Exodus 37:27

Summary

The verse describes two gold rings placed under the molding of an object (the incense altar, per context), positioned on its two ribs/sides, to serve as holders for poles used to carry it. The syntax lists the rings' material, location, and function in sequence.

Key words

• ta.be.'Ot ("rings of", H2885) — feminine plural construct, paired with za.Hav ("gold", H2091) to specify "rings of gold."
• ze.R ("molding", H2213) — singular construct noun with pronominal suffix o ("its"), naming the decorative rim under which the rings sit.
• tzal.'o.Ta ("sides", H6763) — feminine plural construct with suffix, referring to the "ribs" or sides of the object; paired later with a second, different word for sides.
• tzi.Da ("sides", H6654) — masculine plural construct with suffix, a second term for "sides," distinct in gender and root from tzal.'o.Ta.
• va.Tim ("holders", H1004N) — masculine plural noun, literally the plural of the common word for "houses," here used to denote sockets or receptacles for the poles.
• Set ("carry", H5375H) — qal infinitive, expressing purpose: "to carry" the object by means of the poles.

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence opens with the object (ta.be.'Ot za.Hav, "rings of gold") fronted before the verb 'a.sah ("he made", H6213H), a common word-order pattern in Biblical Hebrew for topicalizing the item produced. The verb takes an indirect object marked by l+o ("for it", H9005/H9033), referring back to the altar or object described in the surrounding verses. Location is given through two prepositional phrases: mi.Tachat le.zeR.o ("from under its molding") and then 'al she.Tei tzal.'o.Ta.v ("on its two ribs") followed by 'al she.Nei tzi.Da.v ("on its two sides"). The repetition of "two" (she.Tei/she.Nei, both H8147) with two different nouns for "side" (tzal.'ot and tzad) creates a doubled spatial description, specifying both the ribs and the flanks of the structure, though English translations typically merge these into a single phrase like "opposite sides."

The final clause explains function using two construct phrases with le- ("for"): le.va.Tim le.va.Dim ("for holders, for poles"), literally "for houses, for poles" — the plural of "house" (bayit) is applied metaphorically to sockets that receive the poles. The purpose is stated with the infinitive la.Set ("to carry", H5375H) plus the object marker 'oto ("it") and ba.Hem ("by them", referring to the poles).

Differences between versions

The Vulgate (VULCLEM) compresses the molding and rings into a single continuous description ("coronam aureolam... et duos annulos aureos sub corona"), differing from the Hebrew's separate clauses for the crown/molding (a prior verse) and the rings' placement here. The Vulgate also renders va.Tim le.va.Dim ("holders for poles") simply as "ut mittantur in eos vectes" ("so that poles might be inserted into them"), omitting the "houses" (va.Tim) imagery present in the Hebrew noun. The doubled Hebrew terms for "sides" (tzal.'ot and tzad) are collapsed into a single expression ("per singula latera" in the Vulgate; "opposite sides" in BSB and SBLIBRE), which the modern translations render without preserving the two distinct Hebrew words.