EXO 26

Exodus 26:1

WEB

“Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim. You shall make them with the work of a skillful workman.

BSB

“You are to construct the tabernacle itself with ten curtains of finely spun linen, each with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and cherubim skillfully worked into them.

KJV

Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.

Matthew Henry

Verses 1–6

Exodus 26:1–6

I. The house must be a tabernacle or tent, such as soldiers now use in the camp, which was both a mean dwelling and a movable one; and yet the ark of God had not better, till Solomon built the temple 480 years after this, Kg1 6:1. God manifested his presence among them thus in a tabernacle, 1. In compliance with their present condition in the wilderness, that they might have him with them wherever they went. Note, God suits the tokens of his favour, and the gifts of his grace, to his people's wants and necessities, according as they are, accommodating his mercy to their state, prosperous or adverse, settled or unsettled. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, Isa 43:2. 2. That it might represent the state of God's church in this world, it is a tabernacle-state, Psa 15:1. We have here no continuing city; being strangers in this world, and travellers towards a better, we shall never be fixed till we come to heaven. Church-privileges are movable goods, from one place to another; the gospel is not tied to any place; the candlestick is in a tent, and may easily be taken away, Rev 2:5. If we make much of the tabernacle, and improve the privilege of it, wherever we go it will accompany us; but, if we neglect and disgrace it, wherever we stay it will forsake us. What hath my beloved to do in my house? Jer 11:15.

II. The curtains of the tabernacle must correspond to a divine pattern. 1. They were to be very rich, the best of the kind, fine twined linen; and colours very pleasing, blue, and purple, and scarlet. 2. They were to be embroidered with cherubim (Exo 26:1), to intimate that the angels of God pitch their tents round about the church, Psa 34:7. As there were cherubim over the mercy-seat, so there were round the tabernacle; for we find the angels compassing, not only the throne, but the elders; see Rev 5:11. 3. There were to be two hangings, five breadths in each, sewed together, and the two hangings coupled together with golden clasps, or tacks, so that it might be all one tabernacle, Exo 26:6. Thus the churches of Christ and the saints, though they are many, are yet one, being fitly joined together in holy love, and by the unity of the Spirit, so growing into one holy temple in the Lord, Eph 2:21, Eph 2:22; Eph 4:16. This tabernacle was very strait and narrow; but, at the preaching of the gospel, the church is bidden to enlarge the place of her tent, and to stretch forth her curtains, Isa 54:2.

Cross-references: 1Kgs 6:1 · Isa 43:2 · Ps 15:1 · Rev 2:5 · Jer 11:15 · Exod 26:1 · Ps 34:7 · Rev 5:11 · Exod 26:6 · Eph 2:21 · Eph 2:22 · Eph 4:16 · Isa 54:2

Hebrew interlinear

H853

אֵתʼêth/ayth/

prt — self, even, namely

Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].

אֵת

mark of the accusative

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

H4908

מִשְׁכָּןmishkân/mish-kawn'/

n-m — residence, hut, lair, grave, Temple, the Tabernacle

Derivation: from 7931;

a residence (including a shepherd's hut, the lair of animals, figuratively, the grave; also the Temple); specifically, the Tabernacle (properly, its wooden walls)

KJV: dwelleth, dwelling (place), habitation, tabernacle, tent.

מִשְׁכָּן

n.m — dwelling-place

מִשְׁכָּן 139 n.m. dwelling-place, ‘tabernacle

H6213

עָשָׂהʻâsâh/aw-saw'/

v — do, make

Derivation: a primitive root;

to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

KJV: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, × certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, feast, (fight-) ing man, finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, hinder, hold (a feast), × indeed, be industrious, journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, × sacrifice, serve, set, shew, × sin, spend, × surely, take, × thoroughly, trim, × very, vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.

עָשָׂה

vb — do

עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make

Qal 2524

I.

1. do (1560 t.)

2. deal with

3. oft. in phr. do kindness with

4. abs. act, act with effect

II.

1. make (670 t.)

2. produce, yield

3. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food

4. make offering

5. attend to, put in order

6. observe, celebrate, religious festival

7. acquire property of various kinds

8. appoint priests

9. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance

10. use

11. spend, pass, days of life

Niph. 97

1. be done

2.

a. be made, of concr. things

b. be produced from vine

c. be prepared, of food

d. be offered

e. be observed, passover

f. be used

Pu. I was made

עָשָׂה

vb — press

[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze

H6235

עֶשֶׂרʻeser/eh'ser/

n — ten

Derivation: masculine of term עֲשָׂרָה; from 6237;

ten (as an accumulation to the extent of the digits)

KJV: ten, (fif-, seven-) teen.

עֶשֶׂר

n.m — ten

עֶשֶׂר, עֲשָׂרָה 176 n.m. and f. ten

H3407

יְרִיעָהyᵉrîyʻâh/yer-ee-aw'/

n-f — hanging, tremulous

Derivation: from 3415;

a hanging (as tremulous)

KJV: curtain.

