Exodus 25:27

Summary

Exodus 25:27 specifies where the rings for the table are to be placed: close to the rim (or molding), so that they function as holders for poles used to carry the table.

Key words

• 'uMat ("close to", H5980) — a feminine singular noun in construct form, meaning "side of" or "proximity to"; it governs the following noun hammisGeret and establishes spatial adjacency ("next to the rim").
• misGeret ("rim", H4526) — feminine singular noun with definite article, referring to a bordering frame or molding on the table.
• tihYeina ("they will become/be", H1961) — Qal imperfect, third person feminine plural, agreeing with hattabba'Ot ("the rings"); the imperfect aspect expresses an instruction for how the rings are to exist or function, common in the tabernacle construction instructions.
• vaTim ("holders", H1004N) — masculine plural noun, literally "houses," used here to describe the rings' function as receptacles that will contain something else (the poles).
• laSet ("to carry", H5375H) — Qal infinitive construct, expressing purpose: the ultimate reason for the rings and holders is enabling the carrying action.

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence is built around a chain of prepositional phrases that specify location and purpose rather than a simple subject-verb-object structure. The clause opens with le'uMat hammisGeret ("close to the rim"), placing the rings spatially before naming them as the grammatical subject (hattabba'Ot) of the verb tihYeina. This word order emphasizes position over identity — the text tells you where the rings go before it even repeats what they are.

The following phrase, levaTim levaDim, uses two masculine plural nouns joined by the preposition le- ("for/into"), creating a functional description: the rings serve as "holders for poles." The noun vaTim (literally "houses") is notable because it describes the rings' role as enclosures or receptacles, a nuance not fully captured by an English word like "holders." The final infinitive laSet ("to carry") states the overarching purpose of the whole arrangement — poles inserted through ring-holders in order to carry the table (hashulChan), marked by the untranslated direct object particle 'et.

Differences between versions

The Septuagint text given for this verse (Swete) describes making the poles from incorruptible wood and gilding them with pure gold, then states the table will be carried by means of them — content that does not correspond to the Hebrew wording of rings and rim in this verse, but rather resembles material found in the surrounding verses of the chapter. The Vulgate renders misGeret as coronam ("crown/molding") and adds the description aurei ("golden") for the rings, a detail not present among the Hebrew words listed here.