“You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. It shall be the work of a skillful workman. You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, on four sockets of silver. You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring the ark of the covenant in there within the veil. The veil shall separate the holy place from the most holy for you.
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Exodus 26:31-33 sits inside this longer paragraph.
“You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. It shall be the work of a skillful workman. You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, on four sockets of silver. You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring the ark of the covenant in there within the veil. The veil shall separate the holy place from the most holy for you. You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant in the most holy place. You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lamp stand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south. You shall put the table on the north side.
Parallel Translations
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“You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. It shall be the work of a skillful workman.
You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, on four sockets of silver.
You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring the ark of the covenant in there within the veil. The veil shall separate the holy place from the most holy for you.
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And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
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.
And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
Show all 3 translations
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And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; with cherubim the work of the skilful workman shall it be made.
And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks being of gold, upon four sockets of silver.
And thou shalt hang up the veil under the clasps, and shalt bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony; and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
Cross-references (36)
- Matthew 27:51 (v31) Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
- 2 Chronicles 3:14 (v31) He made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and ornamented it with cherubim.
- Exodus 40:21 (vv31, 33) He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the covenant, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
- Leviticus 16:2 (vv31, 33) and Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy…
- Exodus 36:35 (v31) He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman.
Show all 34 cross-references
- Hebrews 9:2-3 (v33) For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first part were the lamp stand, the table, and the show bread; which is called the Holy Place. After…
- Exodus 25:16 (v33) You shall put the covenant which I shall give you into the ark.
- Exodus 26:1 (v31) “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim. You shall…
- Exodus 26:37 (v32) You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold. You shall cast five sockets…
- Exodus 36:8 (v31) All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and…
- Genesis 9:4-5 (v33) But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of…
- Exodus 25:4 (v31) blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair,
- Exodus 25:18 (v31) You shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
- Exodus 27:10 (v33) Its pillars shall be twenty, and their sockets twenty, of bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
- Exodus 28:15 (v31) “You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of…
- Exodus 35:6 (v31) blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats’ hair,
- Exodus 35:25 (v31) All the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought that which they had spun: the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the…
- Exodus 35:35 (v31) He has filled them with wisdom of heart to work all kinds of workmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, and of the embroiderer,…
- Exodus 36:36 (v33) He made four pillars of acacia for it, and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold. He cast four sockets of silver for them.
- Exodus 36:38 (v32) and the five pillars of it with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold, and their five sockets were of bronze.
- Exodus 38:23 (v31) With him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, in…
- Exodus 40:3 (v31) You shall put the ark of the covenant in it, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.
- Leviticus 16:15 (v31) “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he…
- 1 Kings 8:6 (v33) The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under…
- 1 Kings 8:10 (v33) It came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled Yahweh’s house,
- 2 Chronicles 2:7-13 (v31) “Now therefore send me a man skillful to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue, and who knows how…
- 2 Chronicles 5:7-10 (v33) The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under…
- Esther 1:6 (v32) There were hangings of white and blue material, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and marble pillars. The…
- Psalms 137:5 (v31) If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.
- Mark 15:38 (v31) The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.
- Ephesians 2:14 (v31) For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation,
- Hebrews 9:3-8 (v31) After the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant…
- Hebrews 10:20-21 (v31) by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, and having a great priest over…
- Luke 23:45 (v31) The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
34 distinct cross-references across this passage (36 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (19 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv32–33 Some read, heads of the pillars.
