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Exodus Chapter Thirty-eight

 

Exodus 38 Outlines

Making the Altar of Burnt Offering (v.1~7)

Making the Bronze Laver (v.8)

Making the Court of the Tabernacle (v.9~20)

Materials of the Tabernacle (v.21~31)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

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 Exodus 38:1 the laver of brass and the things it was made of Exodus 38:8 the court and its hangings pillars sockets hooks and pins Exodus 38:9 then follows an account of the quantities of gold silver and brass expended in the making of the several things appertaining to the sanctuary Exodus 38:21.

 

Exodus 38:1  He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; five cubits was its length and five cubits its width—it was square—and its height was three cubits.

   YLT  1And he maketh the altar of burnt-offering of shittim wood five cubits its length and five cubits its breadth (square) and three cubits its height;

Verses 1-7

And he made the altar of burnt offering .... That is 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 2 Chronicles 1:5 the account of this its horns vessels rings and staves is carried on to Exodus 38:2 of which See Gill on Exodus 27:1 Exodus 27:2 Exodus 27:3 Exodus 27:4 Exodus 27:5 Exodus 27:6 Exodus 27:7 Exodus 27:8.

 

Exodus 38:2  2 He made its horns on its four corners; the horns were of one piece with it. And he overlaid it with bronze.

   YLT  2and he maketh its horns on its four corners; its horns have been of the same; and he overlayeth it with brass;

 

Exodus 38:3  3 He made all the utensils for the altar: the pans the shovels the basins the forks and the firepans; all its utensils he made of bronze.

   YLT  3and he maketh all the vessels of the altar the pots and the shovels and the sprinkling-pans the forks and the fire-pans; all its vessels he hath made of brass.

 

Exodus 38:4  4 And he made a grate of bronze network for the altar under its rim midway from the bottom.

   YLT  4And he maketh for the altar a brazen grate of net-work under its border beneath unto its midst;

 

Exodus 38:5  5 He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the poles.

   YLT  5and he casteth four rings for the four ends of the brazen grate -- places for bars;

 

Exodus 38:6  6 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

   YLT  6and he maketh the staves of shittim wood and overlayeth them with brass;

 

Exodus 38:7  7 Then he put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar with which to bear it. He made the altar hollow with boards.

   YLT  7and he bringeth in the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar to bear it with them; hollow [with] boards he made it.

 

Exodus 38:8  8 He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

   YLT  8And he maketh the laver of brass and its base of brass with the looking-glasses of the women assembling who have assembled at the opening of the tent of meeting.

And he made the laver of brass and the foot of it of brass .... Not of the brass of the offering for of that were made the brazen altar its grate and vessels the sockets of the court and court gate and the pins of the tabernacle Exodus 38:29 but no mention is made there of the laver; for that was made as here said:

of the looking glasses of the women assembling which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; though these are called looking glasses it is not to be supposed that they were made of glass as ours are; for of what use could such be in the making of a brazen laver? Some indeed choose to read the words "with the looking glasses"F4במראת "cum speculis" Oleaster. and take the sense to be that there were looking glasses about the laver affixed to it that when the priests came to wash they might see their spots and the better know how to cleanse themselves from them: but it should be observed that the priests did not come hither to wash their faces but their hands and feet Exodus 30:19 and so stood in no need of looking glasses for that purpose. The particle ב is here as Aben Ezra observes instead of מ and denotes the matter of which the laver was made and therefore these instruments to behold the face in or those mirrors were of brass as both he and Philo the JewF5De Vita Mosis l. 3. p. 673. affirm; and indeed what else could they be for a laver of brass to be made of? mirrors in former times were made of various sorts of metal polished some of gold some of silver some of brass and some of brass and tinF6Vid. Doughtei Analecta Sacr. excurs. 44. p. 124. ; and the Indians to this day have mirrors made of brass well polished and exactly represent the complexionF7Agreement of Customs between the East Indians and Jews art. 15. p. 65. . Pliny saysF8Nat. Hist. l. 33. c. 9. & l. 34. c. 17. that those of Brundusium which were made of brass and tin mixed were with the ancient Romans reckoned the best. AristotleF9De Insomniis c. 2. speaks of mirrors of brass and of their receiving and showing the least touch because the brass is smooth and polished; and so in our times there are such as are made of polished steel and even of burnished brass too: De la HayF11Apud Habikhorst. de mulier. Zobheoth in Thesaur. Theolog. Philolog. vol. 1. p. 321. says that he had one in his study which was given him made of brass of Damascus and was so finely polished that no crystal one could give a truer sight of the face than that; however it is certain the ancients used such kind of mirrors; see Job 37:18 these the good women of Israel in their great zeal brought for the service of the sanctuary though they were of daily use and peculiarly serviceable to them in their dressing; for though the word "women" is not in the text it is rightly supplied as it is in all the three Targums the word being feminine and as may be justified by a parallel passage 1 Samuel 2:22 indeed VareniusF12Apud ib. p. 318. proposes another rendering the words thus "of the looking glasses in great number gathered together which they had heaped together at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation;'but the word used is active and not passive and is used of persons gathering together and not of things gathered as appears from the above quoted place and others; and these women gathered together not for devotion and religion to pray as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan paraphrase it or to pray and hear the words of the law as Aben Ezra much less to bear any part in the ministry and service of the sanctuary which as yet was not built; for this tabernacle of the congregation was no other than the tent of Moses or however some little tabernacle erected while the other was preparing see Exodus 33:7 hither the women crowded with their mirrors of brass for the service of the sanctuary; for the word signifies an assembling in troops like an army; and they came in great numbers and beset the door of the tent where Moses was that he might take their offerings at their hands; not but that it will be allowed that devout women sometimes did assemble at the tabernacle and temple to perform acts of religion and devotion; but this seems not to be the case here nor this a time and place for it; see 1 Samuel 2:22.

