Êxodo 37

ARC · Chapter 37/40

1Fez tambem Bezaleel a arca de madeira de sittim: o seu comprimento era de dois covados e meio; e a sua largura d'um covado e meio; e a sua altura d'um covado e meio.

2E cobriu-a d'oiro puro por dentro e por fóra; e fez-lhe uma corôa d'oiro ao redor;

3E fundiu-lhe quatro argolas d'oiro aos seus quatro cantos, n'um lado duas, e no outro lado duas argolas;

4E fez varaes de madeira de sittim, e os cobriu d'oiro;

5E metteu os varaes pelas argolas aos lados da arca, para levar a arca.

6Fez tambem d'oiro puro o propiciatorio: o seu comprimento era de dois covados e meio, e a sua largura d'um covado e meio.

7Fez tambem dois cherubins d'oiro; d'obra batida os fez, ás duas extremidades do propiciatorio;

8Um cherubim a uma extremidade d'esta banda, e o outro cherubim á outra extremidade da outra banda: do mesmo propiciatorio fez sair os cherubins ás duas extremidades d'elles.

9E os cherubins estendiam as azas por cima, cobrindo com as suas azas o propiciatorio: e os seus rostos estavam defronte um do outro: os rostos dos cherubins estavam virados para o propiciatorio.

10Fez tambem a mesa de madeira de sittim: o seu comprimento era de dois covados, e a sua largura d'um covado, e a sua altura d'um covado e meio.

11E cobriu-a d'oiro puro, e fez-lhe uma corôa d'oiro ao redor.

12Fez-lhe tambem uma moldura da largura d'uma mão ao redor: e fez uma corôa d'oiro ao redor da sua moldura.

13Fundiu-lhe tambem quatro argolas d'oiro; e poz as argolas aos quatro cantos que estavam aos seus quatro pés.

14Defronte da moldura estavam as argolas para os logares dos varaes, para levar a mesa.

15Fez tambem os varaes de madeira de sittim, e os cobriu d'oiro, para levar a mesa.

16E fez os vasos que haviam de estar sobre a mesa, os seus pratos, e as suas colheres, e as suas escudelas, e as suas cobertas, com que se haviam de cobrir, d'oiro puro.

17Fez tambem o castiçal de oiro puro: d'obra batida fez este castiçal: o seu pé, e as suas canas, os seus copos, as suas maçãs, e as suas flôres do mesmo

18Seis canas sahiam dos seus lados: tres canas do castiçal, de um lado d'elle, e tres canas do castiçal, d'outro lado.

19N'uma cana estavam tres copos a modo d'amendoas, uma maçã e uma flôr: e n'outra cana tres copos a modo d'amendoas, uma maçã e uma flôr: assim para as seis canas que sahiam do castiçal.

20Mas no mesmo castiçal havia quatro copos a modo d'amendoas com as suas maçãs e com as suas flôres.

21E era uma maçã debaixo de duas canas do mesmo; e outra maçã debaixo de duas canas do mesmo; e mais uma maçã debaixo de duas canas do mesmo: assim se fez para as seis canas, que sahiam d'elle.

22As suas maçãs e as suas canas eram do mesmo: tudo era uma obra batida de oiro puro.

23E fez-lhe sete lampadas: os seus espivitadores e os seus apagadores eram d'oiro puro.

24D'um talento d'oiro puro o fez, e todos os seus vasos.

25E fez o altar do incenso de madeira de sittim: d'um covado era o seu comprimento, e de um covado a sua largura, quadrado; e de dois covados a sua altura: d'elle mesmo eram feitos os seus cornos.

26E cobriu-o de oiro puro, a sua coberta, e as suas paredes ao redor, e os seus cornos: e fez-lhe uma corôa de oiro ao redor.

27Fez-lhe tambem duas argolas de oiro debaixo da sua corôa, e os seus dois cantos, d'ambos os seus lados, para os logares dos varaes, para leval-o com elles.

28E os varaes fez de madeira de sittim, e os cobriu de oiro.

29Tambem fez o azeite sancto da uncção, e o incenso aromatico, puro, de obra do perfumista.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Bezalel builds the ark of the covenant, the mercy seat with the gold cherubim, the table of showbread, the golden lampstand, and the altar of incense, faithfully following the instructions God gave to Moses.

