Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it.
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around it.
- KJV And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
- BSB Overlay it with pure gold both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it.
- NKJV And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around.
- NASB You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The ark was to be overlaid with pure gold inside and out, with a gold molding. Its costly covering signified the holiness and glory of God's presence.
Overview
Overlaying the wood with pure gold, even where unseen inside, expressed thorough purity and the surpassing worth of what the ark represented. The gold molding crowned it with dignity. Such richness fit an object associated with the throne of the holy God. The combination of humble wood and glorious gold has long been seen as picturing Christ, fully human and fully divine, the meeting place of God and man.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Exod 25:24You shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
- 2 Chr 3:4The porch that was in front, its length, according to the width of the house, was twenty cubits, and the height one hundred twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.
- 1 Kgs 6:20Within the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with pure gold; and he covered the altar with cedar.
- Exod 30:3You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 25:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.