Bible Commentaries

EXODUS CHAPTER 26

Moses is commanded to make the tabernacle with ten curtains, Exodus 26:1 The length and breadth of the curtains, Exodus 26:2. The form of the curtains, Exodus 26:3-6. He is commanded to make eleven curtains of goats’ hair, Exodus 26:7. The manner of the making and placing them, Exodus 26:8-14. Of what the tabernacle is to be made, Exodus 26:15. The manner of its making, with other utensils, Exodus 26:16-30. Of the veil, and what it is to be made of, Exodus 26:31. The fashion of it, Exodus 26:32,33. The hanging for the tent-door, Exodus 26:36.

The tabernacle, or tent; a little house wherein the ark, table, and candlestick were to be placed. And scarlet, i.e. with materials of these colours, to wit, wool, as may be gathered from hence, that it is opposed to linen. Compare Exodus 25:4. Of cunning work, either woven, or rather wrought with needle, wherein is most skill and curiosity.

Loops together with the taches were for the joining the curtains together, as appears from Exodus 26:11, which way of conjunction was most convenient for the often taking them down and setting them up.

From the selvage, or from, or in the extremity, or end, or edge, Heb. lip. In the coupling, i.e. in the place where the two curtains are coupled together. And likewise the second curtain is to be made exactly like the first.

The taches, or hooks or buttons, which were put into the loops to unite and fasten the curtains.

Of goats’ hair, spun, Exodus 35:26, and woven into a stuff, like our camlet.

To be a covering; to be put next above the curtains.

For the better security of the inward covering.

To preserve the rest from the injury of the weather.

Two tenons, Heb. hands, i.e. parts of the boards, so cut and framed that like hands they may take hold of and be fastened into the sockets, Exodus 26:19.

Forty sockets, or bases, or pedestals, or feet, upon which the boards stood, and to which they were fastened.

Which were of another fashion than the former, as may be gathered both from the distinct nomination and use of them, and from the laws of building. And whereas the rest were but single boards, these were double, for greater strength and conveniency of joining them together.

Coupled together, Heb. as twins, i.e. equal and equally joined together, and exactly answering one to the other.

Unto one ring, which ring was exactly in the corner, and with the help of the bars kept the corner boards, and with them the other boards of the tabernacle, close together. But you must note, that here were two rings in each corner, the one in the upper, the other in the lower parts.

By bars you may understand either,

1. Several rows or orders of bars, one bar beginning at the end of the other, and each containing four cubits in length, and altogether twenty cubits, which was the length of the tabernacle; or,

2. Single bars, which seem truer,

1. Because the word signifies bars, not rows of bars; and why should we go from the proper signification of the word without cause?

2. If bars be put for rows of bars, there must be five rows of bars on a side, there being so many bars said to be on a side. But the abettors of that opinion allow only four rows of bars on a side; and it is apparent the middle bar, which is one of the five, is but one single bar, Exodus 26:28, and therefore it may be presumed the rest were so too.

3. The name of the middle bar implies, that of the other four bars, two were above it, and two below it.

Object. But if they were each single bars, reaching the whole length of the building, why is it said peculiarly of the middle bar, that it should reach from end to end, or from extremity to extremity? Exodus 26:28.

Answ. This may be peculiarly said of this, either because the other four might want something of the just length of the building, or because the middle bar might stand out beyond the two ends of it, for conveniency of the carriage of the building.

There was but one side westward. Either therefore here is a transposition of the Hebrew words, which is usual, and the words are thus to be placed and rendered,

westward, looking to both sides, or, westward, according to both the other sides, now mentioned, to note that the number and length of bars in the west end should be equal to those on either of the other sides; or here is an enallage of the number, the dual or plural for the singular, of which there are many examples, and so the words are to be rendered, for the side looking westward.

In the midst of the boards; not within the thickness of the boards, as the Jews conceive, but in the length of them; as appears,

1. Because this bar, as well as the rest, was gilded, Exodus 26:29, which was frivolous if it were never seen

2. Because all the bars had rings made to receive and hold them up, Exodus 26:29.

Either by visible representation to his eye, or rather by mental vision or impression of it upon his imagination.

Thou shalt make a veil, which was thick and strong that none could see through it, called the second veil, Hebrews 9:3, whereby the holy of holies, which represented the highest heaven, was divided from the holy place, where the church militant, or its representatives, met and served God, Exodus 26:33. For the signification of this veil, see Luke 23:45 Hebrews 9:8,24 10:19,20.

The hooks were fastened to the tops of the pillars, as the veil was fastened to them.

Under the taches, or, in the place (as the Hebrew tacheth oft signifies) of the taches, to wit, where the two curtains are joined together by taches, Exodus 26:6.

For the door of the tent, i.e. of the holy place, where it was divided from the court of the people.