Exodus 40:3

3 And thou shalt set the ark therein, and thou shalt leave a veil before it. (And thou shalt put the Ark in it, and thou shalt put the Veil in front of the Ark.)

Exodus 40:3 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 40:3

And thou shall put therein the ark of the testimony
The ark or chest where the law was, a testimony of the divine will, and which was to be put into the most holy place of the tabernacle:

and cover the ark with the vail;
not with the propitiatory or mercy seat, as the Targum of Jonathan; for though that was a covering or lid to the ark, yet not a vail; this was the vail that divided between the holy place and the most holy, and so covered or hid the ark from the sight even of the priests that went into the holy place.

Exodus 40:3 In-Context

1 And the Lord spake to Moses, saying,

2 In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt raise the tabernacle of witnessing. (In the first month, on the first day of the month, thou shalt raise up the Tabernacle of the Witnessing.)

3 And thou shalt set the ark therein, and thou shalt leave a veil before it. (And thou shalt put the Ark in it, and thou shalt put the Veil in front of the Ark.)

4 And when the board is borne in, thou shalt set thereon those things that be commanded justly, either by the law. The candlestick shall stand with his lanterns, (And when the table is brought in, thou shalt put on it those things that be commanded by the law. And thou shalt bring in the lamp-stand, and its lanterns,)

5 and the golden altar, wherein the incense is burnt before the ark of witnessing. Thou shalt set a curtain in the entering of the tabernacle; (and the gold altar, on which the incense is burned before the Ark of the Witnessing. And thou shalt hang the curtain at the entrance to the Tabernacle;)