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Exodus 26:31-37 King James Version (KJV)

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31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubim shall it be made:

32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.

33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.

37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

Exodus 26:31-37 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

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31 And thou shalt make H6213 a vail H6532 of blue, H8504 and purple, H713 and scarlet, H8144 H8438 and fine twined H7806 linen H8336 of cunning H2803 work: H4639 with cherubims H3742 shall it be made: H6213

32 And thou shalt hang H5414 it upon four H702 pillars H5982 of shittim H7848 wood overlaid H6823 with gold: H2091 their hooks H2053 shall be of gold, H2091 upon the four H702 sockets H134 of silver. H3701

33 And thou shalt hang up H5414 the vail H6532 under the taches, H7165 that thou mayest bring H935 in thither within H1004 the vail H6532 the ark H727 of the testimony: H5715 and the vail H6532 shall divide H914 unto you between the holy H6944 place and the most H6944 holy. H6944

34 And thou shalt put H5414 the mercy seat H3727 upon the ark H727 of the testimony H5715 in the most H6944 holy H6944 place.

35 And thou shalt set H7760 the table H7979 without H2351 the vail, H6532 and the candlestick H4501 over against H5227 the table H7979 on the side H6763 of the tabernacle H4908 toward the south: H8486 and thou shalt put H5414 the table H7979 on the north H6828 side. H6763

36 And thou shalt make H6213 an hanging H4539 for the door H6607 of the tent, H168 of blue, H8504 and purple, H713 and scarlet, H8438 H8144 and fine twined H7806 linen, H8336 wrought H4639 with needlework. H7551

37 And thou shalt make H6213 for the hanging H4539 five H2568 pillars H5982 of shittim H7848 wood, and overlay H6823 them with gold, H2091 and their hooks H2053 shall be of gold: H2091 and thou shalt cast H3332 five H2568 sockets H134 of brass H5178 for them.

Exodus 26:31-37 American Standard (ASV)

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31 And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubim the work of the skilful workman shall it be made.

32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold; their hooks `shall be' of gold, upon four sockets of silver.

33 And thou shalt hang up the veil under the clasps, and shalt bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony: and the veil shall separate unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

34 And thou shalt put the mercy-seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

35 And thou shalt set the table without the veil, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

36 And thou shalt make a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer.

37 And thou shalt make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold: their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

Exodus 26:31-37 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

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31 `And thou hast made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen, work of a designer; he maketh it `with' cherubs;

32 and thou hast put it on four pillars of shittim wood, overlaid `with' gold, their pegs `are' of gold, on four sockets of silver.

33 `And thou hast put the vail under the hooks, and hast brought in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony; and the vail hath made a separation for you between the holy and the holy of holies.

34 `And thou hast put the mercy-seat on the ark of the testimony, in the holy of holies.

35 `And thou hast set the table at the outside of the vail, and the candlestick over-against the table on the side of the tabernacle southward, and the table thou dost put on the north side.

36 `And thou hast made a covering for the opening of the tent, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen, work of an embroiderer;

37 and thou hast made for the covering five pillars of shittim `wood', and hast overlaid them `with' gold, their pegs `are' of gold, and thou hast cast for them five sockets of brass.

Exodus 26:31-37 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

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31 And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus; of artistic work shall it be made, with cherubim.

32 And thou shalt attach it to four pillars of acacia-wood overlaid with gold, their hooks of gold; they shall be on four bases of silver.

33 And thou shalt bring the veil under the clasps, and bring in thither, inside the veil, the ark of the testimony; and the curtain shall make a division to you between the holy [place] and the holiest of all.

34 And thou shalt put the mercy-seat on the ark of the testimony in the holiest of all.

35 And thou shalt set the table outside the veil, and the lamp-stand opposite to the table on the side of the tabernacle southward; and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

36 And thou shalt make for the entrance of the tent a curtain of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus, of embroidery.

37 And thou shalt make for the curtain five pillars of acacia[-wood], and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold; and thou shalt cast five bases of copper for them.

Exodus 26:31-37 World English Bible (WEB)

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31 "You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. The work of the skillful workman shall it be made.

32 You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, on four sockets of silver.

33 You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil: and the veil shall separate the holy place from the most holy for you.

