And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the verse lists various vessels for the table, the emphasis is on "pure gold," signifying that every element associated with God's presence, even the vessels for bread and incense, must be the absolute finest, reflecting His supreme worth. These ornate items were not just decorative but also served specific purposes in presenting both the sacred loaves and the accompanying incense, reminding Israel that even the ordinary aspects of life, like eating, were to be consecrated to God.
And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is detailing the specifications for the Table of Showbread, a central piece of furniture for the Tabernacle's innermost sanctuary. This table was meant to hold twelve loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, perpetually before God. The verse elaborates on the various pure gold dishes, cups, and flagons that accompanied the bread, intended for incense and drink offerings, highlighting the meticulous nature of worship prescribed.
Why did God command such expensive materials for the Tabernacle furniture? It wasn't just about looking fancy.
The instruction to make the dishes, spoons, flagons, and bowls of the Table of Showbread from pure gold is striking. This wasn't about earthly wealth or luxury for its own sake.
A Symbol of Divine Value
Gold, in the ancient world and in Scripture, often symbolizes purity, perfection, and intrinsic value. By commanding pure gold, God was emphasizing the immense value and holiness of His presence and the covenant relationship He was establishing with Israel.
More Than Just Pretty
These vessels weren't merely decorative. They were functional tools for specific sacred acts: holding the showbread, containing incense, and pouring drink offerings. The pure gold highlighted that even these earthly components of worship were meant to reflect God's own perfect and holy nature. It underscored that every aspect of approaching God was to be treated with the utmost seriousness and reverence.
What were all these fancy gold dishes and cups actually for?
This verse lists several vessels associated with the Table of Showbread, and understanding their purpose reveals more about the nature of worship under the Law.
The Showbread and Incense
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The 'dishes' (or bowls) likely held the loaves of the showbread themselves. The 'spoons' (or cups) were for the frankincense that accompanied the bread. Leviticus 24:7 tells us this incense was placed with each row of the bread, to be a 'memorial portion' offered to the Lord. This linked the bread, representing Israel's sustenance and God's provision, directly with the aroma of worship.
Drink Offerings: A Sign of Fellowship
The 'flagons' and 'bowls' were for drink offerings – likely wine. While not explicitly stated for the showbread table in this verse, drink offerings were a regular part of other offerings (like meat offerings, as noted in Barnes' commentary). Their presence here, even if implied, signifies a continuation of this aspect of worship. It suggests a communal aspect – a shared meal or fellowship, where offerings of both food (bread) and drink were presented to God, acknowledging Him as the host and provider.
Understand the original words
qeʿārâ · Hebrew Noun
Ceremonial vessels used in the Tabernacle to hold offerings, incense, or drink offerings to be presented to God; they represent the instruments of worship and the meticulous care required in approaching the Holy One.
qeṭōret · Hebrew Noun
A fragrant aromatic mixture burned in the Tabernacle to symbolize the prayers of the saints rising toward God as a pleasing aroma. It represents the perpetual worship and intercession before His presence.
nesek · Hebrew Noun
Liquid offerings, typically wine, poured out alongside sacrifices. They symbolize the total surrender and joyous devotion of the worshiper, recognizing God as the source of all blessing.
This passage directly describes the preparation of the showbread and the accompanying incense, highlighting the vessels mentioned in Exodus 25:29 and their sacred purpose before the Lord.
1 Chronicles 28:14-18King David meticulously details the vessels for worship, including those for the table of showbread and for offerings, emphasizing the use of pure gold, mirroring the instructions in Exodus.
Matthew 12:3-5Jesus refers to David eating the showbread, demonstrating that while the Law prescribed specific, often gold, vessels for divine service, the spiritual purpose and the needs of God's people could sometimes supersede strict ritual observance.
Hebrews 9:23-24This passage draws a parallel between the earthly tabernacle's furnishings, like the table and its vessels made of gold, and their heavenly counterparts, suggesting that these ornate objects pointed to something greater in God's divine plan.
calvinExodus 25:23-30: "Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof."
- Thou shalt also make a table. The sentiment of a certain ancient bishop [134] is deservedly praised, who, when he sold the sacred vessels in the time of a famine, to relieve the distress of the poor, thus excused himself to the Church: "Our God, who does not eat or drink, has no need of patens and chalices;" and…
pulpitExodus 25:29: "And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them."
Verse 29. - The dishes thereof. Literally" its dishes," or rather perhaps, "its bowls" (LXX. τρύβλια). They were probably the vessels in which the loaves were brought to the table. Loaves are often seen arranged in bowls in the Egyptian tomb decorations (Lepsius, Denkmaler, pt. 2, pls. 5, 19, 84, 129, etc.). Spoons thereof. Rather…
While the verse lists various vessels for the table, the emphasis is on "pure gold," signifying that every element associated with God's presence, even the vessels for bread and incense, must be the absolute finest, reflecting His supreme worth. These ornate items were not just decorative but also served specific purposes in presenting both the sacred loaves and the accompanying incense, reminding Israel that even the ordinary aspects of life, like eating, were to be consecrated to God.
God is detailing the specifications for the Table of Showbread, a central piece of furniture for the Tabernacle's innermost sanctuary. This table was meant to hold twelve loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, perpetually before God. The verse elaborates on the various pure gold dishes, cups, and flagons that accompanied the bread, intended for incense and drink offerings, highlighting the meticulous nature of worship prescribed.
God is detailing the specifications for the Table of Showbread, a central piece of furniture for the Tabernacle's innermost sanctuary. This table was meant to hold twelve loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, perpetually before God. The verse elaborates on the various pure gold dishes, cups, and flagons that accompanied the bread, intended for incense and drink offerings, highlighting the meticulous nature of worship prescribed.
"And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold." — While the verse lists various vessels for the table, the emphasis is on "pure gold," signifying that every element associated with God's presence, even the vessels for bread and incense, must be the…
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Last reviewed October 2026