The tabernacle and EXODUS: CHAPTER XXVI. its ten curtains. The ten curtains of the tabernacle, and of what composed, 1. Their length, 2, 3; their loops, 4, 5; their taches, 6. The curtains of goats' hair for a covering, 7; their length and breadth, 8. Coupled with loops, 9, 10, and taches, 11. The remnant of the curtains, how to be employed, 12, 13. The covering of rams' skins, 14. The boards of the tabernacle for the south side, 15;' their length, 16, tenons, 17, number, 18, sockets, 19. Boards, &c., for the north side, 20, 21. Boards, &c., for the west side, 22 for the corners, 23; their rings and sockets, 24, 25. The bars of the tabernacle, 26-30. The veil, its pillars, hooks, and taches, 31-33.. How to place the mercy-seat, 34. The table and the candlestick, 35. The hanging for the door of the tent, 36; and the hangings for the pillars, 37. A. M. 2513. MOREOVER a thou shalt the second; that the loops may B. C. 1491. Au. Exod. Isr. 1. Sivan. make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. b 2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits and every one of the curtains shall have one measure. 3 The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.. 4. And thou shalt make loops of blue, upon the edge of the one curtain, from the selvage in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. A.: M. 2513. B. C. 1491. "An. Exod. Isr. 1 Sivan. take hold one of another. 6. And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains toge ther with the taches; and it shall be one tabernacle. And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair, to be a covering upon the tabernacle : eleven curtains shalt thou make. 8 The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure. 9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle. · 10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth-the second.. 5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of a Chap. xxxvi. 8.– - Heb. the work of a cunning workman | or embroiderer. — Chap: xxxvi. 14. NOTES ON CHAP. XXVI. Verse 1. Thou shalt make the tabernacle] mischan, from shachan, to dwell, means simply a dwelling place or habitation of any kind, but here it means the dwelling place of Jehovah, who, as a king in his camp, had his dwelling or pavilion among his people, his table always spread, his lamps lighted, and the priests, &c., his attendants, always in waiting. From the minute and accurate description here given, a good workman, had he the same materials, might make a perfect fac simile of the ancient Jewish tabernacle. It was a movable building, and so constructed that it might be easily taken to pieces, for the greater convenience of carriage, as they were often obliged to transport it from place to place, in their various journeyings. For the twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlel, see the notes on chap. xxv. 4, &c. Cherubims] See the note on chap. xxv. 18. Cunning work] an chosheb probably means a sort of diaper, in which the figures appear equally perfect on both sides; this was probably formed in the loom. Another kind of curious work is mentioned, ver. 36, Dp rokem, which we term needle-work; this was probably similar to our embroidery, tapestry, or cloth of a .434 arras. It has been thought unlikely that these curious works were all manufactured in the wilderness : what was done in the loom, they might have brought with them from Egypt; what could be done by hand, without the use of complex machinery, the Israelitish women could readily perform with their needles, during their stay in the wilderness. But still it seems probable that they brought even their looms with them. The whole of this account shows that not only necessary but ornamental arts had been carried to a considerable pitch of perfection, both among the Israelites and Egyptians. The inner curtains of the tabernacle were ten in number, and each in length twenty-eight cubits, and four in breadth; about sixteen yards twelve inches long, and two yards twelve inches broad. The curtains were to be coupled together, five and five of a side, by fifty loops, ver. 5, and as many golden clasps, ver. 6, so that each might look like one curtain, and the whole make one entire covering, which was the first. Verse 7. Curtains of goats' hair] Stuff made of goats' hair. See the note on chap. xxv. 4. This was the second covering. ( 29* ), The covering, boards, and A. M. 2513. 11. And thou shalt make fifty | nacle, on the north side, there An. Exod. Isr. 1. taches of brass, and put the shall be, twenty boards: Sivan. d taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one. 12 And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle. 13 And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side, of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and on that side, to cover it. 14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins. A. M. 2513. 21 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 22 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward, thou shalt make six boards. 23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. 24 And they shall be h coupled together be neath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. 25 And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under ano 15 And thou shalt make boards for the taber- ther board. nacle of shittim wood standing up. 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board... 17 Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward. 19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. 20 And for the second side of the taberOr, covering Hebrew, in the remainder or surplusage. Chap. xxxvi. 