Explanation

This chapter details the practical construction of the most sacred objects of the tabernacle, all credited directly to the skill of Bezalel, the craftsman chosen and empowered by God. The precision of the narrative, repeating almost exactly the technical specifications given earlier, reinforces the message that faithful obedience to detail, even details that might seem excessively minute, was essential in building something meant to represent the very presence of God among his people. The ark of the covenant, crowned by cherubim with outstretched wings covering the mercy seat, would become the symbolic center of all Israelite worship, the place where God had promised to meet and speak with Moses. This careful craftsmanship, devoted to the most visible objects as well as to the smallest details, illustrates how true worship is often expressed through excellence and careful attention, not only in grand gestures, but in every small detail of work carried out with dedication.

Fun facts

  • The ark of the covenant built here would later be carried for decades through the wilderness, through wars of conquest, and finally housed in Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, becoming a continuous symbol of God's presence across centuries of Israel's history.
  • The cherubim of hammered gold, formed as a single piece with the mercy seat (v. 7-8), represent one of the earliest descriptions of angels in biblical literature, showing from the outset the existence of heavenly beings associated with the presence and throne of God.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Êxodo 37:1Bezalel personally builds the ark of the covenant, following the measurements specified before: about three and a half feet long by a little over two feet wide and high.
  2. Êxodo 37:2The ark receives a complete covering of pure gold inside and out, with the decorative border around the top, exactly as designed.
  3. Êxodo 37:3Four gold rings are cast and fixed to the corners of the ark, ready to receive the carrying poles.
  4. Êxodo 37:4The acacia-wood poles are made and overlaid with gold, following the same material pattern as the main piece.
  5. Êxodo 37:5The poles are fitted into the side rings, allowing the ark to be carried without direct contact.
  6. Êxodo 37:6The mercy seat, the ark’s lid of pure gold, is made with exactly the same length and width as the ark.
  7. Êxodo 37:7These two cherub figures, hammered out of a single block together with the ark’s lid, faced each other, with their wings spread out covering the space between them. It was there, between the two of them, that God said He would manifest Himself to speak with Moses.
  8. Êxodo 37:8Each of the two cherubim is positioned at one end of the mercy seat, forming a single piece with the lid, with no separate welds.
  9. Êxodo 37:9The cherubim’s wings meet over the mercy seat, with their faces turned toward each other, looking down, exactly as planned.
  10. Êxodo 37:10The acacia table is built with smaller dimensions than the ark, following the original design from chapter 25 to the letter.
  11. Êxodo 37:11The table receives a covering of pure gold and a decorative border around it, in the same visual pattern as the ark.
  12. Êxodo 37:12An extra frame the width of a hand reinforces the table’s structure, with its own gold border.
  13. Êxodo 37:13Four gold rings are cast and fixed to the table’s four legs, to make it easier to carry.
  14. Êxodo 37:14The rings sit close to the frame, in exactly the right spot to receive the carrying poles.
  15. Êxodo 37:15The table’s poles are made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, following the same pattern as the ark’s poles.
  16. Êxodo 37:16The table’s utensils—plates, spoons, pitchers, and bowls—are all made of pure gold, ready for ritual use.
  17. Êxodo 37:17This is the account of the execution of the seven-lamp lampstand described earlier in chapter 25, the piece that would later inspire the menorah of Judaism. The entire piece, including the branches and the flower- and almond-shaped ornaments, was worked from a single block of hammered gold, with no welded parts.
  18. Êxodo 37:18The lampstand has six branches extending from the central shaft, three on each side, reproducing exactly the structure specified in chapter 25.
  19. Êxodo 37:19Each side branch receives the same almond-flower decoration specified in the original plan, repeated on all six branches.
  20. Êxodo 37:20The lampstand’s central shaft receives four sets of this same floral ornament, following the original design.
  21. Êxodo 37:21Each apple-shaped ornament is positioned exactly where the pairs of branches meet the central shaft, as planned.
  22. Êxodo 37:22The whole piece, ornaments and structure alike, is carved from a single block of hammered gold, with no parts welded separately.
  23. Êxodo 37:23The lampstand’s seven lamps, along with their maintenance tools, are made of pure gold.
  24. Êxodo 37:24Bezalel uses a full talent of pure gold to produce the complete lampstand with all its utensils.
  25. Êxodo 37:25The incense altar is built of acacia wood, with the same small square structure and horns specified in chapter 30.
  26. Êxodo 37:26The altar receives a covering of pure gold over its entire surface, including the horns, with the decorative border around the top.
  27. Êxodo 37:27Gold rings are fixed below the altar’s border, ready to receive the carrying poles.
  28. Êxodo 37:28The incense altar’s poles are also made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, following the pattern of the other portable pieces.
  29. Êxodo 37:29Besides the metal and wood objects, Bezalel also prepared the fragrant mixtures required for the rituals: the special oil used to consecrate people and objects, and the incense burned on its own altar. Both followed specific formulas God had given earlier, in chapter 30.

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