Exodus 36:8--38:20
skilled <02450> [wise.]
doing .... made ................... made <06213> [made.]
cherubim <03742> [cherubims.]
{Keroovim,} cherubim, not cherubims. What these were we cannot determine. Some, observing that the verb {kerav} in Syriac, sometimes means to resemble, make like, conceive the noun {keroov} signifies no more than an image, figure, or representation of anything. Josephus says they were flying animals, like none of those which are seen by man, but such as Moses saw about the throne of God. In another place he says, "As for the cherubim, nobody can tell or conceive what they were like." These symbolical figures, according to the description of them by Ezekiel, (ch. 1:10; 10:14,) were creatures with four heads and one body; and the animals of which these forms consisted were the noblest of their kind; the lion among the wild beasts; the bull among the tame ones; the eagle among the birds, and man at the head of all. Hence some have conceived them to be somewhat of the shape of flying oxen; and it is alleged in favour of this opinion, that the far more common meaning of the verb {kerav,} in Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, being to plough, the natural meaning of {keroov,} is a creature used in ploughing. This seems to have been the ancient opinion which tradition had handed down, concerning the shape of the cherubim with the flaming sword, that guarded the tree of life. (Ge 3:24.)
together ... one ............ unit <0259> [so it became.]
covering ............... covering <04372> [covering.]
ram skins dyed red ......... leather <05785 0119 0352> [rams' skins dyed red.]
This was the third covering of the tabernacle. The first and lowermost was made of fine linen, richly embroidered with figures of cherubim, in shades of blue, purple, and scarlet (ver. 8-13). It is reasonable to suppose, that the right side of this curtain was undermost, and so it formed a beautiful ceiling in the inside of the tabernacle. The second covering, which lay over the embroidered one, was made of a sort of mohair, (ver. 14-17,) and the fourth, or uppermost one, which was to keep the others from the weather, was made of {tachash,} or badgers' skins.
frames <07175> [boards.]
acacia wood <06086 07848> [shittim wood.]
length <0753> [The length.]
Each of these boards, taking the cubit at nearly twenty-two inches, was about eighteen feet long, and two feet nine inches broad. As these boards are said to be standing up (ver. 20,) their length was consequently the height of the tabernacle; and as the two sides were composed of twenty of these, standing up (ver. 23, 25,) and the west end of six, with two boards to project at the corners, (ver. 27, 28,) the tabernacle must therefore, have been thirty cubits, or fifty-five feet long, and about ten cubits, or eighteen feet broad. These boards were fastened at the bottom by two tenons in each board, which fitted into two mortices in the foundation, at the top by links or hasps, and on the sides by five wooden bars, which ran through rings or staples in each of the boards. The boards and bars were all overlaid with gold; and their rings for the staves, and their hasps at top, were of the same metal. The foundation on which they stood consisted of about ninety-six solid blocks of silver, two under each board, about eighteen inches long, and of a suitable thickness; and each weighing a talent, or about a hundred weight. Four blocks of silver formed the bases of the columns which supported the curtain that divided the inside of the tabernacle into two rooms.
west <03220> [westward.]
doubled <08382> [coupled. Heb. twined.]
frames ..... bases ... bases two bases ... each frame <0134 0259 07175 08147> [under every board two sockets. Heb. two sockets, two sockets, under one board.]
tabernacle .......... tabernacle <04908> [the tabernacle.]
curtain ... blue <08504 06532> [vail of blue.]
{Parachoth,} from {parach,} to separate, divide, make a distinction between somewhat, the inner vail, which divided the tabernacle into two, and separated, and made a distinction between the Holy place and the Holy of Holies. This vail was made of the same rich materials as the inner covering of the tabernacle, and curiously embroidered with cherubim and other ornaments. Though it does not appear from Scripture at what distance from either end of the tabernacle this vail was hung, yet is reasonably conjectured, that it divided it in the same proportion in which the temple, built after this model, was divided; that is, two-thirds of the whole length were allotted to the first room, and one-third to the second; so that the room beyond the vail, the Holy of Holies, was exactly square, being ten cubits each way, and the first room, the sanctuary, was twice as long as it was broad.
hanging <04539> [an hanging.]
