Exodus 25:31 - Forerunner Commentary

Exodus 25:31

Commentaries:

No entry exists in Forerunner Commentary for Exodus 25:31.

Exodus 25:31-40
Excerpted from: Approaching God Through Christ (Part 5)

Now, this is a very interesting piece of furniture. Obviously, the most impressive bit of information that we get out of this is that it was pure gold. It was mentioned many times in this passage so that is very important.

The word "menorah," itself, simply means lampstand. There is nothing special about it. From all accounts, it appears that it stood about 42 inches (3 ½ feet) high. That is not very big. And, its branches came outward about 30 inches or so. There is some dispute among scholars as to whether they went out in an elliptical pattern, or straight out at an angle, or just straight out from the shaft. No one knows for sure. The Jews, pretty much by looking at the Arch of Titus, have gone with the elliptical curved branches.

So it had a central stem, or shaft, with three branches on each side, making seven lamps (the center had one too) in all. The look of it, because it was like this, was like a stylized tree, and the mention of almonds flowers here and there, makes one think that God based it on the idea of an almond tree.

Now, each of the six branches had three bowls—this is a bit hard to explain in words—but along the branch, as you go out from the central stem, there would be a place where these three cups or bowls began, and they were sort of stacked one upon the other. So, you would have a bowl, and then you have a bowl inside of it, and then another bowl inside of the second. But, they were all three the same size. It is like stacking cereal bowls or teacups in the cupboard. And, these bowls were ornamented on the outside either to look like almond blossoms (like the New King James Version has it), or perhaps almond leaves. Later on, there is a flower, so it might make you think that maybe there were leaves on these branches, and then you finally got to the flower on the end. But it is hard to say. But these three cups or bowls extended the branch out a little further because they were stacked one inside the other.

And then, at the end of the third one, was a knob. It was a round piece three or four inches in diameter, at the end of the third bowl, and it was also ornamented with various figures on it.

So, it had three cups, and then a knob. On top of the knob, then, you had a flower that appeared to be just opening up. And then on top of the flower, was the lamp. A small lamp like you would see commonly in the Middle East, looking almost like your hand being held out, being cupped slightly. There was oil in this palm area, and an opening for a wick to go in it.

Did you notice while going through Exodus 25, there, it says that the lamp would be oriented to give light in front of the lamp? So, these openings for all the wicks were on the side facing the middle of the room, with the light shining forward a bit.

So, each one of the branches had this pattern—a branch with three bowls set inside each other, a knob on top of that, a flower on top of that, and then the lamp filled with oil with a cotton or linen wick in it. We do not know for sure, but either would give a bright light.

The central stem or shaft was very much like one of the branches, however it had four bowls stacked on top of each other, with its knobs, flowers, and then the lamp at the top. So, instead of three, this had four.

There was also one other major difference on this stem, and that is where each set of branches came out of the stem, there was another knob. And acted like a capital, covering the area where the branches came out of the stem.

So, it was quite nicely ornamented, with very fine etchings, or whatever, to give this idea of a very ornamental type of tree.

One thing not mentioned in Exodus 25 is that it had a base. You would have to have a very substantial base because we are talking about 42 inches by 30 inches of pure gold. Gold is heavy. And if it were just stuck into the ground, most likely it would teeter and fall. And so, it was given a very substantial base. From … . . .

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