King James Version
Exodus 25
40 verses with commentary
Offerings for the Tabernacle
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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KJV Study Commentary
God initiates the tabernacle instructions, emphasizing that worship must be according to divine revelation, not human invention. The Hebrew term for 'offering' (תְּרוּמָה, terumah) means something 'lifted up' or 'heaved,' signifying that worship begins with God's gracious invitation, not human merit. This voluntary giving from willing hearts prefigures Christ's voluntary offering of Himself.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle.(1-9)
The ark.(10-22)
The table, with its furniture.(23-30)
The candlestick.(31-40)
**Verses 1-9**
God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, call...
Read full commentary →Speak 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. bring me: Heb. take for me offering: or, heave offering
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KJV Study Commentary
The offering must be voluntary ('willing heart'), establishing that true worship flows from love, not compulsion. Every material listed—gold, silver, bronze, fine linens, precious stones—carried symbolic significance, with gold representing deity, silver redemption, and bronze judgment. These materials, gained from Egypt through God's judgment, now serve His glory, picturing redemption's transform...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XXV.
THE GIFTS WHICH MIGHT BE GIVEN FOR THE TABERNACLE AND THE PRIESTS’ DRESSES.
(2) **Speak unto the children of Israel that they **bring **me an offering.—**God, being about to command the construction of a dwelling for Himself, such as the circumstances of the case allowed, prefaced His directions concerning its materials and form by instructing Moses to invite the people to contribute from the...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle.(1-9)
The ark.(10-22)
The table, with its furniture.(23-30)
The candlestick.(31-40)
**Verses 1-9**
God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, call...
Read full commentary →And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, offering: or, heave offering
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KJV Study Commentary
The materials inventory continues, each element carefully prescribed. Blue represents the heavenly, purple the royal (combining heaven's blue with earth's red), and scarlet the earthly and sacrificial. The combination of animal skins and fine linens reveals the tabernacle's dual nature—earthy and heavenly, temporary and eternal—prefiguring Christ's incarnation, fully God and fully man.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Gold, and silver, and brass.**—The Israelites had brought out of Egypt (1) their ancestral wealth—the possessions of Abraham and the accumulations of Joseph, and (2) the rich gifts received from the Egyptians at the moment of their departure. They had added to their wealth by the plunder of the Amalekites. Thus they possessed a considerable store of the precious metals; and there is no diffi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle.(1-9)
The ark.(10-22)
The table, with its furniture.(23-30)
The candlestick.(31-40)
**Verses 1-9**
God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, call...
Read full commentary →And blue, and purple, and scarlet , and fine linen, and goats' hair, fine: or, silk
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KJV Study Commentary
The list concludes with oil, spices, and precious stones—elements for illumination, fragrance, and glory. The oil for light prefigures the Holy Spirit's illumination; the spices for anointing oil and incense represent prayer ascending to God; the onyx stones and gems for the high priest's garments display the beauty of holiness. Each element contributes to the complete picture of worship.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **And blue, and purple, and scarlet.**—The colours intended are probably a dark blue produced from indigo, which was the only blue known to the Egyptians, a purplish crimson derived from the *murex trunculus, *the main source of the “Tyrian dye” of the ancients, and a scarlet furnished by the *coccus ilicis, *or cochineal insect of the holm oak, which was largely employed in antiquity, though ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle.(1-9)
The ark.(10-22)
The table, with its furniture.(23-30)
The candlestick.(31-40)
**Verses 1-9**
God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, call...
Read full commentary →And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
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KJV Study Commentary
Materials continue to be listed comprehensively, showing God's attention to detail. Every element—from the structural (acacia wood) to the decorative (precious stones)—matters in constructing His dwelling place. This exhaustive inventory teaches that nothing is too small or insignificant when devoted to God's service. All of creation is marshaled to house His presence.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **Rams’ skins dyed red.**—North Africa has always been celebrated for the production of the best possible leather. Herodotus describes the manufacture of his own times (*Hist. iv.* 189). Even at the present day, we bind our best books in *morocco. *Brilliant colours always were, and still are, affected by the North African races, and their “red skins” have been famous in all ages. It is probab...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle.(1-9)
The ark.(10-22)
The table, with its furniture.(23-30)
The candlestick.(31-40)
**Verses 1-9**
God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, call...
