The Meaning of Exodus 25:12 Explained

Exodus 25:12

KJV: And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

YLT: And thou hast cast for it four rings of gold, and hast put them on its four feet, even two rings on its one side, and two rings on its second side;

Darby: And cast four rings of gold for it, and put them at the four corners thereof, that two rings may be upon the one side thereof and two rings upon the other side thereof.

ASV: And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four feet thereof; and two rings shall be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou shalt cast  four  rings  of gold  for it, and put  [them] in the four  corners  thereof; and two  rings  [shall be] in the one  side  of it, and two  rings  in the other  side of it. 

What does Exodus 25:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 25:10-22 - The Ark And The Mercy-Seat
The Tabernacle was full of symbolical teaching of which the full meaning is unfolded in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where we are distinctly told that the Holy Spirit inspired the plan of the various parts. See Hebrews 9:8. Well would it be for us, if we built our lives as Moses the Tabernacle, only on the divine plan. Note Exodus 25:9; Exodus 25:40; Exodus 26:30; Exodus 27:8; Hebrews 8:5. The Ark was the symbol of the Covenant between Jehovah and His people.
The golden slab, known as the mercy-seat, supplied the meeting-place between God and man. It was there that the high priest sprinkled the blood of atonement once a year. It is alluded to by the apostles, Paul and John, as the "propitiation." We might insert Mercy-Seat in each passage. See Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2. Angel forms bent on either side, with their faces downward. See 1 Peter 1:12. The tables of the Law lay written beneath, because the divine righteousness underlies all God's dealings with men. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 25

1  What the Israelites were to offer for the building of the tabernacle
10  The dimensions of the ark
17  The mercy seat, with the cherubim
23  The table of show bread, with the furniture thereof
31  The golden candlestick, with the instruments thereof

What do the individual words in Exodus 25:12 mean?

And You shall cast for it four rings of gold and put [them] in four its corners and two rings [shall be] on side one and two rings side the second
וְיָצַ֣קְתָּ לּ֗וֹ אַרְבַּע֙ טַבְּעֹ֣ת זָהָ֔ב וְנָ֣תַתָּ֔ה עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פַּעֲמֹתָ֑יו וּשְׁתֵּ֣י טַבָּעֹ֗ת עַל־ צַלְעוֹ֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת וּשְׁתֵּי֙ טַבָּעֹ֔ת צַלְע֖וֹ הַשֵּׁנִֽית

וְיָצַ֣קְתָּ  And  You  shall  cast 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָצַק  
Sense: to pour, flow, cast, pour out.
לּ֗וֹ  for  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
אַרְבַּע֙  four 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
טַבְּעֹ֣ת  rings 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: טַבַּעַת  
Sense: ring, signet, signet ring.
זָהָ֔ב  of  gold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
וְנָ֣תַתָּ֔ה  and  put  [them] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אַרְבַּ֣ע  four 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
פַּעֲמֹתָ֑יו  its  corners 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פַּעַם  
Sense: stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence.
וּשְׁתֵּ֣י  and  two 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, fdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
טַבָּעֹ֗ת  rings  [shall  be] 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: טַבַּעַת  
Sense: ring, signet, signet ring.
צַלְעוֹ֙  side 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צֵלָע  
Sense: side, rib, beam.
הָֽאֶחָ֔ת  one 
Parse: Article, Number, feminine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
וּשְׁתֵּי֙  and  two 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, fdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
טַבָּעֹ֔ת  rings 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: טַבַּעַת  
Sense: ring, signet, signet ring.
צַלְע֖וֹ  side 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צֵלָע  
Sense: side, rib, beam.
הַשֵּׁנִֽית  the  second 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שֵׁנִי  
Sense: second.