And you shall hang it is literally “and you [singular] shall place it.” Upon four pillars of acacia uses the same word for pillars as the expression “pillar of cloud” in 13.21. Here, of course, the pillars are made of acacia, so Good News Translation‘s “four posts of acacia wood” may be more appropriate. New Jerusalem Bible has “poles,” and New American Bible has “columns.” The placement of these pillars is not indicated, but they were probably evenly spaced from the north side to the south side, exactly ten cubits from the west end of the tabernacle. Overlaid with gold is discussed at 25.11.

With hooks of gold is literally “and their hooks gold.” The word for hooks can mean “nails” (Holladay), “pins,” or “pegs” (BDB). (See the comment on “clasps” at 26.6.) The pronoun “their” indicates that the hooks were attached to the pillars. So Good News Translation has “posts … fitted with hooks.” Contemporary English Version has “fasten gold hooks to the posts.” Some scholars believe that the shape of the letter waw, used in this Hebrew word as it appeared in the ancient script, described the shape of the hooks, possibly a two-pronged fork. Upon four bases of silver uses the same word as in verse 19, but these bases may have had a different shape to fit the pillars.

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 .