15 And you are to make upright boards of hard wood for the House.
And for the uprights of the House they made boards of hard wood. The boards were ten cubits long and one cubit and a half wide. Every board had two tongues fixed into it; all the boards were made in this way. They made twenty boards for the south side of the House: And for these twenty boards, forty silver bases, two bases under every board, to take its tongues. And for the second side of the House, on the north, they made twenty boards, With their forty silver bases, two bases for every board. And for the west side of the House, at the back, they made six boards, And two boards for the angles at the back. These were joined together at the base and at the top to one ring, so forming the two angles. So there were eight boards with sixteen bases of silver, two bases under every board. And they made rods of hard wood; five for the boards on one side of the House, And five for the boards on the other side of the House, and five for the boards at the back, on the west. The middle rod was made to go right through the rings of all the boards from one end to the other.
And sheepskins coloured red, and leather, and hard wood;
And six boards for the back of the House on the west, With two boards for the angles of the House at the back. The two are to be joined together at the base and at the top to one ring, forming the two angles. So there are to be eight boards, with their sixteen silver bases, two bases under every board. And make rods of the same wood, five for the boards on the one side, And five for the boards on the other side of the House, and five for the west side of the House at the back. And the middle rod is to go through the rings of all the boards from end to end. And the boards are to be plated with gold, having gold rings for the rods to go through: and the rods are to be plated with gold.
So on the first day of the first month in the second year the House was put up. Moses put up the House; placing its bases in position and lifting up its uprights, putting in the rods and planting the pillars in their places;
And this is their part in the work of the Tent of meeting: the transport of the boards and the rods of the Tent, with the pillars and their bases; And the pillars of the open space outside it, with their bases and their nails and cords and all the instruments used, and everything which has to be done there; all the instruments for which they are responsible are to be numbered by name.
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Commentary on Exodus 26 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 26
Ex 26:1-37. Ten Curtains
1. cunning work—that is, of elegant texture, richly embroidered. The word "cunning," in old English, is synonymous with "skilful."
2. length—Each curtain was to be fifteen yards in length and a little exceeding two in breadth.
3. The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another, &c.—so as to form two grand divisions, each eleven yards wide.
6. taches—clasps; supposed in shape, as well as in use, to be the same as hooks and eyes.
7-13. curtains of goats' hair—These coarse curtains were to be one more in number than the others, and to extend a yard lower on each side, the use of them being to protect and conceal the richer curtains.
14. a covering … of rams' skins dyed red—that is, of Turkey red leather. [See on Ex 39:34.]
15-30. thou shalt make boards … rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion … which was showed thee—The tabernacle, from its name as well as from its general appearance and arrangements, was a tent; but from the description given in these verses, the boards that formed its walls, the five (cross) bars that strengthened them, and the middle bar that "reached from end to end," and gave it solidity and compactness, it was evidently a more substantial fabric than a light and fragile tent, probably on account of the weight of its various coverings as well as for the protection of its precious furniture.
36. an hanging for the door of the tent—Curtains of rich and elaborate embroidery, made by the women, are suspended over the doors or entrances of the tents occupied by Eastern chiefs and princes. In a similar style of elegance was the hanging finished which was to cover the door of this tabernacle—the chosen habitation of the God and King of Israel. It appears from Ex 26:12, 22, 23, that the ark and mercy seat were placed in the west end of the tabernacle, and consequently the door or entrance fronted the east, so that the Israelites in worshipping Jehovah, turned their faces towards the west; that they might be thus figuratively taught to turn from the worship of that luminary which was the great idol of the nations, and to adore the God who made it and them [Hewlett].