Bible Commentaries
Exodus 26

Introduction

Overview

Exodus 26:1, The ten curtains of the tabernacle; Exodus 26:7, The eleven curtains of goats’ hair, and the covering of rams’ and badgers’ skins; Exodus 26:15, The boards of the tabernacle, with their sockets and bars; Exodus 26:31, The vail for the ark; Exodus 26:36, The hanging for the door.

Verse 1

the tabernacle with ten curtains: The word mishcan, from shachan, to dwell, means simply a dwelling-place, or habitation. "When God had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt," says the very learned Dr. Cudworth, "resolving to manifest himself in a peculiar manner present among them, he thought good to dwell amongst them in a visible and external manner; and therefore, while they were in the wilderness, and sojourned in tents, he would have a tent or tabernacle built, to sojourn with them also. - Now, the tabernacle being thus a house for God to dwell in visibly, to make up the notion of dwelling or habitation complete, there must be all things suitable to a house belonging to it. Hence, in the holy place, there must be a table and a candlestick, because these were the ordinary furniture of a room. The table must have its dishes, and spoons, and bowls, and covers, belonging to it, though they were never used; and always be furnished with bread upon it. The candlestick must have its lamps continually burning, etc." Exodus 25:8, Exodus 36:8-19, Exodus 40:2, Exodus 40:17-19, 1 Chronicles 17:1, 1 Chronicles 21:29, John 1:14, John 2:21, Hebrews 8:2, Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 9:23, Hebrews 9:24, Revelation 21:3

fine twined linen: Exodus 26:36, Exodus 25:4, Exodus 35:6, Exodus 35:35, Revelation 19:8

cherubims: Exodus 25:18

cunning work: Heb. the work of a cunning workman, or embroiderer

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:7 - eleven Exodus 26:31 - cunning work Exodus 28:6 - linen Exodus 28:15 - after Exodus 31:4 - General Exodus 31:7 - tabernacle Exodus 35:11 - tabernacle Exodus 38:21 - tabernacle of testimony Exodus 39:1 - the blue Exodus 39:3 - cunning work Exodus 40:19 - the tent Numbers 3:25 - the tabernacle and 2 Samuel 7:2 - curtains 2 Chronicles 1:3 - the tabernacle 2 Chronicles 3:7 - graved cherubims Esther 1:6 - white Isaiah 4:5 - a defence Ephesians 2:21 - fitly

Verse 2

curtain: Exodus 26:7, Exodus 26:8, Numbers 4:25, 2 Samuel 7:2, 1 Chronicles 17:1

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:13 - a cubit Exodus 35:11 - tabernacle

Verse 3

coupled together: Exodus 26:9, Exodus 36:10, John 17:21, 1 Corinthians 12:4, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 2:21, Ephesians 2:22, Ephesians 4:3-6, Ephesians 4:16, Colossians 2:2, Colossians 2:19

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:11 - tent Exodus 39:20 - coupling Leviticus 18:18 - wife

Verse 4

loops of blue: Exodus 26:5, Exodus 26:10, Exodus 26:11, Exodus 36:11, Exodus 36:12, Exodus 36:17

Verse 5

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:4 - loops of blue Exodus 36:12 - General

Verse 6

taches of gold: Exodus 26:11, Exodus 26:33, Exodus 35:11, Exodus 36:13, Exodus 36:18, Exodus 39:33

one tabernacle: Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 1:23, Ephesians 4:16, 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:26 - the dream is one

Verse 7

curtains: Exodus 35:26, Exodus 36:14-18, Numbers 4:25, Psalms 45:13, 1 Peter 3:4, 1 Peter 5:5

goats' hair: Izzim, goats, but used here elliptically for goats' hair. In different parts of Asia Minor, Syria, Cilicia, and Phrygia, the goats have long, fine, and beautiful hair; in some cases, almost as fine as silk, which is shorn at proper times, and manufactured into garments. Exodus 25:4, Exodus 35:6, Exodus 35:23, Numbers 31:20

a: Exodus 26:14, Isaiah 4:5

eleven: Exodus 26:1, Exodus 26:9, Exodus 26:12

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:2 - curtain Exodus 35:12 - the veil Exodus 40:2 - tabernacle

Verse 8

length of one curtain: Exodus 26:2, Exodus 26:13

Verse 9

five curtains by themselves: Exodus 26:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:7 - eleven Exodus 26:12 - shall hang over

Verse 10

fifty loops: Exodus 26:4-6

Reciprocal: Exodus 36:12 - General

Verse 11

tent: or, covering, Exodus 26:3, Exodus 26:6

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:4 - loops of blue

Verse 12

shall hang over: Exodus 26:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:7 - eleven

