Exodus 25:10
in Exodus 25And they are to construct an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they shall make an ark of acacia wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
KJV
And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
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This verse in Exodus 25
Commentary
9 notes on this verseBut when the passage about the equipment of the tabernacle is read, believing that the things described therein are types, some seek for ideas which they can attach to each detail that is mentioned in connection with the tabernacle. Now so far as concerns their belief that the tabernacle is a type of something they are not wrong. But in rightly attaching the word of Scripture to the particular idea of which the tabernacle is a type, here they sometimes fall into error.
This site's exposition
make an ark of shittim wood
on Exodus 25:10-13
The first object described is the ark, and the chapter works outward from it to the mercy seat above it and then to the table and candlestick that stand outside the vail. It is acacia wood overlaid with pure gold within and without, so the gold runs over a surface no one would ever see. The rings and the staves are commanded in the same breath as the box, before anyone has been told where it is going.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
And these holy places made with hands were the figures of the true, Heb. ix, 24. The gospel-church is the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man, Heb. viii, 2. The body of Christ, in and by which he made atonement, was the greater and more perfect tabernacle, Heb. ix, 11.
quarantine:near-duplicate (2026-07-29) — near-dup(64%, 2 voices)
11 ) or witness, Acts vii. The gospel of Christ is also called a testimony or witness, Matt. xxiv. That the tables of the law were carefully preserved in the ark for the purpose, to teach us to make much of the word of God, and to hide it in our hearts, in our innermost thoughts, as the ark was placed in the holy of holies.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
The tables of the law are called the testimony, because God did in them testify his will; his giving them that law was in token of his favour to them, and their acceptance of it was in token of their subjection to him.
And they shall make an ark of shittim wood,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
They shall make an ark - ארון aron signifies an ark, chest, coffer, or coffin. It is used particularly to designate that chest or coffer in which the testimony or two tables of the covenant was laid up, on the top of which was the propitiatory or mercy-seat, (see on Exo 25:17), and at the end of which were the cherubim of gold, (Exo 25:18-20), between whom the visible sign of the presence of the supreme God appeared as seated upon his throne.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
an ark--a coffer or chest, overlaid with gold, the dimensions of which, taking the cubit at eighteen inches, are computed to be three feet nine inches in length, two feet three inches in breadth.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
(compare Exo 37:1-5). The ark is uniformly designated in Exodus the ark of the testimony. Elsewhere it is called the testimony, the ark of the covenant (most frequently in Deuteronomy and the other books of the Old Testament), the ark of the lord, the ark of god, the ark of the strength of the lord, and the holy ark. The ark of the covenant was the central point of the sanctuary. It was designed to contain the testimony Exo 25:16; Exo 40:20; Deu 31:26, that is, the tables of the divine law, the terms of the covenant between Yahweh and His people: and it was to support the mercy-seat with its cherubim, from between which He was to hold communion with them Exo 25:22. On this account, in these directions for the construction of the sanctuary, it is named first of all the parts. But on the other hand, in the narrative of the work as it was actually carried out, we find that it was not made until after the tabernacle Exo 37:1-9. It was suitable that the receptacle should be first provided to receive and shelter the most sacred of the contents of the sanctuary as soon as it was completed. The order in which the works were executed seems to be given in Exo 31:7-10, and Exo 35:11-19. The completion of the ark is recorded in Exo 37:1-5. On its history, see the concluding $$note to Exo. 40. Exo 25:10 An ark - Taking the cubit at 18 inches (see Gen 6:15 note), the ark of the covenant was a box 3 ft. 9 in. long, 2 ft. 3 in. wide, and 2 ft. 3 in. deep. Exo 25:11 Overlay it with pure gold - Words descriptive of the common process of gilding. The Egyptians in early times were acquainted with both the art of gilding and that of covering a substance with thin plates of gold. A crown of gold - That is, an edging or moulding of gold round the top of the ark, within which the cover or mercy-seat Exo 25:17 may have fitted (compare Exo 38:2). […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The plural [ and ‘they’ shall make ] refers back to the children of Israel mentioned above. 96 Above, Verse. But afterwards Scripture states: And thou shalt overlay it, 97 Verse. And thou shalt cast for it. Verse.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and one-half amohs long, one and one-half amohs wide, and one and one-half amohs high.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָשׂ֥וּ | veasu | and they will make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֲר֖וֹן | ʾaron | an ark of | H727 → | 202 times |
| עֲצֵ֣י | ʾatzei | wood<s> of | H6086 → | 328 times |
| שִׁטִּ֑ים | shitim | acacia | H7848 → | 28 times |
| אַמָּתַ֨יִם | ʾamatayim | [will be] two cubits | H520 → | 247 times |
| וָחֵ֜צִי | vachetzi | and a half | H2677 → | 125 times |
| אָרְכּ֗וֹ | ʾareko | length its | H753 → | 95 times |
| וְאַמָּ֤ה | veamah | and [will be] a cubit | H520 → | 247 times |
| וָחֵ֙צִי֙ | vachetzi | and a half | H2677 → | 125 times |
| רָחְבּ֔וֹ | rachebo | breadth its | H7341 → | 101 times |
| וְאַמָּ֥ה | veamah | and [will be] a cubit | H520 → | 247 times |
| וָחֵ֖צִי | vachetzi | and a half | H2677 → | 125 times |
| קֹמָתֽוֹ׃ | komato | height its | H6967 → | 45 times |
וְעָשׂ֥וּand they will make
veasuH6213 →2628 times
אֲר֖וֹןan ark of
ʾaronH727 →202 times
עֲצֵ֣יwood<s> of
ʾatzeiH6086 →328 times
שִׁטִּ֑יםacacia
shitimH7848 →28 times
אַמָּתַ֨יִם[will be] two cubits
ʾamatayimH520 →247 times
וָחֵ֜צִיand a half
vachetziH2677 →125 times
אָרְכּ֗וֹlength its
ʾarekoH753 →95 times
וְאַמָּ֤הand [will be] a cubit
veamahH520 →247 times
וָחֵ֙צִי֙and a half
vachetziH2677 →125 times
רָחְבּ֔וֹbreadth its
racheboH7341 →101 times
וְאַמָּ֥הand [will be] a cubit
veamahH520 →247 times
וָחֵ֖צִיand a half
vachetziH2677 →125 times
קֹמָתֽוֹ׃height its
komatoH6967 →45 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 11:19Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake,…
it leads to
- Revelation 16:21
And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.
- Ezekiel 38:22
I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrents of rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.
- Revelation 15:5–8
After this I looked, and the temple—the tabernacle of the Testimony—was opened in heaven.
- Revelation 4:5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. These are the seven Spirits of God.
- Revelation 8:5
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
- Revelation 16:21
Through
Hebrews 9:4containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.
it leads to
- Numbers 17:10
The LORD said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebellious, so that you may put an end to their grumbling against…
- Leviticus 16:12
Then he must take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense, and take them inside the veil.
- Exodus 26:33
And hang the veil from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the veil. So the veil will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.
- Numbers 17:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Exodus
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 4.2.2.