25:10–16 The first item described is the most important: the ark of the covenant. Not only are the stone tablets placed inside as a witness to the covenant between the Lord and Israel (v. 16), but the ark itself serves as the place where the Lord will manifest his presence as covenant King and will instruct his people through Moses (v. 22).

The Hebrew word for “ark” (ʾaron) is used elsewhere to refer to boxes in which objects could be placed, such as a money chest (2 Kings 12:9) or a coffin (Gen. 50:26). The tabernacle’s ark is made to contain the covenant tablets (cf. below). Made of acacia wood, it is the size of a travel trunk, measuring 3.75 feet (1.1 m) in length and 2.25 feet (0.7 m) in width and height (25:10)625 and overlaid with pure gold inside and out (Ex. 25:11).626 The word “pure” suggests gold of the highest value, as does the fact that such gold is reserved for the tabernacle’s main pieces of furniture (the ark, the table and its dishes, the lampstand and its utensils, and the incense altar; cf. 25:24, 29, 31, 33 [cf. 39:25], 36, 38–39; 30:3) and for various pieces of the high priest’s clothing.627

Around the ark is some form of golden molding (25:11), though its design (plain or ornamented?) and position (high, middle, or low?) are not given. (These are some of the many unnamed details in the tabernacle instructions that Moses may have been able to provide based on his viewing of the pattern the Lord had shown him; v. 9.) The ark has four feet, which will keep it off the ground when at rest,628 and four golden rings attached to the feet (v. 12). The rings are for holding gold-covered acacia poles. When the tabernacle is on the move, the Levites will use the poles to carry the ark on their shoulders (Num. 4:5–6; 7:9; 1 Chron. 15:15), which is perhaps an extra sign of reverence (a later passage speaks of a king who is carried by his servants; Song 3:7).629 The poles are treated as one piece with the ark and left in place even when it is not being carried (Ex. 25:15).630 Finally, Moses is to put “into the ark the testimony” (v. 16), that is, the covenant tablets.631 At least one other ancient Near Eastern example from this time describes the placement of a written copy of a covenant in a deity’s temple, and several list deities as witnesses to covenants. These observations suggest the covenant tablets here are kept under the place the Lord will manifest his presence to make clear he will serve as divine witness to the covenant (cf. comment on 31:18).

25:17–22 The ark’s lid is described next. Made of pure gold, it is the same length and breadth as the ark (3.75 ft by 2.25 ft [1.1 m by 0.7 m]; v. 17). The Hebrew word for the lid (kapporet) is variously translated as “mercy seat” (ESV, NRSV), “atonement lid” (NET), or “atonement cover” (NIV). I will use “atonement lid” to highlight that the word is built on the same root as the verb “to make atonement” (kipper) and is explicitly linked with that verb in Leviticus 16:14–16, where Aaron “makes atonement” (kipper) on the Day of Atonement in part by sprinkling sacrificial blood on and before the “atonement lid” (kapporet). (The word used in the LXX for this lid—hilastērion—is the word Paul uses to describe Jesus and the work he accomplishes with his sacrificial death: “Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood”; Rom. 3:25.) Making atonement at this very place—where the Lord manifests his presence (cf. below)—may communicate that sins are nothing less than rebellion against him and that he is the one who graciously grants cleansing and forgiveness to those who repent.

On top of the lid are two cherubim, celestial figures made of hammered gold and of one piece with the lid (Ex. 25:18–19).632 In terms of function cherubim serve as guardians (Gen. 3:24), a metaphorical chariot on which the Lord rides (1 Chron. 28:18; Ps. 18:10), or divine attendants at his throne (2 Sam. 6:2; Pss. 80:1; 99:1; cf. the heavenly attendants around the throne in 1 Kings 22:19; Isa. 6:1–2).633 The latter fits the context here well since the tabernacle functions as the Lord’s palace-tent, making it natural to see the Most Holy Place as the Lord’s throne room, where he sits enthroned over the ark and surrounded by his heavenly attendants. In terms of form we learn from Exodus that the cherubim are winged creatures with faces, presumably standing on each end of the lid as they stretch their wings over it (Ex. 25:20). Ezekiel goes into greater detail describing cherubim (Ezek. 1:5–11; 10:20–22), but whether all cherubim look exactly the same is unclear, making it difficult to know how much of Ezekiel’s description to read back into Exodus. (In fact the cherubim in Ezekiel have four faces [1:5–6], whereas those here apparently have only one.) Whatever their exact form here, they are to be stationed at each end of the ark, facing one another with heads toward the mercy seat, either bowed in reverence634 or looking on as guards,635 or both (Ex. 25:18–20). Moreover, just as the cloud on Sinai prevents direct sight of the Lord (24:16–17), the cherubim’s wings spread forward over the atonement lid, screening the place where the Lord will manifest his presence (25:20, 22).

