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. You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. The poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it.
Show the surrounding paragraph
Exodus 25:12-15 sits inside this longer paragraph.
“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Its length shall be two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height. You shall overlay it with pure gold. You shall overlay it inside and outside, and you shall make a gold molding around it. 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. You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark. The poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it. You shall put the covenant which I shall give you into the ark. You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two and a half cubits shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its width. You shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. You shall make the cherubim on its two ends of one piece with the mercy seat. The cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the covenant that I will give you. There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the covenant, all that I command you for the children of Israel.
Parallel Translations
-
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.
You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.
The poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it.
-
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.
And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
Show all 3 translations
-
And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four feet thereof; and two rings shall be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
And thou shalt make staves of acacia-wood, and overlay them with gold.
And thou shalt put the staves into the rings on the sides of the ark, wherewith to bear the ark.
The staves shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Commandments (1)
The laws of the Torah, each cited and shown as a primary source.
Cross-references (18)
- 1 Kings 8:8 (v15) The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary; but they were not seen outside.…
- Exodus 25:15 (v12) The poles shall be in the rings of the ark. They shall not be taken from it.
- Exodus 37:5 (v12) He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
- Exodus 25:28 (v13) You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them.
- Exodus 27:6 (v13) You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
Show all 18 cross-references
- Exodus 30:5 (v13) You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
- Exodus 37:4 (v13) He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
- Exodus 40:20 (v13) He took and put the covenant into the ark, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark.
- Numbers 4:6 (v13) put a covering of sealskin on it, spread a blue cloth over it, and put in its poles.
- Numbers 4:8 (v13) They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.
- Numbers 4:11 (v13) “On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.
- Numbers 4:14 (v13) They shall put on it all its vessels with which they minister about it, the fire pans, the meat hooks, the shovels, and the basins—all the…
- 1 Chronicles 15:15 (v13) The children of the Levites bore God’s ark on their shoulders with its poles, as Moses commanded according to Yahweh’s word.
- 2 Chronicles 5:9 (v15) The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark in front of the inner sanctuary; but they were not seen outside;…
- Exodus 25:26 (v12) You shall make four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that are on its four feet.
- Exodus 26:29 (v12) You shall overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars. You shall overlay the bars with gold.
- Exodus 27:7 (v12) Its poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when carrying it.
- Exodus 38:7 (v12) He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v12 Or, feet.
Or, feet.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Exo 25:12 And thou shalt cast four rings of…
Exo 25:12 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.
Ver. 12, 13. And thou shalt cast four rings, &c.] These staff rings were to continue upon the ark; the Kohathites’ shoulders felt wherefore. But "God helped them to bear the ark"; {1Ch 15:26} and so he doth still his gospel ministers.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On v12 In the four corners; in the middle of each…
In the four corners; in the middle of each corner, for conveniency of carriage. See 1Ki 7:30.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv12–15 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for…
And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it,.... For which a mould was to be made, and the gold being melted was poured into it, and so the rings were fashioned:
and put them in the corners thereof; or, "in its feet", as Aben Ezra, though Jarchi says it had no feet; but as the word used so signifies always, it is more probable it had feet; and the rather, that it might not stand upon the ground, but on feet, as chests and coffers usually do:
Read full note →
and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it; Jarchi says, at the upper corners, near the mercy seat were they placed, two on one side and two on the other, at the breadth of the ark; but it is more likely they were fixed in the lower part of it, as Ramban, at the feet of it; and in the length of the ark, as Josephus writes (m).
(m) Antiqu. l. 3. c. 6. sect. 5
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v15 Verse 15. The staves - shall not be taken…
Verse 15. The staves - shall not be taken from it.] Because it should ever be considered as in readiness to be removed, God not having told them at what hour he should command them to strike their tents. If the staves were never to be taken out, how can it be said, as in Nu 4:6, that when the camp should set forward, they should put in the staves thereof, which intimates that when they encamped, they took out the staves, which appears to be contrary to what is here said? To reconcile these two places, it has been supposed, with great show of probability, that besides the staves which passed through the rings of the ark, and by which it was carried, there were two other staves or poles in the form of a bier or handbarrow, on which the ark was laid in order to be transported in their journeyings, when it and its own staves, still in their rings, had been wrapped up in the covering of what is called badgers' skins and blue cloth. The staves of the ark itself, which might be considered as its handles simply to lift it by, were never taken out of their rings; but the staves or poles which served as a bier were taken from under it when they encamped.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v14 Carried on them, when exposed in solemn processions. These…
Carried on them, when exposed in solemn processions. These were covered along with the ark: and other bars were used to remove the ark during the journeys in the desert, Numbers iv. 6. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv12, 15 rings--staples for the poles, with which it was to…
rings--staples for the poles, with which it was to be carried from place to place.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v12 12-15. Rings… staves — The position of these is…
12-15. Rings… staves — The position of these is seen in the cut, and the whole, as wont to be carried by the priests, is shown in the following cut.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv12–13 12. in] on, i.e. fasten them on to.
12. in] on, i.e. fasten them on to.
feet] short supports for the ark. Not the word used in v. 26.
Read full note →
on the one side, &c.] It is not stated whether the longer or the shorter sides are meant. The former are commonly thought of: but if the writer thought that the Divine throne should always face in the direction in which it was borne (v. 14), the latter will have been intended (DB. iv. 665b; cf. 1Ki_8:8). ‘Rib’(marg.) fig. for side occurs also v. 14, Exo_26:20; Exo_26:26-27; Exo_26:35, Exo_27:7, 2Sa_16:13 al.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv12, 15 (12) Four rings of gold.—Though the ark was not…
(12) Four rings of gold.—Though the ark was not to be carried in procession, like Egyptian arks, yet it would have to be carried when the Israelites resumed their journeyings. The four rings were made to receive the two “staves” or poles by which the ark was to be borne at such times on the shoulders of the priests (Exo_25:13-14).
In the four corners thereof.—Literally, at the four feet thereof. The rings were to be affixed, not at the four upper corners of the chest, but at the four bottom corners, in order that the ark, when carried on men’s shoulders, might be elevated above them, and so be in no danger of coming in contact with the bearers’ persons. The arrangement might seem to endanger the equilibrium of the ark when carried; but as Kalisch observes, “the smallness of the dimensions of the ark rendered its safe transportation, even with the rings at its feet, not impossible.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Four rings of gold. These rings were to be…
Four rings of gold. These rings were to be fixed, not at the upper, but at the lower corners of the chest, which are called pa"amoth, literally "feet" or "bases." The object was, no doubt, that no part of the chest should come in contact with the persons of the priests when carrying it (see ver. 14). As Kalisch notes, "the smallness of the dimensions of the ark rendered its safe transportation, even with the rings at its feet, not impossible."
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv12, 15 General Information:
General Information:
Yahweh continues to tell Moses what the people must do.
Read full note →
cast four rings of gold
Casting was a process in which gold was melted, poured into a mold that was in the shape of a ring, and then allowed to harden.
in order to carry the ark
"so that you can carry the ark"
translationWords
gold
ark of the covenant
acacia
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v12 25:12-15 The carrying poles were there so that no…
25:12-15 The carrying poles were there so that no one would touch this representation of God’s devastating holiness. Later, a death occurred when someone instinctively reached out to steady the Ark as it was being moved from one place to another (see 2 Sam 6:6-7).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.