Exodus 25:31
in Exodus 25Then 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made, even its base, and its shaft; its cups, its knops, and its flowers, shall be of one piece with it:
KJV
And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
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This verse in Exodus 25
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Exo 25:31 A candlestick of pure gold - (Compare Exo 37:17-24.) A lampstand rather than a candlestick. Its purpose was to support seven oil-lamps. Its height appears to have been about three feet, and its width two feet. The original foot was lost or stolen when the candlestick was taken out of the temple, and the pedestal in the sculpture was added by some Roman artist to set off the trophy. His shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers - Or, its base, its stem, its flower cups, its knobs, and its lilies.
This site's exposition
Then you are to make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold
on Exodus 25:31-36
The lampstand is “made of one piece,” base, shaft, cups, buds and petals, with nothing joined on. Its cups are “shaped like almond blossoms,” and the almond buds on Aaron's staff at Numbers 17:8 to settle the priesthood.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The tabernacle had no windows, all its light was candle-light, which notes the comparative darkness of that dispensation, while the sun of righteousness was not as yet risen, nor had the day-star from on high visited his church.
3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold,.... Another piece of household furniture, and an useful one, especially in a house where there are no windows, as there were none in the tabernacle, denoting the darkness of the legal dispensation, see 2Ki 4:
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
candlestick--literally, "a lamp bearer." It was so constructed as to be capable of being taken to pieces for facility in removal. The shaft or stock rested on a pedestal.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A candlestick of pure gold - This candlestick or chandelier is generally described as having one shaft or stock, with six branches proceeding from it, adorned at equal distances with six flowers like lilies, with as many bowls and knops placed alternately. On each of the branches there was a lamp, and one on the top of the shaft which occupied the center; thus there were seven lamps in all, Exo 25:37. These seven lamps were lighted every evening and extinguished every morning. We are not so certain of the precise form of any instrument or utensil of the tabernacle or temple, as we are of this, the golden table, and the two silver trumpets. Titus, after the overthrow of Jerusalem, a.d. 70, had the golden candlestick and the golden table of the shew-bread, the silver trumpets, and the book of the law, taken out of the temple and carried in triumph to Rome; and Vespasian lodged them in the temple which he had consecrated to the goddess of Peace. Some plants also of the balm of Jericho are said to have been carried in the procession. At the foot of Mount Palatine there are the ruins of an arch, on which the triumph of Titus for his conquest of the Jews is represented, and on which the several monuments which were carried in the procession are sculptured, and particularly the golden candlestick, the table of the shew-bread and the two silver trumpets. A correct Model of this arch, taken on the spot, now stands before me; and the spoils of the temple, the candlestick, the golden table, and the two trumpets, are represented on the panel on the left hand, in the inside of the arch, in basso-relievo. The candlestick is not so ornamented as it appears in many prints; at the same time it looks much better than it does in the engraving of this arch given by Montfaucon, Antiq. Expliq., vol. iv., pl. 32. […]
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ | veasita | and you will make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| מְנֹרַ֖ת | menorat | a lampstand of | H4501 → | 42 times |
| זָהָ֣ב | zahav | gold | H2091 → | 389 times |
| טָה֑וֹר | tahor | pure | H2889 → | 94 times |
| מִקְשָׁ֞ה | mikshah | hammered work | H4749 → | 9 times |
| תֵּעָשֶׂ֤ה | teaseh | it will be made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הַמְּנוֹרָה֙ | hamenorah | the lampstand | H4501 → | 42 times |
| יְרֵכָ֣הּ | yerekhah | base its | H3409 → | 34 times |
| וְקָנָ֔הּ | vekanah | and shaft its | H7070 → | 62 times |
| גְּבִיעֶ֛יהָ | gevieiha | cups its | H1375 → | 14 times |
| כַּפְתֹּרֶ֥יהָ | kaftoreiha | bulbs its | H3730 → | 18 times |
| וּפְרָחֶ֖יהָ | uferacheiha | and blossoms its | H6525 → | 17 times |
| מִמֶּ֥נָּה | mimenah | from it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| יִהְיֽוּ׃ | yihyu | they will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
וְעָשִׂ֥יתָand you will make
veasitaH6213 →2628 times
מְנֹרַ֖תa lampstand of
menoratH4501 →42 times
זָהָ֣בgold
zahavH2091 →389 times
טָה֑וֹרpure
tahorH2889 →94 times
מִקְשָׁ֞הhammered work
mikshahH4749 →9 times
תֵּעָשֶׂ֤הit will be made
teasehH6213 →2628 times
הַמְּנוֹרָה֙the lampstand
hamenorahH4501 →42 times
יְרֵכָ֣הּbase its
yerekhahH3409 →34 times
וְקָנָ֔הּand shaft its
vekanahH7070 →62 times
גְּבִיעֶ֛יהָcups its
gevieihaH1375 →14 times
כַּפְתֹּרֶ֥יהָbulbs its
kaftoreihaH3730 →18 times
וּפְרָחֶ֖יהָand blossoms its
uferacheihaH6525 →17 times
מִמֶּ֥נָּהfrom it
mimenahH4480 →1188 times
יִהְיֽוּ׃they will be
yihyuH1961 →3559 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 1:12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
it leads to
- Zechariah 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.
- Exodus 25:37
Make seven lamps and set them up on the lampstand so that they illuminate the area in front of it.
- Revelation 1:20
This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands…
- Zechariah 4:2
Through
Zechariah 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.
it leads to
- Matthew 5:14–16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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 1:12
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
- Matthew 5:14–16
Through
Hebrews 9:2A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.
it leads to
- Exodus 40:4
Then bring in the table and set out its arrangement; bring in the lampstand as well, and set up its lamps.
- Leviticus 24:5–8
You are also to take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf,
- Exodus 40:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
About Exodus
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 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.