After highlighting again that the ark will contain the covenant tablets (v. 21), the Lord explains that there, above the atonement lid, he will “meet” with Moses,636 manifesting his presence and continuing to give him commandments to pass on to the Israelites (v. 22). Mention of the “testimony” in two consecutive verses (vv. 21–22) underscores the covenant’s centrality to the Israelites’ relationship with the Lord and the importance of their following his covenant instruction, especially since he manifests his presence above the ark as divine witness to the covenant’s stipulations (cf. comment on 25:10–16 [at v. 16]). The fact that the Lord will continue to give such instruction means the Israelites need not fear he will be absent or silent once they leave Mount Sinai. The tabernacle will function as a portable Mount Sinai in their midst, a constant assurance of the Lord’s presence and guidance (for further connections between the tabernacle and Mount Sinai cf. 40:34–38).

25:23–30 Two items from the Holy Place are described next: a table that stands on the room’s north side and a lampstand on the south (26:35). The table is described first. Made of acacia wood, it is covered in pure gold and looks more like a long side table than a dining table at 3 feet (0.9 m) in width, 1.5 feet (0.5 m) in depth, and 2.25 feet (0.7 m) in height (25:23). It is the same height as the ark though slightly smaller in length and width. Like the ark, it is overlaid with pure gold, has a gold molding all around it, and will be carried on gold-covered poles inserted into four rings (vv. 24–28). Unlike the ark, it has a rim around it, with an additional molding around the rim. The two perhaps function together to add beauty to the table and stability to its structure (v. 25). In keeping with its table design it has legs instead of feet, and the rings are fastened to the legs near the table’s rim (vv. 26–27).637 It holds plates for food (and perhaps the bread of the Presence in particular), dishes possibly for incense for the incense altar (cf. 30:1–9) or frankincense for the bread (cf. Lev. 24:7)638 or both,639 and flagons and bowls that can be used for daily drink offerings in the Holy Place (Ex. 25:29).640 Like the table, all these are of pure gold (v. 29). Finally, the “bread of the Presence” is to be placed on the table (v. 30). Further details are found in Leviticus 24:5–9, which states the bread consists of twelve flat loaves placed in two stacks and replaced weekly. The loaves represent the twelve tribes of Israel, and the emphasis in Leviticus 24 (and Exodus 25) is that they are to be continually before the Lord. Indeed, the phrase “bread of the Presence” (v. 30) may be more woodenly translated as “bread of the face,” that is, the bread constantly before the Lord’s face (cf. the end of v. 30: “before me regularly”; cf. Response section for significance).641

25:31–40 The second item from the Holy Place to be described is the lampstand. (The third item, the altar of incense, is described in 30:1–10.) Like the atonement lid, it is to be a hammered work of pure gold, with all its different parts of one piece with it (25:31, 36; cf. note 632 within comment on 25:17–22). Generally speaking it is to resemble a miniature flowering almond tree—native to the Middle East—with a main trunk (“stem”), three branches coming off each side for a total of six, and twenty-two flowering almond buds,642 three on each of the branches and four on the trunk (vv. 32–35).643 The lamps for the lampstand number seven, a full and complete number (cf. note 56 within comment on 1:1–5). Presumably there is one for each of the six branches and one for the trunk, placed to cast light toward the golden table (25:37).644 The stunning result is a miniature golden tree with golden blossoms, shining with golden light.645

Various implements are required to tend the lamps—tongs for moving hot lamps or coals (cf. Isa. 6:6), or perhaps hot wicks, and trays (or “censers”) for holding hot lamps or any coals used for lighting them—and these too are to be made of pure gold (Ex. 25:38). About 75 pounds (34 kg) of pure gold (“a talent”) is needed to make everything (v. 39; for the talent’s weight cf. note 819 in table 2.10). The passage concludes by stating that these items must be made exactly according to the pattern shown Moses on the mountain (v. 40), which repeats what was said just before the first tabernacle item of furniture was described (v. 9), thus tying together the section.

