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36. Making the Tabernacle

¹ So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded.”

² Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. ³ They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. ⁴ So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing ⁵ and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.”

⁶ Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, ⁷ because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

The Tabernacle

⁸ All those who were skilled among the workers made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by expert hands. ⁹ All the curtains were the same size—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. That is, about 42 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 13 meters long and 1.8 meters wide ¹⁰ They joined five of the curtains together and did the same with the other five. ¹¹ Then they made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and the same was done with the end curtain in the other set. ¹² They also made fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. ¹³ Then they made fifty gold clasps and used them to fasten the two sets of curtains together so that the tabernacle was a unit.

¹⁴ They made curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether. ¹⁵ All eleven curtains were the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. That is, about 45 feet long and 6 feet wide or about 14 meters long and 1.8 meters wide ¹⁶ They joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another set. ¹⁷ Then they made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. ¹⁸ They made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the tent together as a unit. ¹⁹ Then they made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather. Possibly the hides of large aquatic mammals (see 35:7)

²⁰ They made upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. ²¹ Each frame was ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide, That is, about 15 feet long and 2 1/4 feet wide or about 4.5 meters long and 68 centimeters wide ²² with two projections set parallel to each other. They made all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. ²³ They made twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle ²⁴ and made forty silver bases to go under them—two bases for each frame, one under each projection. ²⁵ For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, they made twenty frames ²⁶ and forty silver bases—two under each frame. ²⁷ They made six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, ²⁸ and two frames were made for the corners of the tabernacle at the far end. ²⁹ At these two corners the frames were double from the bottom all the way to the top and fitted into a single ring; both were made alike. ³⁰ So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame.

³¹ They also made crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, ³² five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. ³³ They made the center crossbar so that it extended from end to end at the middle of the frames. ³⁴ They overlaid the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars. They also overlaid the crossbars with gold.

³⁵ They made the curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. ³⁶ They made four posts of acacia wood for it and overlaid them with gold. They made gold hooks for them and cast their four silver bases. ³⁷ For the entrance to the tent they made a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer; ³⁸ and they made five posts with hooks for them. They overlaid the tops of the posts and their bands with gold and made their five bases of bronze.

1. Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab. Although Moses might have seemed to be unnecessarily prolix in recording the injunctions which God gave respecting the building of the tabernacle, yet he repeats the same narrative here almost in the same words; and this he does with the best design, and for very good reasons. For it was of much importance that it might be seen by actual comparison how exactly the artificers had conformed everything to the pattern laid down by God: and this, not only in commendation of their obedience, but because it behooved that there should be nothing human in the structure; for although they might each of them have exerted themselves strenuously in the work, still it was not lawful for them to give the slightest scope to their own inventions; nay, this would have been a profanation of the sacred edifice, not to follow in every part what had been so carefully dictated to Moses. And this might avail as a restraint upon them in future times, so that they might not violate God’s commands by any change or innovation. They did not indeed understand the reason of everything either in reference to number or measure; but it became them to be assured that God had commanded nothing without a purpose. Hence, also, their minds should have been elevated to the heavenly pattern, so as reverently to look up to the mysteries, obscure as they were, which it contained, until its full manifestation. This verbal repetition, then, reminds us how accurately the labor and art of men in the building corresponded with the command of God.