Exodus 38

The Altar of Burnt Offering

1 They^[a] built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits^[b] high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.^[c]

2 They made a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar were of one piece, and they overlaid the altar with bronze.

3 They made all its utensils of bronze—its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans.

4 They made a grating for the altar, a bronze network, to be under its ledge, halfway up the altar.

5 They cast bronze rings to hold the poles for the four corners of the bronze grating.

6 They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

7 They inserted the poles into the rings so they would be on the sides of the altar for carrying it. They made it hollow, out of boards.

The Basin for Washing

8 They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

The Courtyard

9 Next they made the courtyard. The south side was a hundred cubits^[d] long and had curtains of finely twisted linen,

10 with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

11 The north side was also a hundred cubits long and had twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

12 The west end was fifty cubits^[e] wide and had curtains, with ten posts and ten bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

13 The east end, toward the sunrise, was also fifty cubits wide.

14 Curtains fifteen cubits^[f] long were on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases,

15 and curtains fifteen cubits long were on the other side of the entrance to the courtyard, with three posts and three bases.

16 All the curtains around the courtyard were of finely twisted linen.

17 The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver; so all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.

18 The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer. It was twenty cubits^[g] long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits^[h] high,

19 with four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks and bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver.

20 All the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

The Materials Used

21 These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant law, which were recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.

22 (Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything the LORD commanded Moses;

23 with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan—an engraver and designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen.)

24 The total amount of the gold from the wave offering used for all the work on the sanctuary was 29 talents and 730 shekels,^[i] according to the sanctuary shekel.

25 The silver obtained from those of the community who were counted in the census was 100 talents^[j] and 1,775 shekels,^[k] according to the sanctuary shekel—

26 one beka per person, that is, half a shekel,^[l] according to the sanctuary shekel, from everyone who had crossed over to those counted, twenty years old or more, a total of 603,550 men.

27 The 100 talents of silver were used to cast the bases for the sanctuary and for the curtain—100 bases from the 100 talents, one talent for each base.

28 They used the 1,775 shekels to make the hooks for the posts, to overlay the tops of the posts, and to make their bands.

29 The bronze from the wave offering was 70 talents and 2,400 shekels.^[m]

30 They used it to make the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze grating and all its utensils,

31 the bases for the surrounding courtyard and those for its entrance and all the tent pegs for the tabernacle and those for the surrounding courtyard.

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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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 17

1. 2 Chronicles 1:5
2. S Exodus 31:9
3. S Exodus 30:18; S Exodus 40:7
4. Deuteronomy 23:17; 1 Samuel 2:22; 1 Kings 14:24
5. S Exodus 35:18
6. Numbers 1:50,53; Numbers 8:24; Numbers 9:15; Numbers 10:11; Numbers 17:7; 1 Chronicles 23:32; 2 Chronicles 24:6; Acts 7:44; Revelation 15:5
7. Numbers 4:28,33
8. S Exodus 31:2
9. S Exodus 31:6
10. S Exodus 30:16
11. S Exodus 30:13; Leviticus 27:25; Numbers 3:47; Numbers 18:16
12. S Exodus 30:12
13. S Exodus 30:12
14. S Exodus 30:13
15. S Exodus 30:14
16. S Exodus 12:37; Numbers 1:46
17. S Exodus 26:19

Footnotes 13

[a]. Or "He" ; also in verses 2-9
[b]. That is, about 4 1/2 feet or about 1.4 meters
[c]. That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters long and wide
[d]. That is, about 150 feet or about 45 meters
[e]. That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters
[f]. That is, about 22 feet or about 6.8 meters
[g]. That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters
[h]. That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
[i]. The weight of the gold was a little over a ton or about 1 metric ton.
[j]. That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons; also in verse 27
[k]. That is, about 44 pounds or about 20 kilograms; also in verse 28
[l]. That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams
[m]. The weight of the bronze was about 2 1/2 tons or about 2.4 metric tons.

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

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible