וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ כַפֹּ֖רֶת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר אַמָּתַ֤יִם וָחֵ֙צִי֙ אָרְכָּ֔הּ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי רָחְבָּֽהּ׃

You shall make an ark cover of pure gold. Its size should match that of the ark itself. Its length shall be two and a half cubits and its width a cubit and a half.

וְעָשִׂ֛יתָ שְׁנַ֥יִם כְּרֻבִ֖ים זָהָ֑ב מִקְשָׁה֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֔ם מִשְּׁנֵ֖י קְצ֥וֹת הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃

You shall make two cherubs of gold, in the likeness of heavenly beings. Hammered you shall make them, at the two ends of the ark cover. The cherubs and the ark cover were formed from one contiguous piece of solid gold. This could have been achieved by casting the gold in a mold, but the word hammered indicates that the cherubs were made by beating and striking a large gold block. This must have been a highly complicated and difficult process.

וַ֠עֲשֵׂה כְּר֨וּב אֶחָ֤ד מִקָּצָה֙ מִזֶּ֔ה וּכְרוּב־אֶחָ֥ד מִקָּצָ֖ה מִזֶּ֑ה מִן־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת תַּעֲשׂ֥וּ אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֖ים עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י קְצוֹתָֽיו׃

And make one cherub from this end of the ark cover and one cherub from that end; from the ark cover you shall make the cherubs from its two ends.

וְהָי֣וּ הַכְּרֻבִים֩ פֹּרְשֵׂ֨י כְנָפַ֜יִם לְמַ֗עְלָה סֹכְכִ֤ים בְּכַנְפֵיהֶם֙ עַל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת וּפְנֵיהֶ֖ם אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו אֶל־הַכַּפֹּ֔רֶת יִהְי֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הַכְּרֻבִֽים׃

The cherubs shall have wings spread from above, shielding with their wings over the ark cover, and their faces one to another; toward the ark cover the faces of the cherubs shall be. Though they should face each other, their gaze is to be directed downward, toward the ark cover.

וְנָתַתָּ֧ אֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת עַל־הָאָרֹ֖ן מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְאֶל־הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

You shall place the ark cover upon the ark from above; and in the ark you shall place the Tablets of the Testimony that I shall give you.

וְנוֹעַדְתִּ֣י לְךָ֮ שָׁם֒ וְדִבַּרְתִּ֨י אִתְּךָ֜ מֵעַ֣ל הַכַּפֹּ֗רֶת מִבֵּין֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־אֲרֹ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֑ת אֵ֣ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֧ר אֲצַוֶּ֛ה אוֹתְךָ֖ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (פ)

I will meet with you there, and I will tell you, from upon the ark cover, from between the two cherubs that are upon the Ark of the Testimony, everything that I will command you to the children of Israel. This would be the place of God’s revelation to Moses.

וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ שֻׁלְחָ֖ן עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים אַמָּתַ֤יִם אָרְכּוֹ֙ וְאַמָּ֣ה רָחְבּ֔וֹ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי קֹמָתֽוֹ׃

You shall make a table of acacia wood: Its length shall be two cubits, and its width one cubit, and its height one and a half cubits.

וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹת֖וֹ זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ לּ֛וֹ זֵ֥ר זָהָ֖ב סָבִֽיב׃

You shall plate it with pure gold, and you shall make for it a rim of gold all around. Like the ark (verse 11), the table was adorned with a kind of crown.

וְעָשִׂ֨יתָ לּ֥וֹ מִסְגֶּ֛רֶת טֹ֖פַח סָבִ֑יב וְעָשִׂ֧יתָ זֵר־זָהָ֛ב לְמִסְגַּרְתּ֖וֹ סָבִֽיב׃

You shall make for it a border of one handbreadth all around in height, and you shall make the aforementioned rim of gold for its border all around.

וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ אַרְבַּ֖ע טַבְּעֹ֣ת זָהָ֑ב וְנָתַתָּ֙ אֶת־הַטַּבָּעֹ֔ת עַ֚ל אַרְבַּ֣ע הַפֵּאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֖ר לְאַרְבַּ֥ע רַגְלָֽיו׃

You shall make for it four rings of gold, and you shall place the rings on the four corners that are on its, the table’s, four legs.

לְעֻמַּת֙ הַמִּסְגֶּ֔רֶת תִּהְיֶ֖יןָ הַטַּבָּעֹ֑ת לְבָתִּ֣ים לְבַדִּ֔ים לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָֽן׃

Adjacent to the border the rings shall be, and they shall be used as housings for the staves that are used to carry the table.

וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ אֶת־הַבַּדִּים֙ עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֔ים וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹתָ֖ם זָהָ֑ב וְנִשָּׂא־בָ֖ם אֶת־הַשֻּׁלְחָֽן׃

You shall make the staves of acacia wood and you shall plate them with gold, and the table will be carried with them. Like the ark, the table should be carried from place to place by its staves.

וְעָשִׂ֨יתָ קְּעָרֹתָ֜יו וְכַפֹּתָ֗יו וּקְשׂוֹתָיו֙ וּמְנַקִּיֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֻסַּ֖ךְ בָּהֵ֑ן זָהָ֥ב טָה֖וֹר תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָֽם׃

You shall also make accoutrements for the table: Its bowls to hold flour or dough; and its spoons for the frankincense; and its tubes [ uksotav ], which formed a layered frame above the table on which to place the bread. Some interpret this word to mean bowls in which the dough was kneaded. And its supports [ umnakiyotav ], two posts on either side of the table, which would hold the layers of the frame like drawers. These are the accoutrements with which it, the table, shall be covered. Others interpret umnakiyotav as denoting tools used for cleaning the oven. From pure gold you shall make all of them.

וְנָתַתָּ֧ עַֽל־הַשֻּׁלְחָ֛ן לֶ֥חֶם פָּנִ֖ים לְפָנַ֥י תָּמִֽיד׃ (פ)

You shall place showbread [ leh · ], 1 literally “bread with a front,” upon the table, before Me always.