Exodus Chapter 38
1 He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. It was square. Its length was five cubits, its width was five cubits, and its height was three cubits.
2 He made its horns on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze.
3 He made all the vessels of the altar: the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its vessels of bronze.
4 He made for the altar a grating of a network of bronze, under the ledge around it beneath, reaching halfway up.
5 He cast four rings for the four corners of bronze grating, to be places for the poles.
6 He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze.
7 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.
8 He made the basin of bronze, and its base of bronze, out of the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
9 He made the court: for the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, one hundred cubits;
10 their pillars were twenty, and their sockets twenty, of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
11 For the north side one hundred cubits, their pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty, of bronze; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver.
12 For the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver.
13 For the east side eastward fifty cubits,
14 the hangings for the one side were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three;
15 and so for the other side: on this hand and that hand by the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16 All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen.
17 The sockets for the pillars were of bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. Their capitals were overlaid with silver. All the pillars of the court had silver bands.
18 The screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. Twenty cubits was the length, and the height along the width was five cubits, like the hangings of the court.
19 Their pillars were four, and their sockets four, of bronze; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals, and their fillets, of silver.
20 All the pins of the tabernacle, and around the court, were of bronze.
21 These are the amounts of materials used for the tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as they were counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
22 Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.
23 With him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skilful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen.
24 All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
25 The silver of those who were counted of the congregation was one hundred talents and one thousand and seven hundred and seventy-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary:
26 a beka a head, that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone who passed over to those who were counted, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
27 The one hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil: one hundred sockets for the one hundred talents, one talent per socket.
28 From the one thousand and seven hundred and seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals, and made fillets for them.
29 The bronze of the offering was seventy talents and two thousand and four hundred shekels.
30 With this he made the sockets to the door of the Tent of Meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, all the vessels of the altar,
31 the sockets around the court, the sockets of the gate of the court, all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins around the court.
Footnotes
- Verse 1 (Cubit)
- A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man's arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimetres.
- Verse 24 (Talent)
- A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces.
- Verse 24 (Shekel)
- A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces.
- Verse 25 (Talent)
- A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds
- Verse 25 (Shekel)
- A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.
- Verse 26 (Beka)
- a beka is about 5 grams or about 0.175 ounces
- Verse 26 (Shekel)
- A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces.
- Verse 27 (Talent)
- A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds.
- Verse 28 (Shekel)
- A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, so 1775 shekels is about 17.75 kilograms or about 39 pounds.
- Verse 29 (Talent)
- A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds
- Verse 29 (Seventy Talents)
- 70 talents + 2400 shekels is about 2124 kilograms, or 2.124 metric tonnes.
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Exodus Chapter 38 Guide
In the history of construction we now pass to the court itself. Here again the furniture was first prepared. The brazen altar led the way as the symbol of absolute devotion to God. This was followed by the laver, a gracious provision for the constant cleansing of those who were to find their way into the Holy Place for communion and testimony. Then followed the making of the courts, its curtains, its pillars, and its sockets of redemption silver. Finally the screen of embroidered work for the gate was prepared.
The study of this pattern and the work done to carry it out must inevitably lead the thought to the fulfillment of everything symbolized in and through Christ. Whereas there may be fanciful and almost fantastic interpretations, there can be no doubt that everything was intended to teach great lessons and to lead the thought of these people to the spiritual nature of their life under the government of God. If we may use the term with all reverence, lifting it on to the highest level of application, the whole Hebrew economy was that of an elementary education, the employment of the kindergarten method of pictures, leading to underlying and eternal truth.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Exodus Chapter 38 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The brazen altar and laver. -- (1-8)
- The court. -- (9-20)
- The offerings of the people. -- (21-31)
Verses 1-8
In all ages of the church there have been some persons more devoted to God, more constant in their attendance upon his ordinances, and more willing to part even with lawful things, for his sake, than others. Some women, devoted to God and zealous for the tabernacle worship, expressed zeal by parting with their mirrors, which were polished plates of brass. Before the invention of looking-glasses, these served the same purposes. (Ex 38:9-20)
Verses 9-20
The walls of the court being of curtains only, intimated that the state of the Jewish church itself was movable and changeable; and in due time to be taken down and folded up, when the place of the tent should be enlarged, and its cords lengthened, to make room for the Gentile world.
Verses 21-31
The foundation of massy pieces of silver showed the solidity and purity of the truth upon which the church is founded. Let us regard the Lord Jesus Christ while reading of the furniture of the tabernacle. While looking at the altar of burnt-offering, let us see Jesus. In him, his righteousness, and salvation, is a full and sufficient offering for sin. In the laver of regeneration, by his Holy Spirit, let our souls be washed, and they shall be clean; and as the people offered willingly, so may our souls be made willing. Let us be ready to part with any thing, and count all but loss to win Christ.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.