The Second Book of Moses, called Exodus
Exodus 37
Chapter XXXVII · Vol. I, p. 357
1 The ark. 6 The mercy-seat with cherubims. 10 The table with his vessels. 17 The candlestick with his lamps and instruments. 25 The altar of incense. 29 The anointing oil and sweet incense.
1 AND Bezaleel made a the ark of shittim-wood: two cubits and a half[≈ 1.1 m · 3 ft 9 in] was the length of it, and a cubit and a half[≈ 69 cm · 2 ft 3 in] the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half[≈ 69 cm · 2 ft 3 in] the height of it.
a ch. 25.10-16. The ark signified Christ God-man, as the fulfiller of the broken law, and rest of a reconciled God.
2 And he b overlaid7 it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.
b ch. 30.3.
7 The original term is rendered by the Sept. 'gilded;' but it is generally understood to intimate that plates of solid gold were inlaid on the articles mentioned. The ancient Egyptians understood the art of gilding with gold, as Herodotus attests.—Davidson.
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.
4 And he made c staves of shittim-wood, and overlaid them with gold.
c Nu. 4.14, 15. Ac. 9.15. Staves are gospel ordinances in which Christ's name is borne.
5 And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
6 And he made the d mercy-seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half[≈ 1.1 m · 3 ft 9 in] was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half[≈ 69 cm · 2 ft 3 in] the breadth thereof.
7 And he made two e cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy-seat:
8 One cherub on8 the end on this side, and another cherub on9 the other end on that side: out of the mercy-seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.1
8 Or, out of, &c.
9 Or, out of, &c.
1 The two cherubims were expansions of the mercy-seat. Now God's mercy-seat or propitiation is Christ, Ro. 3.25. The cherubim represent the angels and all spiritual worshippers of God, and students of his mysteries, 1 Pe. 1.12. Now all these are of one, Ep. 1.10. Christ is the vine, believers are the branches, Jn. 15.5. Christ the body, believers the members, Ep. 5.30. Nay, the angels that are in heaven are thus spiritually united to him, for they believe in him and worship him, He. 1.6. The cherubims have their faces towards one another, representing the communion of all pure spiritual minds. They look also down upon the mercy-seat, beneath which are laid the tables of the covenant. And the mystery on which these spirits comment in common with the spirits of men, is the wondrous and blessed union in one throne of the law that condemns and kills, and the mercy that pardons and saves.—C.
9 And the f 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-seat-ward were the faces of the cherubims.
f 1 Ti. 3.16. Jn. 1.51. He. 1.14. 2 Co. 3.18. Phi. 3.8.
10 And g he made the table of shittim-wood: two cubits[≈ 91 cm · 3 ft] was the length thereof, and a cubit[≈ 46 cm · 1 ft 6 in] the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half[≈ 69 cm · 2 ft 3 in] the height thereof.
g ch. 25.23-29. Jn. 1.14, 15. Col. 1.27. It signified Christ and his gospel.
11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown2 of gold round about.
2 The crown imported royal dignity, as in ver. 2. The rings and staves are the ordinances of the gospel, on which Christ and his church are borne through this world.
12 Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth[≈ 7.6 cm · 3 in] round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.
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.
14 Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.
15 And he made the staves of shittim-wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
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,3 of pure gold.
A.M. 2513. B.C. 1491.
3 Or, to pour out withal.
17 And he made the h candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the 4 candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
h ch. 25.31-39. Zec. 4.2. Re. 1.20. Mat. 5.15. Phi. 2.15. The candlestick signifies Christ as the light of the world; and his church in which his light is manifested.
4 God's manifestations of himself, in this world, are but candle-light compared with the day-light of the future state. The Bible is a golden candlestick. It is of pure gold, Ps. 19.10. From it light is diffused to every part of God's tabernacle, that by it his spiritual priests may see to minister to the Lord, and to do the service of his sanctuary. This candlestick has not only its bowls for necessary use, but its knops and flowers for ornament; there are many things which God saw fit to beautify his word with, which we can no more give a reason for than for these knops and flowers, and yet we are sure they were added for good purposes.—I.
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:
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.
20 And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops and his flowers:
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.
23 And he made his seven5 lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuff-dishes, of pure gold.
5 Seven imports diversity and perfection, Re. 1.12, 20; 2.1. There were no windows in the tabernacle; but the candlestick being placed over against the table of show-bread, each lamp would cast its light to the part of the tabernacle over against it, and the whole would thus be sufficiently lighted. This typified the light of revelation, and the teaching of the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus, afforded to the church in this dark world, to direct her worship and obedience, and administer to her consolation; but in heaven, 'the Lord will be unto her an everlasting light, and God himself her glory.'—I.
24 Of a talent[≈ 34 kg · 75 lb] of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
25 And k he made the incense altar of shittim-wood: the length of it was a cubit[≈ 46 cm · 1 ft 6 in], and the breadth of it a cubit[≈ 46 cm · 1 ft 6 in], (it was four-square,) and two cubits[≈ 91 cm · 3 ft] was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.
k ch. 30.1-5. He. 7.25; 13.10. Re. 8.3. 1 Pe. 2.5. Mat. 23.19. This altar signified Christ in 'his exalted state, as our intercessor within the vail.
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.
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.
28 And he made the staves of shittim-wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29 And he made l the holy anointing oil, and the m pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.
l ch. 30.23-33. Is. 61.1; 11.2. 2 Co. 1.21, 22. 1 Jn. 2.20, 27.
m He. 5.7; 7.25. Ps. 14.1,2. Re. 8.3,4. The oil signified the Spirit in his gifts and grace, and the incense the intercession of Christ and worship of his people.
Notes
Reflections.—How unbounded is the excellency and usefulness of Christ, that so many things are necessary to represent him! Pleasant is the work of ministers and Christians, where he is ALL and IN ALL, the FIRST and the LAST! and it becomes them regularly to proceed from the inward to the outward concerns thereof. May I embrace Jesus as my propitiation; feed on him as my provision; walk in him as my light; depend. on him as my interceding advocate; and, being anointed with his Spirit, offer up my supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings, kindled by the holy fire of his love shed abroad in my heart.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.