6 `And I, lo, I have given with him Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and in the heart of every wise-hearted one I have given wisdom, and they have made all that which I have commanded thee.
`And all the wise-hearted among you come in, and make all that Jehovah hath commanded:
and thou -- thou dost speak unto all the wise of heart, whom I have filled `with' a spirit of wisdom, and they have made the garments of Aaron to sanctify him for his being priest to Me.
The two `are' better than the one, in that they have a good reward by their labour. For if they fall, the one raiseth up his companion, but wo to the one who falleth and there is not a second to raise him up! Also, if two lie down, then they have heat, but how hath one heat? And if the one strengthen himself, the two stand against him; and the threefold cord is not hastily broken.
Be not led astray, my brethren beloved; every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to him;
and in their ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, `Separate ye to me both Barnabas and Saul to the work to which I have called them,'
And after these things, the Lord did appoint also other seventy, and sent them by twos before his face, to every city and place whither he himself was about to come,
And of the twelve apostles the names are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James of Alpheus, and Lebbeus who was surnamed Thaddeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who did also deliver him up.
And he causeth me to go to the gate, the gate that is looking eastward. And lo, the honour of the God of Israel hath come from the way of the east, and His voice `is' as the noise of many waters, and the earth hath shone from His honour. And according to the appearance `is' the appearance that I saw, as the appearance that I saw in my coming in to destroy the city, and the appearances `are' as the appearance that I saw at the river Chebar, and I fall on my face. And the honour of Jehovah hath come in unto the house, the way of the gate whose face `is' eastward. And take me up doth the Spirit, and bringeth me in unto the inner court, and lo, the honour of Jehovah hath filled the house. And I hear one speaking unto me from the house, and a man hath been standing near me, and He saith unto me: `Son of man, the place of My throne, And the place of the soles of My feet, Where I dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel to the age, Defile no more do the house of Israel My holy name, They, and their kings, by their whoredom, And by the carcases of their kings -- their high places. In their putting their threshold with My threshold, And their door-post near My door-post, And the wall between Me and them, And they have defiled My holy name, By their abominations that they have done, And I consume them in Mine anger. Now do they put far off their whoredom, And the carcases of their kings -- from Me, And I have dwelt in their midst to the age. Thou, son of man, Shew the house of Israel the house, And they are ashamed of their iniquities, And they have measured the measurement. And since they have been ashamed of all that they have done, The form of the house, and its measurement, And its outlets, and its inlets, and all its forms, And all its statutes, even all its forms, And all its laws cause them to know, And write `it' before their eyes, And they observe all its forms, And all its statutes, and have done them. This `is' a law of the house: on the top of the mountain, all its border all round about `is' most holy; lo, this `is' a law of the house. `And these `are' measures of the altar by cubits: The cubit `is' a cubit and a handbreadth, and the centre `is' a cubit, and a cubit the breadth; and its border on its edge round about `is' one span, and this `is' the upper part of the altar. And from the centre of the ground unto the lower border `is' two cubits, and the breadth one cubit, and from the lesser border unto the greater border four cubits, and the breadth a cubit. `And the altar `is' four cubits, and from the altar and upward `are' four horns. And the altar `is' twelve long by twelve broad, square in its four squares. And the border `is' fourteen long by fourteen broad, at its four squares, and the border round about it `is' half a cubit, and the centre to it `is' a cubit round about, and its steps are looking eastward.' And He saith unto me, `Son of man, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: These `are' statutes of the altar in the day of