Exodus 26 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Exodus 26

The Tabernacle

26:1 “Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them. 2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits,¹ and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall be the same size. 3 Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. 4 And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain in the first set. Likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second set. 5 Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another. 6 And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle may be a single whole.

7 “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make. 8 The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains shall be the same size. 9 You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent. 10 You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in the second set.

11 “You shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be a single whole. 12 And the part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 And the extra that remains in the length of the curtains, the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. 14 And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins² and a covering of goatskins on top.

15 “You shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. 17 There shall be two tenons in each frame, for fitting together. So shall you do for all the frames of the tabernacle. 18 You shall make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side; 19 and forty bases of silver you shall make under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons; 20 and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side twenty frames, 21 and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame, and two bases under the next frame. 22 And for the rear of the tabernacle westward you shall make six frames. 23 And you shall make two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear; 24 they shall be separate beneath, but joined at the top, at the first ring. Thus shall it be with both of them; they shall form the two corners. 25 And there shall be eight frames, with their bases of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one frame, and two bases under another frame.

26 “You shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 28 The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall run from end to end. 29 You shall overlay the frames with gold and shall make their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold. 30 Then you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it that you were shown on the mountain.

31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. 32 And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy. 34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. 35 And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table, and you shall put the table on the north side.

36 “You shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. 37 And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.

Footnotes

[1] 26:2 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
[2] 26:14 Or of rams’ skins dyed red

Commentary

v1-14: The coverings of the Tabernacle, which consisted of 4 curtains, of fine linen thread, goat's hair, ram's skins, and badger skins.

v1-6: The first covering was made of ten separate pieces, each made from four threads;

Fine linen thread, Christ the servant (Mark)
Blue yarn, Son of God (John)
Purple yarn, King (Matthew)
Red yarn, Son of Man (Luke)

The ten curtains were each 28 x 4 cubits (42 x 6 feet), and did not touch the ground; Christ was not contaminated by this world.

The ten curtains were sown together in two fives, which were themselves joined by fifty gold clasps, indicating that Christ is not divided. The loops and clasps are there so that the tabernacle might be a unit, a single piece of work.

The gold clasps were only visible from inside; only when we are "in Christ" do we really see His glory and deity. The bronze clasps (v11), in contrast, were invisible, for the judgment has been taken away by Christ, and He died in darkness, unseen by human eye.

v7-13: The second covering was of goat's hair, speaking of atonement. These overlapped the curtains of fine linen thread, being, in total 45 x 66 feet, compared to 42 x 60 feet. This is explained in v12-13; the goat's hair hung over the linen thread, so as to cover up completely the Tabernacle.

v14: Further coverings were of ram skins, speaking of consecration, and of badger skins, speaking of the hatred that Christ endured. All that was visible of the Tabernacle when it was erected was a tent of badger skins, hiding the glorious items inside. Even so, with Christ, many were ignorant of who He really was. His deeper teaching, for example, was only for the twelve, or for the larger number who followed Him. The unbelieving crowds remained ignorant.

v15-25: There were frames for the sides of the Tabernacle, which were effectively walls, and gave strength to the whole. There were 20 each on the north and south, and 6 on the west, with one on each of the western corners.. The overall size was 30 x 15 feet, which matches with the curtains, which hung over three sides, but not the front. The corner frames were double thickness for strength (v24). Under each frame were two bases, providing stability.

v26-29: The crossbars were designed to hold the frames in place. There were rings in the frames, through which the crossbars were fixed.

v30: The Tabernacle was to be raised up as shown. Similar words are used of Christ in Deut 18.15,18, for He tabernacled among us (John 1.14). In Him we meet with God, and God speaks with us.

v31-33: The curtain, or veil, which separated the holy place from the most holy place. This was made of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen thread, pointing us to Christ. This veil was hung from four gold clasps.

v34-35: The first items of furniture are to be positioned;

The ark with the mercy seat was behind the veil, in the most holy place;
The table and lampstand were in the holy place.
All these things were made of gold, nothing of bronze, for Christ has borne our judgment. In Christ we enjoy His glory.

v36-37: Another curtain or screen, this time at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Again, this was made of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen thread.