Exodus 37 Pulpit Commentary

◄ Exodus 37 ►

Pulpit Commentary

And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:

Verses 1-29. - THE FURTHER PROGRESS OF THE WORK - THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FURNITURE FOR THE HOLY OF HOLIES (vers. 1, 9) - AND FOR THE HOLY PLACE (vers. 10-28)-THE MAKING OF THE HOLY OIL AND OF THE INCENSE (ver. 29). On the history of the construction of the tabernacle follows naturally that of the construction of its furniture. The order of dignity is followed, as in ch. 25, and the furniture of the holy of holies taken first. Vers. 1-9 correspond to vers. 10-20 of ch. 25; vers. 10-16 to vers. 23-29; vers. 17-24 to vers. 31-39 of the same; and vers. 25-28 to vers. 1-5 of ch. 30. Ver. 29 is an abbreviation of Exodus 30:23-25, and 34, 35. Verse 1. - Bezaleel made the ark. The particular maker of the various parts and contents of the tabernacle is not elsewhere pointed out. Thus this mention of Bezaleel is emphatic, and seems intended to mark the employment of the highest artistic skill on that which was the most precious of all objects connected with the new construction.

Exodus 37:2

And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.

Exodus 37:3

And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.

Exodus 37:4

And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

Exodus 37:5

And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

Exodus 37:6

And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

Exodus 37:7

And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;

Verse 7. - Beaten out of one piece. Rather, "of beaten work," as the same word is translated in the corresponding passage, Exodus 25:18.

Exodus 37:8

One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

Exodus 37:9

And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

Exodus 37:10

And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:

Exodus 37:11

And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.

Exodus 37:12

Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.

Exodus 37:13

And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.

Exodus 37:14

Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.

Exodus 37:15

And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.

Exodus 37:16

And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.

Exodus 37:17

And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:

Exodus 37:18

And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:

Exodus 37:19

Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.

Exodus 37:20

And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:

Exodus 37:21

And 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 going out of it.

Exodus 37:22

Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.

Exodus 37:23

And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.

Verse 23. - His snuffers. Or, "tongs," as in Exodus 25:38.

Exodus 37:24

Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.

Exodus 37:25

And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.

Verse 25. - The incense altar here occurs in its right place, among the furniture of the outer chamber of the tabernacle - not, as in Exodus 30:1-6, out of place.

Exodus 37:26

And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.

Exodus 37:27

And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.

Exodus 37:28

And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

Exodus 37:29

And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

Verse 29. - The holy anointing oil. For the composition of the oil, see Exodus 30:23-25; for the uses whereto it was to be applied, ib, 26-30. The pure incense of sweet spices. The composition of the incense is given in Exodus 30:34, 35. It is there said to have been "a confection after the art of the apothecary - tempered together, pure and holy." The combination of artistic power with practical knowledge in Bezaleel and Ahollab calls to mind cinque-cento Italy, and the wonderful grasp of art and science possessed by Michael Angelo and Benvenuto Cellini