Read full commentary →Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
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KJV Study Commentary
More materials are specified—oil for light, spices for anointing and incense. The oil for the lampstand represents the Holy Spirit who provides continuous light (Zechariah 4:6). The anointing oil consecrates and sets apart for service, prefiguring Christ the 'Anointed One' (Messiah). The sweet incense represents acceptable prayers offered through Christ our High Priest (Revelation 8:3-4).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Oil for the light.**—It is assumed that the “sanctuary,” which is to be built (Exodus 25:8), will need to be lighted. Oil therefore is to be provided for the lighting. Later on (Exodus 27:20) it is laid down that the oil must be “pure olive oil beaten.”
**Spices for anointing oil.**—Rather, *for the anointing oil. *Here, again, there is an assumption that anointing oil will be needed, and th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle.(1-9)
The ark.(10-22)
The table, with its furniture.(23-30)
The candlestick.(31-40)
**Verses 1-9**
God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, call...
Read full commentary →Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
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KJV Study Commentary
Onyx stones and precious gems for the high priest's ephod and breastplate represent Israel carried on the priest's shoulders (strength) and heart (love) as he ministers before God. This prefigures Christ our High Priest who bears His people's names constantly before the Father (Hebrews 7:25). The variety of stones (twelve tribes, twelve gems) shows God's appreciation for diversity within unity.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Onyx stones.**—The Hebrew *shoham *is rendered here by “sard” (LXX.), “sardonyx” (Vulg. And Josephus), and “beryl” (Rosenmüller and others). In Job 28:16, the same word is rendered by the LXX. “onyx.” There is thus considerable doubt what stone is meant. Only three such stones seem to have been required as offerings, one for the high priest’s breast-plate (Exodus 28:20), and two for the shou...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle.(1-9)
The ark.(10-22)
The table, with its furniture.(23-30)
The candlestick.(31-40)
**Verses 1-9**
God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, call...
Read full commentary →And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
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KJV Study Commentary
The purpose statement: 'Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.' The Hebrew מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, sanctuary) means 'holy place,' emphasizing separation unto God. The goal is not merely a building but God's dwelling presence—'I may dwell (שָׁכַן, shakan) among them.' This prefigures the incarnation: 'The Word became flesh and dwelt (ἐσκήνωσεν, 'tabernacled') among us' (John 1:14).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
THE SANCTUARY AND ITS CONTENTS.
(8) **Let them make me a sanctuary.**—The enumeration of the gifts (Exodus 25:3-7) has been subordinate to this. Hitherto Israel had had no place of worship, no structure dedicated to God. God now brings this state of things to an end, by requiring them to “make him a sanctuary.” In Egypt they had seen structures of vast size and extraordinary magnificence erected i...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle.(1-9)
The ark.(10-22)
The table, with its furniture.(23-30)
The candlestick.(31-40)
**Verses 1-9**
God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, call...
Read full commentary →According 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The divine pattern: all must be made 'according to all that I shew thee.' The Hebrew תַּבְנִית (tabnit, pattern) suggests an architectural blueprint or model. This emphasizes that worship must conform to divine revelation, not human creativity. Hebrews 8:5 confirms that Moses was shown a heavenly pattern, making the earthly tabernacle a 'copy and shadow' of heavenly realities centered in Christ.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **The pattern.**—It has been maintained that God shewed to Moses (1) a material structure, furnished with material objects, as the model which he was to follow in making the Tabernacle and its appurtenances; (2) **a **pictorial representation of the whole; (3) a series of visions in which the forms were represented to the eye of the mind. The entire analogy of the Divine dealings is in favour ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle.(1-9)
The ark.(10-22)
The table, with its furniture.(23-30)
The candlestick.(31-40)
**Verses 1-9**
God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, call...
