25:10 1 “They are to make an ark 2 of acacia wood – its length is to be three feet nine inches, its width two feet three inches, and its height two feet three inches. 3
25:23 4 “You are to make a table of acacia wood; its length is to be three feet, its width one foot six inches, and its height two feet three inches.
27:1 “You are to make the 5 altar of acacia wood, seven feet six inches long, 6 and seven feet six inches wide; the altar is to be square, 7 and its height is to be 8 four feet six inches.
37:25 He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a foot and a half and its width a foot and a half – a square – and its height was three feet. Its horns were of one piece with it. 16
38:1 He made the altar for the burnt offering of acacia wood seven feet six inches long and seven feet six inches wide – it was square – and its height was four feet six inches.
1 sn This section begins with the ark, the most sacred and important object of Israel’s worship. Verses 10-15 provide the instructions for it, v. 16 has the placement of the Law in it, vv. 17-21 cover the mercy lid, and v. 22 the meeting above it. The point of this item in the tabernacle is to underscore the focus: the covenant people must always have God’s holy standard before them as they draw near to worship. A study of this would focus on God’s nature (he is a God of order, precision, and perfection), on the usefulness of this item for worship, and on the typology intended.
2 tn The word “ark” has long been used by English translations to render אָרוֹן (’aron), the word used for the wooden “box,” or “chest,” made by Noah in which to escape the flood and by the Israelites to furnish the tabernacle.
3 tn The size is two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. The size in feet and inches is estimated on the assumption that the cubit is 18 inches (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 267).
4 sn The Table of the Bread of the Presence (Tyndale’s translation, “Shewbread,” was used in KJV and influenced ASV, NAB) was to be a standing acknowledgment that Yahweh was the giver of daily bread. It was called the “presence-bread” because it was set out in his presence. The theology of this is that God provides, and the practice of this is that the people must provide for constant thanks. So if the ark speaks of communion through atonement, the table speaks of dedicatory gratitude.
5 tn The article on this word identifies this as the altar, meaning the main high altar on which the sacrifices would be made.
6 tn The dimensions are five cubits by five cubits by three cubits high.
7 tn Heb “four”; this refers to four sides. S. R. Driver says this is an archaism that means there were four equal sides (Exodus, 291).
8 tn Heb “and three cubits its height.”
9 tn Heb “a hundred cubits.”
10 tn Heb “fifty.” The text has “and the width fifty [cubits] with fifty.” This means that it is fifty cubits wide on the western end and fifty cubits wide on the eastern end.
11 tn Here “hangings” has been supplied.
12 tn Here the phrase “is to be” has been supplied.
13 tn Heb “a cubit.”
14 tn Heb “two cubits.”
15 tn Heb “its horns from it.”
16 tn Heb “from it were its horns,” meaning that they were made from the same piece.