Exodus 25:11

25:11 You are to overlay ¹  it with pure gold – both inside and outside you must overlay it, ²  and you are to make a surrounding border ³  of gold over it.

Exodus 25:25

25:25 You are to make a surrounding frame ⁴  for it about three inches broad, and you are to make a surrounding border of gold for its frame.

Exodus 30:3

30:3 You are to overlay it with pure gold – its top, ⁵  its four walls, ⁶  and its horns – and make a surrounding border of gold for it. ⁷ 

Exodus 37:12

37:12 He made a surrounding frame for it about three inches wide, and he made a surrounding border of gold for its frame.

Exodus 37:26-27

37:26 He overlaid it with pure gold – its top, ⁸  its four walls, ⁹  and its horns – and he made a surrounding border of gold for it. ¹⁰  37:27 He also made ¹¹  two gold rings for it under its border, on its two sides, on opposite sides, ¹²  as places ¹³  for poles to carry it with.

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¹ tn The verbs throughout here are perfect tenses with the vav (ו) consecutives. They are equal to the imperfect tense of instruction and/or injunction.

² tn Here the verb is an imperfect tense; for the perfect sequence to work the verb would have to be at the front of the clause.

³ tn The word זֵר (zer) is used only in Exodus and seems to describe something on the order of a crown molding, an ornamental border running at the top of the chest on all four sides. There is no indication of its appearance or function.

⁴ sn There is some debate as to the meaning of מִסְגֶּרֶת (misgeret). This does not seem to be a natural part of the table and its legs. The drawing on the Arch of Titus shows two cross-stays in the space between the legs, about halfway up. It might have been nearer the top, but the drawing of the table of presence-bread from the arch shows it half-way up. This frame was then decorated with the molding as well.

⁵ tn Heb “roof.”

⁶ tn Heb “its walls around.”

⁷ tn Heb “and make for it border gold around.” The verb is a consecutive perfect. See Exod 25:11, where the ark also has such a molding.

⁸ tn Heb “roof.”

⁹ tn Heb “its walls around.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “and he made for it border gold around.”

¹¹ tn Heb “and he made.”

¹² sn Since it was a small altar, it needed only two rings, one on either side, in order to be carried. The second mention of their location clarifies that they should be on the sides, the right and the left, as one approached the altar.

¹³ tn Heb “for houses.”