Exodus 39

1 All the gold that was employed for the works according to all the fabrication of the holy things, was of the gold of the offerings, twenty-nine talents, and seven hundred and twenty shekels according to the holy shekel.

2 And the offering of silver from the men that were numbered of the congregation a hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, one drachm apiece, even the half shekel, according to the holy shekel.

3 Every one that passed the survey from twenty years old and upwards to the six hundred thousand, and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

4 And the hundred talents of silver went to the casting of the hundred chapiters of the tabernacle, and to the chapiters of the veil;

5 a hundred chapiters to the hundred talents, a talent to a chapiter.

6 And the thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he formed into hooks for the pillars, and he gilt their chapiters and adorned them.

7 And the brass of the offering seventy talents, and a thousand five hundred shekels;

8 and they made of it the bases of the door of the tabernacle of witness,

9 and the bases of the court round about, and the bases of the gate of the court, and the pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court round about;

10 and the brazen appendage of the altar, and all the vessels of the altar, and all the instruments of the tabernacle of witness.

11 And the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses, so did they.

12 And of the gold that remained of the offering they made vessels to minister with before the Lord.

13 And the blue that was left, and the purple, and the scarlet they made garments of ministry for Aaron, so that he should minister with them in the sanctuary;

14 and they brought the garments to Moses, and the tabernacle, and its furniture, its bases and its bars and the posts;

15 and the ark of the covenant, and its bearers, and the altar and all its furniture.

16 And they made the anointing oil, and the incense of composition, and the pure candlestick,

17 and its lamps, lamps for burning, and oil for the light,

18 and the table of shewbread, and all its furniture, and the shewbread upon it,

19 and the garments of the sanctuary which belong to Aaron, and the garments of his sons, for the priestly ministry;

20 and the curtains of the court, and the posts, and the veil of the door of the tabernacle, and the gate of the court,

21 and all the vessels of the tabernacle and all its instruments: and the skins, even rams' skins dyed red, and the blue coverings, and the coverings of the other things, and the pins, and all the instruments for the works of the tabernacle of witness.

22 Whatsoever things the Lord appointed Moses, so did the children of Israel make all the furniture.

23 And Moses saw all the works; and they had done them all as the Lord commanded Moses, so had they made them; and 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

• [a]. first fruits.
• [b]. 730 shekels.
• [c]. 470 talents.
• [d]. 2400 shekels.
• [e]. store, posession, etc.; as in Gen. 43.

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.