Then he made the lampstand out of pure hammered gold, all of one piece: its base and shaft, its cups, and its buds and petals.
Parallel translations
- WEB He made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand of beaten work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were of one piece with it.
- KJV And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
- NKJV He also made the lampstand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lampstand. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece.
- NASB Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs, and its flowers were of one piece with it.
- NLT Then Bezalel made the lampstand of pure, hammered gold. He made the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals.
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 lampstand (menorah) was made of one piece of hammered pure gold, with base, shaft, cups, buds, and blossoms. It gave light in the Holy Place.
Overview
The golden lampstand provided continual light in the sanctuary, its almond-blossom design recalling living, fruitful growth. Light before God's presence points to Christ, the light of the world (John 8:12), and to His people as lights in the world (Matthew 5:14). The single-piece construction follows Exodus 25:31.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Exod 25:31–39Then you are to make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. It shall be made of one piece, including its base and shaft, its cups, and its buds and petals.
- Heb 9:2A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.
- Lev 24:4He shall tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.
- 1 Chr 28:15the weight of the gold lampstands and their lamps, including the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; the weight of each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand;
- 2 Chr 13:11Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him.
- Zech 4:11Then I asked the angel, “What are the two olive trees on the right and left of the lampstand?”
- Zech 4:2“What do you see?” he asked. “I see a solid gold lampstand,” I replied, “with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven spouts to the lamps.
- Phil 2:15so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world
- Matt 5:15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
- John 1:4–9In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
- Rev 1:12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
- Exod 40:24–25He also placed the lampstand in the Tent of Meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle
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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 37:17 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
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