Exodus 26:7

26:7 “You are to make curtains of goats’ hair ¹  for a tent over the tabernacle; ²  you are to make ³  eleven curtains.

Exodus 26:12

26:12 Now the part that remains of the curtains of the tent – the half curtain that remains will hang over at the back of the tabernacle. ⁴ 

Exodus 26:26

26:26 “You are to make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle,

Exodus 27:19

27:19 All ⁵  the utensils of the tabernacle used ⁶  in all its service, all its tent pegs, and all the tent pegs of the courtyard are to be made of bronze. ⁷ 

Exodus 36:14

36:14 He made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains. ⁸ 

Exodus 36:31

36:31 He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle

Exodus 40:17

40:17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month, in the second year.

Exodus 40:22

40:22 And he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain.

Exodus 40:24

40:24 And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:34

40:34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:36

40:36 But when the cloud was lifted up ⁹  from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out ¹⁰  on all their journeys;

[26:7]  ¹ sn This chapter will show that there were two sets of curtains and two sets of coverings that went over the wood building to make the tabernacle or dwelling place. The curtains of fine linen described above could be seen only by the priests from inside. Above that was the curtain of goats’ hair. Then over that were the coverings, an inner covering of rams’ skins dyed red and an outer covering of hides of fine leather. The movement is from the inside to the outside because it is God’s dwelling place; the approach of the worshiper would be the opposite. The pure linen represented the righteousness of God, guarded by the embroidered cherubim; the curtain of goats’ hair was a reminder of sin through the daily sin offering of a goat; the covering of rams’ skins dyed red was a reminder of the sacrifice and the priestly ministry set apart by blood, and the outer covering marked the separation between God and the world. These are the interpretations set forth by Kaiser; others vary, but not greatly (see W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:459).

[26:7]  ² sn This curtain will serve “for a tent over the tabernacle,” as a dwelling place.

[26:7]  ³ tn Heb “you will make them”

[26:12]  ⁴ sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 353) cites b. Shabbat 98b which says, “What did the tabernacle resemble? A woman walking on the street with her train trailing behind her.” In the expression “the half of the curtain that remains,” the verb agrees in gender with the genitive near it.

[27:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “to all”; for use of the preposition lamed (ל) to show inclusion (all belonging to) see GKC 458 §143.e.

[27:19]  ⁸ tn Here “used” has been supplied.

[27:19]  ⁹ sn The tabernacle is an important aspect of OT theology. The writer’s pattern so far has been: ark, table, lamp, and then their container (the tabernacle); then the altar and its container (the courtyard). The courtyard is the place of worship where the people could gather – they entered God’s courts. Though the courtyard may not seem of much interest to current readers, it did interest the Israelites. Here the sacrifices were made, the choirs sang, the believers offered their praises, they had their sins forgiven, they came to pray, they appeared on the holy days, and they heard from God. It was sacred because God met them there; they left the “world” (figuratively speaking) and came into the very presence of God.

[36:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “eleven curtains he made them.”

[40:36]  ¹³ tn The construction uses the Niphal infinitive construct to form the temporal clause.

[40:36]  ¹⁴ tn The imperfect tense in this context describes a customary action.