Exodus 38:16 — Word Study
WLCכָּל־ קַלְעֵ֧י הֶחָצֵ֛ר סָבִ֖יב שֵׁ֥שׁ מָשְׁזָֽר׃
BSAAllkôl [every single one, everything] the curtainsqelaʻ [hangings, screens] aroundçâbîyb [surrounding, encompassing] the courtyardchâtsêr [court, village] were made of finely spunshâzar [woven, crafted, exquisitely, with great skill, twined, twisted] linenshêsh [fine white linen]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| קַלְעֵ֧י | [the] curtains of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| הֶחָצֵ֛ר | the courtyard | Particle, noun common both singular absolute |
| סָבִ֖יב | all around | Noun common, both singular absolute |
| שֵׁ֥שׁ | [were] fine linen | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| מָשְׁזָֽר׃ | twisted | Verb, Hophal, participle (passive) masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | All the curtains around the courtyard were made of finely spun linen. |
| KJV | All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen. |
| ASV | All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen. |
| YLT | all the hangings of the court round about [are] of twined linen, |
| WEB | All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen. |
| BBE | All the hangings were of the best linen. |
Where they part company is כֹּל — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is straightforward, with a main clause followed by a predicate that describes the material of the curtains.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁזַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 38:16
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Construction of the Courtyardgenerated
Exodus 38:16 describes the specific materials used for the curtains that formed the perimeter of the courtyard. This detail is part of the instructions given for the construction of the tabernacle and its surroundings, emphasizing the importance of quality in the materials used for sacred spaces. The text highlights the meticulous nature of the craftsmanship involved in creating these elements.
Cross References
The Key Word — כֹּל, kol-generated
The word כֹּל (kol) is a noun meaning 'all' or 'everything'. It encompasses totality, referring to every part of something, as seen in Genesis 1:31. The parsing indicates it is a masculine singular construct, used here to emphasize that every curtain is included in the description.
This word is foundational in Hebrew, often used to denote completeness or totality in various contexts, and it is commonly paired with a following genitive to specify what is included. The lexicons consistently affirm its meaning without significant disagreement.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is implied in the context, with the structure emphasizing the noun phrases: כָּל־ קַלְעֵ֧י הֶחָצֵ֛ר serves as the subject, while the rest describes the material and quality of the curtains. The Hebrew word order places the emphasis on 'all the curtains' first, establishing the totality of what is being described.
The sentence structure is straightforward, with multiple noun phrases that detail the subject (the curtains) and their characteristics (the materials used).
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כֹּל as πᾶσαι (pasai), which also means 'all', indicating a direct correspondence in meaning. This choice reinforces the totality expressed in the Hebrew.
The remaining words in the Septuagint align closely with the Hebrew, suggesting a careful translation that maintains the original intent.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 38:16 tells us that all the curtains surrounding the courtyard were made from finely spun linen. This emphasizes the quality and craftsmanship of the materials used in the construction of the tabernacle's courtyard.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The term refers to the hanging screens that separated the sacred spaces within the tabernacle courtyard.
Finely spun linen was a luxurious and durable material, signifying the importance of the tabernacle and its furnishings.
This verse highlights the attention to detail and quality in the materials used throughout the tabernacle's construction, reflecting its sacred purpose.
The description emphasizes the significance of beauty and quality in sacred spaces, reminding us of the care that should be taken in our worship and service.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the use of fine materials in the tabernacle teach us about the importance of our worship spaces?
- How can we apply the principle of quality and craftsmanship in our own lives and work?
- In what ways can we ensure that we honor God in the details of our service and worship?
- What significance do the curtains have in terms of separating sacred spaces in our understanding of worship?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 38:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits: The court.
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 38 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(9-20) The construction of the court follows upon that of the furniture which it contained. The passage runs parallel with Exodus 27:9-19.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 38 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges16. of fine twined linen] Cf. Exodus 27:18, towards the end.
Read Cambridge on Exodus 38 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleTHE ALTAR OF BURNT , Exodus 38:1-7. See notes on Exodus 27:1-7. THE LAVER, Exodus 38:8. See notes on Exodus 30:17-21. THE COURT OF THE , Exodus 38:9-20. See notes on Exodus 27:9-19.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 38 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
All the curtains around the courtyard were made of finely spun linen.
All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen.
All the curtains around the courtyard were made of finely spun linen.
All the hangings around the courtyard were of fine twisted linen.
Tyndale line
All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen:
Strictly literal
All the hangings of the court round about were of twined byssus;
all the hangings of the court round about [are] of twined linen,
all the hangings of the court around [are] of twined linen,
all the hangings of the court round about were of twisted linen.
All the hangings around the courtyard were made of fine linen.
From the Latin
All the hangings of the court were woven with twisted linen.
Simplified
All the curtains around the courtyard were of finely-woven linen.
All the hangings were of the best linen.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word with the Hebrew. The Septuagint, while matching four of the six words, presents them in a different order, reflecting its own syntactical structure.
כָּל־ קַלְעֵ֧י הֶחָצֵ֛ר סָבִ֖יב שֵׁ֥שׁ מָשְׁזָֽר׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
כל קלעי החצר סביב שׁשׁ משׁזר
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 38:16
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
קֶ֫לַע (qela`) refers to both a 'sling' and a 'curtain' or 'hanging.' It is derived from the root word for 'to be thrown' and encompasses items that can be slung or hung, such as a door screen or valve. The entries consistently highlight these two primary meanings without significant disagreement.
