Exodus 26:31

26:31 “You are to make a special curtain ¹  of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen; it is to be made ²  with cherubim, the work of an artistic designer.

Exodus 26:36

26:36 “You are to make a hanging ³  for the entrance of the tent of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. ⁴ 

Exodus 27:1

The Altar

27:1 “You are to make the ⁵  altar of acacia wood, seven feet six inches long, ⁶  and seven feet six inches wide; the altar is to be square, ⁷  and its height is to be ⁸  four feet six inches.

Exodus 30:37

30:37 And the incense that you are to make, you must not make for yourselves using the same recipe; it is to be most holy to you, belonging to the Lord.

Exodus 37:16-17

37:16 He made the vessels which were on the table out of pure gold, its ⁹  plates, its ladles, its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings.

The Making of the Lampstand

37:17 He made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered metal; its base and its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its blossoms were from the same piece. ¹⁰ 

Exodus 38:8

38:8 He made the large basin of bronze and its pedestal of bronze from the mirrors of the women who served ¹¹  at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Exodus 39:30

39:30 They made a plate, the holy diadem, of pure gold and wrote on it an inscription, as on the engravings of a seal, “Holiness to the Lord.”

[26:31]  ¹ tn Although translated “curtain” (traditionally “veil,” so ASV, NAB, NASB) this is a different word from the one used earlier of the tent curtains, so “special curtain” is used. The word פָרֹכֶת (farokhet) seems to be connected with a verb that means “to shut off” and was used with a shrine. This curtain would form a barrier in the approach to God (see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 289).

[26:31]  ² tn The verb is the third masculine singular form, but no subject is expressed. It could be translated “one will make” or as a passive. The verb means “to make,” but probably has the sense of embroidering both here and in v. 1.

[26:36]  ³ sn This was another curtain, serving as a screen in the entrance way. Since it was far away from the special curtain screening the Most Holy Place, it was less elaborate. It was not the work of the master designer, but of the “embroiderer,” and it did not have the cherubim on it.

[26:36]  ⁴ tn The word רֹקֵם (roqem) refers to someone who made cloth with colors. It is not certain, however, whether the colors were woven into the fabric on the loom or applied with a needle; so “embroiderer” should be understood as an approximation (cf. HALOT 1290-91 s.v. רקם).

[27:1]  ⁵ tn The article on this word identifies this as the altar, meaning the main high altar on which the sacrifices would be made.

[27:1]  ⁶ tn The dimensions are five cubits by five cubits by three cubits high.

[27:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “four”; this refers to four sides. S. R. Driver says this is an archaism that means there were four equal sides (Exodus, 291).

[27:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “and three cubits its height.”

[37:16]  ⁷ tn The suffixes on these could also indicate the indirect object (see Exod 25:29).

[37:17]  ⁹ tn Heb “from it”; the referent (“the same piece” of wrought metal) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:8]  ¹¹ sn The word for “serve” is not the ordinary one. It means “to serve in a host,” especially in a war. It appears that women were organized into bands and served at the tent of meeting. S. R. Driver thinks that this meant “no doubt” washing, cleaning, or repairing (Exodus, 391). But there is no hint of that (see 1 Sam 2:22; and see Ps 68:11 [12 Hebrew text]). They seem to have had more to do than what Driver said.