Read full commentary →The Ark of the Covenant
And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Ark's construction begins with acacia wood (שִׁטִּים, shittim), the most durable wood available in Sinai, overlaid with pure gold. Wood represents Christ's humanity (from earth), gold His deity (incorruptible). The dimensions (2.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 cubits, approximately 3.75' × 2.25' × 2.25') made it portable yet dignified. The Ark housed the law, showing that God's throne rests on His righteous sta...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
THE ARK.
(10) **They shall make an ark.**—*Arôn, *the word here rendered “ark,” is an entirely different word from that previously so translated in Genesis 6:14; Exodus 2:3, which is *tebah. Arôn *is properly a chest or coffer of small dimensions, used to contain money or other valuables (2Kings 12:9-10; 2Chronicles 25:8-11, &c.). In one place it is applied to a mummy-case (Genesis 1:26). Here it ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Pure gold overlay 'within and without'—the Ark must be completely covered, hidden and visible surfaces alike. This totality represents Christ's complete divinity permeating His humanity. The gold crown (border) surrounding it signifies royalty and separation. Nothing of the wood could show through; similarly, while Christ's humanity was real, His divine glory could not be suppressed (transfigurati...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Thou shalt overlay it with pure gold.**—It is possible, but scarcely probable, that gilding is intended. Gilding was well known in Egypt long before the time of Moses, and may have been within the artistic powers of some of the Hebrews. But it is a process requiring much apparatus, and less likely to have been practised in the desert than the far simpler one of overlaying with gold plates. ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Four golden rings enable the Ark to be carried on poles (never by human hands touching it). The number four often represents universality—the Ark's message extends to earth's four corners. The rings' placement at the feet ensures the Ark is borne respectfully, prefiguring how Christ is 'carried' to all nations by His people, never manipulated or controlled but honored and proclaimed.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Four rings of gold.**—Though the ark was not to be carried in procession, like Egyptian arks, yet it would have to be carried when the Israelites resumed their journeyings. The four rings were made to receive the two “staves*” *or poles by which the ark was to be borne at such times on the shoulders of the priests (Exodus 25:13-14).
**In the four corners thereof.**—Literally, *at the four f...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
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KJV Study Commentary
Staves (poles) of acacia wood overlaid with gold—like the Ark itself, combining wood (humanity) with gold (divinity). These staves enable the Ark to be transported without direct human contact, maintaining holiness. They prefigure Christ as the mediator: His humanity (wood) makes God accessible, while His divinity (gold) preserves God's holiness. We approach God through Christ, never around Him.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
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KJV Study Commentary
The staves are placed through the rings 'that the ark may be borne with them.' This design ensures both mobility and protection—God's presence travels with His people, yet His holiness remains inviolate. The staves become extensions of the Ark's sanctity, teaching that whatever is consecrated for carrying God's presence shares in its holiness.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
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KJV Study Commentary
The staves must remain in the rings—never removed (compare 1 Kings 8:8). This permanence signifies that God's provision for holy approach is constant and unchanging. Just as the staves were always ready for the Ark to move, Christ's mediation is perpetually available. We never lack access to God through our High Priest who 'ever lives to make intercession' (Hebrews 7:25).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **The staves **. . . **Shall not be taken from it.**—The staves were to remain always in the rings, whether the ark was in motion or at rest, that there might never at any time be a necessity for touching the ark itself, or even the rings. He who touched the ark imperilled his life. (See 2Samuel 6:6-7.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Ark's contents: 'the testimony which I shall give thee.' The Hebrew עֵדוּת (edut, testimony) refers to the tablets of the law, God's witness to His righteous standards and covenant faithfulness. The Ark becomes God's throne because He rules based on His revealed truth. Christ fulfilled this law perfectly, becoming the living embodiment of God's testimony (John 1:17).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **The testimony which I shall give thee.**—The two tables of stone were called “the Testimony” (comp. Exodus 16:34), as being God’s witness against sin (Deuteronomy 31:26). As containing them, the ark was called “the ark of the testimony” (Exodus 25:22; Exodus 26:34; Exodus 30:6; Exodus 30:26, &c.; Numbers 4:5; Numbers 7:89; Joshua 4:16).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The mercy seat (כַּפֹּרֶת, kapporet) derives from כָּפַר (kaphar, 'to cover, atone'). Made of pure gold (unalloyed divinity), it covers the law whose demands man cannot meet. This is the place of atonement where sacrificial blood is sprinkled (Leviticus 16:14-15), prefiguring Christ as our propitiation (Romans 3:25, using ἱλαστήριον, the LXX translation of kapporet). God's justice and mercy meet a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
THE MERCY SEAT.
