Exodus 26:9

9 Five of which thou shalt couple by themselves, and the six others thou shalt couple one to another, so as to double the sixth curtain in the front of the roof.

Exodus 26:9 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 26:9

And thou shall couple five curtains by themselves
And make one large curtain of them, as was ordered with respect to the linen curtains:

and six curtains by themselves;
as there were eleven of them, such a division was made of five into one large curtain, and six into another; and as that which had six in it would reach further than the other, provision is made for the disposal and use of that as follows:

and shall double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle;
at the entrance of it, in the east end of it; the sixth curtain reaching to that, and hanging down, was turned up, and so doubled, opposite the door or entrance; and was, as Jarchi says, like a modest bride that covers her face with a vail, which before this had no covering; for thus it was, as Dr. Lightfoot F13 describes it, the holy place was ten yards long, and the five curtains sewed together were just so broad, and so they covered only the top and the sides, but hung not down at the end, which was eastward--but the six (goat hair curtains) that lay east reached to the end, covered the pillars whereon that vail hung, and they hung half a curtain's breadth or a yard over the entrance.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 Works, vol. 1. p. 718.

Exodus 26:9 In-Context

7 Thou shalt make also eleven curtains of goats’ hair, to cover the top of the tabernacle.
8 The length of one hair-curtain shall be thirty cubits; and the breadth, four: the measure of all the curtains shall be equal.
9 Five of which thou shalt couple by themselves, and the six others thou shalt couple one to another, so as to double the sixth curtain in the front of the roof.
10 Thou shalt make also fifty loops in the edge of one curtain, that it may be joined with the other: and fifty loops in the edge of the other curtain, that it may be coupled with its fellow.
11 Thou shalt make also fifty buckles of brass, wherewith the loops may be joined, that of all there may be made one covering.
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