Exodus 26
Overview
26:1 The ten curtains of the tabernacle;
26:7 The eleven curtains of goats' hair, and the covering of rams' and badgers' skins;
26:15 The boards of the tabernacle, with their sockets and bars;
26:31 The vail for the ark;
26:36 The hanging for the door. Verse 1 the tabernacle with ten curtainsThe 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, 36:8-19, 40:2, 40:17-19; 1 Chronicles 17:1, 21:29; John 1:14, 2:21; Habakkuk 3:1; 3:1, 3:1, 3:1; Revelation 21:3 fine twined linen Exodus 26:36, 25:4, 35:6, 35:35; Revelation 19:8 cherubims Exodus 25:18 cunning workHeb. the work of a cunning workman, or embroidererReciprocal 26:7 - eleven; 26:31 - cunning work; 28:6 - linen; 28:15 - after; 31:4 - General; 31:7 - tabernacle; 35:11 - tabernacle; 38:21 - tabernacle of testimony; 39:1 - the blue; 39:3 - cunning work; 40:19 - the tent; Numbers 3:25 - the tabernacle and; 2 Samuel 7:2 - curtains; 2 Chronicles 1:3 - the tabernacle; 3:7 - graved cherubims; Esther 1:6 - white; Isaiah 4:5 - a defence; Ephesians 2:21 - fitly Verse 2 curtain Exodus 26:7, 26:8; Numbers 4:25; 2 Samuel 7:2; 1 Chronicles 17:1 Reciprocal Exodus 26:13 - a cubit; 35:11 - tabernacle Verse 3 coupled together Exodus 26:9, 36:10; John 17:21; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 12:12-27; Ephesians 2:21, 2:22, 4:3-6, 4:16; Colossians 2:2, 2:19 Reciprocal Exodus 26:11 - tent; 39:20 - coupling; Leviticus 18:18 - wife Verse 4 loops of blue Exodus 26:5, 26:10, 26:11, 36:11, 36:12, 36:17
Verse 5 Reciprocal Exodus 26:4 - loops of blue; 36:12 - General Verse 6 taches of gold Exodus 26:11, 26:33, 35:11, 36:13, 36:18, 39:33 one tabernacle Ephesians 1:22, 1:23, 4:16; 1 Peter 2:4, 2:5 Reciprocal Genesis 41:26 - the dream is one Verse 7 curtains Exodus 35:26, 36:14-18; Numbers 4:25; Psalm 45:13; 1 Peter 3:4, 5:5 goats' hairIzzim, 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, 35:6, 35:23; Numbers 31:20 a Exodus 26:14; Isaiah 4:5 eleven Exodus 26:1, 26:9, 26:12 Reciprocal 26:2 - curtain; 35:12 - the veil; 40:2 - tabernacle Verse 8 length of one curtain Exodus 26:2, 26:13
Verse 9 five curtains by themselves Exodus 26:3 Reciprocal 26:7 - eleven; 26:12 - shall hang over Verse 10 fifty loops Exodus 26:4-6 Reciprocal 36:12 - General Verse 11 tentor, covering, Exodus 26:3, 26:6 Reciprocal 26:4 - loops of blue Verse 12 shall hang over Exodus 26:9 Reciprocal 26:7 - eleven Verse 13 a cubit Exodus 26:2, 26:8 of that which remainethHeb. in the remainder or surplusage
Verse 14 a covering Exodus 36:19; Numbers 4:5; Psalm 27:5, 121:4, 121:5; Isaiah 4:6, 25:4 rams' skins dyed redOroth 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, 35:7, 35:23, 39:34; Numbers 4:10; Ezekiel 16:10 badgers' skinsOroth 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 26:7 - a; Numbers 4:25 - the covering Verse 15 boards Exodus 26:18, 26:22-29, 36:20-33, 40:17, 40:18; Numbers 4:31, 4:32; Ephesians 2:20, 2:21 of shittim Exodus 25:5 Reciprocal Numbers 3:36 - under the custody and charge Verse 17 tenonsHeb. hands, Exodus 26:19, 36:22, 36:24
Verse 18 Reciprocal Exodus 26:15 - boards; Job 38:6 - foundations Verse 19 forty sockets of silver Exodus 26:25, 26:37, 27:10, 27:12-18, 36:24-26, 38:27, 38:30, 38:31, 40:18; Numbers 3:36; 4:31, 4:32; Song of Songs 5:15 Reciprocal Exodus 26:17 - tenons; 26:21 - two sockets under one board Verse 21 two sockets under one board Exodus 26:19 Reciprocal 38:27 - and the sockets Verse 22 Reciprocal Exodus 26:15 - boards; 36:27 - westward Verse 23 corners[H4742], Exodus 36:28 Reciprocal 1 Kings 6:16 - built them Verse 24 be coupledHeb. twinedand they shall be coupled together above Exodus 36:29, 36:30; Psalm 133:1-3; 1 Corinthians 1:10, 3:16; 1 Peter 2:5
