Exodus 38

1 For burning offerings, he made an altar out of acacia wood. It was square, 7 1/2 feet long and 7 1/2 feet wide, and it was 4 1/2 feet high.

2 He made the projections at the top of the four corners, so that they formed one piece with the altar. He covered it all with bronze.

3 He also made all the equipment for the altar: the pans, the shovels, the bowls, the hooks, and the fire pans. All this equipment was made of bronze.

4 He made a bronze grating and put it under the rim of the altar, so that it reached halfway up the altar.

5 He made four carrying rings and put them on the four corners.

6 He made carrying poles of acacia wood, covered them with bronze,

7 and put them in the rings on each side of the altar. The altar was made of boards and was hollow.

8 He made the bronze basin and its bronze base out of the mirrors belonging to the women who served at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence. ¹

9 For the Tent of the Lord's presence he made the enclosure out of fine linen curtains. On the south side the curtains were 50 yards long,

10 supported by twenty bronze posts in twenty bronze bases, with hooks and rods made of silver.

11 The enclosure was the same on the north side.

12 On the west side there were curtains 25 yards long, with ten posts and ten bases and with hooks and rods made of silver.

13 On the east side, where the entrance was, the enclosure was also 25 yards wide.

14 On each side of the entrance there were 7 1/2 yards of curtains, with three posts and three bases.

16 All the curtains around the enclosure were made of fine linen.

17 The bases for the posts were made of bronze, and the hooks, the rods, and the covering of the tops of the posts were made of silver. All the posts around the enclosure were connected with silver rods.

18 The curtain for the entrance of the enclosure was made of fine linen woven with blue, purple, and red wool and decorated with embroidery. It was 10 yards long and 2 1/2 yards high, like the curtains of the enclosure.

19 It was supported by four posts in four bronze bases. Their hooks, the covering of their tops, and their rods were made of silver.

20 All the pegs for the Tent and for the surrounding enclosure were made of bronze.

21 Here is a list of the amounts of the metals used in the Tent of the Lord's presence, where the two stone tablets were kept on which the Ten Commandments were written. The list was ordered by Moses and made by the Levites who worked under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

22 Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur from the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord had commanded.

23 His helper, Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, was an engraver, a designer, and a weaver of fine linen and of blue, purple, and red wool.

24 All the gold that had been dedicated to the Lord for the sacred Tent weighed 2,195 pounds, weighed according to the official standard.

25 The silver from the census of the community weighed 7,550 pounds, weighed according to the official standard. ²

26 This amount equaled the total paid by all persons enrolled in the census, each one paying the required amount, weighed according to the official standard. There were 603,550 men twenty years old or older enrolled in the census. ³

27 Of the silver, 7,500 pounds were used to make the hundred bases for the sacred Tent and for the curtain, 75 pounds for each base.

28 With the remaining 50 pounds of silver Bezalel made the rods, the hooks for the posts, and the covering for their tops.

29 The bronze which was dedicated to the Lord amounted to 5,310 pounds.

30 With it he made the bases for the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence, the bronze altar with its bronze grating, all the equipment for the altar,

31 the bases for the surrounding enclosure and for the entrance of the enclosure, and all the pegs for the Tent and the surrounding enclosure.

Exodus 38 Commentary

Chapter 38

The brazen altar and laver. (1-8) The court. (9-20) The offerings of the people. (21-31)

Verses 1-8 In all ages of the church there have been some persons more devoted to God, more constant in their attendance upon his ordinances, and more willing to part even with lawful things, for his sake, than others. Some women, devoted to God and zealous for the tabernacle worship, expressed zeal by parting with their mirrors, which were polished plates of brass. Before the invention of looking-glasses, these served the same purposes.

Verses 9-20 The walls of the court being of curtains only, intimated that the state of the Jewish church itself was movable and changeable; and in due time to be taken down and folded up, when the place of the tent should be enlarged, and its cords lengthened, to make room for the Gentile world.

Verses 21-31 The foundation of massy pieces of silver showed the solidity and purity of the truth upon which the church is founded. Let us regard the Lord Jesus Christ while reading of the furniture of the tabernacle. While looking at the altar of burnt-offering, let us see Jesus. In him, his righteousness, and salvation, is a full and sufficient offering for sin. In the laver of regeneration, by his Holy Spirit, let our souls be washed, and they shall be clean; and as the people offered willingly, so may our souls be made willing. Let us be ready to part with any thing, and count all but loss to win Christ.

Cross References

• 1. 38.8Exodus 30.18.
• 2. 38.25, 26Exodus 30.11-16.
• 3. 38.26Matthew 17.24.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 38

This chapter is a continuation of the account of the making of the things belonging to the tabernacle, particularly the altar of burnt offering, Ex 38:1-7 the laver of brass, and the things it was made of, Ex 38:8 the court and its hangings, pillars, sockets, hooks and pins, Ex 38:9-20 then follows an account of the quantities of gold, silver, and brass, expended in the making of the several things appertaining to the sanctuary, Ex 38:21-31.

Bezaleel made it, or it was made by his direction, he having the care and oversight of it, wherefore the making of it is ascribed to him, 2Ch 1:5 the account of this, its horns, vessels, rings, and staves, is carried on to Ex 38:2-7 of which \\see Gill on "Ex 27:1"\\ \\see Gill on "Ex 27:2"\\ \\see Gill on "Ex 27:3"\\ \\see Gill on "Ex 27:4"\\ \\see Gill on "Ex 27:5"\\ \\see Gill on "Ex 27:6"\\ \\see Gill on "Ex 27:7"\\ \\see Gill on "Ex 27:8"\\. 10593-941108-1338-Ex38.2