Exodus 38

1 And he made the altar of burnt offering of cedar wood: five cubits was its length and five cubits its breadth; it was square, and its height was three cubits.

2 And he made its horns on the four corners of it; its horns were of the same piece; and he covered it with brass.

3 He made likewise all the vessels of the altar: the pots and the shovels and the basins and the fleshhooks, and the firepans; all its vessels he made of brass.

4 And he made for the altar the brasen grate of network under the circumference thereof beneath unto the midst of it.

5 He also cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.

6 And he made the staves of cedar wood and covered them with brass.

7 And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it with; he made the altar hollow with boards.

8 He also made the laver of brass and the base of it of brass, of the looking glasses of the women who were vigilant at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.

9 He made the court likewise; on the south side towards the Negev the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, one hundred cubits;

10 their pillars were twenty with their twenty brasen sockets; the capitals of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.

11 And for the side of the Aquilon, the hangings were one hundred cubits, their pillars twenty with their twenty sockets of brass, the capitals of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

12 On the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets ten, the capitals of the pillars and their fillets of silver,

13 and for the east side eastward fifty cubits

14 the hangings of the one side fifteen cubits, their pillars three, and their sockets three;

15 and for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.

16 All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.

17 And the sockets for the pillars were of brass, the capitals of the pillars and their fillets of silver and the coverings of their heads of silver; likewise all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

18 And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen; twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, the same as the hangings of the court.

19 And its pillars were four with its four sockets of brass, their capitals of silver, and the coverings of their heads and their fillets of silver.

20 And all the stakes of the tabernacle and of the court round about were of brass.

21 This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the ministry of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.

22 And Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.

23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a master workman, an engineer, and an embroiderer in blue and in purple and in scarlet and fine linen.

24 All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, which was gold of offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

25 And the silver of those that were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary:

26 A half per head, that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, which were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

27 And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil: one hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.

28 And of the thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels he made the capitals for the pillars and covered their heads and filleted them.

29 And the brass of the offering was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels,

30 with which he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony and the brasen altar and the brasen grate for it and all the vessels of the altar

31 and the sockets of the court round about and the sockets of the court gate and all the stakes of the tabernacle, and all the stakes of the court round about.

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.

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