| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
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》