Exodus 26:1-30

Curtains of Linen

1 "¹Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material; you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman.

2 "The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight * cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall have the same measurements.

3 "Five curtains shall be joined to one another, and the other five curtains shall be joined to one another.

4 "You shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost * * curtain in the first set, and likewise you shall make them on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.

5 "You shall make fifty loops in the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite each other.

6 "You shall make fifty clasps of gold, and join the curtains to one another with the clasps so that the tabernacle will be a unit.

Curtains of Goats' Hair

7 "Then ²you shall make curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven * curtains in all.

8 "The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; the eleven * curtains shall have the same measurements.

9 "You shall join five curtains by themselves and the other six curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the front of the tent.

10 "You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the first set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.

11 "You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and you shall put the clasps into the loops and join the tent together so that it will be a unit.

12 "The overlapping part that is left over in the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that is left over, shall lap over the back of the tabernacle.

13 "The cubit on one side and the cubit on the other, of what is left over in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall lap over the sides of the tabernacle on one side and on the other, to cover it.

14 "³You shall make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red and a covering of porpoise skins above *.

Boards and Sockets

15 "Then you shall make ⁴the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing upright.

16 "Ten cubits shall be the length of each board and one and a half cubits the width of each board.

17 "There shall be two tenons for each board, fitted to one another; thus you shall do for all the boards of the tabernacle.

18 "You shall make the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the south side.

19 "You shall make forty ⁵sockets of silver under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons and two sockets under another board for its two tenons;

20 and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards,

21 and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.

22 "For the rear of the tabernacle, to the west, you shall make six boards.

23 "You shall make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear.

24 "They shall be double beneath, and together they shall be complete to its top to the first ring; thus it shall be with both of them: they shall form the two corners.

25 "There shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen * sockets; two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.

26 "Then you shall make ⁶bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle,

27 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle for the rear side to the west.

28 "The middle bar in the center of the boards shall pass through from end to end.

29 "You shall overlay the boards with gold and make their rings of gold as holders for the bars; and you shall overlay the bars with gold.

30 "Then you shall erect the tabernacle ⁷according to its plan which you have been shown in the mountain.

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Exodus 26:1-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 26

In this chapter a description is given of the tabernacle itself, and first of its inward curtains, of their number, matter, length, and breadth, and the manner of coupling them together, Ex 26:1-6, and then of the outward curtains of it, their number, matter, length, and breadth, and coupling, and how disposed of, Ex 26:7-13, and next of the two coverings of the tabernacle, of rams' skins and badgers' skins, Ex 22:14, the boards for the tabernacle are also described, with their tenons and sockets, Ex 26:15-25 and the bars and rings for it, by which it was kept firm together, Ex 26:26-30, an account is given of the vail between the holy and the most holy place, Ex 26:31-35, and of the hanging for the door of the tabernacle, Ex 26:36,37.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 7

1. Exodus 36:8-19
2. Exodus 36:14
3. Exodus 36:19
4. Exodus 36:20-34
5. Exodus 38:27
6. Exodus 36:31
7. Exodus 25:9, 40; Acts 7:44; Hebrews 8:5

Footnotes 45

[a]. Or "violet"
[b]. I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
[c]. I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
[d]. Lit "one measure"
[e]. Or "coupled"
[f]. Or "coupled"
[g]. Or "violet"
[h]. Lit "one curtain from the end in the coupling"
[i]. Lit "coupling"
[j]. Lit "end"
[k]. Lit "coupling"
[l]. Or "couple"
[m]. Or "dwelling place," and so throughout the ch
[n]. I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
[o]. Lit "one measure"
[p]. Or "couple"
[q]. Lit "toward the front of the face of the tent"
[r]. Lit "one curtain"
[s]. Lit "coupling"
[t]. Lit "coupling"
[u]. Or "copper"
[v]. Or "couple"
[w]. Lit "one"
[x]. Lit "excess"
[y]. Or "tanned"
[z]. Lit "the"
[aa]. Lit "bound"
[ab]. Lit "toward the side of the Negev to the south"
[ac]. Or "bases"
[ad]. Or "bases"
[ae]. Or "bases"
[af]. Or "bases"
[ag]. Or "bases"
[ah]. Or "bases"
[ai]. Lit "extreme parts"
[aj]. Lit "extreme parts"
[ak]. Or "at its head"
[al]. Or "with reference to"
[am]. Or "bases"
[an]. Or "bases"
[ao]. Or "bases"
[ap]. Or "bases"
[aq]. Lit "second"
[ar]. Lit "extreme parts"
[as]. Lit "midst"