קֶ֫לַע n.[m.] sling
base
[קֶ֫לַע] 15 n.[m.] curtain, hanging (P)
base
H7050a קֶ֫לַע sling H7050b קֶ֫לַע curtain, hanging
7050 qela` keh'-lah
from 7049; a sling; also a (door) screen (as if slung
across), or the valve (of the door) itself:--hanging, leaf,
sling.
see HEBREW for 07049
קֶ֫לַע (qe.la) — sling.
sling, slingstones
קֶ֫לַע (qe.la) — curtain.
curtain, drape, hanging
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
חָצֵר (chatser) refers to an enclosure or court, and can also mean a settled abode, settlement, or village, typically appearing in the plural form חֲצֵרִים. The word is derived from a root meaning to enclose, indicating spaces that are surrounded by walls or fences.
חָצֵר 145 n.m. and (oftener) f. enclosure, court
base
[חָצֵר] 46 n.m. settled abode, settlement, village—always pl. abs. חֲצֵרִים
base
H2691a חָצֵר n. m. and (oftener) f. enclosure, court H2691b חָצֵר settled abode, settlement, village—always pl. abs. חֲצֵרִים
2691 chatser khaw-tsare'
(masculine and feminine); from 2690 in its original sense; a
yard (as inclosed by a fence); also a hamlet (as similarly
surrounded with walls):--court, tower, village.
see HEBREW for 02690
חָצֵר (cha.tser) — court.
1) court, enclosure
1a) enclosures
1b) court
חָצֵר (cha.tser) — village.
settled abode, settlement, village, town
Art | N-cs — Particle · noun common both singular absoluteHTd/Ncbsa
סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.
סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
base
H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'
or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a
circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with
or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,
circuit, compass, on every side.
see HEBREW for 05437
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.
: around/border
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.
: side
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.
: whole
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.
: neighours
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
N-cs — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
שֵׁשׁ (shesh) refers to fine materials, primarily white linen or byssus, often associated with Egyptian textiles. It can also denote alabaster or similar stones like marble, indicating a range of meanings related to both fabric and stone. The entries suggest a connection to bleached or fine materials, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
שֵׁשׁ n.m. id. [שַׁ֫יִשׁ]; material of pavement
base
שֵׁשׁ n.m. byssus, fine Egyptian linen
base
H8336a שֵׁשׁ id. [שַׁ֫יִשׁ] H8336b שֵׁשׁ byssus, fine Egyptian linen
8336 shesh shaysh
or (for alliteration with 4897) shshiy {shesh-ee'}; for 7893;
bleached stuff, i.e. white linen or (by analogy) marble:--X
blue, fine ((twined)) linen, marble, silk.
see HEBREW for 04897
see HEBREW for 07893
שֵׁשׁ (shesh) — alabaster.
alabaster, similar stone, marble, material of pavement
שֵׁשׁ (shesh) — linen.
something bleached white, byssus, linen, fine linen
Adj — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
lin'-en (badh, "white linen," used chiefly for priestly robes, buts, "byssus," a fine white Egyptian linen, called in the earlier writings shesh; pesheth, "flax," cadhin; bussos, othonion, linon, sindon): Thread or cloth made of flax.
1. History:
Ancient Egypt was noted for its fine linen (Ge 41:42; Isa 19:9). From it a large export trade was carried on with surrounding nations, including the Hebrews, who early learned the art of spinning from the Egyptians (Ex 35:25) and continued to rely on them for the finest linen (Pr 7:16; Eze 27:7). The culture of flax in Palestine probably antedated the conquest, for in
Linen
(1.) Heb., pishet, pishtah, denotes “flax,” of which linen is made (Isa. 19:9); wrought flax, i.e., “linen cloth”, Lev. 13:47, 48, 52, 59; Deut. 22:11.
Flax was early cultivated in Egypt (Ex. 9:31), and also in Palestine (Josh. 2:6; Hos. 2:9). Various articles were made of it: garments (2 Sam. 6:14), girdles (Jer. 13:1), ropes and thread (Ezek. 40:3), napkins (
cloth made from flax. Several different Hebrew words are rendered linen, which may denote different fabrics of linen or different modes of manufacture. Egypt was the great centre of the linen trade. Some linen, made form the Egyptian byssus , a flax that grew on the banks of the Nile, was exceedingly soft and of dazzling whiteness. This linen has been sold for twice its weight in gold. Sir J.G. Wilkinson says of it, "The quality of the fine linen fully justifies all the praises of antiquity, and excites equal admiration at the present day, being to the touch comparable to silk, and not inferior in texture to our finest cambric."
As is well known, is made of the fine fibers of flax, and was much used by the ancients. Four different words in Hebrew are translated in our Bible, "Linen," "fine linen," and "silk:" PISHTAH, Jud 15:14 Eze 44:17,18; BAD, worn by the priests, Ex 28:42 39:28, and by king David, etc., 2Sa 6:14; SHESH, worn by Joseph when governor of Egypt, Ge 41:42, and by the virtuous woman in Pr 31:22, (see SILK;) and BUTZ, of which the veil of the temple and David’s outer mantle were made,
שָׁזַר (shazar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to twist or be twisted, specifically in the Hoph. form. The entries indicate it primarily refers to the action of twisting, such as twisting a thread of straw.
[שָׁזַר] 21 vb. Hoph. be twisted
base
H7806 [שָׁזַר] Hoph. be twisted
7806 shazar shaw-zar'
a primitive root; to twist (a thread of straw):--twine.
שָׁזַר (sha.zar) — to twist.
1) to twist, be twisted
1a) (Hophal)
1a1) to be twisted
1a2) twisted (participle)
V-Hophal-Inf-c — Verb · Hophal · participle (passive) masculine singularHVHsmsa