Exodus 25:36
ESV
Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold.
NIV
The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.
NASB
Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold.
CSB
Their buds and branches are to be of one piece. All of it is to be a single hammered piece of pure gold.
NLT
The almond buds and branches must all be of one piece with the center stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold.
KJV
Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
NKJV
Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold.
What does Exodus 25:36 mean?
The menorāh (Exodus 25:31) is not made of wood overlaid with metal (Exodus 25:10–11, 23–24) like other parts of the sanctuary (Exodus 25:8–9). It is made of solid metal. The "pure" description here does not mean that the metal is elemental gold, today called "24 karat." When mined, gold is usually mixed with other metals. Such alloys are measured deliberately to improve strength and color.Israel's sacred lampstand includes ornate components meant to look like almond blossoms (Exodus 25:33–34). Each blossom is composed of a flower and a bud, also called a "calyx," from which the flower petals grow. Most depictions of the menorah use curved branches, making three half-circles. Some also arrange the blossoms to make radial lines. Other interpretations are triangular, with the branches perfectly straight.
The ornate elements are not to be formed by pouring molten gold into a cast. Nor are they to be cut and tied together with wire or rivets. Instead, these flowers are to be "hammered" work, requiring great skill (Exodus 31:1–11). A goldsmith would hammer out the individual segments and join them together permanently. Once brazed or soldered, the components would become a single piece.