34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

35 You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand over against the table on the side of the tent toward the south: and you shall put the table on the north side.

36 "You shall make a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer.

37 You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold: their hooks shall be of gold: and you shall cast five sockets of brass for them.

Exodus 26:31-37 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

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31 And you are to make a veil of the best linen, blue and purple and red, worked with designs of winged ones by a good workman:

32 Hanging it by gold hooks from four pillars of wood, plated with gold and fixed in silver bases.

33 And you are to put up the veil under the hooks, and put inside it the ark of the law: the veil is to be a division between the holy place and the most holy.

34 You are to put the cover on the ark of the law, inside the most holy place.

35 And outside the veil you are to put the table, and the support for the lights opposite the table on the south side of the House; and the table is to be on the north side.

36 And you are to make a curtain for the doorway of the Tent, of the best linen with needlework of blue and purple and red.

37 And make five pillars for the curtain, of hard wood plated with gold; their hooks are to be of gold and their bases of brass

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 26

Commentary on Exodus 26 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Chapter 26

Moses here receives instructions,

  • I. Concerning the inner curtains of the tent or tabernacle, and the coupling of those curtains (v. 1-6).
  • II. Concerning the outer curtains which were of goats' hair, to strengthen the former (v. 7-13).
  • III. Concerning the case or cover which was to secure it from the weather (v. 14).
  • IV. Concerning the boards which were to be reared up to support the curtains, with their bars and sockets (v. 15-30).
  • V. The partition between the holy place and the most holy (v. 31-35).
  • VI. The veil for the door (v. 36, 37).

These particulars, thus largely recorded, seem of little use to us now; yet, having been of great use to Moses and Israel, and God having thought fit to preserve down to us the remembrance of them, we ought not to overlook them. Even the antiquity renders this account venerable.

Exd 26:1-6

  • I. The house must be a tabernacle or tent, such as soldiers now use in the camp, which was both a mean dwelling and a movable one; and yet the ark of God had not better, till Solomon built the temple 480 years after this, 1 Ki. 6:1. God manifested his presence among them thus in a tabernacle,
    • 1. In compliance with their present condition in the wilderness, that they might have him with them wherever they went. Note, God suits the tokens of his favour, and the gifts of his grace, to his people's wants and necessities, according as they are, accommodating his mercy to their state, prosperous or adverse, settled or unsettled. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, Isa. 43:2.
    • 2. That it might represent the state of God's church in this world, it is a tabernacle-state, Ps. 15:1. We have here no continuing city; being strangers in this world, and travellers towards a better, we shall never be fixed till we come to heaven. Church-privileges are movable goods, from one place to another; the gospel is not tied to any place; the candlestick is in a tent, and may easily be taken away, Rev. 2:5. If we make much of the tabernacle, and improve the privilege of it, wherever we go it will accompany us; but, if we neglect and disgrace it, wherever we stay it will forsake us. What hath my beloved to do in my house? Jer. 11:15.
  • II. The curtains of the tabernacle must correspond to a divine pattern.
    • 1. They were to be very rich, the best of the kind, fine twined linen; and colours very pleasing, blue, and purple, and scarlet.
    • 2. They were to be embroidered with cherubim (v. 1), to intimate that the angels of God pitch their tents round about the church, Ps. 34:7. As there were cherubim over the mercy-seat, so there were round the tabernacle; for we find the angels compassing, not only the throne, but the elders; see Rev. 5:11.
    • 3. There were to be two hangings, five breadths in each, sewed together, and the two hangings coupled together with golden clasps, or tacks, so that it might be all one tabernacle, v. 6. Thus the churches of Christ and the saints, though they are many, are yet one, being fitly joined together in holy love, and by the unity of the Spirit, so growing into one holy temple in the Lord, Eph. 2:21, 22; 4:16. This tabernacle was very strait and narrow; but, at the preaching of the gospel, the church is bidden to enlarge the place of her tent, and to stretch forth her curtains, Isa. 54:2.

Exd 26:7-14

Moses is here ordered to make a double covering for the tabernacle, that it might not rain in, and that the beauty of those fine curtains might not be damaged.

