Exodus 25:11

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

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. Gold plate would also have been regarded as more suitable, because more valuable. It is the Jewish tradition that gold plates were employed.

crown of gold—i.e., a rim or border of gold, carried round the edge of the chest at the top. The object was probably to keep the kapporeth, or mercy-seat, in place.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

25:10-22 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 sprinkled, and the incense burned, before it, by the high priest; and above it appeared the visible glory, which was the symbol of the Divine presence. This was a type of Christ in his sinless nature, which saw no corruption, in personal union with his Divine nature, atoning for our sins against it, by his death. The cherubim of gold looked one towards another, and both looked downward toward the ark. It denotes the angels' attendance on the Redeemer, their readiness to do his will, their presence in the assemblies of saints, and their desire to look into the mysteries of the gospel. It was covered with a covering of gold, called the mercy-seat. God is said to dwell, or sit between the cherubim, on the mercy-seat. There he would give his law, and hear supplicants, as a prince on his throne.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Overlay it with pure gold - Words descriptive of the common process of gilding. The Egyptians in early times were acquainted with both the art of gilding and that of covering a substance with thin plates of gold.

A crown of gold - That is, an edging or moulding of gold round the top of the ark, within which the cover or mercy-seat Exodus 25:17 may have fitted (compare Exodus 38:2). There were golden mouldings, called by the same name, to the table of showbread Exodus 25:24; Exodus 37:11-12, and to the golden altar Exodus 30:3; Exodus 37:26.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

11. a crown—a rim or cornice.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Or, a border, raised up above the rest of the ark, as a crown is above that which it is applied to, only a crown is round, and this was square. This was both for ornament, and for the fastening of the covering of the ark to it.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold,.... Not gild it, but put a plate of pure gold over it:

within and without shalt thou overlay it; so that nothing of the wood could be seen: this may denote the glory of Christ in both his natures, divine and human, the riches of his person and office, which are unsearchable and durable, and his preciousness to them that believe, Sol 5:10,

and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about: or a cornish of pure gold upon it, every way, which was a square on which the mercy seat was set; which may point at the honour and glory of Christ, especially in his kingly office, who has indeed on his head many crowns; one a crown of pure gold, his divine Father has set upon him; another which the church has crowned him with, and indeed both angels and saints cast their crowns at his feet, and set the crown on his head, or give him the glory of all they have and are.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. pure gold] See on v. 3.

a crown] Heb. zçr, the Syr. zîr means a collar or necklace. What is meant is prob. an ornamental moulding, running in relief round the ark—whether at the top of its four sides, or in the middle, is not stated—and worked perhaps in the shape of a bead or rope (LXX. κυμάτια στρεπτά: cf. the description in Pseudo-Aristeas (ed. Wendland, § 58 (cited DB. iv. 663a); or in Swete, Introd. to OT. in Greek, p. 530) of the zçr or the Table of Presence-bread, made for the Temple of Leontopolis, τὴν ἀναγλυφὴν ἔχοντα σχοινίδων ἔκτυπον). The table of Presence-bread, and the altar of incense, had similar decorations (vv. 24 f., Exodus 30:3 f.). ‘Crown’ comes through the Vulg. corona (Exodus 25:11, Exodus 30:3) from LXX. στεφάνη (Exodus 25:24, Exodus 30:3); but it does not suggest a very clear idea of what is intended. If the zçr ran round the top of the ark, it may have projected upwards and outwards a little, so that the mercy-seat might rest within it.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. - Thou shalt overlay it with pure gold. Or, "cover it with pure gold." As gilding was well known in Egypt long before the time of the exodus, it is quite possible that the chest was simply gilt without and within. It may, however, have been overlaid with thin plates of gold (a practice also known in Egypt, and common elsewhere) - which is the view taken by the Jewish commentators. The crown of gold was probably an ornamental moulding or edging round the top of the chest. Exodus 25:11

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The Ark of the Covenant (cf. Exodus 37:1-9). - They were to make an ark (ארון) of acacia-wood, two cubits and a half long, one and a half broad, and one and a half high, and to plate it with pure gold both within and without. Round about it they were to construct a golden זר, i.e., probably a golden rim, encircling it like an ornamental wreath. They were also to cast four golden rings and fasten them to the four feet (פּעמת walking feet, feet bent as if for walking) of the ark, two on either side; and to cut four poles of acacia-wood and plate them with gold, and put them through the rings for carrying the ark. The poles were to remain in the rings, without moving from them, i.e., without being drawn out, that the bearers might not touch the ark itself (Numbers 4:15).