Keluaran 25:31-38

The Lampstand

25:31 ¹ “You are to make a lampstand ²  of pure gold. The lampstand is to be made of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups, ³  its buds, and its blossoms are to be from the same piece. ⁴  25:32 Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand, ⁵  three branches of the lampstand from one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it. ⁶  25:33 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on the next ⁷  branch, and the same ⁸  for the six branches extending from the lampstand. 25:34 On the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, 25:35 with a bud under the first ⁹  two branches from it, and a bud under the next ¹⁰  two branches from it, and a bud under the third ¹¹  two branches from it, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 25:36 Their buds and their branches will be one piece, ¹²  all of it one hammered piece of pure gold.

25:37 “You are to make its seven lamps, ¹³  and then set ¹⁴  its lamps up on it, so that it will give light ¹⁵  to the area in front of it. 25:38 Its trimmers and its trays ¹⁶  are to be ¹⁷  of pure gold.

Keluaran 37:17-24

The Making of the Lampstand

37:17 He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its blossoms were from the same piece. ¹⁸  37:18 Six branches were extending from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it. 37:19 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the next ¹⁹  branch, and the same ²⁰  for the six branches that were extending from the lampstand. 37:20 On the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, 37:21 with a bud under the first two branches from it, and a bud under the next two branches from it, and a bud under the third two branches from it; according to the six branches that extended from it. ²¹  37:22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece; ²²  all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 37:23 He made its seven lamps, its trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 37:24 He made the lampstand ²³  and all its accessories with seventy-five pounds of pure gold.

Keluaran 40:24-25

40:24 And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. 40:25 Then he set up the lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Keluaran 40:1

Setting Up the Sanctuary

40:1 ²⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ²⁵ 

Kisah Para Rasul 7:49-50

7:49 ‘Heaven is my throne,

and earth is the footstool for my feet.

What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,

or what is my resting place? ²⁶ 

7:50 Did my hand ²⁷  not make all these things?’ ²⁸ 

Kisah Para Rasul 7:1

Stephen’s Defense Before the Council

7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” ²⁹ 

Kisah Para Rasul 28:15

28:15 The brothers from there, ³⁰  when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius ³¹  and Three Taverns ³²  to meet us. When he saw them, ³³  Paul thanked God and took courage.

Kisah Para Rasul 28:2

28:2 The local inhabitants ³⁴  showed us extraordinary ³⁵  kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain ³⁶  and was cold.

Kisah Para Rasul 4:7

4:7 After ³⁷  making Peter and John ³⁸  stand in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power or by what name ³⁹  did you do this?”

Kisah Para Rasul 4:2

4:2 angry ⁴⁰  because they were teaching the people and announcing ⁴¹  in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

Kisah Para Rasul 4:20-22

4:20 for it is impossible ⁴²  for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” 4:21 After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising ⁴³  God for what had happened. 4:22 For the man, on whom this miraculous sign ⁴⁴  of healing had been performed, ⁴⁵  was over forty years old.

Kisah Para Rasul 13:11

13:11 Now ⁴⁶  look, the hand of the Lord is against ⁴⁷  you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness ⁴⁸  and darkness came over ⁴⁹  him, and he went around seeking people ⁵⁰  to lead him by the hand.

Yeremia 52:19

52:19 The captain of the royal guard took the gold and silver bowls, censers, ⁵¹  basins, pots, lampstands, pans, and vessels. ⁵² 

Matius 5:14-16

5:14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 5:15 People ⁵³  do not light a lamp and put it under a basket ⁵⁴  but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

Wahyu 1:12

1:12 I ⁵⁵  turned to see whose voice was speaking to me, ⁵⁶  and when I did so, ⁵⁷  I saw seven golden lampstands,

Wahyu 1:20--2:1

1:20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands is this: ⁵⁸  The seven stars are the angels ⁵⁹  of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

To the Church in Ephesus

2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus, ⁶⁰  write the following: ⁶¹ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ⁶²  the one who has a firm grasp on ⁶³  the seven stars in his right hand ⁶⁴  – the one who walks among the seven golden ⁶⁵  lampstands:

[25:31]  ¹ sn Clearly the point here is to provide light in the tent for access to God. He provided for his worshipers a light for the way to God, but he also wanted them to provide oil for the lamp to ensure that the light would not go out. Verses 31-36 describe the piece. It was essentially one central shaft, with three branches on either side turned out and upward. The stem and the branches were ornamented every so often with gold that was formed into the shape of the calyx and corolla of the almond flower. On top of the central shaft and the six branches were the lamps.

