Commentaria in Exodum
Chapter the Thirty-sixth. Synopsis of the Chapter
The Hebrews offer more than is needed for the tabernacle: whence Moses forbids more to be offered. Secondly, verse 8, the tabernacle, namely the ten embroidered curtains, the hair-cloths, the coverings of skins; and verse 20, the boards; verse 31, the bars; verse 35, the veils before the Holy of Holies and before the Holy Place.
1. Beseleel therefore, and Ooliab, and every wise man, to whom the Lord gave wisdom and understanding, to know how to work artificially, made the things that were necessary for the uses of the sanctuary, and which the Lord commanded. 2. And when Moses had called them, and every skilful man, to whom the Lord had given wisdom, and who of their own accord had offered themselves to make the work, 3. He delivered to them all the offerings of the children of Israel. And while they were earnest about the work, the people daily in the morning offered vows. 4. Whereupon the artificers being constrained to come, 5. Said to Moses: The people offer more than is necessary. 6. Moses therefore commanded proclamation to be made by the crier’s voice: Let neither man nor woman offer any more for the work of the sanctuary. And so they ceased from offering gifts, 7. Because the things that were offered did suffice, and were too much. 8. And all the men that were wise of heart, that they might accomplish the work of the tabernacle, made ten curtains of fine twisted linen, and violet, and purple, and scarlet twice dyed, with embroidery varied by the art of the embroiderer. 9. The length of one curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth was four. All the curtains were of one measure.
10. And he coupled five curtains one to another, and the other five he joined one to another. 11. He made also loops of violet on the edge of the one curtain on both sides, and in like manner on the edge of the other curtain, 12. That the loops might meet one another, and one might be fitted to the other. 13. Wherefore he cast also fifty rings of gold, to hold the loops of the curtains: that it might be made one tabernacle. 14. He made also eleven curtains of goats’ hair, to cover the roof of the tabernacle: 15. One curtain had thirty cubits in length, and four in breadth: all the curtains were of one measure. 16. Five of which he coupled apart, and the other six he coupled one to another. 17. And he made fifty loops on the edge of one curtain, and fifty on the edge of the other, that they might be joined one to the other: 18. And fifty clasps of brass, wherewith the roof might be knit together, that of all the curtains there might be made one covering. 19. He made also a covering for the tabernacle of rams’ skins dyed red: and another covering over that of violet-coloured skins. 20. And he made the boards of the tabernacle of setim wood standing: 21. Ten cubits was the length of one board, and a cubit and a half the breadth. 22. Two mortises were made in every board, that one might be set to another: and thus he did in all the boards of the tabernacle. 23. Of which twenty were on the south side, looking to the south, 24. With forty sockets of silver: two sockets were put under every board, at the two sides of the corners where the mortises of the sides end in the corners. 25. On the side also of the tabernacle that looketh toward the north, he made twenty boards, 26. With forty sockets of silver, two sockets for every board. 27. But toward the west, that is, to that part of the tabernacle which looketh to the sea, he made six boards, 28. And two others at every corner of the tabernacle behind: 29. Which were joined together from beneath to the top, and held together by one joint. So he did on both sides at the corners: 30. So that there were eight boards in all, and they had sixteen sockets of silver, two sockets under every board. 31. He made also bars of setim wood, five to hold the boards on the one side of the tabernacle, 32. And five others to hold the boards on the other side: and besides these five others on the west side of the tabernacle toward the sea. 33. He made also another bar, that should come through the midst of the boards from corner to corner. 34. And the boards themselves he overlaid with gold, casting for them sockets of silver. And he made their rings of gold, through which the bars might be put: and these he overlaid with plates of gold. 35. He made also a veil of violet, and purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen, with embroidery varied, and divided: 36. And four pillars of setim wood, which with their heads he overlaid with gold, casting for them sockets of silver. 37. He made also a hanging in the entry of the tabernacle of violet, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twisted linen, with embroidery: 38. And five pillars with their heads, which he overlaid with gold, and sockets of brass.
There is here a Hebrew repetition, minute and particular, of all that the Lord commanded to be made, chaps. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, to teach that these things were here made and completed.
3. VOWS (voluntary gifts) THE PEOPLE OFFERED.—So the Chaldee.
6. MOSES THEREFORE COMMANDED PROCLAMATION TO BE MADE BY THE CRIER’S VOICE.—In Hebrew, Moses made a voice pass through the camp, that is, proclaimed by the crier’s trumpet and voice.
14. TO COVER THE ROOF OF THE TABERNACLE,—that is, for the making of the roof, or to complete the roof, which should cover and shelter the tabernacle: for, as I said in chap. 35, verse 11, mishkan, that is tabernacle, is here precisely the lowest part of the tabernacle, namely the veil of the embroidered curtains; the second, however, of goats’ hair, which covered the first embroidered one, is called the roof, ohel, as the third is called mikseh, which was the covering of skins.
A like repetition is usual among the Orientals and other peoples, as may be seen among the Muscovites, who as often as they address a Duke or Prince, so often repeat and recite in a long series all his titles.
Note: Our Interpreter in this repetition does not render word for word, but the sense, and briefly embraces the Hebrew repetition, and also supplies some things by way of explanation from what has been said above; for this is permitted to the freedom, ingenuity and disposition of the interpreter.
18. WHEREWITH THE ROOF MIGHT BE KNIT TOGETHER.—“The roof,” that is the second veil, or hair-cloth covering the tabernacle, as I said in verse 14.
33. HE MADE ALSO ANOTHER BAR.—Our Interpreter made no mention of this bar in chap. 26, verse 28. The Septuagint, however, and others made mention of it there; for in the Hebrew the words there are almost the same as here, except that the order of the words is somewhat changed, and here the particle is added, as designating a certain other bar.
This bar, then, is different from the preceding ones, and passed through the boards themselves, penetrating inwardly their thickness; for these boards were thicker: whence the Septuagint call them columns. So Lyranus, Hugo, Abulensis, the Carthusian. For the other bars did not pass inwardly, but outwardly, along the backs only of the boards, through rings fixed for this purpose on the backs of the boards. Now this bar was, as Abulensis rightly observes, on the western side of the tabernacle, which covered the Holy of Holies: for that side alone had corners; this bar, therefore, was placed to bind all the sides of the tabernacle more firmly together. Of this bar Josephus also makes mention, book 3, chap. 6, where, having enumerated the bars of the tabernacle, he says besides that behind there was one row of bars, by which, with hooks, the sides of both walls were held together.
34. AND THE BOARDS THEMSELVES (that is, the boards which in verse 20 were joined together like a flooring) HE OVERLAID WITH GOLD.
36. WHICH WITH THEIR HEADS HE OVERLAID WITH GOLD,—so that the pillars only were covered with gold, or plates of gold, but the heads were of gold, as God had commanded Moses, chap. 26, verse 32.
In what follows, “hanging” is the same as veil.
38. WHICH HE OVERLAID WITH GOLD.—Understand likewise from chap. 26, verse 37, so that the pillars were covered with plates of gold, but the heads were of gold, namely that the nails or heads of the pillars were of gold, while the pillars were covered with chased work, or golden hoops running round, as the pillars of the court were encircled with silver hoops of the kind. It is plain from the Hebrew; and thus there was due proportion in all, since the pillars of the court were adorned with silver spirals, those of the tabernacle with golden ones; but those of the Holy of Holies (as being innermost and nearest the oracle) were covered with gold, not in spirals, but in plates.
The Royal Bibles have at the end these last words of the chapter: “Which also he overlaid with gold.” But this is redundant; for the sockets of the pillars were not gilded. The rest see chap. 26.