Bible Commentaries
Exodus 25

Verse 1

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

And the Lord spake unto Moses. — Gave him the ceremonial law also - as before he had done the moral and judicial - which was their gospel.

Verse 2

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.

That giveth it willingly. — Virtus nolentium nulla est; God strains upon no man. If ye consent and obey, … If there be a willing mind, God accepteth, … 2 Corinthians 8:11-12

“ Si desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas:

Hac ego contentos auguror esse Deos. ” - Ovid.

Verse 3

And this [is] the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

Gold, and silver, and brass. — No mention of iron. Compare 1 Kings 6:7 ; 1 Kings 8:51 .

Verse 4

And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ [hair],

And blue, and purple, and scarlet, — i.e., Wool dyed with these colours; Hebrews 9:19 to teach the Church that both themselves and their actions should be washed and dyed in the blood of Christ.

Verse 5

And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,

Shittim wood. — A kind of cedar that rotteth not.

Verse 6

Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

Spices. — As cinnamon; which in Galen’s time was very rare, and hard to be found but in princes’ storehouses. Antidit. Gal., lib. i.

Verse 7

Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

In the ephod, and in the breastplate. — Of which see afterwards in Exodus 28:1-43 .

Verse 8

And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

That I may dwell among them. — "But will God in very deed dwell with men upon earth?" 2 Chronicles 6:18 What can he do more to make them happy? As he in Plutarch said of the Scythians, that although they had no music nor vines among them, yet, as a better thing, they had gods: and as the philosopher, having little else in his house, yet could say of it, ενθα δε οι Yεοι εισιν , Here be gods: so may every good man boast of his house and of his heart, This is the habitation of the Most High. Hebrews 3:6 2 Corinthians 6:16 As for the public assembly of saints, "This is the house of God, this is the gate of heaven." Genesis 28:17

Verse 9

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].

According to all that I show thee. — Nothing was left to man’s invention. Here then is no footing for the Popish pomp.

Verse 10

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.

An ark. — Chest, or cabinet, wherein to keep the two tables of the law, signifying thereby that "Christ is the end of the law," covering the imperfection of our works.

Verse 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.

A crown of gold. — To set forth the majesty of Christ’s kingdom, or the eternity of his deity; which, as a crown or circle, had neither beginning nor end.

Verse 12

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.

Ver. 12, 13. And thou shalt cast four rings, … — These staff rings were to continue upon the ark; the Kohathites’ shoulders felt wherefore. But "God helped them to bear the ark"; 1 Chronicles 15:26 and so he doth still his gospel ministers.

Verse 13

And thou shalt make staves [of] shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

Ver. 13 See Trapp on " Exodus 25:12 "

Verse 14

And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

That the ark may be borne with them. — The ark was transportative till settled in Solomon’s temple; so, till we come to heaven, shall we be in a continual motion.

Verse 15

The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.

The staves shall be, … — That they might not touch it; for reverence’ sake, it being a visible sign of God himself among them.

Verse 16

And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

The testimony. — Those tables of the testimony, Exodus 31:18 that testified what God required of them, and would be a testimony against them if disobedient. Deuteronomy 31:26

Verse 17

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.

A mercy seat. — Heb., A covering; or covering up of men’s sins; the appeasing of an angry God, compare Genesis 32:20 by Christ who is our propitiation or mercy seat. Romans 3:25 1 John 2:2

Two cubits and a half, … — Just so big every way as the ark. Exodus 25:10 Get into covenant with God, saith one, for as the mercy seat was no larger than the ark, so neither is the grace of God than the covenant. And as the ark and mercy seat were not asunder; so God is near to all that call upon him in truth.

Verse 18

And thou shalt make two cherubims [of] gold, [of] beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

And thou shalt make two cherubims. — Golden winged images, made by God’s special appointment, and set out of sight. Hence then is no warrant for the use of images in churches. These here were to represent the holy angels attendant upon God, looking intently into the mystery of Christ, as the cherubims did into the propitiatory, 1 Peter 1:12 and joined to the society of saints.

Verse 19

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.

Even of the mercy seat. — Of the matter of it: to show that the very angels have their establishment in and by Christ: and that, if they need mercy, how much more do we. Angels also are under Christ as a head of government, of influence, of confirmation, though not of redemption.

Verse 20

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.

Toward the mercy seat shall the faces, … — Angels in the Syriac are called àôðéí , of the face; because they look ever on the face of God, waiting his commands.

Verse 21

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.

Above upon the ark. — The ark covering the law within it, the mercy seat upon it, and over them two cherubims covering one another, did typify Christ covering the curses of the law, in whom is the ground of all mercy; "which things the angels desire to pry into," 1 Peter 1:12 as into the pattern of God’s deep wisdoms. Ephesians 3:10

Verse 22

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.

From between the two cherubims. — Which covered the place from whence the Lord spake, to restrain curiosity.

Verse 23

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.

Of shittim wood. — Which corrupteth not. Isaiah 41:19 Christ’s hody could not putrify in the grave.

Verse 24

And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

Pure gold. — Pointing to the glory of Christ’s deity, and the majesty of his kingdom.

Verse 25

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.

A golden crown. — To hide the joints, and for ornament. Christ also is said to have many crowns. Revelation 19:12

Verse 26

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.

Four rings of gold. — See Trapp on " Exodus 25:12 "

Verse 27

Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.

Over against the border, — i.e., Close under it, for more convenient carriage.

Verse 28

And thou shalt make the staves [of] shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

Of shittim wood. — See Exodus 25:23 . A wood much commended for lightness, firmness, fairness, and lastingness.

Verse 29

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.

The dishes thereof, … — Haply to hold the loaves and frankincense.

Spoons. — To put the frankincense into those dishes.

Covers and bowls to cover withal. — Or, To pour out with.

Verse 30

And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

Show bread. — See Trapp on " Matthew 12:4 "

Verse 31

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.

And thou shalt make a candlestick. — Called the candlestick of light. Exodus 35:14 A type of Christ who is Aυτοφως , light essential, and "giveth light to every man that cometh into the world." John 1:9 See Trapp on " John 1:9 "

Verse 32

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:

And six branches shall come out of the sides. — Denoting the ministers both of the law and gospel; those "lights of the world," Matthew 5:14 that have their light all from Christ.

Verse 33

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.

Three bowls made like unto almonds, … — Signifying the several endowments and ornaments of Christ’s faithful ministers.

Verse 34

And in the candlestick [shall be] four bowls made like unto almonds, [with] their knops and their flowers.

And in the candlestick, — i.e., In the shaft of the candlestick. See Exodus 25:33 .

Verse 37

And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

Seven lamps. — Signifying the manifold graces and diversity of gifts in the Church. Zechariah 4:2

Verse 38

And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, [shall be of] pure gold.

And the tongs. — All of gold; betokening the purity of doctrine and discipline in the Church.

Verse 39

[Of] a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

Of a talent of pure gold, — i.e., Of a hundred and twenty pounds’ weight.

Verse 40

And look that thou make [them] after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

After their pattern, … — The like also was afterwards given in writing, for the building of the temple. 1 Chronicles 28:19 Hebrews 8:5