Exodus 26:1

Moreover, thou shalt make the tabernacle,.... Which he was ordered to make before, the pattern of which was shown him in the mount: this was an habitation for God to dwell in, as the word properly

Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. Thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains.

EXODUS CHAPTER 26 Moses is commanded to make the tabernacle with ten curtains, The length and breadth of the curtains, . The form of the curtains, . He is commanded to make eleven curtains of goats’ hair, . The manner of the making and placing them, . Of what the tabernacle is to be made, . The manner of its making, with other utensils, . Of the veil, and what it is to be made of, . The fashion of it, ,33. The hanging for the tent-door, . 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 . Of cunning work, either woven, or rather wrought with needle, wherein is most skill and curiosity.

Exodus 26:1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle [with] ten curtains [of] fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: [with] cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.Ver. 1. Thou shalt make the tabernacle.] A type, (1.) Of Christ who "dwelt among us, full of grace and truth"; (2.) Of the Church built by Christ; (3.) Of every true Christian.

XXVI. THE .(1-37) The sacred tent which was to form the “House of God,” or temple, for Israel during the continuance of the people in the wilderness, and which in point of fact served them for a national sanctuary until the construction of the first temple by Solomon, is described in this chapter with a minuteness which leaves little to be desired. It is called ham-mishkân, “the dwelling,” and ha-’ohel, “the tent” (Exodus 26:36)—the former from its purpose, as being the place where God “dwelt” in a peculiar manner (Exodus 25:22); the latter from its shape and general construction, which resembled those of other tents of the period. The necessary foundation was a framework of wood. This consisted of five “pillars,” or tent-poles, in front (Exodus 26:37), graduated in height to suit the slope of the roof, and doubtless five similar ones at the back, though these are not mentioned. A ridge-pole must have connected the two central tent-poles, and over this ridge-pole the covering of the tent, which was of goats’-hair (Exodus 26:7), was no doubt strained in the ordinary way by means of cords and “pins,” or tent-pegs (Exodus 35:18). Thus an oblong square space was roofed over, which seems to have been sixty feet long by thirty broad. Within this “tent” (‘ohel) was placed the “dwelling” (mishkân). The “dwelling” was a space forty-five feet long by fifteen broad, enclosed on three sides by walls of boards (Exodus 26:18-25), and opening in front into a sort of porch formed by the projection of the “tent” beyond the “dwelling.” Towards the open air this porch was closed, wholly or partially, by a curtain (Exodus 26:36). The “dwelling” was roofed over by another “curtain,” or “hanging,” of bright colours and rich materials (Exodus 26:1-6). It was divided into two portions, called respectively “the Holy Place,” and “the Holy of Holies”—the former towards the porch, the latter away from it. These two places were separated by a “vail” hung upon four pillars (Exodus 26:31-32). Their relative size is uncertain; but it may be suspected that the Holy of Holies was the smaller of the two, and conjectured that the proportion was as one to two, the Holy of Holies being a square of fifteen feet, and the Holy Place an oblong, thirty feet long by fifteen. The whole structure was placed within an area called “the Court of the Tabernacle,” which is described in the next chapter.

CHAPTER XXVI The ten curtains of the tabernacle, and of what composed, 1. Their length, 2, 3; their loops, 4, 5; their taches, 6. The curtains of goats' hair for a covering, 7; their length and breadth, 8. Coupled with loops, 9, 10, and taches, 11. The remnant of the curtains, how to be employed, 12, 13. The covering of rams' skins, 14. The boards of the tabernacle for the south side, 15; their length, 16, tenons, 17, number, 18, sockets, 19. Boards, c., for the north side, 20, 21. Boards, c., for the west side, 22 for the corners, 23 their rings and sockets, 24, 25. The bars of the tabernacle, 26-30. The veil, its pillars, hooks, and taches, 31-33. How to place the mercy-seat, 34. The table and the candlestick, 35. The hanging for the door of the tent, 36; and the hangings for the pillars, 37. NOTES ON CHAP. XXVI Verse 1. Thou shalt make the tabernacle] משכן mischan, from שכן shachan, to dwell, means simply a dwelling place or habitation of any kind, but here it means the dwelling place of Jehovah, who, as a king in his camp, had his dwelling or pavilion among his people, his table always spread, his lamps lighted, and the priests, c., his attendants, always in waiting. From the minute and accurate description here given, a good workman, had he the same materials, might make a perfect fac simile of the ancient Jewish tabernacle. It was a movable building, and so constructed that it might be easily taken to pieces, for the greater convenience of carriage, as they were often obliged to transport it from place to place, in their various journeyings. For the twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, See Clarke on Exodus 25:4, c. Cherubims] See Clarke on Exodus 25:18. Cunning work] חשב chosheb probably means a sort of diaper, in which the figures appear equally perfect on both sides this was probably formed in the loom. Another kind of curious work is mentioned, Exodus 26:36, רקם rokem, which we term needle-work this was probably similar to our embroidery, tapestry, or cloth of arras. It has been thought unlikely that these curious works were all manufactured in the wilderness: what was done in the loom, they might have brought with them from Egypt; what could be done by hand, without the use of complex machinery, the Israelitish women could readily perform with their needles, during their stay in the wilderness. But still it seems probable that they brought even their looms with them. The whole of this account shows that not only necessary but ornamental arts had been carried to a considerable pitch of perfection, both among the Israelites and Egyptians. The inner curtains of the tabernacle were ten in number, and each in length twenty-eight cubits, and four in breadth; about sixteen yards twelve inches long, and two yards twelve inches broad.

1–6 (cf. Exodus 36:8-13). The ornamented curtains, forming the Dwelling itself. These were ten in number, each 28 cubits (42 ft.) long, and 4 cubits (6 ft.) wide, all made of richly coloured tapestry, with figures of cherubim interwoven (the ‘work of the designer’). When joined together, they formed a single large curtain, 40 cubits (60 ft.) long, and 28 cubits (42 ft.) broad.

(Compare Exo. 36:8-33.) The tabernacle was to comprise three main parts, the tabernacle Exodus 26:1-6, more strictly so-called, its tent Exodus 26:7-13, and its covering Exodus 26:14 (Compare Exodus

1. The tabernacle — The word here is äîùׁ ?ëï, and denotes more strictly the board structure described below, Exodus 26:15-30, but came to be used of the entire structure, including the curtains.