Verse 13

a cubit: Exodus 26:2, Exodus 26:8

of that which remaineth: Heb. in the remainder or surplusage

Verse 14

a covering: Exodus 36:19, Numbers 4:5, Psalms 27:5, Psalms 121:4, Psalms 121:5, Isaiah 4:6, Isaiah 25:4

rams' skins dyed red: Oroth ailim meoddamim, literally, the skins of red rams. It is a fact, attested by many respectable travellers, that in the Levant, sheep are often met with having red or violet coloured fleeces. Almost all ancient writers speak of the same thing. Exodus 25:5, Exodus 35:7, Exodus 35:23, Exodus 39:34, Numbers 4:10, Ezekiel 16:10

badgers' skins: Oroth techashim, which nearly all the ancient versions have taken to be the name of a colour, though they differ very much with regard to the particular colour intended: the LXX, Vulgate, and Coptic, have skins dyed of a violet colour; the Syriac, azure; and the Arabic, black; and Bochart contends for the hysginus, a very deep blue. It may, however, denote an animal; for Dr. Geddes remarks, had the sacred writer meant to express only a variety of colour, he would hardly have repeated oroth, skins, after meoddamim, red, in Exodus 25:5.

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:7 - a Numbers 4:25 - the covering

Verse 15

boards: Exodus 26:18, Exodus 26:22-29, Exodus 36:20-33, Exodus 40:17, Exodus 40:18, Numbers 4:31, Numbers 4:32, Ephesians 2:20, Ephesians 2:21

of shittim: Exodus 25:5

Reciprocal: Numbers 3:36 - under the custody and charge

Verse 17

tenons: Heb. hands, Exodus 26:19, Exodus 36:22, Exodus 36:24

Verse 18

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:15 - boards Job 38:6 - foundations

Verse 19

forty sockets of silver: Exodus 26:25, Exodus 26:37, Exodus 27:10, Exodus 27:12-18, Exodus 36:24-26, Exodus 38:27, Exodus 38:30, Exodus 38:31, Exodus 40:18, Numbers 3:36, Numbers 4:31, Numbers 4:32, Song of Solomon 5:15

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:17 - tenons Exodus 26:21 - two sockets under one board

Verse 21

two sockets under one board: Exodus 26:19

Reciprocal: Exodus 38:27 - and the sockets

Verse 22

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:15 - boards Exodus 36:27 - westward

Verse 23

corners: [Strong's H4742], Exodus 36:28

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 6:16 - built them

Verse 24

be coupled: Heb. twined

and they shall be coupled together above: Exodus 36:29, Exodus 36:30, Psalms 133:1-3, 1 Corinthians 1:10, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Peter 2:5

Verse 25

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:19 - forty sockets of silver Exodus 36:30 - two sockets Exodus 38:27 - and the sockets

Verse 26

bars of shittim wood: Exodus 36:31-38, Numbers 3:36, Numbers 4:31, Romans 15:1, 1 Corinthians 9:19, 1 Corinthians 9:20, Galatians 6:1, Galatians 6:2, Ephesians 4:16, Colossians 2:19

Reciprocal: Exodus 25:5 - shittim wood Exodus 36:32 - the tabernacle

Verse 27

Reciprocal: Exodus 36:27 - westward

Verse 28

reach: lit, flee, 1 Chronicles 12:15, Nehemiah 13:28, Job 41:28, Proverbs 19:26

Verse 29

overlay the boards with gold: Exodus 25:11, Exodus 25:12

Reciprocal: Exodus 30:4 - rings 1 Kings 6:21 - overlaid 2 Chronicles 3:7 - overlaid

Verse 30

rear up the tabernacle: Exodus 40:2, Exodus 40:17, Exodus 40:18, Numbers 10:21, Joshua 18:1, Hebrews 8:2

according to the fashion: Exodus 25:9, Exodus 25:40, Exodus 27:8, Acts 7:44, Hebrews 8:5, Hebrews 9:23

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 28:11 - the pattern 1 Chronicles 28:19 - the Lord

Verse 31

a veil of: Exodus 36:35, Exodus 40:3, Exodus 40:21, Leviticus 16:2, Leviticus 16:15, 2 Chronicles 3:14, Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45, Ephesians 2:14, Hebrews 9:3-8, Hebrews 10:20, Hebrews 10:21

blue: Exodus 25:4, Exodus 35:6, Exodus 35:25, Exodus 35:35, Exodus 36:8

purple: Argaman, a very precious colour, extracted from the purpura, or murex, a species of shell-fish; and supposed to be the same with the costly and much celebrated Tyrian purple.

scarlet: Tolaâth; properly the worm whence the scarlet colour was produced; which grew in a coccus, or excrescence, of a shrub of the ilex kind, like the cochineal worm in the Opuntia of America; which is arranged under the same genus as the Arabic Kermez, which also denotes this colour.

cunning work: Exodus 26:1, Exodus 28:15, Exodus 38:23, 2 Chronicles 2:7-13, Psalms 137:5, Song of Solomon 7:1

cherubims shall it be made: Exodus 25:18

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:36 - of blue Exodus 27:9 - hangings for Exodus 27:16 - of blue Exodus 27:21 - without the veil Exodus 30:6 - veil Exodus 35:12 - the veil Numbers 3:31 - and the hanging Numbers 4:5 - they shall Esther 1:6 - white

