Exodus 25:5

Complete Jewish Bible

tanned ram skins and fine leather; acacia-wood;

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, shittim wood,

King James Version
And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

Lexham English Bible
and red-dyed ram skins, and fine leather, and acacia wood,

New Century Version
sheepskins that are dyed red; fine leather; acacia wood;

New English Translation
ram skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood,

Amplified Bible
rams' skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood,

New American Standard Bible
rams' skins dyed red, fine leather, acacia wood,

Geneva Bible (1587)
And rammes skinnes coloured red, and the skinnes of badgers, and the wood Shittim,

Legacy Standard Bible
rams' skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood,

Contemporary English Version
tanned ram skins; fine leather; acacia wood;

Darby Translation
and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins; and acacia-wood;

Easy-to-Read Version
ram skins dyed red, and fine leather; acacia wood;

English Standard Version
tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood,

George Lamsa Translation
And rams skins dyed red, skins dyed with vermilion, and shittim wood,

Good News Translation
rams' skin dyed red; fine leather; acacia wood;

Christian Standard Bible®
ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood;

Literal Translation
and rams' skin dyed red, and dugong skins, and acacia wood;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
reed skynnes of rammes, doo skynnes, Fyrre tre,

American Standard Version
and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia wood,

Bible in Basic English
And sheepskins coloured red, and leather, and hard wood;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Rammes skynnes that are red, & the skynnes of Tarus, & Sittim wood.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia-wood;

King James Version (1611)
And rammes skinnes died red, and badgers skinnes, and Shittim wood:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and rams’ skins dyed red, and blue skins, and incorruptible wood,

English Revised Version
and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia wood;

Berean Standard Bible
ram skins dyed red and fine leather; acacia wood;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and skynnes of iacynt,

Young's Literal Translation
and rams' skins made red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

Update Bible Version
and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia wood,

Webster's Bible Translation
And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood.

World English Bible
rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,

New King James Version
ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood;

New Living Translation
tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood;

New Life Bible
rams' skins made red, badgers' skins, acacia wood,

New Revised Standard
tanned rams' skins, fine leather, acacia wood,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins and acacia wood;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And rams’ skins dyed red, and violet skins, and setim wood:

Revised Standard Version
tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
rams' skins dyed red, porpoise skins, acacia wood,

Contextual Overview

¹ Adonai said to Moshe, ² "Tell the people of Isra'el to take up a collection for me — accept a contribution from anyone who wholeheartedly wants to give. ³ The contribution you are to take from them is to consist of gold, silver and bronze; ⁴ blue, purple and scarlet yarn; fine linen, goat's hair, ⁵ tanned ram skins and fine leather; acacia-wood; ⁶ oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; ⁷ onyx stones and other stones to be set, for the ritual vest and breastplate. ⁸ "They are to make me a sanctuary, so that I may live among them. ⁹ You are to make it according to everything I show you — the design of the tabernacle and the design of its furnishings. This is how you are to make it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Exodus 26:14

shittim wood: Exodus 26:15, Exodus 26:26, Exodus 26:37, Exodus 27:1, Exodus 36:20

Reciprocal: Exodus 35:9 - General Numbers 33:49 - Abelshittim Deuteronomy 10:3 - I made Ezekiel 16:10 - badgers' skin

Cross-References

Genesis 24:36
Sarah my master's wife bore my master a son when she was old, and he has given him everything he has.

Genesis 25:7
This is how long Avraham lived: 175 years.

Genesis 25:9
Yitz'chak and Yishma‘el his sons buried him in the cave of Makhpelah, in the field of ‘Efron the son of Tzochar the Hitti, by Mamre,

Genesis 25:10
the field which Avraham purchased from the sons of Het. Avraham was buried there with Sarah his wife.

Genesis 25:12
(vii) Here is the genealogy of Yishma‘el, Avraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian woman bore to Avraham.

Genesis 25:21
Yitz'chak prayed to Adonai on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. Adonai heeded his prayer, and Rivkah became pregnant.

Genesis 25:23
who answered her, "There are two nations in your womb. From birth they will be two rival peoples. One of these peoples will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

Psalms 68:18
God's chariots are myriads, repeated thousands; Adonai is among them as in Sinai, in holiness.

