Read & explore together
Plans for the Tabernacle and Its Furnishings
These chapters give detailed instructions for a sanctuary, its furniture, its coverings, and its worship items. The passage shows that Israel’s worship was to follow what Yahweh said, with willing gifts, careful patterns, and holy use.
Understanding the passage
Understanding the setting
In this source, Yahweh speaks to Moses and gives plans for a sanctuary, the tabernacle, and its furnishings. The passage stays in the instruction stage rather than describing construction. It also includes directions for the altar of incense, census offering, bronze basin, anointing oil, and incense.
Exodus 25:1–27:21; Exodus 30:1–38Main takeaway
This passage teaches that the sanctuary and its worship were to be made and used according to Yahweh’s pattern and treated as holy.
Explore the instructions
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Willing gifts and a shown patternThe instructions begin with an offering from people whose hearts are willing. The materials include metals, fabrics, skins, wood, oil, spices, and stones.
Explanation
The instructions begin with an offering from people whose hearts are willing. The materials include metals, fabrics, skins, wood, oil, spices, and stones. The purpose is a sanctuary so Yahweh may dwell among them. Moses is told to make it according to the pattern shown to him. That repeated idea stresses careful obedience, not personal invention.
02Ark, table, and lamp standThe ark is made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, with poles left in its rings for carrying.
Explanation
The ark is made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, with poles left in its rings for carrying. The covenant is placed inside, and the mercy seat sits above it, where Yahweh says he will meet with Moses. The table holds bread of the presence, and the seven lamps give light in front of the lamp stand.
03Curtains, boards, veil, altar, and courtThe tabernacle itself is carefully measured, with linen curtains, goats’ hair coverings, boards, bars, and a veil.
Explanation
The tabernacle itself is carefully measured, with linen curtains, goats’ hair coverings, boards, bars, and a veil. The veil separates the holy place from the most holy. Outside are the bronze altar and the court with its hangings and gate. Again, Moses is told to set it up as shown on the mountain.
04Continual service and holy useThe lamp is kept in order from evening to morning. The incense altar stands before the veil, and only specific offerings belong there.
Explanation
The lamp is kept in order from evening to morning. The incense altar stands before the veil, and only specific offerings belong there. A half-shekel offering is required in a census, with rich and poor giving the same amount. Priests must wash at the bronze basin, and the anointing oil and incense are holy and must not be copied for ordinary use.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What shows that the sanctuary project depended on willing giving rather than forced giving?
Look at the words about taking an offering from everyone whose heart makes him willing, and then notice the long list of needed materials.
02How does the passage mark off different areas and uses within the tabernacle?
Notice the veil separating the holy place from the most holy, and compare where the ark, table, lamp stand, and incense altar are placed.
03Which instructions show that holy things were not for ordinary personal use?
Focus on the warnings about strange incense, the special anointing oil, and incense not being made for yourselves.
Read the Bible passages
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Exodus 25:1–40
1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, that they take an offering for me. From everyone whose heart makes him willing you shall take my offering.
3This is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, bronze,
4blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair,
5rams’ skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,
6oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense,
7onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.
8Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
9According to all that I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all of its furniture, even so you shall make it.
10“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height.
11You shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around it.
12You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four feet. Two rings shall be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
13You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
14You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.
15The poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it.
16You shall put the covenant which I shall give you into the ark.
17You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two and a half cubits shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its width.
18You shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
19Make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. You shall make the cherubim on its two ends of one piece with the mercy seat.
20The cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.
21You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the covenant that I will give you.
22There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the covenant, all that I command you for the children of Israel.
23“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Its length shall be two cubits, and its width a cubit, and its height one and a half cubits.
24You shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
25You shall make a rim of a hand width around it. You shall make a golden molding on its rim around it.
26You shall make four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that are on its four feet.
27The rings shall be close to the rim, for places for the poles to carry the table.
28You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.
29You shall make its dishes, its spoons, its ladles, and its bowls with which to pour out offerings. You shall make them of pure gold.
30You shall set bread of the presence on the table before me always.
31“You shall make a lamp stand of pure gold. The lamp stand shall be made of hammered work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it.
32There shall be six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of its other side;
33three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower; and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower, so for the six branches going out of the lamp stand;
34and in the lamp stand four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers;
35and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of the lamp stand.
36Their buds and their branches shall be of one piece with it, all of it one beaten work of pure gold.
37You shall make its lamps seven, and they shall light its lamps to give light to the space in front of it.
38Its snuffers and its snuff dishes shall be of pure gold.
39It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these accessories.
40See that you make them after their pattern, which has been shown to you on the mountain.
Exodus 26:1–37
1“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim. You shall make them with the work of a skillful workman.