Some read, heads of the pillars.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On v31 Exo 26:31 And thou shalt make a vail [of]…
Exo 26:31 And thou shalt make a vail [of] blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
Ver. 31. With cherubims.] To note the special presence and attendance of the holy angels in the assemblies of the saints. {Luk 1:11 Joh 1:51}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv31–33 Thou shalt make a veil, which was thick and…
Thou shalt make a veil, which was thick and strong that none could see through it, called the second veil, Heb 9:3, whereby the holy of holies, which represented the highest heaven, was divided from the holy place, where the church militant, or its representatives, met and served God, Exo 26:33. For the signification of this veil, see Luk 23:45; Heb 9:8,24; 10:19,20.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v31 Two veils are here ordered to be made, 1.…
Two veils are here ordered to be made, 1. One for a partition between the holy place and the most holy, which not only forbade any to enter, but forbade them so much as to look into the holiest of all, Exo 26:31, Exo 26:33. Under that dispensation, divine grace was veiled, but now we behold it with open face, Co2 3:18. The apostle tells us (Heb 9:8, Heb 9:9) what was the meaning of this veil; it intimated that the ceremonial law could not make the comers thereunto perfect, nor would the observance of it bring men to heaven; the way into the holiest of all was not made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing; life and immortality lay concealed till they were brought to light by the gospel, which was therefore signified by the rending of this veil at the death of Christ, Mat 27:51. We have not boldness to enter into the holiest, in all acts of devotion, by the blood of Jesus, yet such as obliges us to a holy reverence and a humble sense of our distance. 2. Another veil was for the outer door of the tabernacle, Exo 26:36, Exo 26:37. Through this first veil the priests went in every day to minister in the holy place, but not the people, Heb 9:6. This veil, which was all the defence the tabernacle had against thieves and robbers, might easily be broken through, for it could be neither locked nor barred, and the abundance of wealth in the tabernacle, one would think, might be a temptation; but by leaving it thus exposed, (1.) The priests and Levites would be so much the more obliged to keep a strict watch upon it, and, (2.) God would show his care of his church on earth, though it is weak and defenceless, and continually exposed. A curtain shall be (if God please to make it so) as strong a defence to his house as gates of brass and bars of iron.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv31–33 And thou shall hang up the vail under the…
And thou shall hang up the vail under the taches,.... Or clasps, which coupled the two grand curtains, or pieces of tapestry, each consisting of five curtains, of which the tabernacle was made, Exo 26:6, and by this it seems that the place where they met, and were clasped, was where the vail was hung between the holy and the most holy place: for, as Dr. Lightfoot (y) observes, according to the division of the house was the division of the curtains, the vail that parted the holy from the most holy was hung just under the golden clasps that knit the five curtains together; so that five curtains lay over the holy place, and the other five over the most holy; but with this difference, the holy place was ten yards long, and the five curtains sewed together were just so broad, and so they covered only the top and sides, but hung not down at the end which was eastward; but the most holy was but five yards long, and the five curtains over that did not only cover the top, but also hung down at the west end to the silver bases; and of what he says of the goat hair curtains, and their brazen clasps or taches, and where they met, and what they covered; see Gill on Exo 26:12,
that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony; the ark in which the testimony or law of God, testifying his will, was put; of which see Exo 25:10, &c. this was to be set in the most holy place, as being holy, spiritual, just, and good; and as being fulfilled by Christ, signified by the ark in which it was, through whose righteousness alone there is admission into the holy of holies, by which this law is fulfilled, magnified, and made honourable:
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and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy; which was so thick, that there was no seeing through it; and none might enter by it into the holiest of all but the high priest, and he only on the day of atonement; and into the holy place might none come but the priests, to do the service of the sanctuary. The holy place was typical of the church on earth, where all the saints, who are priests to God, worship, and the most holy of heaven, the perfect state of bliss and happiness.
(y) Works, vol, 1. p. 718.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v31 The veils are here ordered to be made, one…
The veils are here ordered to be made, one for a partition between the holy place and the most holy, which not only forbad any to enter, but so much as to look into the holiest of all. Under that dispensation divine grace was veiled, but now we behold it with open face. The apostle tells us, this veil, intimated that the ceremonial law could not make the comers thereunto perfect. The way into the holiest was not made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing; life and immortality lay concealed till they were brought to light by the gospel, which was therefore signified by the rending of this veil at the death of Christ. We have now boldness to enter into the holiest in all acts of devotion by the blood of Jesus; yet such as obliges us to a holy reverence, and a humble sense of our distance. Another veil was for the outward door of the tabernacle. Through this the priests went in every day to minister in the holy-place, but not the people, Heb. ix, 6. This veil was all the defense the tabernacle had against thieves and robbers, which might easily be broken through, for it could be neither locked nor bared, and the abundance of wealth in it, one would think, might be a temptation. But by leaving it thus exposed,
1. The priests and Levites would be so much the more obliged to keep a strict watch upon it: and,
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2. God would shew his care of his church on earth, though it be weak and defenseless, and continually exposed. A curtain shall be (if God please to make it so) as strong a defense, as gates of brass and bars of iron.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv31–32 Verse 31. Thou shalt make a veil.] פרכת parocheth,…
Verse 31. Thou shalt make a veil.] פרכת parocheth, from פרך parach, to break or rend; the inner veil of the tabernacle or temple, (2Ch 3:14), which broke, interrupted, or divided between the holy place and the most holy; the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was standing. Compare Heb 9:8. The Septuagint constantly render it by καταπετασμα. Does not the Hebrew name פרכת parocheth moreover intimate the typical correspondence of this veil to the body or flesh of Christ? For this καταπετασμα or veil was his flesh, (Heb 10:20), which, being rent, affords us a new and living way into the holiest of all, i.e., into heaven itself. Compare Heb 10:19-20; Heb 9:24. And accordingly when his blessed body was rent upon the cross, this veil also (το καταπετασμα του ιερου) εσχισθη, was RENT in twain from the top to the bottom; Mt 27:51. - See Parkhurst, under the word .