Matthew 11:27
"My Father has handed over everything to me. Indeed, no one fully knows the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

Matthew 28:18
Yeshua came and talked with them. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And rams' skins died red,.... Of these were made a covering for the tent or tabernacle:

and badgers' skins, which were for the same use: the Septuagint version calls them hyacinth or blue skins; according to which, they seem to be the rams' skins died blue; and so Josephus b seems to have understood it; and it is much questionable whether the same creature is meant we call the badger, since that with the Israelites was an unclean creature; nor is its skin made use of for shoes, or well could be, as the skin of this creature is said to be, Ezekiel 16:10. Jarchi says it was a kind of beast only at that time; and Aben Ezra says, it was known in those days but not now: and

shittim wood; supposed by the Jewish writers, as Kimchi c, and Ben Melech from him, to be the best and most excellent kind of cedar: Aben Ezra conjectures, and he delivers it but as a conjecture, that there might be near Mount Sinai a forest of "shittim" trees; and while the Israelites were there they cut them down for booths, which they might carry with them when they removed from thence; for, he says, Moses did not speak of the tabernacle till after the day of atonement: and since Acacia is by much the largest and the most common tree of the deserts of Arabia, as Dr. Shaw d observes, he thinks there some reason to conjecture, that the "shittim wood", whereof the several utensils of the tabernacle, c. were made, was the wood of Acacia: and long ago it was the opinion of Cordus e that the "shittim wood" was the Acacia of Dioscorides and it is the same with the Senton or Santon of the Arabians, which is the Egyptian thorn that grows in the wilderness, of which Herodotus f says, they cut wood of two cubits out of and make ships of burden of it: this is said to grow in the parts of Egypt at a distance from the sea; in the mountains of Sinai, at the Red sea, about Suez, in the barren wilderness; which circumstances seem to determine it to be the "shittim wood" g: some places where it might grow in plenty seem to have had their names from it, see

Numbers 25:1.

b Ut supra. (Antiq. l. 3. c. 6. sect. 1.) c Sepher Shorash. rad. שוט d Travels, p. 144. Ed. 2. e Apud Drus. Heb. Adag. Decur. 3. Adag. 4. f Euterpe, sive, l. 2. c. 96. g Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 2. p. 204.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Yahweh had redeemed the Israelites from bondage. He had made a covenant with them and had given them laws. He had promised, on condition of their obedience, to accept them as His own “peculiar treasure,” as “a kingdom of priests and an holy nation” Exodus 19:5-6. And now He was ready visibly to testify that He made his abode with them. He claimed to have a dwelling for Himself, which was to be in external form a tent of goats’ hair Exodus 19:4, to take its place among their own tents, and formed out of the same material (see Exodus 26:7 note). The special mark of His presence within the tent was to be the ark or chest containing the Ten Commandments on two tables of stone Exodus 31:18, symbolizing the divine law of holiness, and covered by the mercy-seat, the type of reconciliation. Moses was divinely taught regarding the construction and arrangement of every part of the sanctuary. The directions which were given him are comprised in Exodus 25:1-11. The account of the performance of the work, expressed generally in the same terms, is given Exodus 35:21-33.

Moses is commanded to invite the people to bring their gifts for the construction and service of the sanctuary and for the dresses of the priests.

Exodus 25:2

An offering - The word is used here in its general sense, being equivalent to korban, κορβᾶν korban, (compare Mark 7:11). On the marginal rendering “heave offering,” see the note at Exodus 29:27.

That giveth it willingly with his heart - The public service of Yahweh was to be instituted by freewill offerings, not by an enforced tax. Compare 1 Chronicles 29:3, 1 Chronicles 29:9,1 Chronicles 29:14; Ezra 2:68-69; 2 Corinthians 8:11-12; 2 Corinthians 9:7. On the zeal with which the people responded to the call, see Exodus 35:21-29; Exodus 36:5-7.

Exodus 25:3

Gold, and silver, and brass - The supply of these metals possessed by the Israelites at this time probably included what they had inherited from their forefathers, what they had obtained from the Egyptians Exodus 12:35, and what may have been found amongst the spoils of the Amalekites Exodus 17:8-13. But with their abundant flocks and herds, it can hardly be doubted that they had carried on important traffic with the trading caravans that traversed the wilderness, some of which, most likely, in the earliest times were furnished with silver, with the gold of Ophir (or gold of Sheba, as it seems to have been indifferently called), and with the “brass” (the alloy of copper and tin, called bronze) of Phoenicia and Egypt. Compare Exodus 38:24 note.

Exodus 25:4

Blue, and purple, and scarlet - i. e. the material dyed with these colors. The Jewish tradition has been very generally received that this material was wool. Compare Hebrews 9:19 with Leviticus 14:4, Leviticus 14:49, etc. When spun and dyed by the women, it was delivered in the state of yarn; and the weaving and embroidering was left to Aholiab and his assistants, Exodus 35:25, Exodus 35:35. The “blue” and “purple” dye are usually thought to have been obtained from shell-fish, the “scarlet” from the cochineal insect of the holm-oak.

Fine linen - The fine flax or the manufactured linen, for which Egypt was famous Ezekiel 27:7, and which the Egyptians were in the habit of using for dresses of state Genesis 41:42. It was used as the groundwork of the figured curtains of the tabernacle as well as of the embroidered hangings of the tent and the court. See Exodus 35:35.

