Exodus 37:1
in Exodus 37Bezalel went on to construct the 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 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it.
KJV
And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
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This verse in Exodus 37
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood,.... Jarchi says, because he gave his mind to this work more than the rest of the wise men, it is called by his name.
This site's exposition
And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood
on Exodus 37:1-2
The curtains of the previous chapter are credited to every wise hearted man among them at 36:8, and the ark is credited to Bezaleel by name. Exodus 31:3 says God filled him with the spirit of God for working metal, cutting stone and carving wood, and no person before him in Scripture is said to be filled with the Spirit. John Gill passes on Jarchi's reading, that the work carries his name because he gave his mind to it beyond the rest of the wise men. These building chapters repeat chapters 25 to 31 almost word for word, and the repetition is the report that this time the people did exactly what they were told, placed immediately after the chapter where they did the opposite.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim-wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
It is not on that account to be regarded as a useless repetition of minute particulars; for by the enumeration of these details, it can be seen how exactly everything was fashioned according to the "pattern shown on the mount" [Ex 25:40]; and the knowledge of this exact correspondence between the prescription and the execution was essential to the purposes of the fabric.
And Bezaleel made the ark, etc. - For a description of the ark, see Exo 25:10 (note), etc.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Bezalel made the ark because of its importance. 1 This is why our verse specifies that Bezalel made the ark.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Betzalel made the 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.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֧עַשׂ | vaiyaas | and he made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל | betzalel | Bezalel | H1212 → | 9 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָרֹ֖ן | haaron | the ark | H727 → | 202 times |
| עֲצֵ֣י | ʾatzei | wood<s> of | H6086 → | 328 times |
| שִׁטִּ֑ים | shitim | acacia | H7848 → | 28 times |
| אַמָּתַ֨יִם | ʾamatayim | [was] two cubits | H520 → | 247 times |
| וָחֵ֜צִי | vachetzi | and a half | H2677 → | 125 times |
| אָרְכּ֗וֹ | ʾareko | length its | H753 → | 95 times |
| וְאַמָּ֤ה | veamah | and [was] a cubit | H520 → | 247 times |
| וָחֵ֙צִי֙ | vachetzi | and a half | H2677 → | 125 times |
| רָחְבּ֔וֹ | rachebo | breadth its | H7341 → | 101 times |
| וְאַמָּ֥ה | veamah | and [was] a cubit | H520 → | 247 times |
| וָחֵ֖צִי | vachetzi | and a half | H2677 → | 125 times |
| קֹמָתֽוֹ׃ | komato | height its | H6967 → | 45 times |
וַיַּ֧עַשׂand he made
vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times
בְּצַלְאֵ֛לBezalel
betzalelH1212 →9 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָרֹ֖ןthe ark
haaronH727 →202 times
עֲצֵ֣יwood<s> of
ʾatzeiH6086 →328 times
שִׁטִּ֑יםacacia
shitimH7848 →28 times
אַמָּתַ֨יִם[was] two cubits
ʾamatayimH520 →247 times
וָחֵ֜צִיand a half
vachetziH2677 →125 times
אָרְכּ֗וֹlength its
ʾarekoH753 →95 times
וְאַמָּ֤הand [was] a cubit
veamahH520 →247 times
וָחֵ֙צִי֙and a half
vachetziH2677 →125 times
רָחְבּ֔וֹbreadth its
racheboH7341 →101 times
וְאַמָּ֥הand [was] 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
Exodus 40:3Put the ark of the Testimony in it and screen off the ark with the veil.
it leads to
- Exodus 35:12
the ark with its poles and mercy seat, and the veil to shield it;
- Numbers 4:5
Whenever the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the veil of the curtain, and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.
- Revelation 11:19
Then 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,…
- Exodus 35:12
Through
Exodus 26:33And 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.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:2–3
A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.
- Leviticus 16:2
And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark, or else he…
- Exodus 40:21
Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle, put up the veil for the screen, and shielded off the ark of the Testimony, just as the LORD had commanded him.
- Exodus 25:16
And place inside the ark the Testimony, which I will give you.
- Hebrews 9:2–3
Through
Exodus 31:7the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat upon it, and all the other furnishings of the tent—
it leads to
- Exodus 36:8
All the skilled craftsmen among the workmen made the ten curtains for the tabernacle. They were made of finely spun linen, as well as blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubim skillfully worked into…
- Exodus 36:8
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.