Exodus 37:17

Exo 37:17. This candlestick, which was not of wood overlaid with gold, but all beaten work of pure gold only, signified that light of divine revelation with which God’s church upon earth (which is his tabernacle among men) hath always been enlightened, being always supplied with fresh oil from Christ the good olive, Zec 4:2-3. The Bible is a golden candlestick, it is of pure gold; from it light is diffused to every part of God’s tabernacle, that by it the spiritual priests may see to do the service of his sanctuary. This candlestick has not only its bowls for necessary use, but its knops and flowers for ornament; many things which God saw fit to beautify his word with, which we can no more give a reason for than for these knops and flowers, and yet must be sure they were added for some good purpose. Let us bless God for this candlestick, have an eye to it continually, and dread the removal of it out of its place!

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Connecting Statement:

Bezalel's work crew continues to build the tabernacle and furniture.

General Information:

(See: Numbers)

He made ... from the lampstand

For Exo 37:17-19 see how you translated many of these words in Exodus 25:31-32 and Exodus 25:33.

Its cups, its leafy bases, and its flowers were all made of one piece with it

This can be stated in active form. AT: "He made the cups, its leafy bases, and its flowers as one piece with the lampstand" (See: Active or Passive)

three cups made like almond blossoms

This can be stated in active form. AT: "he made the 3 cups look like almond blossoms" (See: Active or Passive)

almond blossoms

An almond blossom is a white or pink flower with five petals that grows on an almond tree.

translationWords

lampstand

pure

gold

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

he made the candlestick of pure gold--Practical readers will be apt to say, "Why do such works with the hammer, when they could have been cast so much easier--a process they were well acquainted with?" The only answer that can be given is, that it was done according to order. We have no doubt but there were reasons for so distinctive an order, something significant, which has not been revealed to us [NAPIER]. The whole of that sacred building was arranged with a view to inculcate through every part of its apparatus the great fundamental principles of revelation. Every object was symbolical of important truth--every piece of furniture was made the hieroglyphic of a doctrine or a duty--on the floor and along the sides of that movable edifice was exhibited, by emblematic signs addressed to the eye, the whole remedial scheme of the gospel. How far this spiritual instruction was received by every successive generation of the Israelites, it may not be easy to determine. But the tabernacle, like the law of which it was a part, was a schoolmaster to Christ [Gal 3:24-25]. Just as the walls of schools are seen studded with pictorial figures, by which the children, in a manner level to their capacities and suited to arrest their volatile minds, are kept in constant and familiar remembrance of the lessons of piety and virtue, so the tabernacle was intended by its furniture and all its arrangements to serve as a "shadow of good things to come" [Heb 10:1]. In this view, the minute description given in this chapter respecting the ark and mercy seat, the table of showbread, the candlestick, the altar of incense, and the holy oil, were of the greatest utility and importance; and though there are a few things that are merely ornamental appendages, such as the knops and the flowers, yet, in introducing these into the tabernacle, God displayed the same wisdom and goodness as He has done by introducing real flowers into the kingdom of nature to engage and gratify the eye of man.

Next: Exodus Chapter 38

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 17. He made the candlestick] See this described in the note on Ex 25:31. See Clarke on Ex 25:31.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

This candlestick, which was not of wood overlaid with gold, but all beaten-work of pure gold only, signified that light of divine Revelation with which God's church upon earth (which is his tabernacle among men) hath always been enlightened, being always supplied with fresh oil from Christ the good olive, Zech. iv, 2, 3. The bible is a golden candlestick, it is of pure gold; from it light is diffused to every part of God's tabernacle, that by it the spiritual priests may see to do the service of his sanctuary. The candlestick has not only its bowls for necessary use, but its knops and flowers for ornament; many things which God saw fit to beautify his word with, which we can no more give a reason for than for these knops and flowers, and yet must be sure they wert added for good purpose. Let us bless God for this candlestick, have an eye to it continually, and dread the removal of it out of its place!

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The Candlestick

v. 17. And he made the candlestick of pure gold; of beaten work made he the candlestick, of chased workmanship; his shaft, the base, and his branch, the heavy upright holder, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same;

v. 18. and six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof;

v. 19. three bowls made after the fashion of almonds, shaped like the blossoms of the almond-tree, in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower; so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.

v. 20. And in the candlestick, in the shaft itself, were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers;

v. 21. and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it, the knobs thus serving as ornaments at the branching of the arms.

v. 22. Their knops and their branches were of the same; all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.

v. 23. And he made his seven lamps, which were set into the bowls, and his snuffers and his snuff-dishes, the shears and pincers for trimming the wicks and the small plates for the trimmings, of pure gold.

v. 24. of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof, their value, by a rough estimate, being some $30,000. Cf Exo 25:31-40.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.