 

Exodus 38:9  9 Then he made the court on the south side; the hangings of the court were of fine woven linen one hundred cubits long.

   YLT  9And he maketh the court; at the south side southward the hangings of the court of twined linen a hundred by the cubit

Verses 9-20

And he made the court .... The open court of the tabernacle where the people met of which its pillars sockets hangings hooks and pins an account is given to Exodus 38:10 of which See Gill on Exodus 27:9 Exodus 27:10 Exodus 27:11 Exodus 27:12 Exodus 27:13 Exodus 27:14 Exodus 27:15 Exodus 27:16 Exodus 27:17 Exodus 27:18 Exodus 27:19.

 

Exodus 38:10  10 There were twenty pillars for them with twenty bronze sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver.

   YLT  10their pillars [are] twenty and their brazen sockets twenty the pegs of the pillars and their fillets [are] silver;

 

Exodus 38:11  11 On the north side the hangings were one hundred cubits long with twenty pillars and their twenty bronze sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver.

   YLT  11and at the north side a hundred by the cubit their pillars [are] twenty and their sockets of brass twenty; the pegs of the pillars and their fillets [are] silver;

 

Exodus 38:12  12 And on the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits with ten pillars and their ten sockets. The hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver.

   YLT  12and at the west side [are] hangings fifty by the cubit; their pillars [are] ten and their sockets ten; the pegs of the pillars and their fillets [are] silver;

 

Exodus 38:13  13 For the east side the hangings were fifty cubits.

   YLT  13and at the east side eastward fifty cubits.

 

Exodus 38:14  14 The hangings of one side of the gate were fifteen cubits long with their three pillars and their three sockets

   YLT  14The hangings on the side [are] fifteen cubits their pillars three and their sockets three

 

Exodus 38:15  15 and the same for the other side of the court gate; on this side and that were hangings of fifteen cubits with their three pillars and their three sockets.

   YLT  15and at the second side at the gate of the court on this and on that [are] hangings fifteen cubits their pillars three and their sockets three;

 

Exodus 38:16  16 All the hangings of the court all around were of fine woven linen.

   YLT  16all the hangings of the court round about [are] of twined linen

 

Exodus 38:17  17 The sockets for the pillars were bronze the hooks of the pillars and their bands were silver and the overlay of their capitals was silver; and all the pillars of the court had bands of silver.

   YLT  17and the sockets for the pillars of brass the pegs of the pillars and their fillets of silver and the overlaying of their tops of silver and all the pillars of the court are filleted with silver.

 

Exodus 38:18  18 The screen for the gate of the court was woven of blue purple and scarlet thread and of fine woven linen. The length was twenty cubits and the height along its width was five cubits corresponding to the hangings of the court.

   YLT  18And the covering of the gate of the court [is] the work of an embroiderer of blue and purple and scarlet and twined linen; and twenty cubits [is] the length and the height with the breadth five cubits over-against the hangings of the court;

 

Exodus 38:19  19 And there were four pillars with their four sockets of bronze; their hooks were silver and the overlay of their capitals and their bands was silver.

   YLT  19and their pillars [are] four and their sockets of brass four their pegs [are] of silver and the overlaying of their tops and their fillets [are] of silver;

 

Exodus 38:20  20 All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were bronze.

   YLT  20and all the pins for the tabernacle and for the court round about [are] of brass.

