And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

EXODUS 37:28KJV
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Exodus 37:28 (KJV)

What does Exodus 37:28 mean?

Exodus 37:28 describes how skilled workers made poles out of acacia wood and covered them with gold. These poles were meant to be used for carrying a sacred object in the tabernacle, following the instructions given earlier in Exodus.

In the story, Bezalel and his team are building the furnishings for the tabernacle, Israel’s portable worship tent. The verse focuses on the practical details: the "staves" (poles) are made from "shittim wood" (acacia), a durable local wood, and then overlaid with gold to match the rest of the tabernacle’s holy objects. This careful craftsmanship shows the importance and reverence given to these objects in Israel’s worship.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 37:28

  • שֵׁטִים (shittim): This word refers to acacia wood, known for being hard and resistant to decay. Its use here underlines the need for durability and quality in items meant for sacred use.
  • זָהָב (zahav): This is the Hebrew word for gold. Covering the wooden poles with gold highlights both the beauty and the sacred value of the tabernacle’s furnishings.

Why Exodus 37:28 matters

  • Exodus 37:28 shows the attention to detail and obedience to God’s instructions in building the tabernacle, emphasizing that even the tools for carrying holy objects were made with care and reverence.
  • The verse connects to the larger theme in Exodus of God’s presence among the people and the special care required for anything associated with that presence.
  • Understanding the materials and craftsmanship helps modern readers appreciate the seriousness with which the Israelites approached worship and the construction of their sacred space.

Where else these words appear

“shittim” Hebrew H7848 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 25:5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,
  • Exodus 27:1 And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.
  • Exodus 37:1 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:

“overlaid” Hebrew H6823 · used in 39 verses

  • Exodus 25:11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
  • Exodus 36:36 And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
  • 1 Kings 6:22 And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

“staves” Hebrew H905 · used in 50 verses

  • Genesis 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
  • Exodus 37:4 And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
  • Numbers 11:14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.