(17) **A mercy seat.**—Those critics to whom the idea of expiation is unsatisfactory, as Knobel and Gesenius, render *kapporeth, *the word here used, by *“*lid” or “cover.” *Kaphar, *it may be Admitted, has the physical meaning of “to cover” (Genesis 6:14); but *kipper, *the Piel form of the same verb, has never any other meaning than that of “covering,” or “expiating *sins.” *And ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
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KJV Study Commentary
Two cherubim of beaten gold form one piece with the mercy seat—not separate additions but integral to it. Cherubim, the guardians of God's holiness (Genesis 3:24, Ezekiel 10), flank the throne. Their unity with the mercy seat shows that at the atonement, holiness is satisfied, no longer excluding but protecting restored fellowship. They prefigure angels who 'desire to look into' salvation (1 Peter...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Two cherubims.**—“Cherubims,” or rather *cherubim, *had been known previously in one connection only—they had been the guardians of Eden when Adam and Eve were driven forth from it (Genesis 3:24). It is generally allowed that in that passage, as in most others where the word occurs, living beings, angels of God, are intended. But not all angels are cherubim. The cherubim constitute a select...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →And 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. of: or, of the matter of the mercy seat
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KJV Study Commentary
The cherubim are positioned at the two ends of the mercy seat, one on each side, creating symmetry and completeness. Their placement at the extremities shows that God's holiness fully surrounds and guards the place of mercy. Yet they are 'of one piece' with it (v.18), demonstrating that holiness and mercy are not contradictory but united in God's character and Christ's atoning work.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims.**—The meaning seems to be that the cherubims were not to be detached images, made separately, and then fastened to the mercy seat, but to be formed out of the same mass of gold with the mercy seat, and so to be part and parcel of it.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The cherubim's posture: wings 'stretched upward' in worship, 'covering' the mercy seat in protection, faces toward each other yet looking down at the mercy seat. This captures perfect worship—attentive to God's atonement, protective of its sanctity, united in focus. They model redeemed creation's response: beholding mercy with reverent wonder, shielding it from profanation, joining in unified ador...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **The cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high.**—The two wings of both cherubs were to be elevated and advanced so as to overshadow the mercy seat, and, as it were, protect it. In the Egyptian figures of Ma, one wing only has this position, the other being depressed and falling behind the figure.