2The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits: all the curtains shall have one measure.
3Five curtains shall be coupled together to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another.
4You shall make loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain from the edge in the coupling, and you shall do likewise on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second coupling.
5You shall make fifty loops in the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops in the edge of the curtain that is in the second coupling. The loops shall be opposite one another.
6You shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains to one another with the clasps. The tabernacle shall be a unit.
7“You shall make curtains of goats’ hair for a covering over the tabernacle. You shall make eleven curtains.
8The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits: the eleven curtains shall have one measure.
9You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shall double over the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tent.
10You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outermost in the coupling, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which is outermost in the second coupling.
11You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.
12The overhanging part that remains of the curtains of the tent—the half curtain that remains—shall hang over the back of the tabernacle.
13The cubit on the one side and the cubit on the other side, of that which remains in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.
14You shall make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of sea cow hides above.
15“You shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright.
16Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and one and a half cubits the width of each board.
17There shall be two tenons in each board, joined to one another: thus you shall make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
18You shall make twenty boards for the tabernacle, for the south side southward.
19You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.
20For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards,
21and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
22For the far side of the tabernacle westward you shall make six boards.
23You shall make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far side.
24They shall be double beneath, and in the same way they shall be whole to its top to one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.
25There shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
26“You shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
27and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the far side westward.
28The middle bar in the middle of the boards shall pass through from end to end.
29You shall overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars. You shall overlay the bars with gold.
30You shall set up the tabernacle according to the way that it was shown to you on the mountain.
31“You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. It shall be the work of a skillful workman.
32You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, on four sockets of silver.
33You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring the ark of the covenant in there within the veil. The veil shall separate the holy place from the most holy for you.
34You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant in the most holy place.
35You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lamp stand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south. You shall put the table on the north side.
36“You shall make a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer.
37You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold. You shall cast five sockets of bronze for them.
Exodus 27:1–21
1“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide. The altar shall be square. Its height shall be three cubits.
2You shall make its horns on its four corners. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with bronze.
3You shall make its pots to take away its ashes; and its shovels, its basins, its meat hooks, and its fire pans. You shall make all its vessels of bronze.
4You shall make a grating for it of network of bronze. On the net you shall make four bronze rings in its four corners.
5You shall put it under the ledge around the altar beneath, that the net may reach halfway up the altar.
6You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
7Its poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when carrying it.
8You shall make it hollow with planks. They shall make it as it has been shown you on the mountain.
9“You shall make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen one hundred cubits long for one side.
10Its pillars shall be twenty, and their sockets twenty, of bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
11Likewise for the length of the north side, there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long, and its pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty, of bronze; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver.
12For the width of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits; their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
13The width of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
14The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15For the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16For the gate of the court shall be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer; their pillars four, and their sockets four.
17All the pillars of the court around shall be filleted with silver; their hooks of silver, and their sockets of bronze.
18The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, of fine twined linen, and their sockets of bronze.
19All the instruments of the tabernacle in all its service, and all its pins, and all the pins of the court, shall be of bronze.
20“You shall command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
21In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil which is before the covenant, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before Yahweh: it shall be a statute forever throughout their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.
Exodus 30:1–38
1“You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood.
2Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.
3You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it.
4You shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and they shall be for places for poles with which to bear it.
5You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
6You shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the covenant, before the mercy seat that is over the covenant, where I will meet with you.
7Aaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it.
8When Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.
9You shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering; and you shall pour no drink offering on it.
10Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once in the year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year he shall make atonement for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh.”
11Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
12“When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are counted among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to Yahweh when you count them, that there be no plague among them when you count them.
13They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are counted, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs); half a shekel for an offering to Yahweh.
14Everyone who passes over to those who are counted, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering to Yahweh.
15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.
16You shall take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the Tent of Meeting; that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.”
17Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
18“You shall also make a basin of bronze, and its base of bronze, in which to wash. You shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.
19Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in it.
20When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they don’t die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
21So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they not die. This shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations.”
22Moreover Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
23“Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty;
24and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; and a hin of olive oil.
25You shall make it into a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
26You shall use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the covenant,
27the table and all its articles, the lamp stand and its accessories, the altar of incense,
28the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its base.
29You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.
30You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office.
31You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.
32It shall not be poured on man’s flesh, and do not make any like it, according to its composition. It is holy. It shall be holy to you.
33Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.’ ”
34Yahweh said to Moses, “Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, onycha, and galbanum: sweet spices with pure frankincense. There shall be an equal weight of each.
35You shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
36You shall beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the covenant in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be to you most holy.
37You shall not make this incense, according to its composition, for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for Yahweh.
38Whoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people.”