Other texts inform us that the lampstand’s lamps are to be kept burning continually through the night (27:20–21; Lev. 24:1–4; for significance cf. Response section).

26:1–6 The tabernacle consists of a frame measuring roughly 45 feet (13.7 m) in length on an east-west axis and roughly 15 feet (4.6 m) in height and width (cf. Ex. 25:15–25; for the use of “roughly” cf. note 647). As noted above, this is not the size of a modern-day camping tent; it is more the size of a festival or outdoor reception tent. Over the frame hangs ten huge bolts of cloth joined together as a tapestry.646 The word for the individual bolts is usually rendered “curtains.” The curtains are long and relatively narrow, measuring about 42 feet (12.8 m) long by 6 feet (1.8 m) wide (v. 2; for the cubit cf. note 625 within comment on 25:10–16). Five are joined together along their lengths, presumably by some sort of stitching, to make one large curtain measuring 42 feet (12.8 m) long by 30 feet (9.1 m) wide (26:3). Fifty blue loops are added to its long edge. The same process is performed with the other five, and the two large curtains are then joined at the loops by golden clasps (vv. 4–6).

Taking this approach probably makes things easier to handle and assemble; as anyone who has dealt with a large amount of material knows, it can become very heavy. In this case the final product, when joined together, is a huge tapestry measuring 60 feet by 42 feet (18.3 m by 12.8 m)—one third longer than the tabernacle and roughly three times as wide. This would allow it to cover the tabernacle’s top and most of its sides. When placed over the frame, the tapestry would come within 1.5 feet (45 cm) of the ground on the long northern and southern sides and, since a separate screen hangs on the eastern side (vv. 36–37), is likely placed to cover most of the western end (the back of the Most Holy Place), leaving little to nothing on the eastern front.647

The curtains are a combination of fine twined linen and colorful yarns (v. 1), materials elsewhere associated with royalty (cf. 25:4). Cherubim, the Lord’s heavenly attendants (cf. 25:18), are woven into them (26:1). When the curtains are joined and spread over the frame, the view from inside would be remarkable. Any priest entering the Holy Place would be bathed in golden light as the lampstand’s seven lamps reflected off the golden table, the golden altar, and the golden frames along the northern and southern walls. Looking up, the priest would see the ornate tapestry, with cherubim “floating” above him. Similarly, as he looked forward, he would see cherubim floating before him on the veil in front of the Most Holy Place (v. 31). Clearly this is the palace-tent of the King of heaven.

The cherubim are said to be “skillfully worked,” a word that might also be rendered “the work of a skilled worker.” The underlying Hebrew term refers elsewhere to someone especially gifted to make beautiful designs (31:4). Significantly, this ability is linked to Spirit-filled wisdom and “knowledge” (31:3), which challenges us to realize that the arts are within the sphere of God’s direct involvement and that wisdom and knowledge extend to creating beauty (cf. comment on 31:1–11).

26:7–13 A second series of slightly larger curtains is then made, this time of goat’s hair, to serve as a “tent” over the tabernacle (v. 7). The first set of curtains seems to be simply draped over the frame; the second set then covers the first, with room to spare, and is staked into the ground (cf. 27:19).

