Exodus 40:1-33

The Tabernacle Erected

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "¹On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

3 "²You shall place the ark of the testimony there, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.

4 "You shall ³bring in the table and ⁴arrange what belongs on it; and you shall ⁵bring in the lampstand and mount its lamps.

5 "Moreover, you shall ⁶set the gold altar of incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the veil for the doorway to the tabernacle.

6 "You shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.

7 "You shall ⁷set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it.

8 "You shall set up the court all around and hang up the veil for the gateway of the court.

9 "Then you shall take the anointing oil and ⁸anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and shall consecrate it and all its furnishings; and it shall be holy.

10 "You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and ⁹the altar shall be most holy.

11 "You shall anoint the laver and its stand, and consecrate it.

12 "Then you shall ¹⁰bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.

13 "¹¹You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me.

14 "You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them;

15 and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a ¹²perpetual priesthood throughout their generations."

16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the LORD had commanded him, so he did.

17 Now ¹³in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.

18 Moses erected the tabernacle and laid its sockets, and set up its boards, and inserted its bars and erected its pillars.

19 He spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

20 Then he took ¹⁴the testimony and put it into the ark, and attached the poles to the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.

21 He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and ¹⁵set up a veil for the screen, and screened off the ark of the testimony, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

22 Then he ¹⁶put the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside * the veil.

23 He set the arrangement of ¹⁷bread in order on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

24 Then he placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.

25 He ¹⁸lighted the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

26 Then he ¹⁹placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil;

27 and he ²⁰burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

28 Then he set up the veil for the doorway of the tabernacle.

29 He ²¹set the altar of burnt offering before the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and ²²offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

30 He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.

31 ²³From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.

32 When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

33 He ²⁴erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work.

Exodus 40:1-33 Meaning and Commentary

\\INTRODUCTION OF EXODUS 40\\

This chapter contains the order for setting up the tabernacle, and
placing the furniture of it where it was the will of God it should be
put, Ex 40:1-8 and for the anointing it, and all its vessels, and
also Aaron and his sons, Ex 40:9-16 all which were accordingly
done, the tabernacle was reared up, and everything was put in its
proper place, Ex 40:16-33 upon which a cloud covered the tent, and
the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, so that Moses could not
enter; which cloud afterwards was a direction in their journeys, by
night and by day, Ex 40:34-38.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 19:1; Exodus 40:17; Numbers 1:1
• 2. Exodus 26:33; Exodus 40:21; Numbers 4:5
• 3. Exodus 26:35; Exodus 40:22
• 4. Exodus 25:30; Exodus 40:23
• 5. Exodus 40:24
• 6. Exodus 40:26
• 7. Exodus 30:18; Exodus 40:30
• 8. Exodus 30:26; Leviticus 8:10
• 9. Exodus 29:37
• 10. Leviticus 8:1-6
• 11. Exodus 28:41; Leviticus 8:13
• 12. Exodus 29:9; Numbers 25:13
• 13. Exodus 40:2
• 14. Exodus 25:16; Deuteronomy 10:5; 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chronicles 5:10; Hebrews 9:4
• 15. Exodus 26:33
• 16. Exodus 26:35
• 17. Exodus 25:30; Leviticus 24:5, 6
• 18. Exodus 25:37; Exodus 40:4
• 19. Exodus 30:6; Exodus 40:5
• 20. Exodus 30:7
• 21. Exodus 40:6
• 22. Exodus 29:38-42
• 23. Exodus 30:19, 20
• 24. Exodus 27:9-18; Exodus 40:8

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "dwelling place"
• [b]. Lit "arrange its arrangement"
• [c]. Or "light"
• [d]. Lit "there"
• [e]. Lit "put the screen"
• [f]. Or "utensils"
• [g]. Lit "be for them"
• [h]. Lit "in"
• [i]. Lit "dwelling place"
• [j]. Lit "put"
• [k]. Or "bases"
• [l]. Lit "put"
• [m]. Lit "over it above"
• [n]. Lit "set"
• [o]. Lit "propitiatory"
• [p]. Lit "over the ark above"
• [q]. Or "screen"
• [r]. Or "dwelling place"
• [s]. Lit "put the screen"