Exodus 39

Exodus 39:1

JjLND of the blue, and purple, and scarlet-. These artificers proceeded, in the most natural order, to make all that God commanded. For, first, they made the house itself, in which he was to dwell, (chap, xxxvi.) then all the furniture belonging to it, (ciiap. xxxvii.) and then the outward court, and all that was therein, (chap, xxxviii.) and now Moses relates how they made the priestly garments,‘without which they could not minister to God in this house." TJiey made.] This shews how all that goes before (where it is said he made) is to be interpreted. Bezaleel and Aholiab, and all that were employed under them, had a hand (as wc speak) in these garments; the principal aTtists directing, and the rest working all that is here mentioned. Clothes of service.] To be put on when the£ ministered unto God, in the priest’s office, (xxviii. 4. xxx. 10. xxxv. 19.) not to be worn abroad, but only in the sanctuary. As Mr. Selden observes, lib. iii. de Synedr. cap. 11. p. 145. where he looks upon the following words, to do service in the holy place (or, to serve in the sanctuary), as determining them to be used here, and no where else.

Exodus 39:2

And he made’the ephod, &c. Gave direction for the making it of such materials as here follow. (See xxviii. G, &c.)

Exodus 39:3

And they did beat the gold into thin plates, &c.j The under workmen, by Bezaleel’s direction, did first beat the gold into very thin plates, and then slice them into wires, or small threads of gold. For in those days they had not the art which we have now, of drawing a piece of gold into round wires or threads of what length wc please; but, as Moses here describes it, they beat it first into broad thin plates, and then cut off lesser and narrower wires (as’ we call them), which were not Tound, but of a very small breadth; which they wove with the other materials here mentioned. But nothing is here said of silver thus wrought; for they had not the art of weaving silver in this manner, in ancient times, as Salmasius observes upon Vopiscus, in the life of Aurelian; in whose days the art of making silver into threads, and weaving it with their garments, was not known;- but was much in use in the time of the latter Greek emperors. To work it in blue, and in purple, &c] The manner of it was thus (as Maimonides saith): " They took one thread of wire of gold, and joined it with six threads of blue, and twisted all seven into one. And so they mingled the like thread of gold with six of purple; and another with six of scarlet; and another, with six oifinelinen: so that there were twenty-eight threads in aH. M Which R. Solomon Jarchi expresses thus upon xxviii. 8. These five kinds (blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, and gold) were twisted into one thread. For the gold being stretched into a thin plate, and threads cut out of it, they weaved a thread of gold with six threads of blue (and so they did with the rest), after which they twisted all these threads into one. (See Joh.Braunius de Vestitu Saccrd. Hebr. lib. i. cap. J7. n. 26.) Cunning work.] See xxviii. 6,

Exodus 39:4

] See xxviii. 7, 8. Ver. G. They wrought onyx-stones. See xxviii. 9.

Exodus 39:7

For a memorial. See xxviii. 12.

Exodus 39:8

lie made the breastplate, &c. See this explained, and all that follows to vct. 22. in xxviii. 15, 16, &e. only observe, that there is not a word here said of his making urim and thummim: which confirms what I said there, that they were not distinct things from the precious stones in the breast-plate.

Exodus 39:22

And they made the robe of the ephod, &c. 2X Microsoft® [CHAP. XL. See this and the two following verses explained, xxviii.

Exodus 39:24

And twined linen. In the Hebrew therp is only the word (wined: but the Masora rightly observes, that schesch is to be understood; which we have therefore justly supplied in the word linen. And so the LXX.

Exodus 39:25

Bells of pure gold, &c. See xxviii. 33, &4. where this and the next verse are explained.

Exodus 39:27

And they made coats of fine linen. Coats were ordered to be made for Aaron and his sons, xxviii. 40. but the matter of them not mentioned: which is here therefore ordered to be of^ne linen. For white garments, being pure, bright, unmixed, and also splendid and stately (for anciently the greatest persons w T cre so clothed, as appears by Joseph, when he was honourably arrayed by Pharaoh, Gen. xli. 42.) were used by all nations in the service of God. And what was most suitable to nature, God thought fit to continue in his service, though used perhaps by idolaters before this time. Only his priests wore these garments no where but in the sanctuary; whereas the priests of Isis (for instance) w f ent every where clothed in white. Of woven ivorkJ] Not sewed with a needle; for such coats may be made without any seam; and Braunius hath shewn the manner of weaving them, lib. i. de Vestitu Sacerdot. Hebr. cap. 16.

Exodus 39:28

Mitre of fine linen. Sec xxviii. 39. And of bonnets and breeches. (See there, ver. 40. 42.)

Exodus 39:29

And a girdle of fine twined linen, &c. See xxviii.

Exodus 39:30

And they made the plale of the holy crown. See xxviii. 36. To which I shall only add, that the priests, both men and women, among the gentiles, had ordinarily the epithet oi ojt$avo$QQQi, from the crowns they wore upon their heads; which were sometimes of gold, sometimes of laurcj. (See Cupcrus, in his Harpocratcs, p. 137.)

Exodus 39:31

A lace of blue, &c. See xxviii. 37.

Exodus 39:32

Thus teas all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished, &c. Every thing belonging to the house of God (which he commanded Moses to make) was completed exactly according to his directions /though they were not yet set in their place, which God orders in the next chapter. Tabernacle of the tent, &c] See xl. 2. And all the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.’] This hath a more particular respect to the workmen; yet all the materials being brought by the body of the people, they arc also comprehended in this expression.

Exodus 39:33

And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all its furniture, Sec. In this and the following verses he makes a recapitulation of all the particulars, mentioned in the foregoing chapter: which they brought to Moses, that they might see whether they were made according to his order. It is probable that the whole congregation, or the heads of them, accompanied Bczaleel and the other artificers, when they brought these things to Moses for his approbation.

Exodus 39:34

And the covering of the rams’ skins, &c. Of this covering, and of the next, see xxvi. 14. xxxvi. 19. And the veil of the covering.] Sec xxvi. 3G.

Exodus 39:37

Tlic pure candlestick. Of pure gold, as w r c read xxv. 31. xxxvii. 17.

Exodus 39:42

So the children of Israel made all the work. Here again the whole body of th people are said to have made all the work forementioned, (see ver. 37.) because they contributed to it, and also helped to prepare some materials for the workmen, (xxxv. 25. xxxvi. C.)

Exodus 39:43

And Moses did look upon the work. Took a solemn view T of it; and examined it carefully whether it was performed according to the order they had received. And behold, they had done it as the Lord commanded.] This is the tenth time that Moses, in this one chapter, saith all was done as the Lord commanded, ver. 1. 5. 7. 21. 2G. 29. 31, 32. 42. and hero in this last verse; to shew how exact they were in their obedience; and that nothing was done according to their own reason and opinion, but all according to the Divine precept, without addition or de* traction. They are the words of the author of Sepher Cosri, (par. iii. n. 23.) who well observes, that all was done and brought to perfection by two things, w T hich arc the pillars of the law: the one is, that the law is from God; and the other, that it be" accepted by the church with a faithful heart. And thus was the tabernacle ordered by the Divine precept; and it was made by the whole church or congregation, (xxy. 2.) And Moses blessed them.] Both the workmen, who had done their work faithfully; and the children of Israel, who had contributed the materials, and also now, together with Bezaleel and the rest of the artificers, presented the whole to him,