In this case there are eleven curtains (vv. 7–8), each measuring 45 feet (13.7 m) by 6 feet (1.8 m). Five are joined into one larger curtain and six into another, each again having fifty loops (vv. 8–11). When the two are joined together—this time with bronze clasps648—the tent would measure 66 feet (20 m) by 45 feet (14 m), making it 3 feet (0.9 m) longer than the tapestry on one side and 6 feet (1.8 m) longer on the other, and thus able to cover it fully. If it is placed evenly over the tapestry, it would overhang it by 1.5 feet (45 cm) on each of the long northern and southern sides (v. 13), thus hanging to the ground, and by 3 feet (0.9 m) on each of the eastern and western sides. On the eastern side, at the front, the 3 feet (0.9 m) would hang down from the top and would be doubled up (v. 9); no rationale is given. On the western side, at the back, the 3 feet (0.9 m)—equivalent to the width of half a curtain (v. 12)—is not doubled up but allowed to hang freely off the rear of the tabernacle to the ground.

26:14 Two additional coverings are then made, presumably for added protection, one of tanned rams’ skins and one of goatskins. For the materials cf. comment on 25:3–7.

26:15–30 The tabernacle structure is now described. Acacia wood “frames” form walls on the two longer sides (north and south) and the far end (west). The east is left open for the entryway. The frames are overlaid with gold and measure 15 feet (4.6 m) in height and 2.25 feet (0.7 m) in width (vv. 15–16, 29). (Many homes today have ceilings 8–9 feet high [2.4–2.7 m], meaning the tabernacle is just over one and a half times higher.) These frames are traditionally understood to be planks, though a good case has been made that they are instead ladderlike.649 If so, each frame’s sides would be connected with rungs, with the sides themselves functioning like “tenons” inserted into a silver base in which the frame stands upright (v. 19). (In 38:27 we learn each base weighs one talent, that is, about 75 pounds [34 kg]. For the talent’s weight cf. note 819 within table 2.10). In short the frames stand next to one another in the bases, forming a three-sided structure made of ladderlike golden walls.

The longer northern and southern sides of the tabernacle each have twenty frames and forty silver bases for a total length of 45 feet (13.7 m) per side (26:18–21). The back has six regular frames and two corner frames (vv. 22–25). The shape of the corner frames is debated due to a lack of detail in the text and questions surrounding the translation of verse 24, but it seems reasonable to conclude they function to reinforce the tabernacle structure. Their effect on the tent’s overall width and length is also debated, since their shape is unknown and it is unclear how they are joined to the back and side walls, though many plausibly suggest they would be arranged to maintain either an internal or external symmetry of 15 feet (4.6 m) square for the Most Holy Place and a doubled length of 30 feet (9.1 m) for the Holy Place (cf. note 647 within comment on 26:1–6).

To reinforce the walls acacia wood bars, again covered in gold, are inserted through rings attached to the frames (vv. 26–29), five bars per wall. The reason the middle bar alone is specified as running from end to end is unclear (v. 28). Some suggest the others are attached to rings on the frames while the middle bar is inserted into holes bored through the frames, though such holes would weaken the frames’ structural integrity. Possibly the middle bar is simply the longest, running from end to end, with the others shorter but placed to maximize reinforcement (perhaps overlapping in some way), or maybe the middle bar is on the inside of the walls and the others are outside.650 Whatever the case, the tabernacle’s materials and coverings have now been described, and the Lord makes clear they are to be assembled according to what he has revealed to Moses at Mount Sinai (v. 30). This is the Lord’s house, and its various parts are to be built (vv. 9, 40) and assembled (v. 30) exactly according to his directions.

26:31–35 On the inside the tabernacle is divided into two rooms. The first is the Holy Place, about 30 feet (9.1 m) long. In this room are the golden table on the right (the north), the golden lampstand on the left (the south), and the golden incense altar between them toward the back of the room (v. 35; 30:6; for the incense altar cf. comment on 30:1–10). At the end of the room is a floor-to-ceiling curtain known as the “veil.” Like the tabernacle’s first covering, it is made of royal materials and colors, with cherubim woven into it (26:31; cf. v. 1). It hangs on golden hooks on four gold-covered acacia wood pillars positioned under the clasps joining the two large sections of the first covering (vv. 32–33; cf. v. 6).651 On the other side of the veil is the Most Holy Place, approximately 15 feet (4.6 m) square. It contains the ark of the testimony with its atonement lid (vv. 33b–34) and serves as the Lord’s throne room within his royal palace-tent (cf. comment on 25:17–22). The veil thus separates the rooms, its cherubim symbolically standing guard to prevent illicit entry.

