Exodus 39

1 Of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made finely worked garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aharon; as the LORD commanded Moshe.
2 He made the efod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
3 They beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, in the purple, in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, the work of the skillful workman.
4 They made shoulder-pieces for it, joined together. At the two ends it was joined together.
5 The skillfully woven band that was on it, with which to fasten it on, was of the same piece, like its work; of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moshe.
6 They worked the shoham stones, enclosed in settings of gold, engraved with the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the children of Yisra'el.
7 He put them on the shoulder-pieces of the efod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Yisra'el, as the LORD commanded Moshe.
8 He made the breastplate, the work of a skillful workman, like the work of the efod; of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9 It was square. They made the breastplate double. Its length was a span, and its breadth a span, being double.
10 They set in it four rows of stones. A row of odem, pitdah, and bareket was the first row;
11 and the second row, a nofek, a sappir, and an yahalom;
12 and the third row, a lehshem, an shebu, and an akhlamah;
13 and the fourth row, a tarshish, an shoham, and a yashefay. They were enclosed in gold settings.
14 The stones were according to the names of the children of Yisra'el, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, for the twelve tribes.
15 They made on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.
16 They made two settings of gold, and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
17 They put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
18 The other two ends of the two braided chains they put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the efod, in the front of it.
19 They made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which was toward the side of the efod inward.
20 They made two rings of gold, and put them on the two shoulder-pieces of the efod underneath, in the front of it, close by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the efod.
21 They bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the efod with a lace of blue, that it might be on the skillfully woven band of the efod, and that the breastplate might not come loose from the efod, as the LORD commanded Moshe.
22 He made the robe of the efod of woven work, all of blue.
23 The opening of the robe in the midst of it was like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around its opening, that it should not be torn.
24 They made on the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet, and twined linen.
25 They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates around the skirts of the robe, between the pomegranates;
26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, around the skirts of the robe, to minister in, as the LORD commanded Moshe.
27 They made the coats of fine linen of woven work for Aharon, and for his sons,
28 and the turban of fine linen, and the linen headbands of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twined linen,
29 and the sash of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, the work of the embroiderer, as the LORD commanded Moshe.
30 They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it a writing, like the engravings of a signet: "HOLY TO THE LORD."
31 They tied to it a lace of blue, to fasten it on the turban above, as the LORD commanded Moshe.
32 Thus all the work of the tent of the tent of meeting was finished. The children of Yisra'el did according to all that the LORD commanded Moshe; so they did.
33 They brought the tent to Moshe, the tent, with all its furniture, its clasps, its boards, it bars, its pillars, its sockets,
34 the covering of rams' skins dyed red, the covering of sea cow hides, the veil of the screen,
35 the ark of the testimony with its poles, the mercy seat,
36 the table, all its vessels, the show bread,
37 the pure menorah, its lamps, even the lamps to be set in order, all its vessels, the oil for the light,
38 the golden altar, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door of the Tent,
39 the brazen altar, its grating of brass, its poles, all of its vessels, the basin and its base,
40 the hangings of the court, its pillars, its sockets, the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, its pins, all the instruments of the service of the tent, for the tent of meeting,
41 the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aharon the Kohen, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the Kohen's office.
42 According to all that the LORD commanded Moshe, so the children of Yisra'el did all the work.
43 Moshe saw all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moshe blessed them.

Exodus 39 Commentary

Chapter 39

The priests' garments. (1-31) The tabernacle completed. (32-43)

Verses 1-31 The priests' garments were rich and splendid. The church in its infancy was thus taught by shadows of good things to come; but the substance is Christ, and the grace of the gospel. Christ is our great High Priest. When he undertook the work of our redemption, he put on the clothes of service, he arrayed himself with the gifts and graces of the Spirit, girded himself with resolution to go through the undertaking, took charge of all God's spiritual Israel, laid them near his heart, engraved them on the palms of his hands, and presented them to his Father. And he crowned himself with holiness to the Lord, consecrating his whole undertaking to the honour of his Father's holiness. True believers are spiritual priests. The clean linen with which all their clothes of service must be made, is the righteousness of saints, ( Revelation 19:8 ) .

Verses 32-43 The tabernacle was a type or emblem of Jesus Christ. As the Most High dwelt visibly within the sanctuary, even on the ark, so did he reside in the human nature and tabernacle of his dear Son; in Christ dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, ( Colossians 2:9 ) . The tabernacle was a symbol of every real Christian. In the soul of every true follower of the Saviour the Father dwells, the object of his worship, and the author of his blessings. The tabernacle also typified the church of the Redeemer. The meanest and the mightiest are alike dear to the Father's love, freely exercised through faith in Christ. The tabernacle was a type and emblem of the heavenly temple, Re. 21:3 . What, then, will be the splendour of His appearance, when the cloud shall be withdrawn, and his faithful worshippers shall see him as he is!

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 39

In this chapter is continued the account of making the several things belonging to the sanctuary, particularly the clothes for the service of the tabernacle, and the garments of the priests, as the ephod and its curious girdle, Ex 39:1-7 the breastplate and the putting of the stones in it, and the fastening of it to the ephod, Ex 39:8-21 the robe of the ephod, with the bells and pomegranates to it, Ex 39:21-26 and the coats, mitre, bonnets, breeches, and girdle of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, Ex 39:27-29 and the golden plate, Ex 39:30,31 and all being finished, the tabernacle and everything belonging to it were brought to Moses, and viewed by him; who seeing that all was done exactly according to the commandment of the Lord, blessed the people, and particularly the artificers, Ex 39:38-43.

Exodus 39 Commentaries

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.