19. Heb. hands. Verse 14. Rams' skins dyed red] See on chap. xxy. 5. This was the third covering; and what is called the badgers' skins was the fourth. See the note on chap. xxv. 5. Why there should have been four coverings does not appear. They might have been designed partly for respect; and partly to keep off dust and dirt, and the extremely fine sand which in that desert rises as it were on every breeze; and partly to keep off the intense heat of the sun, which would otherwise have destroyed the poles, bars, boards, and the whole of the wood work. As to the conjecture of some that the four coverings were intended the better to keep off the rain," it must appear unfounded to those who know that in that desert rain was rarely ever seen. Verse 15: Thou shalt make boards] These formed what might be called the walls of the tabernacle, and were made of shittim wood, the acacia Nilotica, which Dr. Shaw says grows here in abundance. To have worked the acacia into these boards or planks, the Israelites must have had sawyers, joiners, &c., among them; but how they got the tools is a question. But as the Israelites were the general workmen of Egypt, 26 And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side, of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. " 28 And the middle bar, in the midst of the boards, shall reach from end to end. 29. And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the. bars and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. 30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle, i according to the fashion thereof, which was showed thee in the mount. h Hebrew, twined. Chapter xxv. 9, 40; xxvii. 8; Acts vii. 44; Heb. viii. 5. and were brought up to every kind of trade for the service of their oppressors, we may naturally suppose that every artificer brought off some of his tools with him. For though it is not at all likely that they had any armour or defensive weapons in their power, yet for the reason above assigned they must have had the implements which were requisite for their respective trades. Verse 16. Ten cubits shall be the length of a board} Each of these boards or planks was about five yards and two feet and a half long, and thirty-two-inches broad; and as they are said to be standing up, this was the HEIGHT of the tabernacle. The length being thirty cubits, twenty boards, one cubit and a half broad each, make about seventeen yards and a half, and the BREADTH was about five yards. Verse 29. Thou shalt overlay the boards with gold] It is not said how thick the gold was by which these boards, &c., were overlaid; it was no doubt done with gold plates, but these must have been very thin, else the boards, &c., must have been insupportably heavy. The gold was probably something like our gold leaf, but not brought to so great a degree of tenuity. The veil of the tabernacle. A. M. 2513. Sivan. A M. 2513. Sivan. 31. And thou shalt make a and the veil shall divide unto An. Exod. Isr. 1. veil of blue, and purple, and you between the holy place An. Exod. Isr. 1. scarlet, and fine twined linen of and the most holy.. cunning work with cherubims 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 veil under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony: 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 P 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 a thou shalt maké a hanging for the Heb. ix. 2, 3.- Chap. xxv. 21; xl. 20; Heb. ix. 5.- Chap. xl. 22; Heb. ix. 2. Chap. xl. 24.1 Chàp. xxxvi. 37. xxvii. 10, 11, 17; xxxvi. 36, 38; xxxviii. 10, 11, 12, 17, 19, 28; and is used in these places in reference to the same subject, it is very difficult to ascertain its precise meaning. Most commentators and lexicographers think that the ideal meaning of the word is to connect, attach, join to, hook; and that the letter 1 vau has its name from its hook-like form, and its use as a particle in the Hebrew language, because it serves to Chap. xxxvi. 35; Lev. xvi. 2; 2 Chron. iii. 14; Matt. xxvii. 51; Heb. ix. 3.- Chapter xxv. 16; xl. 21. Lev. xvi. 2; Verse 31. Thou shalt make a veil.] ♫ parocheth, from 75 parach, to break or rend; the inner veil of the tabernacle or temple, (2 Chron. iii. 14,) which broke, interrupted, or divided between the holy place and the most holy; the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was standing. Compare Heb. ix. 8. The Septuagint constantly render it by κατάπετασμα. Does not the Hebrew name л pa-connect the words and members of a sentence, and the rocheth moreover intimate the typical correspondence of this veil to the body or flesh of Christ? For this KаTажетаσμа or veil was his flesh, (Heb. x. 20,) which, being rent, affords us a new and living way into the holiest of all, i. e., into heaven itself. Compare Heb. x. 19, 20; ix. 24. And accordingly when his blessed body was rent upon the cross, this veil also (ro xara-on these the characters appear as in the word JEHOVAH, neτaoμa τov iɛpov) εoxioon, was RENT in twain from the top to the bottom; Matt. xxvii. 51.-See Parkhurst, under the word 15. sentences of a discourse together, and that therefore hook must be the obvious meaning of the word in all the above texts. Calmet thinks this reason of no weight, because the ↑ vau of the present Hebrew alphabet is widely dissimilar from the vau of the primitive Hebrew alphabet, as may be seen on the ancient shekels; chap. xxviii. 