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Exodus Chapter
Thirty-eight
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》