**Towards the mercy seat.**—Bent downwards, *i.e., *as though gazing on the mercy seat....
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**26-27. If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, &c.--**From the nature of the case, this is the description of a poor man. No Orientals undress, but, merely throwing off their turbans and some of their heavy outer garments, they sleep in the clothes which they wear during the day. The bed of the poor is usually nothing else than a mat; and, in winter, they cover themselves with...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
Assembly instructions: place the mercy seat 'above upon the ark,' and inside the ark put 'the testimony.' This creates a visual theology—God's law within the ark demands perfect righteousness; God's mercy seat above the ark provides that righteousness through atoning sacrifice. Between law's demand and God's throne falls the sprinkled blood. Christ fulfills the law below while providing mercy abov...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**26-27. If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, &c.--**From the nature of the case, this is the description of a poor man. No Orientals undress, but, merely throwing off their turbans and some of their heavy outer garments, they sleep in the clothes which they wear during the day. The bed of the poor is usually nothing else than a mat; and, in winter, they cover themselves with...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The divine promise: 'There I will meet with thee.' The Ark becomes the meeting place between holy God and sinful man. The Hebrew נוֹעַדְתִּי (no'adti, 'I will meet') suggests appointed meeting, covenant relationship. God speaks 'from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim'—His voice emanates from the place of atonement, teaching that all divine communication flows through propitiatory...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **There will I meet with thee.**—The place of the *Shechinah, *or visible manifestation of God’s presence, was to be between the two cherubim over the mercy seat. There God would meet His people, “to speak there unto them” (Exodus 29:42), either literally, as when He answered inquiries of the high priest by Urim and Thummim, or spiritually, as when He accepted incense, and the blood of offeri...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28. gods--**a word which is several times in this chapter rendered "judges" or magistrates.
**the ruler of thy people--**and the chief magistrate who was also the high priest, at least in the time of Paul (Ac 23:1-5).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-22**
The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprin...
Read full commentary →The Table and Lampstand
Thou 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The table of showbread is made of acacia wood overlaid with gold (humanity and divinity united), measuring 2 cubits × 1 cubit × 1.5 cubits. Unlike the Ark (God's throne), this table serves fellowship—God and man sharing bread. The Hebrew לֶחֶם פָּנִים (lechem panim, 'bread of the presence/face') means bread constantly before God's face. Christ declares 'I am the bread of life' (John 6:35), the sus...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD.
(23-30) **Thou shalt also make a table.**—The ark and mercy seat, which covered it, constituted the entire furniture of the inner sanctuary, or “Holy of Holies” (Exodus 40:20-21). When this had been shown to Moses the next thing to be done was to set before him the furniture of the outer sanctuary, or holy place. This consisted of three articles—(1) The table of shewbread, ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
A table was to be made of wood, overlaid with gold, to stand in the outer tabernacle, to be always furnished with the shew-bread. This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with his redeemed people in his ordinances, the provisions of his house, the feasts they are favoured with. Also the food for their souls, which the...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
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KJV Study Commentary
The table receives a gold overlay and a crown (border) of gold—royalty and separation. This table is not common furniture but a royal table where God hosts His people. The crown prevents holy things from falling, suggesting that what God consecrates remains secure. At this table, priestly fellowship with God is maintained through bread that never runs out, prefiguring Christ's inexhaustible provis...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **Thou shalt overlay it . . . —**Like the ark (Exodus 25:11), and the altar of incense (Exodus 30:3), the table was to be overlaid with plates of gold. It was a species of altar, on which lay offerings to God, and, being close to the Divine Presence, required to be made of the best materials.
**A crown of gold round about.**—Rather, *a border, *or *edging of gold, *something to prevent what w...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
A table was to be made of wood, overlaid with gold, to stand in the outer tabernacle, to be always furnished with the shew-bread. This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with his redeemed people in his ordinances, the provisions of his house, the feasts they are favoured with. Also the food for their souls, which the...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Four rings of gold for carrying the table—like the Ark, it must be borne on staves, never defiled by common touch. The table's mobility demonstrates that fellowship with God travels with His people; His provision isn't location-bound. Where God dwells, He provides sustenance. The rings at the four corners suggest this provision extends to earth's four corners—all nations invited to feast at God's ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **A border of a hand-breadth.**—Rather, *a band, *or *framing. *The representation of the table of shewbread on the Arch of Titus at Rome gives the best idea of this “band*” *or framing. It was a flat bar about midway between the top of the table and its feet, connecting the four legs together, and so keeping them in place. Its “golden crown,” or “edging,” can have been only for ornament.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
A table was to be made of wood, overlaid with gold, to stand in the outer tabernacle, to be always furnished with the shew-bread. This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with his redeemed people in his ordinances, the provisions of his house, the feasts they are favoured with. Also the food for their souls, which the...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The rings' precise placement 'by the border' and 'for places of the staves' shows divine attention to practical details. Nothing in worship is left to chance or human convenience. The border (frame) provides structure and the rings enable mobility—together showing that true worship is both ordered and living, structured yet dynamic. Fellowship with God follows His design but moves with His people.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) F**our rings.**—Compare Exodus 25:12. The table, like the ark, would have to be carried from place to place. Though it was less sacred than the ark, still provision was made for carrying it by means of staves and rings.
