And you shall overlay it with pure gold is literally “you [singular] shall lay pure gold over it.” Translator’s Old Testament has “You shall plate it,” but Good News Translation simply has “Cover it.” In certain languages this will be expressed as “You shall take gold and stick it to the surface of the box, both inside and out.” The thickness of the gold is not indicated, but it was probably more than simply gold leaf. Within and without means “inside and out.”

And you shall make upon it a molding of gold refers to a “gold border” (Good News Translation), or “band,” that was to be added to the outside of the box. It was evidently a decorative “rim” (Fox) around the sides of the box. The lid or cover with two cherubs on it was to be made separately (see verse 17). Round about means “all around it,” as Good News Translation renders it, since the Hebrew word has the basic meaning of encircling. New American Bible has “around the top of it,” but it may have been placed somewhat lower than at the top edge. Contemporary English Version‘s “put a gold edging around the lid” seems to miss the point, since the edging was around the chest itself.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .