You shall make poles uses the singular You. The poles were long rounded shafts of acacia wood (see verse 10) that may have been eight or nine feet in length. Only two poles were needed, and Contemporary English Version specifies this with “Make two poles of acacia wood.” Overlay them with gold is literally “you [singular] shall lay gold over them.” (See verse 11.)

And you shall put the poles into the rings means that one pole was to be inserted through the two rings on each side of the ark. To carry the ark by them is literally “to lift the box by them.” We may assume that the poles extended two to three feet beyond each end of the ark. Good News Translation omits this phrase but refers to the poles in verse 13 as “carrying poles.”

The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark is literally “in the rings of the box shall be the poles.” They shall not be taken from it is literally “they shall not go away from it.” This may be more clearly expressed in the passive voice, “must not be taken out” (Good News Translation). Or one may say “You shall not remove them,” or even “Don’t ever remove the poles from the rings” (Contemporary English Version).

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 .