**The four corners that are on the four feet.**—Rather, *that are at the four feet. *Not the top corners of the table, *i.e., *but the bottom corners. The table, like the ark,...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
A table was to be made of wood, overlaid with gold, to stand in the outer tabernacle, to be always furnished with the shew-bread. This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with his redeemed people in his ordinances, the provisions of his house, the feasts they are favoured with. Also the food for their souls, which the...
Read full commentary →Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
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KJV Study Commentary
Staves of acacia wood overlaid with gold—again the union of humanity and divinity—for carrying the table. The repeated pattern (Ark, table, now altar and more) establishes that every holy thing requires a holy means of transport. God provides the way to carry His presence and provisions. These staves prefigure Christ through whom all divine blessings are carried to us and all our needs are brought...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **Over against the border shall the rings be.**—Rather, *opposite the band, *or *framing. *The meaning is not very clear. If the framing had been at the bottom of the legs, we might have understood that the rings were attached to the table opposite the places where the “framing*” *was inserted into the legs. But the “framing” appears to have been halfway up the legs (see Note on Exodus 25:25)...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 23 Ex 23:1-33. Laws concerning Slander, &c.
**1. put not thine hand--**join not hands.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
A table was to be made of wood, overlaid with gold, to stand in the outer tabernacle, to be always furnished with the shew-bread. This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with his redeemed people in his ordinances, the provisions of his house, the feasts they are favoured with. Also the food for their souls, which the...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
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KJV Study Commentary
The table's dishes, spoons, covers (bowls), and flagons (pitchers) are all pure gold. These utensils serve the bread and drink offerings, the implements of fellowship. The Hebrew קְשׂוֹת (qesowth, bowls/covers) possibly covered the bread during transport, protecting sacred food. Pure gold throughout emphasizes that every element of fellowship with God must be consecrated—even the means by which we...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. decline--**depart, deviate from the straight path of rectitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
A table was to be made of wood, overlaid with gold, to stand in the outer tabernacle, to be always furnished with the shew-bread. This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with his redeemed people in his ordinances, the provisions of his house, the feasts they are favoured with. Also the food for their souls, which the...
Read full commentary →And 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. to: or, to pour out withal
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KJV Study Commentary
The purpose: 'to cover withal'—the utensils protect and honor the sacred bread. The bread of the Presence must be shielded from profanation yet remain accessible for its intended purpose. This balance of protection and availability prefigures how Christ, the bread of life, is simultaneously guarded from irreverence (not to be taken lightly) yet freely offered to all who hunger for God (John 6:51).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **The dishes thereof . . . —**The “dishes” of the shewbread table were probably large bowls in which the loaves or “cakes” were brought to the table. Such bowls are common in the Egyptian wall decorations. The so-called “spoons” were small pots in which the incense was put (Leviticus 24:7) and burnt. Two such appeared upon the table on the Arch of Titus. The “covers” and “bowls” are flagons a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. countenance--**adorn, embellish--thou shalt not varnish the cause even of a poor man to give it a better coloring than it merits.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
A table was to be made of wood, overlaid with gold, to stand in the outer tabernacle, to be always furnished with the shew-bread. This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with his redeemed people in his ordinances, the provisions of his house, the feasts they are favoured with. Also the food for their souls, which the...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
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KJV Study Commentary
The perpetual statute: 'Thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.' The Hebrew תָּמִיד (tamid, continually/always) emphasizes unbroken fellowship. God desires constant communion with His people, symbolized by bread perpetually in His presence. The twelve loaves (Leviticus 24:5-9) represented Israel always before God. Christ eternally mediates this fellowship—His presence before the F...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **Thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.**—For a detailed account of the arrangement of the shewbread see Leviticus 24:5-9. The Hebrew expression translated “shewbread” is literally, “bread of face,” or “bread of presence”—bread, that is, which was set forth always before the presence of God.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
A table was to be made of wood, overlaid with gold, to stand in the outer tabernacle, to be always furnished with the shew-bread. This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with his redeemed people in his ordinances, the provisions of his house, the feasts they are favoured with. Also the food for their souls, which the...