The veil in the tabernacle was exceedingly costly; it was made of the same materials with the inner covering, blue, purple, scarlet, fine twined linen, embroidered with cherubim, c. It served to divide the tabernacle into two parts: one, the outermost, called the holy place the other, or innermost, called the holy of holies, or the most holy place. In this was deposited the ark of the covenant, and the other things that were laid up by way of memorial. Into this the high priest alone was permitted to enter, and that only once in the year, on the great day of atonement. It was in this inner place that Jehovah manifested himself between the cherubim. The Jews say that this veil was four fingers' breadth in thickness, in order to prevent any person from seeing through it; but for this, as Calmet observes, there was no necessity, as there was no window or place for light in the tabernacle, and consequently the most simple veil would have been sufficient to obstruct the discovery of any thing behind it, which could only be discerned by the light that came in at the door, or by that afforded by the golden candlestick which stood on the outside of this veil.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v31 Exo 26:31-33. Thou shalt make a veil — The…
Exo 26:31-33. Thou shalt make a veil — The whole fabric in the inside was to be divided into two rooms by a large and thick veil or curtain of the finest wrought stuff, with variety of colours, and cherubs, and other figures. It was to be hung upon golden hooks at the top, and by reason of its thickness and weight to rest against four overlaid, or gilded pillars, mortised into so many silver pedestals. The lesser of these rooms, thus parted from the other so as none could look into it, was to be called the most holy place, or place of extraordinary worship, to be entered by the high-priest alone, and that but once a year. This is often considered in the New Testament as a figure of heaven, into which Christ is entered as our forerunner, and whither our hope extends, Heb 6:19-20; Heb 9:11; Heb 9:24; Heb 10:19. But it also signified that under that dispensation divine grace was veiled, whereas now we behold it with open face. The apostle tells us, this veil intimated that the ceremonial law could not make the comers thereunto perfect. The way into the holiest was not made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing; life and immortality lay concealed till they were brought to light by the gospel, which was therefore signified by the rending of this veil at the death of Christ. We have now boldness to enter into the holiest in all acts of devotion by the blood of Jesus; yet such as obliges us to a holy reverence, and a humble sense of our distance. Another veil was for the outer door of the tabernacle. Through this the priests went in every day to minister in the holy place, but not the people, Heb 9:6. This veil was all the defence the tabernacle had against thieves and robbers, who might easily have broken through, for it could be neither locked nor barred, and the abundance of wealth in it, one would think, might have been a temptation. But by leaving it thus exposed, 1st, The priests and Levites would be so much the more obliged to keep a strict watch upon it: and, 2d, God would show his care of his church on earth, though it be weak and defenceless, and continually exposed. A curtain shall be (if God please to make it so) as strong a defence as gates of brass and bars of iron.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv31–33 A veil, to hang before the entrance of the…
A veil, to hang before the entrance of the tabernacle, at the east side, which had no boards. Within was the ark, ver. 33. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv31, 33 31, 32. A vail — פרכת, a separation, a…
31, 32. A vail — פרכת, a separation, a dividing curtain to separate the two inner apartments of the sanctuary. Exo_26:33. The material and workmanship were to correspond exactly with those of the tabernacle curtains. Exo_26:1. The relative position of the four pillars, with their hooks of gold and their four sockets of silver, is left indefinite. But their position and distance from each other must have been different from the five pillars of the doorway. Exo_26:37.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv31–33 31. a veil] Heb. pârôketh, only in P, in…
31. a veil] Heb. pârôketh, only in P, in the same connexion, and 2Ch_3:14 : the primary meaning was probably ‘that which shuts off’ cf. Ass. parâku, to bar or shut off, parakku, apartment, esp. shrine in a Temple; Syr. perakkâ (loan-word), a shrine). In Heb_6:19 f., Exo_9:7-8, Exo_10:19-22, the veil (with allusion to the fact that the high priest alone, and that only once in the year, entered into the Holy of holies) is regarded as forming an impediment to the approach to God, which was broken down by Christ, when He entered by His own blood into the ‘holy place’ in heaven (Heb_9:12; Heb_9:24-26).
of the cunning workman] of the designer (v. 1).
