Exodus 37:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And he made a molding of gold around it,

NIV: They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it.

NASB: And he overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made a gold molding for it all around.

CSB: He overlaid it, its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold. Then he made a gold molding all around it.

NLT: He overlaid the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and he ran a gold molding around the entire altar.

KJV: And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.

NKJV: And he overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides all around, and its horns. He also made for it a molding of gold all around it.

Exodus 37:25–29 record that Israel closely followed God's designs for a sacred incense altar. The description of the altar exactly follows the instructions in Exodus 30:1–10. Unlike the other tabernacle parts, this section does not duplicate earlier instructions about how to compound incense and anointing oil (Exodus 30:22–38). It merely notes that Bezalel (Exodus 35:30) makes them.

Bezalel (Exodus 35:30) follows God's instructions to make multiple items for the tabernacle. Most of these are described in Exodus 25. He constructs the ark, table, lampstand, and altar of incense. All of these will be kept inside the main tabernacle building. The text deliberately reproduces the phrasing of God's earlier command to stress Israel's exact obedience to His will.

Moses relays God's instructions for building the tabernacle (Exodus 25—31). The people respond generously (Exodus 35) and follow the Lord's directions exactly (Exodus 36). This pattern continues in chapter 37 as Bezalel (Exodus 35:30) completes designs mostly seen in chapter 25. Other items are depicted in chapter 30. The next two chapters (Exodus 38—39) are more of the same: describing the Israelites carrying out God's design as it was given.

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.

Accessed 10/14/2025 3:19:56 AM