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The golden lampstand (מְנוֹרָה, menorah) is pure gold—no wood, only deity. Unlike the Ark and table (wood overlaid with gold), the lampstand is solid gold throughout, representing the absolutely pure light of God's nature. Its beaten work shows it's formed by hammer blows, perhaps prefiguring Christ's suffering that qualifies Him to be 'the light of the world' (John 8:12). Light is essential for f...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
THE GOLDEN CANDLESTICK.
(31-39) The golden candlestick, like the table of shewbread, was represented on the Arch of Titus, and the careful copy made under the direction of Reland in 1710, and published in his work, *De Spoliis Templi, *gives probably the best idea that can be formed of it. It was composed of a straight stem, rising perpendicularly from a base, and having on either side of it three...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-40**
The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19, a...
Read full commentary →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:
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KJV Study Commentary
The lampstand's organic design: shaft, branches, bowls (flower-shaped), knops (bulbs), and flowers—like an almond tree. The almond tree was called the 'wakeful tree' (שָׁקֵד, shaqed, 'watching/wakeful') for its early blooming (Jeremiah 1:11-12), symbolizing God's watchful presence and quick response. The lampstand as a living tree represents Christ—rooted in God (shaft), branching to His people (b...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-40**
The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19, a...
Read full commentary →Three 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Three branches on each side, seven total lamps (six branches plus central shaft). Seven represents completeness, perfection—the Spirit in fullness (Revelation 1:4, 4:5). The symmetrical design (three on each side of the center) shows balanced, complete illumination. The repeating pattern of bowls, knops, and flowers on each branch emphasizes that every extension of light maintains the same charact...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **Three bowls made like unto almonds.**—Or, *three cups like almond blossoms. *It is not quite clear if these were consecutive, or if each cup held a “knop” (pomegranate), on which followed a (lily) blossom. On the whole Reland’s representation accords best with the latter view.
**In the other branch.**—Rather, *in another branch. *The ornamentation was the same in the first, the second, and ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-40**
The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19, a...
Read full commentary →And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
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KJV Study Commentary
The central shaft contains four bowls, four knops, four flowers—more than the branches (which have three each). The central shaft, bearing the most ornamentation, represents Christ Himself, while the branches represent His people deriving light from Him. The shaft's greater complexity shows Christ's preeminence—He is the source of light; we merely reflect it. 'In Him was life, and the life was the...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(34) **In the candlestick.**—By “the candlestick” in this place must be meant the central shaft or stem, which is viewed as that whereto all the rest is accessory. Here the triple series was to be repeated four times.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-40**
The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19, a...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
A knop under every pair of branches—six knops total, each positioned where branches emerge from the shaft. These bulbs or buds represent life-giving connection, the point where the branch draws sustenance from the main shaft. They prefigure believers' vital union with Christ—we cannot bear light apart from abiding in Him (John 15:4-5). The knops show that genuine illumination requires organic conn...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-40**
The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19, a...