its being made to cause burnt-offering to go up on it, and to sprinkle on it blood. And thou hast given unto the priests, the Levites, who `are' of the seed of Zadok -- who are near unto Me, an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, to serve Me -- a calf from the herd, for a sin-offering. And thou hast taken of its blood, and hast put it on its four horns, and on the four corners of its border, and on the border round about, and hast cleansed it, and purified it. And thou hast taken the bullock of the sin-offering, and hast burnt it in the appointed place of the house at the outside of the sanctuary. And on the second day thou dost bring near a kid of the goats, a perfect one, for a sin-offering, and they have cleansed the altar, as they cleansed `it' for the bullock. In thy finishing cleansing, thou dost bring near a calf, a son of the herd, a perfect one, and a ram out of the flock, a perfect one. And thou hast brought them near before Jehovah, and the priests have cast upon them salt, and have caused them to go up, a burnt-offering to Jehovah. Seven days thou dost prepare a goat for a sin-offering daily, and a bullock, a son of the herd, and a ram out of the flock, perfect ones, do they prepare. Seven days they purify the altar, and have cleansed it, and filled their hand. And the days are completed, and it hath come to pass on the eighth day, and henceforth, the priests prepare on the altar your burnt-offerings and your peace-offerings, and I have accepted you -- an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'
And the anger of Jehovah burneth against Moses, and He saith, `Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I have known that he speaketh well, and also, lo, he is coming out to meet thee; when he hath seen thee, then he hath rejoiced in his heart, and thou hast spoken unto him, and hast set the words in his mouth, and I -- I am with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and have directed you that which ye do;
And prophesied have the prophets, (Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo) unto the Jews who `are' in Judah and in Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel -- unto them. Then have Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, risen, and begun to build the house of God, that `is' in Jerusalem, and with them are the prophets of God supporting them.
And Solomon beginneth to build the house of Jehovah, in Jerusalem, in the mount of Moriah, where He appeared to David his father, in the place that David had prepared, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, and he beginneth to build in the second `day', in the second month, in the fourth year of his reign. And `in' these hath Solomon been instructed to build the house of God: The length `in' cubits by the former measure `is' sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. As to the porch that `is' on the front, the length `is' by the front of the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height a hundred and twenty, and he overlayeth it within with pure gold.
And it cometh to pass, in the four hundred and eightieth year of the going out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, in the fourth year -- in the month of Zif, it `is' the second month -- of the reigning of Solomon over Israel, that he buildeth the house for Jehovah. As to the house that king Solomon hath built for Jehovah, sixty cubits `is' its length, and twenty its breadth, and thirty cubits its height. As to the porch on the front of the temple of the house, twenty cubits `is' its length on the front of the breadth of the house; ten by the cubit `is' its breadth on the front of the house; and he maketh for the house windows of narrow lights. And he buildeth against the wall of the house a couch round about, `even' the walls of the house round about, of the temple and of the oracle, and maketh sides round about. The lowest couch, five by the cubit `is' its breadth; and the middle, six by the cubit `is' its breadth; and the third, seven by the cubit `is' its breadth, for withdrawings he hath put to the house round about, without -- not to lay hold on the walls of the house. And the house, in its being built, of perfect stone brought `thither' hath been built, and hammer, and the axe -- any instrument of iron -- was not heard in the house, in its being built. The opening of the middle side `is' at the right shoulder of the house, and with windings they go up on the middle one, and from the middle one unto the third.
