Exodus 26:35
And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse specifies the exact placement of the table and lampstand: the table is to the north, and the lampstand opposite it, to the south. This precise positioning highlights a deliberate order, with light and provision mirroring each other within the sacred space.
After describing the ornate inner curtains and the protective outer coverings of the tabernacle, the text now details the placement of its key furniture. This passage specifically instructs on the location of the table of showbread and the lampstand within the holy place, just outside the most sacred inner sanctuary separated by the veil. The arrangement emphasizes the distinct, yet connected, furnishings that represent God's provision and presence for His people.
Ever wondered why things are placed a certain way? The Tabernacle wasn't just randomly assembled; its layout followed a divine blueprint.
In Exodus 26:35, we see the specific placement of the table of showbread and the lampstand within the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. The table, holding the twelve loaves representing the tribes of Israel, was placed on the north side. Opposite it, on the south side, stood the lampstand. This precise arrangement wasn't arbitrary.
Divine Design
There was a significant barrier within the Tabernacle. What did it represent, and why was certain furniture kept outside of it?
Exodus 26:35 explicitly states that the table of showbread was set 'without the vail.' This veil was a thick curtain, intricately made, that separated the Holy Place (the first chamber) from the Most Holy Place (the inner sanctuary where the Ark of the Covenant resided).
A Glimpse of Separation and Access
This passage describes the two rooms of the tabernacle, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, which directly relates to the placement of the table and lampstand described in Exodus 26:35 as being in the outer room ('without the veil').
Exodus 40:22This verse recounts the setting up of the tabernacle, detailing the placement of the table and lampstand in accordance with the instructions given in Exodus 26:35, providing a narrative fulfillment of the earlier command.
Luke 1:9This verse describes Zacharias going into the temple to burn incense, which was a priestly duty performed in the Holy Place, the same area where the table and lampstand were located according to Exodus 26:35.
Zechariah 4:2The prophet Zechariah sees a vision of a lampstand and two olive trees, which has often been interpreted symbolically in relation to the lampstand in the tabernacle, representing divine light and provision alongside the table of showbread.
John 1:9This verse speaks of Jesus as the true light that gives light to everyone, which resonates symbolically with the lampstand's role of providing light in the Holy Place, near the table representing God's provision.
gillExodus 26:35: "And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side."
And thou shalt set the table without the vail,.... The table of shewbread, of which see Exodus 25:23 , this was not to be within the vail, but without it, in the holy place: and the candlestick opposite the table, of which see Exodus 25:31 , &c. signifying, that in the church of God, in the prese…
calvinExodus 26:1-37: "Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them."
And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
Facies quoque, laqueolos hya cinthinos in ora cortinae unius in extremo in conjunetione: et sic facies…
The verse specifies the exact placement of the table and lampstand: the table is to the north, and the lampstand opposite it, to the south. This precise positioning highlights a deliberate order, with light and provision mirroring each other within the sacred space.
After describing the ornate inner curtains and the protective outer coverings of the tabernacle, the text now details the placement of its key furniture. This passage specifically instructs on the location of the table of showbread and the lampstand within the holy place, just outside the most sacred inner sanctuary separated by the veil. The arrangement emphasizes the distinct, yet connected, furnishings that represent God's provision and presence for His people.
After describing the ornate inner curtains and the protective outer coverings of the tabernacle, the text now details the placement of its key furniture. This passage specifically instructs on the location of the table of showbread and the lampstand within the holy place, just outside the most sacred inner sanctuary separated by the veil. The arrangement emphasizes the distinct, yet connected, furnishings that represent God's provision and presence for His people.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Exodus 26:35 is available in the Sola app.
"And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side." — The verse specifies the exact placement of the table and lampstand: the table is to the north, and the lampstand opposite it, to the south. This precise positioning highlights a deliberate order, wit…
