1 And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
2 Speake vnto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of euery man that giueth it willingly with his heart, ye shall take my offering.
3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; Gold, and siluer, and brasse,
4 And blew, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linnen, and goats haire:
5 And rammes skinnes died red, and badgers skinnes, and Shittim wood:
6 Oile for the light, spices for anointing oile, and for sweet incense:
7 Onix stones, and stones to be set in the Ephod, and in the brest plate.
8 And let them make mee a Sanctuary, that I may dwell amongst them:
9 According to all that I shew thee, after the patterne of the Tabernacle, and the patterne of all the instruments thereof, euen so shall ye make it.
10 ¶ And they shall make an Arke of Shittim wood: two cubites and a halfe shalbe the length thereof, and a cubite and an halfe the breadth thereof, and a cubite & a halfe the height thereof.
11 And thou shalt ouerlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou ouerlay it: and shalt make vpon it a crowne of gold round about.
12 And thou shalt cast foure rings of gold for it, and put them in the foure corners thereof, and two rings shal be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
13 And thou shalt make staues of Shittim wood, and ouerlay them with gold.
14 And thou shalt put the staues into the rings, by the sides of the Arke, that the Arke may be borne with them.
15 The staues shall be in the rings of the Arke: they shal not be taken from it.
16 And thou shalt put into the Arke the Testimonie which I shall giue thee.
17 And thou shalt make a Mercieseat of pure gold: two cubites and a halfe shalbe the length thereof, and a cubite and a halfe the breadth thereof.
18 And thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold: of beaten worke shalt thou make them, in the two endes of the Mercie-seat.
19 And make one Cherub on the one end, and the other Cherub on the other end: euen of the Mercie-seat shall yee make the Cherubims, on the two ends thereof.
20 And the Cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, couering the Mercie-seat with their wings, and their faces shall looke one to another: toward the Mercie-seat shall the faces of the Cherubims be.
21 And thou shalt put the Mercie-seat aboue vpon the Arke, and in the Arke thou shalt put the Testimonie that I shall giue thee.
22 And there I wil meet with thee, and I will commune with thee, from aboue the Mercie-seat, from betweene the two Cherubims which are vpon the Arke of the Testimonie, of all things which I will giue thee in commaundement vnto the children of Israel.
23 ¶ Thou shalt also make a table of Shittim wood: two cubites shall bee the length thereof, and a cubite the bredth thereof, and a cubite and a halfe the height thereof.
24 And thou shalt ouerlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crowne of gold round about.
25 And thou shalt make vnto it a border of an hand bredth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crowne to the border thereof round about.
26 And thou shalt make for it foure rings of gold, and put the rings in the foure corners that are on the foure feete thereof.
27 Ouer against the border shall the rings be for places of the staues to beare the table.
28 And thou shalt make the staues of Shittim wood, and ouerlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoones therof, and couers thereof, and bowles thereof, to couer withall: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
30 And thou shalt set vpon the Table Shew-bread before me alway.
31 ¶ And thou shalt make a Candlesticke of pure gold: of beaten worke shall the candlesticke bee made; his shaft and his branches, his bowles, his knops, and his flowers shall be of the same.
32 And sixe branches shall come out of the sides of it: three branches of the candlesticke out of the one side, and three branches of the candlesticke out of the other side:
33 Three bowles made like vnto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch: and three bowles made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the sixe branches that come out of the candlesticke.
34 And in the candlesticke shall bee foure bowles made like vnto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
35 And there shal be a knop vnder two branches of the same, and a knop vnder two branches of the same, and a knop vnder two branches of the same, according to the sixe branches that proceede out of the candlesticke.
36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall bee one beaten worke of pure gold.
37 And thou shalt make the seuen lamps thereof: and they shall light the lampes thereof, that they may giue light ouer against it.
38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffe dishes therof shalbe of pure gold.
39 Of a talent of pure gold shall hee make it, with all these vessels.
40 And looke that thou make them after their patterne, which was shewed thee in the mount.
What the Israelites were to offer for making the tabernacle. (1-9) The ark. (10-22) The table, with its furniture. (23-30) The candlestick. (31-40)1-9 God chose the people of Israel to be a peculiar people to himself, above all people, and he himself would be their King. He ordered a royal palace to be set up among them for himself, called a sanctuary, or holy place, or habitation. There he showed his presence among them. And because in the wilderness they dwelt in tents, this royal palace was ordered to be a tabernacle, that it might move with them. The people were to furnish Moses with the materials, by their own free will. The best use we can make of our worldly wealth, is to honour God with it in works of piety and charity. We should ask, not only, What must we do? but, What may we do for God? Whatever they gave, they must give it cheerfully, not grudgingly, for God loves a cheerful giver, #2Co 9:7|. What is laid out in the service of God, we must reckon well bestowed; and whatsoever is done in God's service, must be done by his direction.
10-22 The ark was a chest, overlaid with gold, in which the two tables of the law were to be kept. These tables are called the testimony; God in them testified his will. This law was a testimony to the Israelites, to direct them in their duty, and would be a testimony against them, if they transgressed. This ark was placed in the holy of holies; the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled, and the incense burned, before it, by the high priest; and above it appeared the visible glory, which was the symbol of the Divine presence. This was a type of Christ in his sinless nature, which saw no corruption, in personal union with his Divine nature, atoning for our sins against it, by his death. The cherubim of gold looked one towards another, and both looked downward toward the ark. It denotes the angels' attendance on the Redeemer, their readiness to do his will, their presence in the assemblies of saints, and their desire to look into the mysteries of the gospel. It was covered with a covering of gold, called the mercy-seat. God is said to dwell, or sit between the cherubim, on the mercy-seat. There he would give his law, and hear supplicants, as a prince on his throne.
23-30 A table was to be made of wood, overlaid with gold, to stand in the outer tabernacle, to be always furnished with the shew-bread. This table, with the articles on it, and its use, seems to typify the communion which the Lord holds with his redeemed people in his ordinances, the provisions of his house, the feasts they are favoured with. Also the food for their souls, which they always find when they hunger after it; and the delight he takes in their persons and services, as presented before him in Christ.
31-40 The candlestick represents the light of God's word and Spirit, in and through Christ Jesus, afforded in this dark world to his believing people, to direct their worship and obedience, and to afford them consolations. The church is still dark, as the tabernacle was, in comparison with what it will be in heaven; but the word of God is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19|, and a dark place indeed the world would be without it. In ver. #40| is an express caution to Moses. Nothing was left to his own fancy, or to that of the workmen, or the people; but the will of God must be observed in every particular. Christ's instruction to his disciples, #Mt 28:20|, is like this, Observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Let us remember that we are the temples of the Holy Ghost, that we have the law of God in our hearts, that we are to live a life of communion with God, feast on his ordinances, and are the light of the world, if indeed we are followers of Christ. May the Lord help us to try ourselves by this view of religion, and to walk according thereto.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.