26:36–37 At the tent’s entrance is a screen. Like the veil, it is made of the same royal colors and materials and hangs from gold-covered acacia wood pillars. But there are also differences. No mention is made of cherubim (Is this to keep the Israelites from seeing figures they might worship?). Instead the screen is to be “embroidered with needlework,” perhaps suggesting a rich mosaic of colors. There are also five pillars instead of four. This could be to provide extra support, since the screen forms the exterior front wall of the tent and would be exposed to the wind in a way the interior veil is not. It could also be to ensure that none of the holy furniture could be removed from the tabernacle once it is erected.652 Or perhaps it is simply a design feature. There is no way to be certain. As a final note, the pillars’ bases are to be bronze instead of silver, likely because they are further from the Lord’s throne room. The closer one gets to the place of the Lord’s presence, the more costly the materials become, a visual way to signal that one is approaching the person worthy of supreme honor.

27:1–8 Altars link earth to heaven. They are the interface between the Israelites and the Lord, translating their physical offerings into prayers of forgiveness, petition, and worship. As such, they are of fundamental importance. A tabernacle with no functioning altar would be like a body with no heart.

This passage describes the main altar. It stands in the courtyard and goes by two names: the “altar of burnt offering” (30:28; 38:1), likely because the daily burnt offerings would be made there (29:38–42), and the “bronze altar,” due to its bronze overlay (38:30; 39:39). Animal offerings could be made only on this altar (the incense altar is for incense only, as its name implies; 30:9). This makes it the centerpiece of Israelite worship, and appropriately it is placed somewhere in front of the tabernacle’s entrance (40:6) so Israelites could present their offerings before the Lord.

The altar is a hollow wooden box, overlaid with bronze, measuring 7.5 feet (2.3 m) square and 4.5 feet (1.4 m) high (27:1). Priests likely access it by a ramp so they can more easily build fires and place sacrificial portions on its top (cf. 20:26; Lev. 9:22; 1 Sam. 2:28). On each of its top corners is a projection known as a “horn” (Ex. 27:2). In some sacrificial rites these horns represent the altar; when the priest places the blood on them, he is cleansing the entire altar (Lev. 8:15), as rites done to one part of a person or object can be considered to apply to the entire object or person (cf. Lev. 8:12, 23–24). Exemplars of horned altars have been found at sites such as Dan and Beersheba;653 the “horns” in such cases are like small, pointed pillars on each of the corners (more like the pointed horns of a baby goat than the long curved horns of a mature goat).

The making of sacrifices calls for various implements (Ex. 27:3). Clearing the altar’s ashes requires shovels and pots so they can be scooped up and carried away (cf. Lev. 6:10–11). Sacrificial blood is collected in basins for use in various rites (cf. Ex. 29:20; Lev. 1:5). Forks aid in moving sacrificial meat (cf. 1 Sam. 2:13–14). Fire pans hold live coals for starting fires and can be used as censers to present incense offerings (Lev. 10:1; 16:12). Like the altar, these implements are to be of bronze.

The altar also has a bronze “network” (or “net”). The same word describes nets to catch people or animals (Hos. 7:12), suggesting a crisscross pattern. It has a ring on each of its four corners to hold poles for carrying the altar (Ex. 27:4–7). (The fact that the altar is a hollow box would make carrying it easier; cf. v. 7b with v. 8a.) The network is to be placed under a ledge that goes around the altar, though commentators debate various questions: Where exactly is the altar’s ledge? (At the top? Partway down from the top?) Is the network seated horizontally inside the altar, or is it more like a panel around the outside? If outside, does it cover the altar’s bottom half or top half? What function does it serve? (Ornamental? Allowing air flow?654) None of this is a mystery to the Israelites, since Moses sees the altar’s design on the mountain (v. 8b), and the text emphasizes again the Israelites must follow that design exactly (cf. 25:9, 40; 26:30). Given the altar’s centrality to worship, this is no surprise: we must approach God on his terms, not ours.