lo, I have done according to thy words; lo, I have given to thee a heart, wise and understanding, that like thee there hath not been before thee, and after thee there doth not arise like thee;
And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying, `Take up the sum of the sons of Kohath from the midst of the sons of Levi, by their families, by the house of their fathers; from a son of thirty years and upward, even till a son of fifty years, every one going in to the host, to do work in the tent of meeting. `This `is' the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, the holy of holies: that Aaron and his sons have come in, in the journeying of the camp, and have taken down the vail of the hanging, and have covered with it the ark of the testimony; and have put on it a covering of badger skin, and have spread a garment completely of blue above, and have placed its staves. `And on the table of the presence they spread a garment of blue, and have put on it the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and the cups of the libation, and the bread of continuity is on it, and they have spread over them a garment of scarlet, and have covered it with a covering of badger skin, and have placed its staves, and have taken a garment of blue, and have covered the candlestick of the lamp, and its lights, and its snuffers, and its snuff-dishes, and all its oil vessels wherewith they minister to it; and they have put it and all its vessels unto a covering of badger skin, and have put `it' on the bar. `And on the golden altar they spread a garment of blue, and have covered it with a covering of badger skin, and have placed its staves; and have taken all the vessels of ministry wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and have put `them' unto a garment of blue, and have covered them with a covering of badger skin, and have put `them' on the bar, and have removed the ashes of the altar, and have spread over it a garment of purple; and have put on it all its vessels wherewith they minister about it, the censers, the hooks, and the shovels, and the bowls, all the vessels of the altar, and have spread on it a covering of badger skin, and have placed its staves: `And Aaron hath finished -- his sons also -- covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, in the journeying of the camp, and afterwards do the sons of Kohath come in to bear `it', and they do not come unto the holy thing, that they have died; these `things are' the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting. `And the oversight of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, `is' the oil of the lamp, and the spice-perfume, and the present of continuity, and the anointing oil, the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that `is' in it, in the sanctuary, and in its vessels.' And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, `Ye do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathite from the midst of the Levites; but this do to them, and they have lived, and do not die in their drawing nigh the holy of holies: -- Aaron and his sons go in, and have set them, each man to his service, and unto his burden, and they go not in to see when the holy thing is swallowed, that they have died.' And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, `Take up the sum of the sons of Gershon also by the house of their fathers, by their families; from a son of thirty years and upward, till a son of fifty years thou dost number them, every one who is going in to serve the host, to do the service in the tent of meeting. `This `is' the service of the families of the Gershonite, to serve -- and for burden, and they have borne the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tent of meeting, its covering, and the covering of the badger `skin' which `is' on it above, and the vail at the opening of the tent of meeting, and the hangings of the court, and the vail at the opening of the gate of the court which `is' by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the vessels of their service, and all that is made for them -- and they have served. `By the command of Aaron and his sons is all the service of the sons of the Gershonite in all their burden, and in all their service; and ye have laid a charge on them concerning the charge of all their burden. This `is' the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonite in the tent of meeting; and their charge `is' under the hand of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. `The sons of Merari, by their families, by the house of their fathers, thou dost number them; from a son of thirty years and upward even unto a son of fifty years thou dost number them, every one who is going in to the host, to do the service of the tent of meeting. `And this `is' the charge of their burden, of all their service in the tent of meeting; the boards of the tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets, and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, of all their vessels, and of all their service; and by name ye do number the vessels of the charge of their burden. `This `is' the service of the families of the sons of Merari, for all their service, in the tent of meeting, by the hand of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.' And Moses numbereth -- Aaron also, and the princes of the company -- the sons of the Kohathite, by their families, and by the house of their fathers, from a son of thirty years and upward even unto a son of fifty years, every one who is going in to the host, for service in the tent of meeting, and their numbered ones, by their families, are two thousand seven hundred and fifty. These `are' those numbered of the families of the Kohathite, every one who is serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, by the command of Jehovah, by the hand of Moses. And those numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by the house of their fathers, from a son of thirty years and upward even unto a son of fifty years, every one who is going in to the host, for service in the tent of meeting, even their numbered ones, by their families, by the house of their fathers, are two thousand and six hundred and thirty. These `are' those numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, every one who is serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered by the command of Jehovah. And those numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by the house of their fathers, from a son of thirty years and upward even unto a son of fifty years, every one who is going in to the host, for service in the tent of meeting, even their numbered ones, by their families, are three thousand and two hundred. These `are' those numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, by the command of Jehovah, by the hand of Moses. All those numbered, whom Moses numbered -- Aaron also, and the princes of Israel -- of the Levites, by their families, and by the house of their fathers, from a son of thirty years and upward even unto a son of fifty years, every one who is going in to do the work of the service, even the service of burden in the tent of meeting, even their numbered ones are eight thousand and five hundred and eighty; by the command of Jehovah hath `one' numbered them, by the hand of Moses, each man by his service, and by his burden, with his numbered ones, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