Verse 32

pillars of shittim: Exodus 26:37, Exodus 36:38, Esther 1:6

their hooks shall be of gold: The Hebrew waveyhem, which we translate their hooks, is rendered by the LXX ךוצבכיהוע, and by the Vulgate, capiata, capitals. Hence Calmet contends:

1. That if Moses does not mean the capitals of the pillars by this word, he mentions them nowhere else; and it would seem strange, that while he describes them with so much exactness, that he should not mention the capitals; or that pillars every way so correctly formed, should have been destitute of this necessary ornament.

2. As Moses was commanded to make the wavim of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver (Exodus 27:10-11), and the wavim of the pillars of the vail of gold (Exodus 36:36), and that 1,775 shekels were employed in making them, overlaying their chapiters, rasheyhem, their heads, and filleting them (Exodus 38:28), it is more reasonable to suppose that all this is spoken of the capitals of pillars, than of any kind of hooks, especially as hooks are mentioned under the word taches or clasps. But as the root wavah seems to signify to connect (for yww, in Arabic, is to marry a wife), and as the letter ww, wav, if it has not its name from its hook-like form, is yet used as a connective particle, it would rather appear to denote hooks, which connected the curtains or vails to the pillars. The LXX also render it בדךץכבי, "handles", and ךסיךןי, "rings" or "clasps".

Reciprocal: Exodus 30:1 - General Exodus 38:27 - and the sockets Numbers 3:36 - under the custody and charge 1 Kings 6:21 - overlaid

Verse 33

the taches: Exodus 27:10, Exodus 36:36

within the veil: Genesis 9:4, Genesis 9:5

the ark of the testimony: Exodus 25:16, Exodus 40:21

the holy place: Leviticus 16:2, 1 Kings 8:6, 1 Kings 8:10, 2 Chronicles 5:7-10, Hebrews 9:2, Hebrews 9:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:6 - taches of gold Exodus 37:1 - General Exodus 38:21 - tabernacle of testimony Exodus 40:3 - General 1 Kings 6:21 - by the chains 2 Chronicles 3:8 - the most holy 2 Chronicles 29:16 - the inner part Psalms 122:4 - the testimony Ezekiel 41:4 - This Hebrews 9:4 - the ark

Verse 34

put the mercy seat: Exodus 25:21, Exodus 40:20, Hebrews 9:5

Reciprocal: Exodus 25:17 - mercy seat Exodus 40:3 - General Leviticus 16:2 - he come not 1 Kings 8:6 - his place 2 Chronicles 29:16 - the inner part Psalms 122:4 - the testimony Ezekiel 41:4 - This

Verse 35

the table: Exodus 40:22, Hebrews 9:2, Hebrews 9:8, Hebrews 9:9

the candlestick: Exodus 25:31-37, Exodus 40:24

Reciprocal: Exodus 40:4 - the table

Verse 36

hanging: This may be termed the first vail, as it occupied the door or entrance to the tabernacle; the vail that separated the Holy of Holies is called the second vail, Hebrews 9:3. Mr. Morier - Second Journey Through Persia, p. 251 describing the tent of a chief of the Eelauts, says, "It was composed of a wooden frame of circular laths, which were fixed on the ground, and then covered over with large felts, that were fastened down by a cord, ornamented by tassels of various colours. A curtain, curiously worked by the women, with coarse needle-work of various colours, was suspended over the door. In the king of Persia's tents, magnificent perdahs, or hangings of needle-work, are suspended, as well as on the doors of the great mosques in Turkey; and these circumstances combined, will, perhaps, illustrate Exodus 26:36." Exodus 36:37, Exodus 40:28, John 10:9, John 14:6

the tent: Exodus 35:11, Exodus 39:33, Exodus 40:29, Numbers 3:25, Numbers 9:15, 2 Samuel 7:6, Psalms 78:60

of blue: Exodus 26:31

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:1 - fine twined linen Exodus 27:14 - hangings of one side Exodus 27:16 - of blue Exodus 29:4 - unto the door Exodus 35:6 - blue Exodus 35:15 - the hanging Exodus 39:30 - the plate Exodus 40:4 - the table Exodus 40:5 - put Esther 1:6 - white Ezekiel 41:2 - the door

Verse 37

overlay them with gold: Exodus 36:38

Reciprocal: Exodus 25:5 - shittim wood Exodus 26:19 - forty sockets of silver Exodus 26:32 - pillars of shittim Exodus 35:15 - the hanging Exodus 36:37 - an hanging Exodus 38:30 - the sockets Exodus 40:5 - put Exodus 40:28 - General Numbers 3:25 - and the hanging Numbers 3:36 - under the custody and charge Esther 1:6 - white