The Second Book of Moses, called Exodus
Exodus 26
Chapter XXVI · Vol. I, pp. 338–339
1 The ten curtains of the tabernacle. 7 The eleven curtains of goats' hair. 14 The covering of rams' skins. 15 The boards of the tabernacle, with their sockets and bars. 31 The vail for the ark. 36 The hanging for the door.
1 MOREOVER, thou shalt make the a tabernacle with ten curtains of b fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubimsc of cunning work3 shalt thou make them.
a ch. 25.8; 36.8-19; 40.18,19. Nu. 3.36. Jn. 1.14; 2.21. He. 8.2; 9.11. Ca. 1.5.
b ch. 25.4.
c ch. 25.18. 2 Ti. 3.16. He. 1.14. 1 Co. 12.28. Ep. 4.11,12.
3 Heb. the work of a cunning workman, or embroiderer.
2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits[≈ 13 m · 42 ft], and4 the breadth of one curtain four cubits[≈ 1.8 m · 6 ft]: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.
4 The length was seventeen yards, and the breadth two and a half.
3 The five curtains shall be d coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.
d ch. 36.10. 1 Co. 12.4-6,12. Ep. 2.21; 4.3-6.
4 And thou shalt make e loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain, from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
e Ep. 4.13. Col. 2.2,19; 3.12-15. ver. 5,6,10,11.
5 Fifty f loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second, that the loops may take hold one of another.
A.M. 2513. B.C. 1491.
f Or, buttons, ver. 3.
6 And thou shalt make fifty f taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.
7 Andg thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair,5 to be a covering upon the tabernacle; eleven curtains shalt thou make.
g See ver. 2.
5 In different parts of Asia Minor, Syria, Cilicia, and Phrygia, the goats have long, fine, and beautiful hair, in some cases as fine as silk, which is manufactured into garments.—I.
8 The length of one curtain6 shall be thirty cubits[≈ 14 m · 45 ft], and the breadth of one curtain four cubits[≈ 1.8 m · 6 ft]: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.
6 These curtains denoted the outward meanness, inward glory, full safety, and protection of Christ and his people.
9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.
10 And thou shalt make fifty h loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
h See ver. 3,6,11.
11 And thou shalt make i fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent7 together, that it may be one.
i The couplings signified the close connection of everything in Christ and his people, ver. 3,6,10.
7 Or, covering.
12 And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half-curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.
13 And a cubit[≈ 46 cm · 1 ft 6 in] on the one side, and a cubit[≈ 46 cm · 1 ft 6 in] on the other side, of that which remaineth8 in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.
8 Heb. in the remainder or surplusage.
14 And thou shalt make k a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a 9 covering above of badgers' skins.1
k Nu. 4.5. ch. 36.19. Is. 4.6; 25.4; 32.2. Ps. 27.5; 121.5,6. Ca. 3.10.
9 Why there should have been four coverings does not appear. They might have been designed partly for respect, and partly to keep off dust and dirt, and the extremely fine sand, which, in the desert, rises as it were on every breeze; and partly to keep off the intense heat of the sun, which would otherwise have destroyed the poles, bars, &c.—I.
1 In the coverings of the tents the Orientals regard both the stuff and the colour; this royal tent was to be distinguished in both particulars. The curtain which lay under the beams was the most beautiful and the most costly. On the finest linen stuff were embroidered cherubims of dark blue, purple, and scarlet. Over the under curtain a covering of goats' hair was spread, and to prevent the covering from injury by the dust, two others made of skins were laid over them. 'The whole represents the person and doctrine of Christ, his true church, and all heavenly things, which are outwardly, and to the carnal eye, mean; but are inwardly, and in the sight of God, exceedingly glorious and precious. The secure protection which he prepares for those who are precious in his sight may also be denoted; and the unity of the whole, formed of so many pieces, and of such different materials, into one covering of the sanctuary, represents the spiritual temple, formed of persons of different nations, dispositions, abilities, and attainments, compacted together by the Spirit of love.' (Scott).—I.
15 And thou shalt make l boards for the tabernacle of shittim-wood, standing up.
l ch. 36.20-30. Nu. 3.36,37. 1 Co. 3.11. Ep. 2.6,20,21.
16 Ten cubits[≈ 4.6 m · 15 ft] shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half[≈ 69 cm · 2 ft 3 in] shall be the breadth of one board.