This vail was a fine embroidered curtain, of the same materials and of the same workmanship as the inner vail and inner covering of the tabernacle. The text does not say how low it hung. Philo makes it touch the ground; but Josephus will have it to come down but half way, so that the people might have a view of the inside of the tabernacle; but then he says there was another curtain over that, which came to the ground, to keep it from the weather, and was drawn aside on the sabbath and other festivals.
embroiderer <07551> [of needlework. Heb. the work of a needle worker, or embroider.]
bands ... gold <02091 02838> [fillets with gold.]
poles <0905> [staves.]
gold <02091> [with gold.]
end ........ end <07098> [on the end. or, out of, etc. on the other end. or, out of, etc.]
cherubim ... spreading ............. cherubim <03742 06566> [cherubims spread.]
atonement lid ............. atonement lid <03727> [to the mercy seatward.]
Nothing but the ark of the covenant, with the mercy-seat, was put within the most holy place; but without the vail this "table of {shittim} wood" was fixed, of the same height as the ark, but neither so long nor so broad. It was made of the same materials as the ark, and with a golden cornice; but it had also another cornice below the edge, and one at the bottom, with a border between the two of a hand breadth; though some think one border only was below the edge, and that this was towards the bottom, to keep the feet or legs more closely united. The table also had rings and staves for the convenience of removing it. To it were annexed several vessels; as dishes, in which some think the shewbread was placed; or, according to others, the flour of which it was made, or the oil used for various purposes; spoons, which were employed about the incense offered on the golden altar, or carried within the vail in a censer on the day of atonement. Some have supposed the word to denote vials, as we read of vials full of odours and incense (Rev 5:3): covers, which seem to have been put over both the loaves and the incense, yet some suppose they were vessels used in drink-offerings; but that is more reasonably considered as the use of the bowls.
plates <07086> [dishes.]
pouring out <02004 05258> [cover withal. or, pour out withal.]
lampstand ... pure ...... lampstand <04501 02889> [the candlestick of.]
almond <08246> [almonds.]
one <0259> [were.]
hammered <04749> [beaten work.]
made <06213> [he made.]
incense <07004> [incense.]
perfumer <07543> [the apothecary.]
altar <04196> [the altar.]
This altar consisted of four boards of {shittim} (acacia) wood, covered with brass, and hollow in the middle; but it is supposed to have been filled up with earth when used, for it is expressly said (ch. 20:24) that the altar is to be of earth. As it was five cubits long and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, if the cubit be reckoned at 21 inches, it must have been eight feet nine inches square, and about five feet three inches in height.
seven feet six inches .... seven feet six inches ..... square .... height ... four feet six <0520 07969 06967 07251> [foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.]
made <06213> [he made.]
bronze <05178> [brass.]
made ....................... made <06213> [he made.]
meat hooks <04207> [flesh-hooks.]
grating <04345> [the grate.]
carry .... made <05375 06213> [to bear it withal.]
basin <03595> [the laver.]
mirrors <04759> [looking glasses. or, brazen glasses.]
The word {maroth,} from {raah,} to see, denotes reflectors, or mirrors, of any kind. That these could not have been looking glasses, as in our translation, is sufficiently evident, not only from the glass not being then in use, but also from the impossibility of making the brazen laver of such materials. The first mirrors known among men, were the clear fountain and unruffled lake. The first artificial ones were made of polished brass, afterwards of steel, and when luxury increased, of silver; but at a very early period, they were made of a mixed metal, particularly of tin and copper, the best of which, as Pliny informs us, were formerly manufactured at Brundusium. When the Egyptians went to their temples, according to St. Cyril, they always carried their mirrors with them. The Israelitish women probably did the same; and Dr. Shaw says, that looking-glasses are still part of the dress of Moorish women, who carry them constantly hung at their breasts.
women ... served <06633> [assembling. Heb. assembling by troops.]
It is supposed that these women kept watch during the night. Among the ancients, women were generally employed as door-keepers. See 1 Sa 2:22.
courtyard .......... courtyard <02691> [the court.]
hangings <07050> [hangings.]
embroiderer <07551> [needlework.]
pegs <03489> [the pins.]