36. This form bears no resemblance to a hook; nor does the Samaritan vau, which appears to have been copied from this ancient character. Calmet therefore contends, 1. That if Moses does not mean the capitals of the pillars by the □'n vavim of the text, he mentions them nowhere; and it would be strange that while he describes the pillars, their sockets, bases, fillets, &c., &c., with so much exactness, as will appear on consulting the preceding places, that he should make no mention of the capilals; or that pillars, every way so correctly formed, should have been destitate of this very necessary ornament. · It' The veil in the tabernacle was exceedingly costly.; it was made of the same materials with the inner covering, blue, purple, scaflet, fine twined linen, embroidered with cherubim, &c. It served to divide the tabernacle into two parts: one, the outermost, called the holy place; the other, or innermost, called the holy of holies, or the most holy place. In this was deposited the ark of the covenant, and the other things that were laid up by way of memorial. Into this the high priest alone was permitted to enter, and that only once in the year, on the great day of atonement. was in this inner place that Jehovah manifested himself between the cherubim. The Jews say that this veil was four fingers' breadth. in thickness, in order to prevent any person from seeing through it; but for this, as Calmet observes, there was no necessity, as there was no window or place for light in the tabernacle, and consequently the most simple veil would have been sufficient to obstruct the discovery of any thing behind it, which could only be discerned by the light that came in at the door, or by that afforded by the golden candlestick which stood on the outside of 2. As Moses was commanded to make the hooks, vavim, of the pillars and their fillets of silver, chap. xxvii. 10, 11, and the hooks, vavim, of the pillars of the veil of gold, chap. xxxvi. 36; and as one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels were employed in making these hooks, vavim, overlaying their chapiters, Drasheyhem, their heads, and filleting them, chap. xxxviii. 28; it is more reasonable to suppose that all, this is spoken of the capitals of the pillars than` of any kind of hooks, especially as hooks are mentioned under the word taches or clasps in other places. On the whole it appears much more reasonable to translate the original by capitals than by hooks. After this verse the Samaritan Pentateuch introduces the ten first verses of chap. xxx., and this appears to be their proper place. Those ten verses are not repeated in the thirtieth chapter in the Samaritan, the chapter beginning with the 11th verse. Verse 36. A hanging for the door of the tent] This Altar of burnt-offerings, A. M. 2513. Sivan. A. M. 2513. Sivan. door of the tent, of blue, and pur- | five pillars of shittim wood, and An. Exod. Isr. 1. ple, and scarlet, and fine twined overlay them with gold, and their An. Exod. Isr. 1. linen, wrought with needlework. hooks shall be of gold and thou 37 And thou shalt make for the hanging shalt cast five sockets of brass for them. Exodus, chap. xxxvi. 38. may be called the first veil, as it occupied the door or entrance to the tabernacle; the veil that separated the holy place from the holy of holies is called the second veil, Heb. ix. 3. These two veils and the inner covering of the tabernacle were all of the same materials, and of the same workmanship. See chap. xxvii. 16. 1 1. For the meaning and design of the tabernacle see the note on chap. xxv. 40 and while the reader is struck with the curious and costly nature of this building, as described by Moses, let him consider how pure and holy that Church should be of which it was a very expressive type; and what manner of person he should be in all. holy conversation and godliness, who professes to be a member of that Church for which, it is written, Christ has given himself, that he might sanctify and cleanse it; that he might present it unto himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. See Eph. v. 25-27. 2. In the Jewish tabernacle almost every thing was placed out of the sight of the people. The holy of holies was inaccessible, the testimony was comparatively hidden, as were also the mercy-seat and the Divine glory. Under the Gospel all these things are laid open, the way to the holiest is made manifest, the veil is rent, and we have an entrance to the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Heb. x. 19, 20. How abundantly has God brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel! The awful distance is abolished, the ministry of reconciliation is proclaimed, the kingdom of heaven is opened to all believers, and the Lord is in his holy temple. Sinner, weary of thyself and thy transgressions, fainting under the load of thy iniquities, look to Jesus; he died for thee, and will save thee. Believer, stand fast in the liberty wherewith God has made thee free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage. CHAPTER XXVII., The altar of burnt-offerings, and its dimensions, 1; its horns, 2; pans, shovels, &c., 3; its grate and network, 4, 5; its staves, 6, 7. Court of the tabernacle, with its pillars and hangings, 9–15. Gate of the court, its pillars, hangings, length, breadth, and height, 16-18. All the vessels used in the court of the tabernacle to be of brass, 19. The Israelites to provide pure olive oil for the light, 20. be ordered by Aaron and his sons, 21. A. M. 2513. B. C. 1491. An. Exod. Isr. 1. a AND thou shalt make an height thereof shall be three altar of shittim wood, five cubits. cubits long, and five cubits broad: the altar shall be four-square; and the a Chap. xxxviii. 1; NOTES ON CHAP. XXVII. Verse 1. Thou shalt make an altar] 12 mizbeach, from zabach, to slay: Septuagint, Ovolaoraplov, from Ovola, to sacrifice, or from Ovw, to kill, &c. See the note on Gen viii. 20. Four-square] As this altar was five cubits long and five broad, and the cubit is reckoned to be twenty-one inches, hence it must have been eight feet nine inches square, and about five feet three inches in height, the amount of three cubits, taken at the same ratio. Verse 2. Thou shall make the horns of it] The horns might have three uses: 1. For ornament. 