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Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 5: Harmony of the Law, Part III, tr. by John King, [1847-50], at sacred-texts.com
1. And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim-wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it.
1. Fecit etiam Beseleel arcam e lignis sittim: duorum cubitorum et dimidii longitudo ejus: cubiti et dimidii latitudo ejus: cubiti quoque et dimidii altitudo ejus.
2. And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.
2. Et texit eam auro mundo intrinsecus, et extrinsecus: fecitque ei coronam auream in circuitu.
3. And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.
3. Et fudit ei quatuor annulos aureos ad quatuor angulos ejus, duos videlicet annulos in latere ejus uno, et duos annulos in latere ejus altero.
4. And he made staves of shittim-wood, and overlaid them with gold.
4. Fecit et vectes e lignis sittim, et texit eos auro.
5. And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
5. Induxitque vectes in annulos in lateribus arcae ad portandum arcam.
6. And he made the mercy-seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
6. Fecit et propitiatorium ex auro mundo: duorum cubitorum et dimidii longitudo ejus, cubiti et dimidii latitudo ejus.
7. And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy-seat;
7. Fecit quoque duos Cherubim ex auro, ductiles fecit eos in duabus extremitatibus propitiatorii.
8. One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy-seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
8. Cherub unum ab extremo hinc, et cherub alterum ab extremo inde: ex propitiatorio fecit cherubim in duabus extremitatibus ejus.
9. And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy-seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy-seat-ward were the faces of the cherubims.
9. Cherubim autem extendebant alas sursum versus, tegentes alis suis propitiatorium et facies eorum altera ad alteram: ad propitiatorium facies Cherubim.
10. And he made the table of shittim-wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
10. Fecit et mensam e liguis sittim: duorum cubitorum longitudo ejus, et cubiti latitudo ejus, cubiti autem et dimidii altitudo ejus.
11. And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.
11. Et texit eam auro puro, fecitque ei coronam auream in circuitu.
12. Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.
12. Fecit quoque ei clausuram palmi per circuitum: et fecit coronam auream clausurae illi per circuitum.
13. And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.
13. Fudit ei etiam quatuor annulos aureos, quos posuit in quatuor angulis qui erant in quatuor pedibus ejus.
14. Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves, to bear the table.
14. Contra clausuram illam erant annuli per quos traducerentur vectes ad portandam mensam.
15. And he made the staves of shittim-wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
15. Fecit etiam vectes e lignis sittim, quos texit auro ad portandam mensam.
16. And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.
16. Et fecit vasa quae erant super mensam, scutellas ejus, et cochlearia ejus, et crateras ejus, et opercula quibus libabatur, ex auro mundo.
17. And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
17. Fecit et candelabrum ex auro puro, ductile fecit candelabrum, hastile ejus, et calamus ejus, scyphi ejus, sphaerulae ejus, et flores ejus ex ipso erant.
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:
18. Porro sex calami egrediebantur e lateribus ejus, tres calami candelabri ex latere ipsius uno, et tres calami candelabri ex latere ejus altero.
19. Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds 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.
19. Tres calices in speciem nucis amygdalinae deformati erant in calamo uno, sphaerula et flos: et tres calices in speciem nucis amygdalinae deformati in calamo altero, sphaerula et flos: sic sex calamis egredientibus e candelabro.
20. And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops and his flowers:
20. Et in candelabro erant quatuor calices in speciem nucis deformati, sphaerulae ejus, et flores ejus.
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 growing out of it.
21. Et erat sphaerula sub duobus calamis ex ipso, et sphaerula altera sub duobus calamis ex ipso, et sphaerula tertia sub duobus calamis ex ipso: sic sex calamis egredientibus ex ipso.
22. Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.
22. Sphaerulae eorum et calami eorum ex ipso fuerunt: totum erat ductile unum ex auro puro.
23. And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuff-dishes, of pure gold.
23. Fecit et lucernas ejus septem, et forcipes ejus, et receptacula ipsius, ex auro puro.
24. Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
24. Et talento puri auri fecit ipsum, et omnia vasa ejus.
25. And he made the incense-altar of shittim-wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit, (it was four-square,) and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.
25. Fecit etiam altare incensi e lignis sittim: cubitus longitudo ejus: et cubitus latitudo ejus, quadratum: duo autem cubiti altitudo ejus: ex ipso erant cornua ejus.
26. And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.
26. Et texit illud auro puro, tectum ejus scilicet et parietes ejus in circuitu, et cornua ejus, fecitque ei coronam auream per circuitum.
27. And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.
27. Duos similiter annulos aureos fecit ei sub corona ejus in duobus angulis ejus, in duobus lateribus ejus, per quos trajicerentur vestes ad portandum illud ipsis.
28. And he made the staves of shittim-wood, and overlaid them with gold.
28. Et fecit vectes ipsos e lignis sittim, et texit eos auro.
29. And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.
29. Fecit et oleum unctionis, sanctitatem, et suffimentum aromaticum purum, opere unguentarii.
If the repetition, which might appear to be superfluous in these chapters, should be wearisome to us, let us reflect on the intention of the Holy Spirit, who, in narrating the execution of the work, uses almost the identical words wherein He had previously set forth the commands of God, viz., that we may understand that Moses, and the artificers themselves, did not vary in the smallest point from the rule prescribed to them. God had commanded the Ark of the Covenant to be made, together with its cover; and Moses relates how it was completed, so that the artificers did not omit even its very minutest detail. He ordered a table to be made for the offering of bread, and not a single syllable is neglected. As to the candlestick there was the same scrupulous obedience, so that they did not alter it in any part. In the altar of incense there was no kind of dissimilarity between the command and the work; and, finally, the composition of the oil exactly corresponds with the command. There is no question, then, but that Moses commends obedience, as it is the foundation of true piety, and at the same time reminds us that there was no exercise of the imagination in the whole service of the tabernacle, because there is nothing more opposite to the purity of religion than to do anything which is not enjoined.