Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. Speak unto Aaron ... The candlestick, which was made of one solid, massy piece of pure gold, with six lamps supported on as many branches, a seventh in the center surmounting the shaft itself (Exodus 25:31; Exodus 37:17), and completed according to the pattern shown in the mount, was now to be lighted, when the other things in the sanctuary began to be applied to religious service. It was Aaron's personal duty, as the servant of God, to light His house, which, being without windows, required the aid of lights (2 Peter 1:19). And the course he was ordered to follow was first to light the middle lamp from the altar fire, and then the other lamps from each other-a course symbolical of all the light of heavenly truth being derived from Christ, and diffused by His ministers throughout the world (Revelation 4:5).
Over against ... The candlestick stood close to the boards of the sanctuary, on the south side, in full view of the table of showbread on the north (Exodus 26:35), having one set of its lamps turned toward the east, and another towards the west; so that all parts of the tabernacle were thus lighted up.