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Exodus 37

Exodus 37 records the skilled making of the tabernacle’s furnishings, attending to their materials, dimensions, and intricate design.

Bezalel makes the furnishings for the tabernacle, beginning with the ark of acacia wood overlaid with gold. The account describes its mercy seat and cherubim, then moves to the table and its vessels. A gold lamp stand takes shape with branches, buds, and almond blossoms. The incense altar follows, with rings and poles for carrying it. The record closes with the preparation of holy anointing oil and incense made from sweet spices.

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1Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Its length was two and a half cubits, and its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height.
4He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
5He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
6He made a mercy seat of pure gold. Its length was two and a half cubits, and a cubit and a half its width.
7He made two cherubim of gold. He made them of beaten work, at the two ends of the mercy seat:
9The cherubim spread out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
10He made the table of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits, and its width was a cubit, and its height was a cubit and a half.
16He made the vessels which were on the table, its dishes, its spoons, its bowls, and its pitchers with which to pour out, of pure gold.
17He made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand of beaten work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were of one piece with it.
20In the lamp stand were four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers;
22Their buds and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole thing was one beaten work of pure gold.
23He made its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, of pure gold.
25He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. It was square: its length was a cubit, and its width a cubit. Its height was two cubits. Its horns were of one piece with it.
29He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.
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Key verses
Exodus 37:1The opening names Bezalel as the maker and begins the construction record with the ark’s wood and dimensions.
Exodus 37:10The table extends the account beyond the ark, receiving its own detailed description of dimensions, fittings, and vessels.
Exodus 37:29The closing verse adds the perfumer’s craft to the woodwork and goldwork through holy oil and fragrant incense.
Where this chapter reaches

Hebrews names the ark, mercy seat, and other sanctuary furnishings when describing the tabernacle and its worship, sharing the objects recorded here. Numbers describes the covering and transport of these furnishings, linking its account of priestly duties with the carrying poles made in Exodus 37.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

Which detail of the furnishings held your attention, and what did it help you notice about Israel’s worship?

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How does the range of crafts described here shape your view of work done in service to God?

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Questions people ask about Exodus 37

What is the mercy seat in Exodus 37?

The mercy seat is the pure gold cover associated with the ark, matching its length and width. Two gold cherubim are made as one piece with it at opposite ends. Their wings spread above it, and their faces turn toward it. This chapter describes its construction without explaining its ritual use.

How many branches and lamps did the lamp stand have?

The lamp stand has six branches extending from its sides, three on each side of a central shaft, and seven lamps. Its cups resemble almond blossoms, with buds and flowers worked into the design. The whole stand is one beaten work of pure gold, with gold tools for tending the lamps.

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What the Bible says about worship →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).