Verse 25 Reciprocal Exodus 26:19 - forty sockets of silver; 36:30 - two sockets; 38:27 - and the sockets Verse 26 bars of shittim wood Exodus 36:31-38; Numbers 3:36, 4:31; Romans 15:1; 1 Corinthians 9:19, 9:20; Galatians 6:1, 6:2; Ephesians 4:16; Colossians 2:19 Reciprocal Exodus 25:5 - shittim wood; 36:32 - the tabernacle Verse 27 Reciprocal Exodus 36:27 - westward Verse 28 reachlit, flee, 1 Chronicles 12:15; Nehemiah 13:28; Job 41:28; Proverbs 19:26
Verse 29 overlay the boards with gold Exodus 25:11, 25:12 Reciprocal 30:4 - rings; 1 Kings 6:21 - overlaid; 2 Chronicles 3:7 - overlaid Verse 30 rear up the tabernacle Exodus 40:2, 40:17, 40:18; Numbers 10:21; Joshua 18:1; Habakkuk 3:1 according to the fashion Exodus 25:9, 25:40, 27:8; Acts 7:44; Habakkuk 3:1, 3:1 Reciprocal 1 Chronicles 28:11 - the pattern; 28:19 - the Lord Verse 31 a veil of Exodus 36:35, 40:3, 40:21; Leviticus 16:2, 16:15; 2 Chronicles 3:14; Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45; Ephesians 2:14; Habakkuk 3:1-9:8, 3:1, 3:1 blue Exodus 25:4, 35:6, 35:25, 35:35, 36:8 purpleArgaman, 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.scarletTolaa?th; 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 26:1, 28:15, 38:23; 2 Chronicles 2:7-13; Psalm 137:5; Song of Songs 7:1 cherubims shall it be made Exodus 25:18 Reciprocal 26:36 - of blue; 27:9 - hangings for; 27:16 - of blue; 27:21 - without the veil; 30:6 - veil; 35:12 - the veil; Numbers 3:31 - and the hanging; 4:5 - they shall; Esther 1:6 - white Verse 32 pillars of shittim Exodus 26:37, 36:38; Esther 1:6 their hooks shall be of goldThe Hebrew waveyhem, which we translate their hooks, is rendered by the LXX κεφαλιδες, 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, 27:11
and the wavim of the pillars of the vail of gold - 36:36
and that 1,775 shekels were employed in making them, overlaying their chapiters, rasheyhem, their heads, and filleting them - 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 αγκυλαι, "handles", and, "rings" or "clasps".Reciprocal 30:1 - General; 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, 36:36 within the veil Genesis 9:4, 9:5 the ark of the testimony Exodus 25:16, 40:21 the holy place Leviticus 16:2; 1 Kings 8:6, 8:10; 2 Chronicles 5:7-10; Habakkuk 3:1, 3:1 Reciprocal Exodus 26:6 - taches of gold; 37:1 - General; 38:21 - tabernacle of testimony; 40:3 - General; 1 Kings 6:21 - by the chains; 2 Chronicles 3:8 - the most holy; 29:16 - the inner part; Psalm 122:4 - the testimony; Ezekiel 41:4 - This; Habakkuk 3:1 - the ark Verse 34 put the mercy seat Exodus 25:21, 40:20; Habakkuk 3:1 Reciprocal Exodus 25:17 - mercy seat; 40:3 - General; Leviticus 16:2 - he come not; 1 Kings 8:6 - his place; 2 Chronicles 29:16 - the inner part; Psalm 122:4 - the testimony; Ezekiel 41:4 - This Verse 35 the table Exodus 40:22; Habakkuk 3:1, 3:1, 3:1 the candlestick Exodus 25:31-37, 40:24 Reciprocal 40:4 - the table Verse 36 hangingThis 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, Habakkuk 3:1. 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." 36:37, 40:28; John 10:9, 14:6 the tent Exodus 35:11, 39:33, 40:29; Numbers 3:25, 9:15; 2 Samuel 7:6; Psalm 78:60 of blue Exodus 26:31 Reciprocal 26:1 - fine twined linen; 27:14 - hangings of one side; 27:16 - of blue; 29:4 - unto the door; 35:6 - blue; 35:15 - the hanging; 39:30 - the plate; 40:4 - the table; 40:5 - put; Esther 1:6 - white; Ezekiel 41:2 - the door Verse 37 overlay them with gold Exodus 36:38 Reciprocal 25:5 - shittim wood; 26:19 - forty sockets of silver; 26:32 - pillars of shittim; 35:15 - the hanging; 36:37 - an hanging; 38:30 - the sockets; 40:5 - put; 40:28 - General; Numbers 3:25 - and the hanging; 3:36 - under the custody and charge; Esther 1:6 - white