[25:31]  ² tn The word is מְנֹרָה (mÿnorah) – here in construct to a following genitive of material. The main piece was one lampstand, but there were seven lamps on the shaft and its branches. See E. Goodenough, “The Menorah among the Jews of the Roman World,” HUCA 23 (1950/51): 449-92.

[25:31]  ³ sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 342-44) says that the description “the cups, knobs and flowers” is explained in vv. 32-36 as three decorations in the form of a cup, shaped like an almond blossom, to be made on one branch. Every cup will have two parts, (a) a knob, that is, the receptacle at the base of the blossom, and (b) a flower, which is called the corolla, so that each lamp rests on top of a flower.

[25:31]  ⁴ tn Heb “will be from/of it”; the referent (“the same piece” of wrought metal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:32]  ⁵ tn Heb “from the sides of it.”

[25:32]  ⁶ tn Heb “from the second side.”

[25:33]  ⁷ tn The text uses “one” again; “the one…the one” means “the one…and the next” in the distributive sense.

[25:33]  ⁸ tn Heb “thus.”

[25:35]  ⁹ tn For clarity the phrase “the first” has been supplied.

[25:35]  ¹⁰ tn For clarity the phrase “the next” has been supplied.

[25:35]  ¹¹ tn For clarity the phrase “the third” has been supplied.

[25:36]  ¹² tn Heb “will be from it.”

[25:37]  ¹³ tn The word for “lamps” is from the same root as the lampstand, of course. The word is נֵרוֹת (nerot). This probably refers to the small saucer-like pottery lamps that are made very simply with the rim pinched over to form a place to lay the wick. The bowl is then filled with olive oil as fuel.

[25:37]  ¹⁴ tn The translation “set up on” is from the Hebrew verb “bring up.” The construction is impersonal, “and he will bring up,” meaning “one will bring up.” It may mean that people were to fix the lamps on to the shaft and the branches, rather than cause the light to go up (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 277).

[25:37]  ¹⁵ tn This is a Hiphil perfect with vav consecutive, from אוֹר (’or, “light”), and in the causative, “to light, give light.”

[25:38]  ¹⁶ sn The first word refers to something like small tongs or tweezers used to pull up and trim the wicks; the second word refers to fire-pans or censers.

[25:38]  ¹⁷ tn “are to be” has been supplied.

[37:17]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “from it”; the referent (“the same piece” of wrought metal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:19]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the one branch.” But the repetition of “one…one” means here one after another, or the “first” and then the “next.”

[37:19]  ²⁰ tn Heb “thus for six branches….”

[37:21]  ²¹ tn As in Exod 26:35, the translation of “first” and “next” and “third” is interpretive, because the text simply says “under two branches” in each of three places.

[37:22]  ²² tn Heb “were from it.”

[37:24]  ²³ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the lampstand) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[40:1]  ²⁴ sn All of Exod 39:32-40:38 could be taken as a unit. The first section (39:32-43) shows that the Israelites had carefully and accurately completed the preparation and brought everything they had made to Moses: The work of the Lord builds on the faithful obedience of the people. In the second section are the instruction and the implementation (40:1-33): The work of the Lord progresses through the unifying of the work. The last part (40:34-38) may take the most attention: When the work was completed, the glory filled the tabernacle: By his glorious presence, the Lord blesses and directs his people in their worship.

[40:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying.”

[7:49]  ²⁶ sn What kind…resting place? The rhetorical questions suggest mere human beings cannot build a house to contain God.

[7:50]  ²⁷ tn Or “Did I.” The phrase “my hand” is ultimately a metaphor for God himself.

[7:50]  ²⁸ tn The question in Greek introduced with οὐχί (ouci) expects a positive reply.

[7:50]  sn A quotation from Isa 66:1-2. If God made the heavens, how can a human building contain him?

[7:1]  ²⁹ tn Grk “If it is so concerning these things” (see BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a for this use).

[28:15]  ³⁰ sn Mention of Christian brothers from there (Rome) shows that God’s message had already spread as far as Italy and the capital of the empire.

[28:15]  ³¹ sn The Forum of Appius was a small traveler’s stop on the Appian Way about 43 mi (71 km) south of Rome (BDAG 125 s.v. ᾿Αππίου φόρον). It was described by Horace as “crammed with boatmen and stingy tavernkeepers” (Satires 1.5.3).

[28:15]  ³² sn Three Taverns was a stop on the Appian Way 33 mi (55 km) south of Rome.

[28:15]  ³³ tn Grk “whom, when he saw [them], Paul.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the personal pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation.

[28:2]  ³⁴ tn Although this is literally βάρβαροι (barbaroi; “foreigners, barbarians”) used for non-Greek or non-Romans, as BDAG 166 s.v. βάρβαρος 2.b notes, “Of the inhabitants of Malta, who apparently spoke in their native language Ac 28:2, 4 (here β. certainly without derogatory tone…).”