 

Exodus 38:21  21 This is the inventory of the tabernacle the tabernacle of the Testimony which was counted according to the commandment of Moses for the service of the Levites by the hand of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

   YLT  21These are the numberings of the tabernacle (the tabernacle of testimony) which hath been numbered by the command of Moses the service of the Levites by the hand of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.

This is the sum of the tabernacle .... Not of the several parts of the tabernacle and the several things belonging to it before enumerated as made and delivered to the care and custody of the Levites but of the materials of which they were made particularly the gold and silver and the brass; the several sums and weight of which are given in the following verses:

even of the tabernacle of the testimony; in which the law the testimony of the will of God was put enclosed in the ark:

as it was counted according to the commandment of Moses; when it was brought in to him by the people and delivered by him to Bezaleel Aholiab and the artificers:

for the service of the Levites; or by means of their ministry who were employed in taking this account:

by the hand of Ithamar son to Aaron the priest; the youngest son of Aaron who had the direction and oversight of this affair.

 

Exodus 38:22  22 Bezalel the son of Uri the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah made all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

   YLT  22And Bezaleel son of Uri son of Hur of the tribe of Judah hath made all that Jehovah commanded Moses;

And Bezaleel the son of Uri the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah .... Of whom and his descent see Exodus 31:2.

made all that the Lord commanded Moses; gave directions about them and took care that the tabernacle and all things belonging to it were made which the Lord commanded Moses and in the exact manner in which they were ordered to be made.

 

Exodus 38:23  23 And with him was Aholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan an engraver and designer a weaver of blue purple and scarlet thread and of fine linen.

   YLT  23and with him [is] Aholiab son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and in purple and in scarlet and in linen.

And with him was Aholiab son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan .... Of him see Exodus 31:6.

an engraver; of precious stones as those in the ephod and breastplate:

and a cunning workman; in devising and working curious figured works either in weaving or with the needle:

and an embroiderer in blue and purple and in scarlet and in fine linen; which were used in the curtains and hangings of the tabernacle and in the priests' garments.

 

Exodus 38:24  24 All the gold that was used in all the work of the holy place that is the gold of the offering was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

   YLT  24All the gold which is prepared for the work in all the work of the sanctuary (and it is the gold of the wave-offering) [is] twenty and nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels by the shekel of the sanctuary.

All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the place .... That was expended in making the mercy seat and cherubim and the candlestick which were all of pure gold; besides other things belonging to the ark and shewbread table; and the plates with which the ark and many other things were covered or glided:

even the gold of the offering; which the people brought and offered freely; as their bracelets earrings and jewels of gold Exodus 35:22.

was twenty nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels after the shekel of the sanctuary: now as it is clear from Exodus 38:25 that a talent is of the value of 3000 shekels which according to Brerewood amount to three hundred and seventy five pounds of our money; and reckoning as he does the value of gold to be twelve times that of silver a talent of gold with him is of our money 4500 pounds; so that twenty nine talents seven hundred and thirty shekels are reckoned by him at 131 595 poundsF13De Ponder. & pretiis. Vet. Num. c. 4 5. ; but according to Dr. CumberlandF14Of Scripture Weights and Measures c. 4. p. 120 121. who is more exact in his calculation and who reckons a talent of silver at three hundred and fifty three pounds eleven shillings and ten pence halfpenny and the value of gold to be fourteen times that of silver; so that a talent of gold is with him 5067 pounds three shillings and ten pence; wherefore this whole sum of gold expended in the tabernacle according to him amounted to 148 719 pounds sterling: and according to WaserusF15De Antiqu. Numis. l. 2. c. 18. the amount of the whole is 350 920 Hungarian ducats which make three tons and a half of gold and nine hundred and twenty ducats: when one considers the distressed case of the Israelites in Egypt their late deliverance from thence and the desert in which they were it may be wondered how they came by these riches here and after mentioned; but when it is observed the riches of their ancestors particularly what Joseph got in Egypt which descended to their posterity; the repayment of the labour of the Israelites at their departure with what they borrowed of the Egyptians and what they found upon their carcasses when cast up by the Red sea it will in a good measure be accounted for; to which may be added that according to JeromF16De locis Heb. fol. 90. A. there were eleven miles from Mount Horeb in the wilderness fruitful mountains of gold; called Catachrysea.

