Exodus 39

Making the priests’ clothing

1 They used the blue, purple, and deep red yarns to make the woven clothing for those ministering as priests in the sanctuary. They made the holy clothes for Aaron as the LORD had commanded Moses.
2 They made the vest of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and of fine twisted linen.
3 They beat out thin sheets of gold and cut them into threads to work into designs among the blue, purple, and deep red yarns and the fine linen.
4 They made shoulder pieces for it attached to its two edges so that they could be joined together.
5 The vest's belt was attached to it and made in the same way of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and of fine twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
6 They prepared the gemstones by mounting them in gold settings and engraving on them the names of Israel's sons, like an official seal is engraved.
7 The stones were attached to the vest's shoulder pieces as reminder stones for the Israelites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
8 They made the embroidered chest pendant in the style of the vest, using gold, blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and fine twisted linen.
9 They made the chest pendant square and doubled, nine inches long and nine inches wide when doubled.
10 They set in it four rows of gemstones. The first row was a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald stones.
11 The second row was a turquoise, a sapphire, and a moonstone.
12 The third row was a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst.
13 The fourth row was a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. The settings around them were decorative gold.
14 There were twelve stones with names corresponding to the names of Israel's sons. They were engraved like official seals, each with its name for the twelve tribes.
15 They made chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, for the chest pendant.
16 They made two gold settings and two gold rings. They attached the two rings to the two edges of the chest pendant.
17 They attached the two gold cords to the two rings at the edges of the chest pendant.
18 Then they fastened the two ends of the two cords to the two gold settings and attached them to the front of the vest's shoulder pieces.
19 They made two gold rings, and they attached them to the two edges of the chest pendant, on its inside edge facing the vest.
20 They made two gold rings and fastened them on the front of the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the vest, at its seam just above the vest's belt.
21 The chest pendant was held in place by a blue cord binding its rings to the vest's rings so that the chest pendant rested on the vest's belt and didn't come loose from the vest, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22 They also made the vest's robe, woven completely in blue.
23 The opening of the robe in the middle of it was reinforced with a strong border so that it didn't tear.
24 On the robe's lower hem, they added pomegranates made of blue, purple, and deep red yarns and of fine twisted linen.
25 They also made pure gold bells and sewed the bells between the pomegranates, all around the robe's lower hem,
26 with a bell and a pomegranate alternating all around the lower hem of the robe that is used for ministering as a priest, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
27 They also made the tunics woven out of fine linen for Aaron and his sons,
28 the turban of fine linen, the decorated turbans of fine linen, the linen undergarments of fine twisted linen,
29 the sashes of fine twisted linen, and of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, decorated with needlework, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30 They made the flower ornament for the holy crown out of pure gold. Like the engraving on an official seal, they engraved on it the saying "Holy to the LORD."
31 They fastened to it a blue cord to tie it to the top of the turban, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Completion of dwelling construction

32 In this way all the work of the meeting tent dwelling was finished. The Israelites did everything just exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses.
33 Then they brought to Moses the dwelling, the tent, and all its equipment: its clasps, its boards, its bars, its posts, and its bases,
34 the covering of rams' skins dyed red, the covering of beaded leather, and the veil for a screen,
35 the chest containing the covenant with its poles and the cover,
36 the table with all its equipment and the bread of the presence,
37 the pure lampstand with its lamps set on it and all its equipment, and the oil for the light,
38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet-smelling incense, the screen for the tent's entrance,
39 the copper altar and its copper grate, its poles, and all its equipment, the washbasin with its stand,
40 the courtyard's drapes, its posts, and its bases, the screen for the plaza's gate, its cords, and its tent pegs, and all the other equipment for the service of the dwelling, for the meeting tent,
41 the woven clothes for ministering as priests in the sanctuary, the holy clothes for the priest Aaron and the clothes for his sons to serve as priests.
42 The Israelites did all of the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
43 When Moses saw that they in fact had done all the work exactly as the LORD had commanded, Moses 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!

Footnotes 1

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

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