposition. The infinitive here is explaining the preceding verbs. They are not to increase or diminish the amount “in paying the offering.” The construction approximates a temporal clause.
- Exodus 30:15 tn This infinitive construct (לְכַפֵּר, lekhapper) provides the purpose of giving the offering—to atone.
- Exodus 30:16 tn Heb “the silver of the atonements.” The genitive here is the result (as in “sheep of slaughter”) telling what the money will be used for (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 11, §44).
- Exodus 30:16 sn The idea of “service” is maintenance and care of the sanctuary and its service, meaning the morning and evening sacrifices and the other elements to be used.
- Exodus 30:16 sn S. R. Driver says this is “to keep Jehovah in continual remembrance of the ransom which had been paid for their lives” (Exodus, 334).
- Exodus 30:16 tn The infinitive could be taken in a couple of ways here. It could be an epexegetical infinitive: “making atonement.” Or it could be the infinitive expressing result: “so that atonement will be made for your lives.”
Exodus 38:24-29
New English Translation
24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary[a] (namely,[b] the gold of the wave offering) was 29 talents and 730 shekels,[c] according to the sanctuary shekel.
25 The silver of those who were numbered of the community was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels,[d] according to the sanctuary shekel, 26 one beka per person, that is, a half shekel,[e] according to the sanctuary shekel, for everyone who crossed over to those numbered, from twenty years old or older,[f] 603,550 in all.[g] 27 The 100 talents of silver were used for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the special curtain—100 bases for 100 talents, one talent per base. 28 From the remaining 1,775 shekels[h] he made hooks for the posts, overlaid their tops, and made bands for them.
29 The bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels.[i]
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- Exodus 38:24 tn These words form the casus pendens, or independent nominative absolute, followed by the apodosis beginning with the vav (ו; see U. Cassuto, Exodus, 469).
- Exodus 38:24 tn Heb “and it was.”
- Exodus 38:24 sn There were 3000 shekels in a talent, and so the total weight here in shekels would be 87,730 shekels of gold. If the sanctuary shekel was 224 grs., then this was about 40,940 oz. troy. This is estimated to be a little over a ton (cf. NCV “over 2,000 pounds”; TEV “a thousand kilogrammes”; CEV “two thousand two hundred nine pounds”; NLT “about 2,200 pounds”), although other widely diverging estimates are also given.
- Exodus 38:25 sn This would be a total of 301,775 shekels (about 140,828 oz), being a half shekel exacted per person from 603,550 male Israelites 20 years old or more (Num 1:46). The amount is estimated to be around 3.75 tons.
- Exodus 38:26 sn The weight would be about half an ounce.
- Exodus 38:26 tn Heb “upward.”
- Exodus 38:26 tn The phrase “in all” has been supplied.
- Exodus 38:28 tn Here the word “shekels” is understood; about 45 pounds.
- Exodus 38:29 sn The total shekels would have been 212,400 shekels, which would be about 108,749 oz. This would make about 2.5 to 3 tons.
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