And Bezaleel maketh the ark of shittim wood, two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height; and he overlayeth it with pure gold within and without, and maketh for it a wreath of gold round about; and he casteth for it four rings of gold, on its four feet, even two rings on its one side, and two rings on its second side; and he maketh staves of shittim wood, and overlayeth them with gold, and he bringeth in the staves into the rings, by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. And he maketh a mercy-seat of pure gold, two cubits and a half its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth; and he maketh two cherubs of gold, of beaten work he hath made them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat; one cherub at the end on this `side', and one cherub at the end on that, out of the mercy-seat he hath made the cherubs, at its two ends; and the cherubs are spreading out wings on high, covering over the mercy-seat with their wings, and their faces `are' one towards another; towards the mercy-seat have the faces of the cherubs been. And he maketh the table of shittim wood; two cubits its length, and a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height, and overlayeth it with pure gold, and maketh for it a wreath of gold round about. And he maketh for it a border of a handbreadth round about, and maketh a wreath of gold for its border round about; and he casteth for it four rings of gold, and putteth the rings on the four corners which `are' to its four feet; over-against the border have the rings been, places for staves to bear the table. And he maketh the staves of shittim wood, and overlayeth them with gold, to bear the table; and he maketh the vessels which `are' upon the table, its dishes, and its bowls, and its cups, and the cups by which they pour out, of pure gold. And he maketh the candlestick of pure gold; of beaten work he hath made the candlestick, its base, and its branch, its calyxes, its knops, and its flowers, have been of the same; and six branches are coming out of its sides, three branches of the candlestick out of its one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of its second side; three calyxes, made like almonds, in the one branch, a knop and a flower; and three calyxes, made like almonds, in another branch, a knop and a flower; so to the six branches which are coming out of the candlestick. And in the candlestick `are' four calyxes, made like almonds, its knops, and its flowers, and a knop under the two branches of the same, and a knop under the two branches of the same, and a knop under the two branches of the same, `are' to the six branches which are coming out of it; their knops and their branches have been of the same; all of it one beaten work of pure gold. And he maketh its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff-dishes, of pure gold; of a talent of pure gold he hath made it, and all its vessels. And he maketh the perfume-altar of shittim wood; a cubit its length, and a cubit its breadth (square), and two cubits its height; its horns have been of the same; and he overlayeth it with pure gold, its top and its sides round about, and its horns; and he maketh for it a wreath of gold round about; and two rings of gold he hath made for it under its wreath, at its two corners, at its two sides, for places for staves to bear it with them. And he maketh the staves of shittim wood, and overlayeth them with gold; and he maketh the holy anointing oil, and the pure spice-perfume -- work of a compounder.
And all the wise-hearted ones among the doers of the work make the tabernacle; ten curtains of twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, `with' cherubs, work of a designer, he hath made them.
And every wise-hearted woman hath spun with her hands, and they bring in yarn, the blue, and the purple, the scarlet, and the linen; and all the women whose heart hath lifted them up in wisdom, have spun the goats' `hair'.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 31
Commentary on Exodus 31 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 31
God is here drawing towards a conclusion of what he had to say to Moses upon the mount, where he had now been with him forty days and forty nights; and yet no more is recorded of what was said to him in all that time than what we have read in the six chapters foregoing. In this,
Exd 31:1-11
A great deal of fine work God had ordered to be done about the tabernacle; the materials the people were to provide, but who must put them into form? Moses himself was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians, nay, he was well acquainted with the words of God, and the visions of the Almighty; but he knew not how to engrave or embroider. We may suppose that there were some very ingenious men among the Israelites; but, having lived all their days in bondage in Egypt, we cannot think they were any of them instructed in these curious arts. They knew how to make brick and work in clay, but to work in gold and in cutting diamonds was what they had never been brought up to. How should the work be done with the neatness and exactness that were required when they had no goldsmiths or jewellers but what must be made out of masons and bricklayers? We may suppose that there were a sufficient number who would gladly be employed, and would do their best; but it would be hard to find out a proper person to preside in this work. Who was sufficient for these things? But God takes care of this matter also.
Exd 31:12-18
Here is,