Commentaria in Exodum
Chapter the Fortieth
Moses erects the tabernacle, and aptly disposes it through all its parts and members. Secondly, verse 32, the cloud of the glory of the Lord covers the tabernacle, and thenceforth rests upon it.
1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2. In the first month, on the first day of the month, thou shalt set up the tabernacle of the testimony, 3. and shalt put the ark in it, and shalt set the veil before it. 4. And when thou hast brought in the table, thou shalt set on it the things that are commanded according to the rite. The candlestick shall stand with its lamps, 5. and the golden altar, on which the incense is burnt, before the ark of the testimony. Thou shalt put the hanging at the entrance of the tabernacle, 6. and before it the altar of holocaust; 7. the laver between the altar and the tabernacle, which thou shalt fill with water. 8. And thou shalt compass the court with hangings, and its entry, 9. And taking the oil of unction, thou shalt anoint the tabernacle with its vessels, that they may be sanctified; 10. the altar of holocaust and all its vessels, 11. the laver with its foot: thou shalt consecrate all with the oil of unction, that they may be most holy. 12. And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and having washed them with water, 13. thou shalt clothe them with the holy garments, that they may minister to me, and that their unction may avail for an everlasting priesthood. 14. And Moses did all that the Lord had commanded. 15. So in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up. 16. And Moses reared it up, and set the boards and the bases and the bars, and set up the pillars, 17. and spread the roof over the tabernacle, putting over it the covering, as the Lord had commanded. 18. And he put the testimony in the ark, putting the bars underneath, and the oracle above. 19. And when he had brought the ark into the tabernacle, he hung the veil before it, to fulfil the commandment of the Lord. 20. He put also the table in the tabernacle of the testimony at the north side, outside the veil, 21. the loaves of proposition being set in order before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22. He put also the candlestick in the tabernacle of the testimony, over against the table, on the south side, 23. the lamps being set in order, according to the commandment of the Lord. 24. He put also the golden altar under the roof of the testimony, over against the veil, 25. and burnt upon it the incense of spices, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26. He put also the hanging at the entrance of the tabernacle of the testimony, 27. and the altar of holocaust in the porch of the testimony, offering on it holocaust and sacrifices, as the Lord had commanded. 28. The laver also he set between the tabernacle of the testimony and the altar, filling it with water. 29. And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and feet, 30. when they went into the covered place of the covenant, and when they went to the altar, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 31. He set up also the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, the hanging being drawn at its entry. After all things were perfected, 32. a cloud covered the tabernacle of the testimony, and the glory of the Lord filled it. 33. Neither could Moses go into the covered place of the covenant, the cloud covering all things, and the majesty of the Lord shining, for the cloud had covered all. 34. If at any time the cloud removed from the tabernacle, the children of Israel went forward by their troops: 35. if it hung over, they remained in the same place. 36. For the cloud of the Lord lay upon the tabernacle by day, and a fire by night, in the sight of all the people of Israel, throughout all their stations.
Verse 1. And the Lord spoke to Moses—verse 2. IN THE FIRST MONTH.—Understand, of the second year after the going out of the Hebrews from Egypt, as is plain from verse 15, while the Hebrews were still staying at Sinai, and the work of the tabernacle was by now as it were completed, namely at the end of the first year and as the second year was at hand. So Abulensis. THOU SHALT SET UP THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY.—In Hebrew, thou shalt set up miscan ohel, that is, the tabernacle of the tent of the testimony: for miscan, that is, the tabernacle, is the name of the lowest embroidered curtain, which had above it the ohel, that is, the tent, or the cloak of goats’ skins.
Allegorically, the tabernacle was set up when the body of Christ was formed in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, and when after thirty-three years it was raised again from the dead, says St. Cyril, book 4 on John, chapter 27. Again, when the Church of Christ was formed and gathered together; see what was said on chapter 26, verse 4.
4. THE CANDLESTICK SHALL STAND WITH ITS LAMPS.—For shall stand the Hebrew has haaleta, that is, thou shalt make to ascend, which the Septuagint and our own version render, thou shalt set up, that it may stand lifted on high. Secondly, the Chaldee and more recent interpreters render, thou shalt light; this too is fitting, if you understand, thou shalt light, namely in the evening, according to what is commanded in chapter 27, verse 21: for both were done by Moses; so also the table was set with its loaves. See Numbers chapter 4, at the beginning.
5. THE HANGING (that is, the veil) AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE TABERNACLE THOU SHALT PUT,—namely before the Holy Place, of which chapter 26, verse 36: for here the curtains are commonly called hangings
13. THAT THEIR UNCTION MAY AVAIL FOR AN EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD,—as if to say, This consecration shall make them priests as long as they live: as in the New Testament priests, by the character of Orders which they received once in their consecration, remain priests for ever. So Abulensis; hence the Septuagint and the Hebrew, in place of may avail, have shall be; the Chaldee renders, thou shalt anoint him, and shalt sanctify him, that he may minister before me.
15. IN THE FIRST MONTH OF THE SECOND YEAR, ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH, THE TABERNACLE WAS SET UP.—Note: Moses came down from the mountain with the tables of the law on the 28th day of the fifth month of the first year after the going out of Egypt, as I said on chapter 34, verse 28; from that day, therefore, to the end of the year, for seven months, Moses worked at the making of the tabernacle with its vessels, so that at the beginning of the following year, namely on the first day, he set up the tabernacle.
Note secondly: With this setting up or erection of the tabernacle Exodus ends: whence it is plain that Exodus finishes and closes the history of the Hebrews in the second year, in the first month after their going out of Egypt, when they were abiding at the twelfth station in Sinai, which was in the year of the world 2455, in the 798th year after the flood.
Verse 17. THE ROOF,—the second covering, of goats’ hair, which in Hebrew is called ohel; and over this he spread the third covering of the tabernacle, of skins, which in Hebrew is called michse.
18. AND HE PUT THE TESTIMONY (that is, the law, namely the tables of the law) IN THE ARK.
—under the roof that held the ark, in which was the testimony, that is, the law, or the tables of the law.
OVER AGAINST THE VEIL.—Here is a weighty question: where was this golden altar, namely of incense, situated, within the Holy of Holies, or outside? That it was within the Holy of Holies is held by Origen, homily 9 on Leviticus, by St. Augustine, Question 173, and others, whom Theophylact mentions without naming them in chapter 9 of Hebrews; hence St. Augustine takes over against the veil to mean as if it had been said, within the veil. And it is proved first from this, that in chapter 30, verse 10, it is said: “And Aaron shall pray upon the horns thereof (of the altar of incense) once a year, with the blood;” but this seems to be understood of the Holy of Holies: for into that the high priest entered only once a year, but into the Holy Place daily. Secondly, because in 3 Kings chapter 6, verse 22, it is said: “The whole altar of the oracle also he covered with gold,” which can be nothing other than the altar of incense: therefore this was the altar of the oracle, that is, within the oracle, and the Holy of Holies. Thirdly, Hebrews chapter 9, verse 3, the Holy of Holies are said to have had a golden censer; but this seems to be nothing other than the altar of incense: for the Apostle makes no mention of this altar under another name, when he describes the things that were in the tabernacle; nor does Moses mention that censer as distinct from the altar of incense, and placed within the Holy of Holies.