Exodus 26:37 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.

NIV: Make gold hooks for this curtain and five posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold. And cast five bronze bases for them.

NASB: And you shall make five pillars of acacia for the curtain and overlay them with gold, their hooks also of gold; and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.

CSB: Make five pillars of acacia wood for the screen and overlay them with gold; their hooks are to be gold, and you are to cast five bronze bases for them.

NLT: Craft five posts from acacia wood. Overlay them with gold, and hang the curtain from them with gold hooks. Cast five bronze bases for the posts.

KJV: And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

NKJV: And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be gold, and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them.

Exodus 26:36–37 explains how Israel must build the screen closing the front of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8–9). The closure is made of linen and hung from gilded wooden pillars. This screen uses golden hooks and bronze bases. This encloses the first room of the tabernacle, "the Holy Place." This room will contain a sacred table (Exodus 25:23–24), a lampstand (Exodus 25:31), and an altar for incense (Exodus 30:1). Another veil inside splits the tabernacle to create a smaller room called "the Most Holy Place," where the ark is kept.

God gives Israel instructions for the main structure of His sanctuary (Exodus 25:8–9). This is a "tabernacle:" a large tent. The inner walls are made of linen curtains embroidered with cherubim. The outer walls are a separate arrangement of goat hair curtains. These are draped over wooden frames. The entire assembly is covered with two more layers of animal skin. The tabernacle has an outer screen and a veil which divides the interior into two spaces. The first room is the Holy Place. The second, called the Most Holy Place, is the resting place of the ark (Exodus 25:10–11).

After the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17) and a few other rules, the rest of Exodus is mostly descriptions of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8–9) and its components. Chapter 25 introduced the ark, the table, and the menorah. This chapter details the large tent at the center of a large courtyard (Exodus 27:9). The next chapters describe various altars and sacred garments (Exodus 27—30).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.