 

Exodus 38:25  25 And the silver from those who were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary:

   YLT  25And the silver of those numbered of the company [is] a hundred talents and a thousand and seven hundred and five and seventy shekels by the shekel of the sanctuary;

And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation .... This was not the offering of silver Exodus 35:24 but what was collected in numbering the people where everyone of twenty years old and upwards paid half a shekel Exodus 30:12 the sum

was an hundred talents one thousand seven hundred and threescore fifteen shekels after the shekel of the sanctuary; which according to BrerewoodF17Ut supra. (De Ponder & pretiis Vet. Num. c. 4 5.) make of our money 37 721 pounds seventeen shillings and six pence; according to WaserusF18Ut supra. (De Antiqu. Numis. l. 2. c. 18.) the whole amounted to 150 887 dollars and a half: and so according to LundiusF19Apud Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 2. p. 253. the sum is so many imperials and forty five creutzers or cross pennies.

 

Exodus 38:26  26 a bekah for each man (that is half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary) for everyone included in the numbering from twenty years old and above for six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty men.

   YLT  26a bekah for a poll (half a shekel by the shekel of the sanctuary ) for every one who is passing over unto those numbered from a son of twenty years and upwards for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

A bekah for every man that is half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary .... A half shekel was called a "bekah" from בקע "bakah" to divide; because it was a shekel divided into two parts:

for everyone that went to be numbered from twenty years and upwards; in order to give a ransom and make an atonement for their souls as was ordered Exodus 30:12.

for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men; so that from the time of their coming out of Egypt which was now about six months ago there was an increase of 3550 of the above age; see Exodus 12:37.

 

Exodus 38:27  27 And from the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil: one hundred sockets from the hundred talents one talent for each socket.

  YLT  27And a hundred talents of silver are to cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the vail; a hundred sockets for the hundred talents a talent for a socket;

And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the vail .... The sockets for the boards of the tabernacle into which they were put; and the sockets for the vail which divided between the holy and the most holy place in which the pillars were set the vail was hung upon and which was the silver foundation of the whole fabric:

one hundred sockets of the one hundred talents a talent for a socket; there were ninety six sockets for the sanctuary or tabernacle and four for the vail; and on each of these a talent of silver was expended; which according to Dr. Cumberland was three hundred and fifty three pounds eleven shillings and some odd pence; so much every socket cost.

 

Exodus 38:28  28 Then from the one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars overlaid their capitals and made bands for them.

   YLT  28and the thousand and seven hundred and five and seventy he hath made pegs for the pillars and overlaid their tops and filleted them.

And of the thousand seven hundred seventy five shekels .... Which remained of the sum collected Exodus 38:25 after the silver sockets were cast:

he made hooks for the pillars: on each side of the court of the tabernacle on which the hangings were hung; these hooks as Kimchi saysF20Sepher Shorash. Rad. וו. were in the form of the letter ו and were made to hang the sacrifices upon when they took their skins off; and so it is said in the MisnahF21Pesachim c. 5. sect. 9. that there were iron hooks fixed in the walls and pillars on which they hung (the passover lambs) and skinned them; this was done in the second temple when the hooks it seems were iron but those of the tabernacle were silver:

and overlaid their chapiters and filleted them; that is overlaid the heads tops or knobs of the pillars with silver plates and filleted girded or hooped other parts of them with silver.

 

Exodus 38:29  29 The offering of bronze was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels.

   YLT  29And the brass of the wave-offering [is] seventy talents and two thousand and four hundred shekels;

And the brass of the offering was seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels. Which according to Paris weight were 6177 pounds ten ounces two drachms and sixty four grainsF23Vid. Scheuchzer ut supra. (Physic. Sacr. vol. 2. p. 253.) : this might be had from the neighbouring mountains of Arabia where it is saidF24Aristeas Deuteronomy 72. interpret. p. 42. Vid. Hieron. de loc. Hebr. fol. 90. A. the metals of brass and iron were first dug.

 

Exodus 38:30  30 And with it he made the sockets for the door of the tabernacle of meeting the bronze altar the bronze grating for it and all the utensils for the altar

   YLT  30and he maketh with it the sockets of the opening of the tent of meeting and the brazen altar and the brazen grate which it hath and all the vessels of the altar

And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation .... Which were five; see Exodus 26:37.

and the brazen altar and the brazen grate for it and all the vessels of the altar; which were all made of brass; see Exodus 27:2.

 

Exodus 38:31  31 the sockets for the court all around the bases for the court gate all the pegs for the tabernacle and all the pegs for the court all around.

   YLT  31and the sockets of the court round about and the sockets of the gate of the court and all the pins of the tabernacle and all the pins of the court round about.

And the sockets of the court round about and the sockets of the court gate .... These were also of brass in all sixty:

and all the pins of the tabernacle and all the pins of the court round about; the pins for the curtains of the tabernacle and for the hangings of the court; see Exodus 27:19.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible