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Exodus 37

Exodus 37 Summary, Context, and Full Chapter

Exodus 37 continues the careful work of building the tabernacle furnishings. Bezalel crafts each item according to the instructions given earlier, from the ark and mercy seat to the lampstand and altar of incense. The chapter highlights obedience, beauty, and holy use.

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What happens in Exodus 37?

In this chapter, Bezalel completes the main objects for Israel's worship. He makes the ark of the covenant with its gold covering and carrying poles, then the mercy seat with cherubim. He also builds the table for the bread, along with its utensils, and fashions the lampstand from one piece of gold with seven lamps. The chapter closes with the altar of incense and the making of the sacred anointing oil and fragrant incense. The repeated details show careful craftsmanship and faithful attention to God's commands.

Exodus 37 comes after the instructions in earlier chapters and before the final furnishings and setup of the tabernacle. It shows those directions being carried out in practice. This section moves the book from command to construction, emphasizing that Israel's worship space is being prepared exactly as God ordered.

Themes to notice

  • ObedienceThe craftsmen follow God's instructions closely, showing that worship begins with faithful response.
  • HolinessThe use of gold, special materials, and sacred items points to the set-apart nature of God's dwelling place.
  • Worship preparationEach object is made for a specific role in Israel's life with God, from sacrifice and prayer to light and bread.

Questions for Exodus 37

  • What stands out to you about the care taken in making each item?
  • Why do you think the chapter repeats the materials and measurements so carefully?
  • How do these tabernacle objects help us understand worship and God's holiness?

Read the full text of Exodus 37 below, then open it in the reader to highlight, take notes, or ask follow-up Bible questions. No account is required to read.

Exodus 37

Constructing the Ark

1Bezalel went on to construct the ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.2He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it.3And he cast four gold rings for its four feet, two rings on one side and two on the other.4Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.5He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it.

The Mercy Seat

6He constructed a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.7He made two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat,8one cherub on one end and one on the other, all made from one piece of gold.9And the cherubim had wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the mercy seat.

The Table of Showbread

10He also made the table of acacia wood two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.11He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it.12And he made a rim around it a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim.13He cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners at its four legs.14The rings were placed close to the rim, to serve as holders for the poles used to carry the table.15He made the poles of acacia wood for carrying the table and overlaid them with gold.16He also made the utensils for the table out of pure gold: its plates and dishes, as well as its bowls and pitchers for pouring drink offerings.

The Lampstand

17Then he made the lampstand out of pure hammered gold, all of one piece: its base and shaft, its cups, and its buds and petals.18Six branches extended from the sides, three on one side and three on the other.19There were three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the first branch, each with buds and petals, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches that extended from the lampstand.20And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond blossoms with buds and petals.21A bud was under the first pair of branches that extended from the lampstand, a bud under the second pair, and a bud under the third pair.22The buds and branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.23He also made its seven lamps, its wick trimmers, and trays of pure gold.24He made the lampstand and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.

The Altar of Incense

25He made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns were of one piece.26And he overlaid with pure gold the top and all the sides and horns. Then he made a molding of gold around it.27He made two gold rings below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry it.28And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.29He also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense, the work of a perfumer.

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