Exodus 25:38

Summary

Exodus 25:38 specifies two accessories belonging to the lampstand (menorah) described in the preceding verses: its tongs and its fire-pans. The verse states that both items are to be made of pure gold. The sentence has no verb in the Hebrew; it is a nominal clause listing components and their material.

Key words

• malqacheiha ("its tongs", H4457 + H9024) — masculine dual construct noun with 3rd feminine singular suffix; the dual form reflects that tongs are a paired implement, and the suffix "her/its" refers back to the feminine noun for the lampstand (menorah) established earlier in the passage.
• machtoteiha ("its fire-pans", H4289 + H9024) — feminine plural construct noun with the same possessive suffix, indicating multiple fire-pans belonging to the lampstand.
• zahav ("gold", H2091) — masculine singular noun, here functioning as a predicate of material composition rather than the subject of an action.
• tahor ("pure", H2889) — masculine singular adjective modifying zahav, specifying the quality of the gold rather than merely its type.

What the text says

The Hebrew clause is verbless: u-malqacheiha u-machtoteiha zahav tahor literally reads "and its tongs and its fire-pans, pure gold." This is a common construction in Biblical Hebrew for describing material composition — the noun zahav ("gold") stands in a predicative relationship to the preceding nouns without any linking verb such as "to be" or "to make." The two suffixed nouns, malqacheiha and machtoteiha, both carry the feminine singular possessive suffix -ha ("its/her"), which grammatically ties these implements back to the feminine-gender noun for the lampstand mentioned in the surrounding verses of the chapter. The dual form of malqachim reflects the paired structure of tongs as a tool, while machtot appears in the plural, suggesting more than two fire-pans were envisioned.

Differences between versions

The Hebrew text presents no verb, simply juxtaposing the items with the material "pure gold." The LXX supplies an explicit verb, ποιήσεις ("you shall make"), turning the clause into a direct instruction to the addressee, and renders the material as ἐκ χρυσίου καθαροῦ ("of pure gold"), using a prepositional phrase where the Hebrew uses direct apposition. The Vulgate likewise inserts a verb, fiant ("let them be made"), and adds an explanatory clause about their function — "ubi quae emuncta sunt extinguantur" ("where the things that have been trimmed may be extinguished") — descriptive material not present in the Hebrew wording of this verse.