You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side.
Parallel translations
- WEB You 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.
- KJV And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
- BSB Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two on the other.
- NASB You shall also cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet; two rings shall be on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
- NLT Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side.
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
Four gold rings were to be cast and attached at the ark's feet for carrying. The ark was designed to be portable, accompanying Israel's journey.
Overview
The rings, set two on each side, would hold the poles by which the ark was carried. This provision shows God intended to travel with His pilgrim people through the wilderness. The careful design preserved the sanctity of the ark, which was never to be touched directly. God's presence moving with Israel foreshadows the God who goes with His people always, fulfilled in Christ's promise to be with us to the end of the age.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Exod 25:15The poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it.
- Exod 37:5He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
- Exod 26:29You shall overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and you shall overlay the bars with gold.
- Exod 27:7Its poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar, when carrying it.
- Exod 38:7He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.
- Exod 25:26You shall make four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that are on its four feet.
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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 25:12 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.