2. To prevent carcasses, &c., from falling off. 3. To tie the victim to, previously to its being sacrificed. So David Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar; Psa. cxviii. 27. Horns were much used in all ancient altars among the heathen, and some of them were entirely constructed of the horns of the beasts that had been offered in sacrifice; but such al Every thing to A. M. 2513. C. 1491. An. Exod. Isr. 1. Sivan. 2 And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: Ezek. xliii. 13. tars appear to be erected rather as trophies in honour of their gods. On the reverses of several medals we find altars represented with horns at the corners. There is a medal of Antoninus on the reverse of which is an altar, on which a fire burns, conseerated Divo Pio, where the horns appear on each of the corners. There is one of Faustina, on which the altar and its horns are very distinct, the legend Pietas Augusta. All the following have altars with horns. One of Valerian, legend Consecratio; one of Claudius Gothicus, same legend; one of Quintillus, same legend; one of Crispina, with the legend Dis Genitalibus; and several others. See Numismatica Antiq., a MUSELLIO, under Consecratio, in the index. Callimachus, in his Hymn to Apollo, line 60, introduces him constructing an altar of the horns of the animals slain by Diana :— πηξε δε βωμού Εκ κεραων κ. τ. λ. 3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive 10 And the twenty pillars thereof and their his ashes, and his shovels, and his basins, twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks and his flesh-hooks, and his fire-pars: all the of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass... 5 And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.. 6 And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass. 7. And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.) 8 Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as dit was showed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.. 9 And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle for the south side southward, See Num. xvj. 38. Chap. xxv. 40; xxvi, 30. Martial has these words: Cornibus ara frequens. Verse 3. Thou shalt make his pans] Y sirothair, a sort of large brazen dishes, which stood under the altar to receive the ashes that fell through the grating. His shovels] vyaaiv. Some render this besoms; but as these were brazen instruments, it is more natural to suppose that some kind of fire-shovels are intended, or scuttles, which were used to carry off the ashes that fell through the grating into the large pan or siroth. His basins] mizrekothaiv, from pa zarak, to sprinkle or disperse; bowls or basins to receive the blood of the sacrifices, in order that it might be sprinkled on the people before the altar, &c. His flesh-hooks] mizlegothaiv., That this word is rightly translated flesh-hooks is fully evident from 1 Sam. ii. 13, where the same word is used in such a connection as demonstrates its meaning: And the priest's custom with the people was, that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in the seething, with a FLESH-HOOK ( mazleg) of three teeth (prongs) in his hand, and he struck it into the pan, &c.; all that the FLESH-HOOK (1'i mazleg) brought up, the priest took for himself. It was probably a kind of trident, or fork with three prongs, and these bent to a right angle at the middle, as the ideal meaning of the Hebrew seems to imply crookedness or curvature in general. ·His fire-pans] 'n machtothaiv. Bishop Patrick and others suppose that "this was a larger sort of vessel, wherein, probably, the sacred fire which came 11. And likewise for the north side, in length there shall be hangings of a hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 12 And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. 13 And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits, 14 The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 15 And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits their pillars three, and their sockets three. 16 And for the gate of the court shall be a hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine-twined linen, wrought Chap. xxxviii. 9. a Heb. be showed. down from heaven (Lev. ix.. 24) was kept burning, whilst they cleansed the altar and the grate from the coals and the ashes; and while the altar was carried from one place to another, as it often was in the wilderness."" Verse 4. Thou shalt make for it a grate] Calmet supposes this altar to have been a sort of box, covered with brass plates, on the top of which was a grating to supply the fire with air, and permit the ashes to fall through into the siroth or pan that was placed below. At the four corners of the grating were four rings and four chains, by which it was attached to the four horns; and at the sides were rings for the poles of shittim wood with which it was carried. Even on this there is a great variety of opinions. Verse 8. Hollow, with boards] It seems to have been a kind of frame-work, and to have had nothing solid in the inside, and only covered with the grating at the top. This rendered it more light and portable. Verse 9. The court of the tabernacle] The tabernacle stood in an enclosure or court, open at the top. This court was made with pillars or posts, and hangings. It was one hundred cubits, or about fifty-eight yards and a half, in length; the breadth we learn from verses 12 and 18; and five cubits, or nearly three yards, high, ver. 18. And as this was but half the height of the tabernacle, chap. xxvi. 16, that sacred building might easily be seen by the people from without. Verse 16. And for the gate of the court] It appears |