Exodus 38

1 Next Bezalel used acacia wood to construct the square altar of burnt offering. It was 7 feet wide, 7 feet long, and 4 feet high.

2 He made horns for each of its four corners so that the horns and altar were all one piece. He overlaid the altar with bronze.

3 Then he made all the altar utensils of bronze—the ash buckets, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans.

4 Next he made a bronze grating and installed it halfway down the side of the altar, under the ledge.

5 He cast four rings and attached them to the corners of the bronze grating to hold the carrying poles.

6 He made the poles from acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

7 He inserted the poles through the rings on the sides of the altar. The altar was hollow and was made from planks.

8 Bezalel made the bronze washbasin and its bronze stand from bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

9 Then Bezalel made the courtyard, which was enclosed with curtains made of finely woven linen. On the south side the curtains were 150 feet long.

10 They were held up by twenty posts set securely in twenty bronze bases. He hung the curtains with silver hooks and rings.

11 He made a similar set of curtains for the north side—150 feet of curtains held up by twenty posts set securely in bronze bases. He hung the curtains with silver hooks and rings.

12 The curtains on the west end of the courtyard were 75 feet long, hung with silver hooks and rings and supported by ten posts set into ten bases.

13 The east end, the front, was also 75 feet long.

14 The courtyard entrance was on the east end, flanked by two curtains. The curtain on the right side was 22 feet long and was supported by three posts set into three bases.

15 The curtain on the left side was also 22 feet long and was supported by three posts set into three bases.

16 All the curtains used in the courtyard were made of finely woven linen.

17 Each post had a bronze base, and all the hooks and rings were silver. The tops of the posts of the courtyard were overlaid with silver, and the rings to hold up the curtains were made of silver.

18 He made the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard of finely woven linen, and he decorated it with beautiful embroidery in blue, purple, and scarlet thread. It was 30 feet long, and its height was 7 feet, just like the curtains of the courtyard walls.

19 It was supported by four posts, each set securely in its own bronze base. The tops of the posts were overlaid with silver, and the hooks and rings were also made of silver.

20 All the tent pegs used in the Tabernacle and courtyard were made of bronze.

21 This is an inventory of the materials used in building the Tabernacle of the Covenant. The Levites compiled the figures, as Moses directed, and Ithamar son of Aaron the priest served as recorder.

22 Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

23 He was assisted by Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman expert at engraving, designing, and embroidering with blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth.

24 The people brought special offerings of gold totaling 2,193 pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. This gold was used throughout the Tabernacle.

25 The whole community of Israel gave 7,545 pounds of silver, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel.

26 This silver came from the tax collected from each man registered in the census. (The tax is one beka, which is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel.) The tax was collected from 603,550 men who had reached their twentieth birthday.

27 The hundred bases for the frames of the sanctuary walls and for the posts supporting the inner curtain required 7,500 pounds of silver, about 75 pounds for each base.

28 The remaining 45 pounds of silver was used to make the hooks and rings and to overlay the tops of the posts.

29 The people also brought as special offerings 5,310 pounds of bronze,

30 which was used for casting the bases for the posts at the entrance to the Tabernacle, and for the bronze altar with its bronze grating and all the altar utensils.

31 Bronze was also used to make the bases for the posts that supported the curtains around the courtyard, the bases for the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard, and all the tent pegs for the Tabernacle and the courtyard.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew he; also in 38:8, 9 .
• [b]. Hebrew 5 cubits [2.3 meters] wide, 5 cubits long, a square, and 3 cubits [1.4 meters] high.
• [c]. Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 38:30 .
• [d]. Hebrew 100 cubits [46 meters]; also in 38:11 .
• [e]. Hebrew 50 cubits [23 meters]; also in 38:13 .
• [f]. Hebrew 15 cubits [6.9 meters]; also in 38:15 .
• [g]. Hebrew 20 cubits [9.2 meters] long and 5 cubits [2.3 meters] high.
• [h]. Hebrew the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of the Testimony.
• [i]. Hebrew 29 talents and 730 shekels [994 kilograms]. Each shekel weighed about 0.4 ounces or 11 grams.
• [j]. Hebrew 100 talents and 1,775 shekels [3,420 kilograms].
• [k]. Or 0.2 ounces [6 grams].
• [l]. Hebrew 100 talents [3,400 kilograms] of silver, 1 talent [34 kilograms] for each base.
• [m]. Hebrew 1,775 [shekels] [20.2 kilograms].
• [n]. Hebrew 70 talents and 2,400 shekels [2,407 kilograms].

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