Year of the Bible
Exodus 25
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Commentary on the Book of Exodus, Chapter 25:
After entering the Covenant with His people, God now begins a lengthy explanation of the physical structure and materials He requires for worship. First, He outlines three items that will be used: the Ark of the Covenant, the Table for the Bread of the Presence, and the Lampstand. The Ark is a box that will contain God’s laws in written form. Its lid is called the Mercy Seat and will be the place where the high priest will bring sacrifices for the people’s sin and will implore God’s mercy (see Leviticus 16). God’s presence will dwell there as if on a type of throne. The Table will contain ritual vessels and a continual presentation of bread. The Lampstand will continually be lit within the Tabernacle. Its design of flowers may recall the Garden of Eden where God dwelt with Adam and Eve. The descriptions God gives of these three items reveal that they are made with the finest of materials – a true sacrifice by the people, as they return to the almighty God the material gifts He has given to them. These items also foreshadow some of the items we see in our Catholic churches today.
The Book of Exodus, Chapter 25:
Offerings for the Tabernacle
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, that they take for me an offering; from every man whose heart makes him willing you shall receive the offering for me. 3 And this is the offering which you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, 5 tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 According to all that I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
The Ark of the Covenant
10 “They shall make an ark of acacia wood; two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, within and without shall you overlay it, and you shall make upon it a molding of gold round about. 12 And you shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark by them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the covenant which I shall give you. 17 Then you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end; of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. 21 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark; and in the ark you shall put the covenant that I shall give you. 22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the covenant, I will speak with you of all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.
The Table for the Bread of the Presence
23 “And you shall make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 24 You shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold around it. 25 And you shall make around it a frame a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the frame. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 27 Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. 28 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. 29 And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour libations; of pure gold you shall make them. 30 And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me always.
The Lampstand
31 “And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft of the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its cups, its capitals, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it; 32 and there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33 three cups made like almonds, each with capital and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almonds, each with capital and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand; 34 and on the lampstand itself four cups made like almonds, with their capitals and flowers, 35 and a capital of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36 Their capitals and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it one piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 And you shall make the seven lamps for it; and the lamps shall be set up so as to give light upon the space in front of it. 38 Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 Of a talent of pure gold shall it be made, with all these utensils. 40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
"They shall make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst..." (v8) Lord, help me to let these words soak into my heart and Lord, come dwell in me...with me.
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
El Señor dijo a Moisés:
2 –Di a los hijos de Israel que
reserven una ofrenda para mí; vosotros
recogeréis para mí la ofrenda de toda
persona generosa de corazón. 3 Ésta es la
ofrenda que habéis de recoger: oro, plata
y bronce; 4 púrpura violácea, púrpura
escarlata y carmesí, lino fino y pelo
de cabra; 5 pieles de carnero teñidas de
rojo, pieles selectas, y maderas de acacia;
6 aceite para las lámparas, aromas
para el óleo de unción y para el incienso
aromático; 7 piedras de ónice y piedras
de engaste para el efod y el pectoral.
8 »Constrúyeme un Santuario para
que habite en medio de ellos. 9 Lo haréis
conforme al modelo del Tabernáculo y
de los utensilios que te voy a mostrar.
10 »Fabricarás un arca de madera de
acacia de dos codos y medio de largo,
un codo y medio de ancho y uno y medio
de alto. 11 La revestirás de oro puro
por dentro y por fuera, y pondrás alrededor
de ella una moldura de oro.
12 Fundirás oro para cuatro anillas que
pondrás en sus cuatro ángulos, dos a un
lado y dos al lado opuesto. 13 Harás también
varales de madera de acacia y los
recubrirás de oro; 14 introducirás los varales
por las anillas de los lados del arca
para poder transportarla. 15 Los varales
permanecerán en las anillas del arca y
no se sacarán de allí. 16 Pondrás dentro
del arca el Testimonio que te voy a dar.
17 »Harás también un Propiciatorio
de oro puro de dos codos y medio de
largo y un codo y medio de ancho; 18 labrarás
dos querubines de oro; serán de
oro macizo y estarán en los dos extremos
del Propiciatorio; 19 cada querubín
estará en un extremo, formando un solo
cuerpo con el Propiciatorio en ambos
extremos. 20 Los querubines tendrán las
alas extendidas hacia arriba, cubriendo
con ellas el Propiciatorio, y sus rostros
estarán uno frente a otro, mirando
al Propiciatorio. 21 Pondrás el Propiciatorio
sobre el arca, dentro de la cual colocarás
el Testimonio que te voy a dar.
22 Allí me reuniré contigo y te habla
ré desde encima del Propiciatorio, entre
los dos querubines que habrá sobre
el arca del Testimonio; te comunicaré
todo lo que tengas que ordenar a los hijos
de Israel.
23 »Construirás una mesa de madera
de acacia de dos codos de largo, uno de
ancho y uno y medio de alto. 24 La recubrirás
de oro puro y pondrás una moldura
de oro alrededor; 25 le harás un reborde
de un palmo con una moldura
de oro alrededor del mismo. 26 Fundirás
oro para cuatro anillas y las pondrás en
los cuatro ángulos correspondientes a
las cuatro patas. 27 Las anillas irán bajo el
reborde para introducir por ellas los varales
y poder transportar la mesa. 28 Harás
los varales de madera de acacia y los
recubrirás de oro; con ellos se transportará
la mesa.
29 »Fabricarás también las fuentes,
las escudillas, los tazones y las jarras de
libación; todo ello de oro puro. 30 Y pondrás
sobre la mesa los panes de la proposición
que estarán siempre ante mí.
31 »Labrarás también un candelabro
de oro puro; el candelabro, su pie y su
fuste serán de oro macizo; sus cálices,
corolas y flores formarán un cuerpo con
él. 32 Seis brazos saldrán de sus lados, tres
de un lado y tres de otro. 33 El primer brazo
tendrá tres cálices con forma de flor
de almendro con corola y flor; también
el segundo tendrá tres cálices con forma
de flor de almendro con corola y flor; y
así los seis brazos que salen del candelabro.
34 El candelabro tendrá cuatro cálices
con forma de flor de almendro con
corola y flor: 35 un cáliz debajo de los
dos primeros brazos formando un solo
cuerpo; otro debajo de los dos siguientes
y otro debajo de los dos últimos; así
serán iguales los seis brazos que salen
del candelabro. 36 Los cálices y los brazos
formarán un solo cuerpo con el candelabro
y todo será de oro puro macizo.
37 »Fabricarás también siete lámparas
y las colocarás sobre el candelabro
de forma que iluminen de frente; 38 sus
despabiladeras y sus platillos serán de
oro puro. 39 Se empleará un talento de
oro puro para hacer el candelabro con
todos sus utensilios. 40 Fíjate y hazlo según
el modelo que se te ha mostrado en
la montaña
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).