17 Two m tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
m Heb. hands. These boards may denote the mediatorial strength of Christ, and the principal truths, ordinances, and members of his church, all founded in the perfections and purposes of God, ch. 36.22.
18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.
19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
20 And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, there shall be twenty boards,
21 And their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
22 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.
23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
24 And they shall be n coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.
A.M. 2513. B.C. 1491.
n Heb. twined, Ps. 133.1. 1 Co. 1.10. Col. 2.2,19.
25 And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
26 And thou shalt make o bars of shittim-wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
o ch. 36.31-34. Nu. 3.36. Ro. 15.1. 1 Co. 1.10; 9.19,20. Ga. 6.2. Is. 35.3. He. 12.13; 10.24,25. Phi. 1.27. 2 Co. 13.11. Ep. 4.12,13. Col. 2.2,19; 3.12-15.
27 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.
28 And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.
29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.
30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle,8 accordingp to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount.
8 The various parts of this tabernacle 'serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things,' He. 8.5. 1. The vail represents the flesh of Christ, vailing his Godhead, He. 10.20, and opening the way by death to the heavenly mercy-seat, Ro. 3.25, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, or mercy-seat, &c. 2. The tabernacle represents Christ's Godhead incarnate, He. 9.11,12. Col. 1.19-29. 3. The curtains with the cherubims prefigure the Father's providential covering of Christ and his church by the ministry of angels, and other means, Lu. 22.43. He. 1.13,14. 4. The very nice exactness of the curtains, represents the fitness of the means used in providence and redemption, Ro. 8.28. 5. The coverings of goats' hair and rams' skins, the relics of the sacrifices, represent both the legal types and the actual sacrifice by which he is set forth and vested in the gospel, He. 9.22-28, till his second coming. 6. The sockets of silver, the tenons and bars, most aptly point to the fundamental truths of the gospel, their relative adaptation, and the firmness and stability of gospel ordinances. 7. The absolute necessity of regeneration and holiness are signified by the divine prescription of everything, the most minute. 8. The gold and silver of which the taches were made, being precious metals, Zec. 13.9, represent the pure faith of God's people, and the precious emblem of Christ's person, Re. 1.15, of the blessed union of Christ and his church, and the holy communion among its members; while the overlaying it with pure gold is beautifully illustrated in Ro. 3.22. 9. The door, with its hangings of three royal colours, represents Christ the door, in all the beauty of holiness.
p ch. 25.9,40; 27.8. Ac. 7.44. He. 8.5. Is. 8.20. Ga. 6.16. De. 4.2. 2 Ti. 3.15-17. 2 Pe. 1.19.
31 And thou shalt make a q vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made;
q ch. 36.35; 40.3,21. Le. 24.3; 16.2. Mat. 27.51. 2 Ch. 3.14. He. 9.3,8; 10.19,20. Ep. 2.14.
32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim-wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold upon the four sockets of silver.
33 And thou shalt hang up r the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the s ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
r ch. 36.35; 40.3,21. Le. 24.3; 16.2. Mat. 27.51. 2 Ch. 3.14. He. 9.3,8; 10.19,20. Ep. 2.14.
34 And thou shalt t put the mercy-seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
t ch. 25.17-22; 37.6-9; 40.20. Le. 16.2,13. Nu. 7.89.
35 And thou shalt set the table u without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
u ch. 40.4,22,23. He. 9.8,9.
36 And thou shalt make x an hanging for the door of the tent of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needle-work.
A.M. 2513. B.C. 1491.
x ch. 36.37; 40.5. He. 9.2,6,9,10. Jn. 10.9; 14.6.
Notes
Reflections.—How graciously God suits the tokens of his favour to our circumstances, as he formed a movable residence and furniture for himself to the wandering condition of believing people. But herein may I contemplate Jesus, mean and debased in the view of carnal beholders, but inwardly decked with all the golden glories of Godhead and the pure graces of manhood! I see how everything about him, as Mediator, is founded and fixed in, erected and joined together, according to the love and by the infinite wisdom and power of God. Let me behold, likewise, the Christian church, outwardly despicable in the view of a carnal world, but inwardly decked, established, and knit together by every precious ordinance, spiritual grace, faithful minister, or true saint! Let my entrance into her be by Jesus Christ, the door, the way, the truth, and the life: and amidst all my outward infirmities, let me be all-glorious within, a meet habitation of God through the Spirit! Thus shall I have access with boldness, by the blood of Jesus, into the sanctuary of fellowship with God on earth, and in due time into the heavenly state, the holiest of all.
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.