Read full commentary →Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
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KJV Study Commentary
All of one piece—'knops and their branches shall be of the same.' The entire lampstand is hammered from a single piece of gold, not assembled from separate parts. This unity prefigures the church's organic connection to Christ—not an organization of independent members but a living organism sharing one life. As Christ is pure light, all deriving light from Him share His essential nature (1 John 1:...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. six years thou shalt sow thy land--**intermitting the cultivation of the land every seventh year. But it appears that even then there was a spontaneous produce which the poor were permitted freely to gather for their use, and the beasts driven out fed on the remainder, the owners of fields not being allowed to reap or collect the fruits of the vineyard or oliveyard during the course of this ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-40**
The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19, a...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. shall light: or, shall cause to ascend it: Heb. the face of it
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KJV Study Commentary
Seven lamps—the complete number—provide light. The Hebrew נֵר (ner, lamp) held oil and wick, requiring daily tending (Leviticus 24:2-4). These lamps 'give light over against it' (illuminate the space before the lampstand), enabling priestly service. The Holy Spirit (oil) burning in consecrated vessels (lamps) produces light that reveals God's glory and enables worship. Without the Spirit's light, ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(37) **Thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof.**—Literally, *thou shalt make its lamps seven. *Each branch, as well as the stem, was to have its own lamp. The Arch of Titus shows them to us as hemi-spherical bowls.
**They shall light.**—See Note on Exodus 25:31-39, and comp. Exodus 27:21; Exodus 30:8; Leviticus 24:3.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-40**
The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19, a...
Read full commentary →And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
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KJV Study Commentary
Tongs and snuffdishes of pure gold—even the maintenance tools are consecrated. The tongs (מֶלְקָחַיִם, melqachayim) trimmed wicks; the snuffdishes (מַחְתָּה, machtah) collected burnt wick. Nothing associated with maintaining light can be common. This teaches that spiritual ministry requires consecrated instruments—even the 'trimming' of excess and removal of dead works must be done with tools puri...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(38) **Tongs **. . . **snuffdishes.**—“Tongs,” or pincers, were required for trimming the wicks of the lamps, and removing loose portions; “snuffdishes” for receiving the fragments thus removed.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest--**This law is repeated [Ex 20:9] lest any might suppose there was a relaxation of its observance during the sabbatical year.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-40**
The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19, a...
Read full commentary →Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
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KJV Study Commentary
One talent of pure gold for the lampstand and all its vessels—approximately 75 pounds, an enormous quantity. The specified weight ensures nothing is held back; complete resources are devoted to producing light. This extravagance prefigures Christ's costly incarnation and sacrifice to become the world's light. God spared nothing to illuminate fallen man—His own Son, the exact representation of His ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(39) **Of a talent of pure gold.**—There are various estimates of the value and weight of the Hebrew gold talent, but none of them places it much below £4,000 of our money. Some carry the estimate as high as £10,000 or £11,000.
**Shall he make it.**—“He” refers to the artificer by whom the candlestick would be constructed.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13. make no mention of the name of other gods, &c.--**that is, in common conversation, for a familiar use of them would tend to lessen horror of idolatry.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-40**
The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19, a...
Read full commentary →And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount. which: Heb. which thou wast caused to see
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KJV Study Commentary
The chapter concludes with emphatic repetition: 'Look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.' The Hebrew רְאֵה (re'eh, 'see/look/take heed') intensifies the command. Moses must reproduce exactly what God revealed, not improvise. This underscores that worship must be according to divine revelation. Hebrews 8:5 confirms Moses saw heavenly realities—the tabernacl...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(40) **After their pattern.**—Comp, Exodus 25:9.
**Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-18. Three times ... keep a feast ... in the year--**This was the institution of the great religious festivals--"The feast of unleavened bread," or the passover--"the feast of harvest," or pentecost--"the feast of ingathering," or the feast of tabernacles, which was a memorial of the dwelling in booths in the wilderness, and which was observed in the seventh month (Ex 12:2). All the males were...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-40**
The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19, a...
Read full commentary →