[28:2]  ³⁵ tn BDAG 1019 s.v. τυγχάνω 2.d states, “δυνάμεις οὐ τὰς τυχούσας extraordinary miracles Ac 19:11. Cp. 28:2.”

[28:2]  ³⁶ tn Or “because it was about to rain.” BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 4 states, “διὰ τ. ὑετὸν τὸν ἐφεστῶτα because it had begun to rain Ac 28:2…But the mng. here could also be because it threatened to rain (s. 6).”

[4:7]  ³⁷ tn Grk “And after.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new sentence is begun in the translation at the beginning of v. 7.

[4:7]  ³⁸ tn Grk “making them”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:7]  ³⁹ sn By what name. The issue of the “name” comes up again here. This question, meaning “by whose authority,” surfaces an old dispute (see Luke 20:1-8). Who speaks for God about the ancient faith?

[4:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “greatly annoyed,” “provoked.”

[4:2]  ⁴¹ tn Or “proclaiming.”

[4:20]  ⁴² tn Grk “for we are not able not to speak about what we have seen and heard,” but the double negative, which cancels out in English, is emphatic in Greek. The force is captured somewhat by the English translation “it is impossible for us not to speak…” although this is slightly awkward.

[4:21]  ⁴³ tn Or “glorifying.”

[4:22]  ⁴⁴ tn Here σημεῖον (shmeion) has been translated as “miraculous sign” rather than simply “sign” or “miracle” since both components appear to be present in the context. See also the note on this word in v. 16.

[4:22]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “had been done.”

[13:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “And now.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[13:11]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “upon,” but in a negative sense.

[13:11]  ⁴⁸ sn The term translated mistiness here appears in the writings of the physician Galen as a medical technical description of a person who is blind. The picture of judgment to darkness is symbolic as well. Whatever power Elymas had, it represented darkness. Magic will again be an issue in Acts 19:18-19. This judgment is like that of Ananias and his wife in Acts 5:1-11.

[13:11]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “fell on.”

[13:11]  ⁵⁰ tn The noun χειραγωγός (ceiragwgo") is plural, so “people” is used rather than singular “someone.”

[52:19]  ⁵¹ sn The censers held the embers used for the incense offerings.

[52:19]  ⁵² sn These vessels were used for drink offerings.

[5:15]  ⁵³ tn Grk “Nor do they light.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.

[5:15]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “a bowl”; this refers to any container for dry material of about eight liters (two gallons) capacity. It could be translated “basket, box, bowl” (L&N 6.151).

[1:12]  ⁵⁵ tn Throughout the translation John’s use of καί (kai) often reflects the varied usage of the Hebrew conjunction ו (vav). A clause which καί introduces has been translated in terms of its semantic relationship to the clause that preceded it. If the καί seemed redundant, however, it was left untranslated; that is the case in this verse.

[1:12]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”

[1:12]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “and turning I saw.” The repetition of ἐπιστρέφω (epistrefw) is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been translated generally.

[1:20]  ⁵⁸ tn The words “is this” are supplied to make a complete sentence in English.

[1:20]  ⁵⁹ tn Or perhaps “the messengers.”

[2:1]  ⁶⁰ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[2:1]  ⁶¹ tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.

[2:1]  ⁶² tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” The expression τάδε λέγει (tade legei) occurs eight times in the NT, seven of which are in Rev 2-3. “The pronoun is used to add solemnity to the prophetic utterance that follows. …In classical drama, it was used to introduce a new actor to the scene (Smyth, Greek Grammar, 307 [§1241]). But the τάδε λέγει formula in the NT derives from the OT, where it was used to introduce a prophetic utterance (BAGD, s.v. ὅδε, 1)” (ExSyn 328). Thus, the translation “this is the solemn pronouncement of” for τάδε λέγει is very much in keeping with the OT connotations of this expression.

[2:1]  sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. The LXX has the same Greek phrase (τάδε λέγει, tade legei) about 350 times, with nearly 320 of them having “the Lord” (Heb יהוה, Yahweh) as subject. That the author of Revelation would use such an expression seven times with the risen Christ as the speaker may well imply something of Christ’s sovereignty and deity. Cf. also Acts 21:11 in which the Holy Spirit is the speaker of this expression.

[2:1]  ⁶³ tn Grk “holds,” but the term (i.e., κρατῶν, kratwn) with an accusative object, along with the context, argues for a sense of firmness. (Cf. ExSyn 132.)

[2:1]  ⁶⁴ sn On seven stars in his right hand see 1:16.

[2:1]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “lampstands of gold” with the genitive τῶν χρυσῶν (twn cruswn) translated as an attributive genitive.