  • 1. There was to be a covering of hair camlet curtains, which were somewhat larger every way than the inner curtains, because they were to enclose them, and probably were stretched out at some little distance from them, v. 7, etc. These were coupled together with brass clasps. The stuff being less valuable, the tacks were so; but the brass tacks would answer the intention as effectually as the golden ones. The bonds of unity may be as strong between curtains of goats' hair as between those of purple and scarlet.
  • 2. Over this there was to be another covering, and that a double one (v. 14), one of rams' skins dyed red, probably dressed with the wool on; another of badgers' skins, so we translate it, but it should rather seem to have been some strong sort of leather (but very fine), for we read of the best sort of shoes being made of it, Eze. 16:10. Now observe here,
    • (1.) That the outside of the tabernacle was coarse and rough, the beauty of it was in the inner curtains. Those in whom God dwells must labour to be better than they seem to be. Hypocrites put the best side outwards, like whited sepulchres; but the king's daughter is all glorious within (Ps. 45:13); in the eye of the world black as the tents of Kedar, but, in the eye of God, comely as the curtains of Solomon, Cant. 1:5. Let our adorning be that of the hidden man of the heart, which God values, 1 Pt. 3:4.
    • (2.) That where God places his glory he will create a defence upon it; even upon the habitations of the righteous there shall be a covert, Isa. 6:5, 6. The protection of Providence shall always be upon the beauty of holiness. God's tent will be a pavilion, Ps. 27:5.

Exd 26:15-30

Very particular directions are here given about the boards of the tabernacle, which were to bear up the curtains, as the stakes of a tent which had need to be strong, Isa. 54:2. These boards had tenons which fell into the mortises that were made for them in silver bases. God took care to have every thing strong, as well as fine, in his tabernacle. Curtains without boards would have been shaken by every wind; but it is a good thing to have the heart established with grace, which is as the boards to support the curtains of profession, which otherwise will not hold out long. The boards were coupled together with gold rings at top and bottom (v. 24), and kept firm with bars that ran through golden staples in every board (v. 26), and the boards and bars were all richly gilded, v. 29. Thus every thing in the tabernacle was very splendid, agreeable to that infant state of the church, when such things were proper enough to please children, to possess the minds of the worshippers with a reverence of the divine glory, and to affect them with the greatness of that prince who said, Here will I dwell; in allusion to this the new Jerusalem is said to be of pure gold, Rev. 21:18. But the builders of the gospel church said, Silver and gold have we none; and yet the glory of their building far exceeded that of the tabernacle, 2 Co. 3:10, 11. How much better is wisdom than gold! No orders are given here about the floor of the tabernacle; probably that also was boarded; for we cannot think that within all these fine curtains they trod upon the cold or wet ground; if it was so left, it may remind us of ch. 20:24, An altar of earth shalt thou make unto me.

Exd 26:31-37

Two veils are here ordered to be made,

  • 1. One for a partition between the holy place and the most holy, which not only forbade any to enter, but forbade them so much as to look into the holiest of all, v. 31, 33. Under that dispensation, divine grace was veiled, but now we behold it with open face, 2 Co. 3:18. The apostle tells us (Heb. 9:8, 9) what was the meaning of this veil; it intimated that the ceremonial law could not make the comers thereunto perfect, nor would the observance of it bring men to heaven; the way into the holiest of all was not made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing; life and immortality lay concealed till they were brought to light by the gospel, which was therefore signified by the rending of this veil at the death of Christ, Mt. 27:51. We have not boldness to enter into the holiest, in all acts of devotion, by the blood of Jesus, yet such as obliges us to a holy reverence and a humble sense of our distance.
  • 2. Another veil was for the outer door of the tabernacle, v. 36, 37. Through this first veil the priests went in every day to minister in the holy place, but not the people, Heb. 9:6. This veil, which was all the defence the tabernacle had against thieves and robbers, might easily be broken through, for it could be neither locked nor barred, and the abundance of wealth in the tabernacle, one would think, might be a temptation; but by leaving it thus exposed,
    • (1.) The priests and Levites would be so much the more obliged to keep a strict watch upon it, and,
    • (2.) God would show his care of his church on earth, though it is weak and defenceless, and continually exposed. A curtain shall be (if God please to make it so) as strong a defence to his house as gates of brass and bars of iron.