Exodus 37

Exodus 35–40 records the actual construction of the tabernacle. Chapter 37 belongs to this section. After Exodus 36 describes the making of the tabernacle's curtains and boards, this chapter turns to the furnishings that were to be placed inside the tabernacle. The instructions God gave to Moses in chapters 25 and 30 reappear here in nearly identical wording.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: Bezalel makes the ark of acacia wood ("shittim wood" in the KJV). It measures two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. He overlays it with pure gold inside and out and makes four gold rings and poles overlaid with gold.
• Verses 6–9: He makes the mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. At its two ends he makes two cherubim, hammered out of one piece with the mercy seat. The cherubim spread their wings over the mercy seat, and their faces look toward each other.
• Verses 10–16: He makes the table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high. He overlays it with gold and makes a border, a gold molding, rings, and poles. The dishes, spoons, bowls, and pitchers for pouring are made of pure gold.
• Verses 17–24: He makes the lampstand of hammered pure gold. Six branches extend from the sides of its shaft, three on each side, decorated with cups shaped like almond blossoms, with knobs and flowers. The lampstand, together with its seven lamps, tongs, and snuff dishes, required a talent of pure gold.
• Verses 25–28: He makes the altar of incense of acacia wood, one cubit long, one cubit wide, and two cubits high, with its horns of one piece with it. He overlays it with pure gold and makes two gold rings and poles.
• Verse 29: He makes the holy anointing oil and the pure incense according to the perfumer's formula.

Key Verses

• Exodus 37:1 "And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood" — The verse identifies by name the man who made the ark of the covenant, the most important of the tabernacle furnishings.
• Exodus 37:6 "And he made the mercy seat of pure gold" — The mercy seat was the place where the high priest sprinkled blood on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). The New Testament connects its explanation of atonement to this place.
• Exodus 37:29 "according to the work of the apothecary" — This shows that the formula prescribed in Exodus 30 was followed exactly.

People and Places

• Bezalel — A man of the tribe of Judah, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur (Exodus 31:2). He was the craftsman to whom God gave wisdom and entrusted the construction of the tabernacle. In context, every "he" in this chapter refers to Bezalel.
• Cherubim — The gold figures of winged beings at the two ends of the mercy seat.
• No specific location is named. The surrounding context indicates that Israel was encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai.

Points for Reflection

• Repetition of instruction and execution: The instructions in Exodus 25–31 and their execution in chapters 35–40 correspond in nearly identical wording. This repetition is commonly read as emphasizing obedience to the command. The order, however, differs. The instruction section describes the furnishings first and the tabernacle afterward, and the altar of incense appears separately in chapter 30. The execution section builds the tabernacle first and groups the altar of incense with the other sanctuary furnishings in this chapter. In addition, this construction account is placed after the golden calf incident.
• Distinguishing symbolic interpretation from the text: In sermons on the tabernacle in Korean churches, one often hears interpretations that assign a spiritual meaning to every material and number, such as "acacia wood represents Christ's humanity, and gold his deity." Such interpretations are not stated directly by the text, and the degree to which they are accepted varies by denomination and preacher.
• Connections with the New Testament: Hebrews 9:2–5 mentions the furnishings of this chapter in sequence and compares them with the work of Christ. The word rendered "propitiation" in Romans 3:21–26 is known to be the same word (hilastērion) that the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses for the mercy seat. Revelation 1:12–20 mentions seven golden candlesticks, and Revelation 8:3–4 and Psalm 141:2 associate incense with prayer.
• Translation: Where the Korean Revised Version uses deungdae for the lampstand, the New Korean Revised Version uses deungjandae.

In the Korean Church

In church school and congregational teaching on the tabernacle, its structure is often explained with models or illustrations. Such teaching typically covers the furnishings of this chapter together with chapter 25.