27:9–19 The tabernacle is surrounded by a series of four walls made of curtains. The walls measure 150 feet (45.7 m) in length on the north and south and 75 feet (22.9 m) in width on the east and west and stand 7.5 feet (2.3 m) high (v. 18), forming a courtyard a quarter of an acre (0.1 hectares) in size. About five courtyards could fit on an American football field and seven on an international soccer field. Since the walls are half the tabernacle’s height (cf. 26:16), the tabernacle’s top would be visible throughout the camp. The walls’ main function is to create a courtyard around the tabernacle and clearly distinguish it from the camp. To enter the courtyard is to enter a space set aside in a special way for drawing near to the Lord for service, worship, and fellowship.

Centered on the eastern wall of curtains is the entrance (“gate”), 30 feet (9.1 m) wide, consisting of the same royal colors and materials as the tabernacle’s screen (27:16; cf. 26:36). The remaining walls on the east and on the other three sides are made of fine-twined linen curtains. These hang on pillars of acacia wood, spaced every 7.5 feet (2.3 m), the same measurement as the height of the curtains, which suggests the walls are not a single continuous curtain but a series of square curtains hanging between pillars. The pillars have bronze bases but silver hooks, capitals, and fillets (27:10–17; 38:17), the latter term perhaps describing a type of band that goes around the pillar, either for decoration or to secure the curtains, or both.655 Unlike the tabernacle’s pillars, which are covered in gold and have golden hooks (26:29, 32), only the tops of the courtyard’s pillars seem to be covered in metal, this time silver, with silver hooks and fillets (27:10).656 The contrast underscores again: the closer to the Lord’s presence one is, the more costly and precious are the construction materials, a visual way of communicating the honor due this King.

The tabernacle’s utensils and pegs are to be of bronze (v. 19). Since the various utensils used within the tabernacle are gold (25:39), those mentioned here are perhaps tools or implements used to set up the tabernacle, while the pegs would be used to secure the tabernacle and the curtained walls to the ground by means of ropes or cords (cf. 35:18; 39:40; Num. 3:37).

The positioning of the tabernacle within the court is nowhere stated. It would make sense if it were further toward the back of the courtyard on the west, providing more room in front to perform the various offerings and sacrifices.657 Many suggest its entrance would be at the halfway point of the court and that it would be centered between the courtyard’s northern and southern walls, in which case the Most Holy Place, and the ark within it, would be perfectly centered in the courtyard’s second half.658 Given the careful symmetry of the sanctuary complex, this suggestion is not unreasonable.

27:20–21 Having mentioned the tools used in setting up the tabernacle (Ex. 27:19), the text now mentions another item necessary once it is up and running: oil for the golden lampstand, which stands in the Holy Place in front of the veil that screens off the ark of the covenant (or “testimony”; cf. 16:34). The oil is to be “pure,” that is, either not mixed with other spices (cf. 30:22–25)659 or free of impurities, or both. It is also to be “beaten,” a word used elsewhere to describe oil given by one king to another (1 Kings 5:11) and therefore suggesting a high quality. This is no surprise: this oil is meant for the lamp in the palace of the King of kings. It “was either included among the supplies carried out of Egypt or was acquired in the wilderness from caravanners.”660

The priests—Aaron and his sons—are responsible for making sure the lamp burns continually throughout the night. Its light represents the Lord’s presence within the tent (cf. Response section, “What Do We Learn of the Lord’s Desire for Relationship with His People?”); by keeping the lamp burning continually the priests acknowledge the Lord’s constant presence and show their continual willingness to serve him.

A final clause notes this is to be a “statute forever,”661 that is, throughout the Israelite generations (cf. Ex. 12:14; Lev. 17:7). In some contexts “forever”—sometimes translated “everlasting”—can mean “always, as long as time endures” (Gen. 21:33), while in other contexts it means “always, as long as certain conditions endure” (1 Sam. 2:30). In the context of the Mosaic covenant it means this rite is to be practiced as long as that covenant endures. Once the new covenant comes and replaces the Mosaic covenant (Heb. 8:6–13), such rites are no longer required.