יְרִיעָה

n.f — curtain

יְרִיעָה 54 n.f. curtain

H8336

שֵׁשׁshêsh/shaysh/

n-m — bleached, white

Derivation: or (for alliteration with 4897) שְׁשִׁי; for 7893;

bleached stuff, i.e. white linen or (by analogy) marble

KJV: × blue, fine (twined) linen, marble, silk.

שֵׁשׁ

n.m — alabaster

שֵׁשׁ n.m. id. [שַׁ֫יִשׁ]; material of pavement

שֵׁשׁ

n.m — byssus

שֵׁשׁ n.m. byssus, fine Egyptian linen

H7806

שָׁזַרshâzar/shaw-zar'/

v — twist

Derivation: a primitive root;

to twist (a thread of straw)

KJV: twine.

שָׁזַר

vb — be twisted

[שָׁזַר] 21 vb. Hoph. be twisted

H8504

תְּכֵלֶתtᵉkêleth/tek-ay'-leth/

n-f — mussel, violet

Derivation: probably for 7827;

the cerulean mussel, i.e. the color (violet) obtained therefrom or stuff dyed therewith

KJV: blue.

תְּכֵ֫לֶת

n.f — violet

תְּכֵ֫לֶת 48 n.f. violet, i.e. violet thread and stuff

H713

אַרְגָּמָןʼargâmân/ar-gaw-mawn'/

n-m — purple

Derivation: of foreign origin;

purple (the color or the dyed stuff)

KJV: purple.

אַרְגָּמָן

n.[m.] — purple

אַרְגָּמָן n.[m.] purple, red-purple, i.e. purple thread & cloth

H8438

תּוֹלָעtôwlâʻ/to-law'/

n-m n-f — maggot, voracious, grub

Derivation: and (feminine) תּוֹלֵעָה; or תּוֹלַעַת; or תֹּלַעַת; from 3216;

a maggot (as voracious); specifically (often with ellipsis of 8144) the crimson-grub, but used only (in this connection) of the color from it, and cloths dyed therewith

KJV: crimson, scarlet, worm.

תּוֹלָע

n.[m.] — worm

תּוֹלָע n.[m.] worm, scarlet stuff

תּוֹלֵעָה

n.f — worm

תּוֹלֵעָה, תּוֹלַ֫עַת 40 n.f. worm

H8144

שָׁנִיshânîy/shaw-nee'/

n-m — crimson

Derivation: of uncertain derivation;

crimson, properly, the insect or its color, also stuff dyed with it

KJV: crimson, scarlet (thread).

שָׁנִי

n.[m.] — scarlet

שָׁנִי 42 n.[m.] scarlet (prop. coccus ilicis, which attaches itself to leaves and twigs of quercus coccifera; the dried body of female yields colouring matter)

H3742

כְּרוּבkᵉrûwb/ker-oob'/

n-m — cherub, imaginary figure

Derivation: of uncertain derivation;

a cherub or imaginary figure

KJV: cherub, (plural) cherubims.

כְּרוּב

n.m — Cherub

כְּרוּב 91 n.m. cherub

1. the living chariot of the theophanic God

2. as guards of the garden of Eden

3. as the throne of Yahweh Sabaoth

4. P gives an account

5. K and Ch describe the cherubim of the temple

6. Ezekiel describes the cherubim

H4639

מַעֲשֶׂהmaʻăseh/mah-as-eh'/

n-m — action, transaction, activity, product, poem, property

Derivation: from 6213;

an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property

KJV: act, art, bakemeat, business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, × well, (handy-, needle-, net-) work(ing, -manship), wrought.

מַעֲשֶׂה

n.m — deed

מַעֲשֶׂה 233 n.m. deed, work

H2803

חָשַׁבchâshab/khaw-shab'/

v — plait, interpenetrate, weave, fabricate, plot, contrive, think, regard, value, compute

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e. (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; figuratively, to plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense); hence (from the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute

KJV: (make) account (of), conceive, consider, count, cunning (man, work, workman), devise, esteem, find out, forecast, hold, imagine, impute, invent, be like, mean, purpose, reckon(-ing be made), regard, think.

חָשַׁב

vb — think

חָשַׁב vb. think, account

Qal

I. of man:

1. think, account

2. devise, plan, mean

3. charge, impute

4. esteem, value, regard

5. invent ingenious and artistic things

II. of God:

1. think

2. devise, plan, mean

3. inpute, reckon

4. esteem, value, regard

5. invent ingenious and artistic things

Niph.

1. be accounted, thought, esteemed

2. be computed, reckoned

3. be imputed to any one

Pi.

1. think upon, consider, be mindful of

2. think to do, devise, plan

3. count, reckon, the years since a sale of land

Hithp. among the nations it shall not reckon itself

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