Exodus 25:5

Rams’ skins dyed red - Skins tanned and colored like the leather now known as red morocco.

Badgers’ skins - Rather, leather, probably of a sky-blue color, formed from the skins of the תחשׁ tachash (a general name for marine animals), which was well adapted as a protection against the weather.

Shittim wood - The word שׁטים shı̂ṭṭâm is the plural form of שׁטה shı̂ṭâh, which occurs as the name of the growing tree, Isaiah 41:19. The tree is satisfactorily identified with the Acacia seyal, a gnarled and thorny tree, somewhat like a solitary hawthorn in its habit and manner of growth, but much larger. It flourishes in the driest situations, and is scattered more or less numerously over the Sinaitic Peninsula. It appears to be the only good wood produced in the wilderness. No other kind of wood was employed in the tabernacle or its furniture. In the construction of the temple cedar and fir took its place 1 Kings 5:8; 1 Kings 6:18; 2 Chronicles 2:8.

Exodus 25:6-7

See the notes to Exodus 27:0; Exodus 28:0; Exodus 30:0,

Exodus 25:8

sanctuary - i. e. a hallowed place. This is the most comprehensive of the words that relate to the place dedicated to Yahweh. It included the tabernacle with its furniture, its tent, and its court.

That I may dwell among them - The purpose of the sanctuary is here definitely declared by the Lord Himself. It was to be the constant witness of His presence among His people. Compare the marginal references.

Exodus 25:9

According to all that I shew thee - The tabernacle and all that pertained to it were to be in strict accordance with the ideas revealed by the Lord to Moses (compare Exodus 25:40; Exodus 26:30; Acts 7:44; Hebrews 8:5). The word here translated “pattern” is also used to denote the plans for the temple which were given by David to Solomon 1 Chronicles 28:11-12, 1 Chronicles 28:19; it is elsewhere rendered “form, likeness, similitude,” Deuteronomy 4:16-17; Ezekiel 8:3, Ezekiel 8:10.

The tabernacle - The Hebrew word signifies the “dwelling-place.” It here denotes the wooden structure, containing the holy place and the most holy place, with the tent which sheltered it. See Exodus 26:1 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 25:5. Rams' skins dyed red — ערת אילם מאדמים oroth eylim meoddamim, literally, the skins of red rams. It is a fact attested by many respectable travellers, that in the Levant sheep are often to be met with that have red or violet-coloured fleeces. And almost all ancient writers speak of the same thing. Homer describes the rams of Polyphemus as having a violet-coloured fleece.

Αρσενες οΐες ησαν εΰτρεφεες, δασυμαλλοι,

Καλοι τε, μεγαλοι τε, ιοδνεφες ειρος εχοντες.

Odyss., lib. ix., ver. 425.

"Strong were the rams, with native purple fair,

Well fed, and largest of the fleecy care."

POPE.

Pliny, Aristotle, and others mention the same. And from facts of this kind it is very probable that the fable of the golden fleece had its origin. In the Zetland Isles I have seen sheep with variously coloured fleeces, some white, some black, some black and white, some of a very fine chocolate colour. Beholding those animals brought to my recollection those words of Virgil: -

Ipse sed in pratis Aries jam suave rubenti

Murice, jam croceo mutabit vellera luto.

Eclog. iv., ver. 43.

"No wool shall in dissembled colours shine;

But the luxurious father of the fold,

With native purple or unborrow'd gold,

Beneath his pompous fleece shall proudly sweat,

And under Tyrian robes the lamb shall bleat."

DRYDEN.

Badgers' skins — ערת תחשים oroth techashim. Few terms have afforded greater perplexity to critics and commentators than this. Bochart has exhausted the subject, and seems to have proved that no kind of animal is here intended, but a colour. None of the ancient versions acknowledge an animal of any kind except the Chaldee, which seems to think the badger is intended, and from it we have borrowed our translation of the word. The Septuagint and Vulgate have skins dyed a violet colour; the Syriac, azure; the Arabic, black; the Coptic, violet; the modern Persic, ram-skins, c. The colour contended for by Bochart is the hysginus, which is a very deep blue. So Pliny, Coccoque tinctum Tyrio tingere, ut fieret hysginum. "They dip crimson in purple to make the colour called hysginus." - Hist. Nat., lib. ix., c. 65, edit. Bipont.

Shittim wood — By some supposed to be the finest species of the cedar by others, the acacia Nilotica, a species of thorn, solid, light, and very beautiful. This acacia is known to have been plentiful in Egypt, and it abounds in Arabia Deserta, the very place in which Moses was when he built the tabernacle; and hence it is reasonable to suppose that he built it of that wood, which was every way proper for his purpose.