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31–35. The veil, to separate the Holy place from the Holy of holies, made of the same richly coloured tapestry, with figures of cherubim woven into it (the ‘work of the designer’), as the curtain (v. 1), and suspended on four gilt pillars of acacia wood, vv. 31–33 (cf. Exo_36:35-36). The position of the ark, the table of the Presence-bread, and he candlestick, vv. 34–5 (cf. Exo_40:20; Exo_40:22; Exo_40:24).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv31–33 (31) Thou shalt make a vail.—It was of the…
5. THE VAIL, AND THE POSITION WHICH IT WAS TO OCCUPY.
(31) Thou shalt make a vail.—It was of the essence of the mishkân that it should have an outer and an inner sanctuary, a place for the daily ministrations of the priests, and an adytum or penetrale of extreme holiness, in which was to be the Divine Presence, and into which the high priest alone was to be privileged to enter, and he but once in the year. (See Exo_30:10; Lev_16:2-34; Heb_9:7.) The separation between these two chambers was to be made by a vail of the same materials and workmanship as the inner covering of the mishkân (Exo_26:1).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv31–33 Vers. 31-35. The veil and the ordering of the…
Vers. 31-35. The veil and the ordering of the holy places.
A vail. The veil was to be of the same material and workmanship as the inner covering extended over the mishkan, and like that, was to have figures of cherubim woven into its texture by a skilled weaver.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v31 And thou shalt make a vail.
Exo_26:31-37
And thou shalt make a vail.
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The Tabernacle vails
I. These vails signify that the highest vision and fellowship of God are as yet denied to man. Gods presence is fenced about from sinful man.
II. Whilst these vails remove God from the approach of man, they give the promise of a fuller revelation. The God of mercy, and love, and life, shines through the obscuration.
III. That these vails are taken away in Christ (Mar_15:38). In Christ we stand within the vail. In Him we realize the presence and joy of God. (W. L. Watkinson.)
The vail of the holiest
1. It was glorious, of embroidered work: this faith guild signified the body of Christ, filled with the fulness of God, or beautified with all the most excellent graces of the Spirit.
2. It was replenished and wrought full of cherubim, noting thereby that serviceable and ready attendance of the angels on Christs natural and mystical body.
3. It was borne up by costly pillars, to show that the humanity of Christ, especially in His sufferings, should be borne up by His Deity.
4. By the vail only, there was entry into the holiest place of all: so by the vail, i.e., the flesh of Christ, which was rent, as it were, upon the cross, a new and living way is made for us to the Father. (B. Keach.)
The cherubims on the vail
The Tabernacle in the wilderness was divided into two compartments--the holy place and the holy of holies--by a vail. That vail was stretched upon four pillars of wood overlaid with gold. It consisted of one huge screen of fine-twined linen, reaching from the roof to the floor, and from one side to the other. On the ground-work of linen were spread, in various ornamental patterns, the simple colours known to the ancients--blue, purple, and scarlet. The holy of holies was shut in by this vail from every human eye. No worship was carried on there. When first seen on earth, the cherubims were placed at the gate of the Garden of Eden, to keep the way of the tree of life. The flaming sword with which they were associated, which turned in every direction, was the symbol of Gods judgment, the witness of the terrible majesty of Gods holiness which had been insulted by mans sin, telling our fallen first parents that so long as the sin continued, the flaming sword would shut up every avenue against their return to their original happy state. The cherubims, on the contrary, were placed there as an image of mercy and hope, to signify that for the creation that had become alienated from God was destined a happy reconciliation. The same great truth was signified by the golden cherubims that covered the mercy-seat with their wings, and between which God met and communed with the high priest. Now, what I want to draw particular attention to is the fact that, secluded as was the holy of holies of the Tabernacle, and guarded by the most solemn prohibitions, its mystery was not left altogether unknown. The most conspicuous feature of the vail--that which at once arrested every eye--was the cherubims embroidered over its whole surface, in such a way that it seemed to have been fashioned of nothing else. Thus on the vail that concealed the awful shrine of Jehovah from mortal eye was revealed one of the most characteristic and significant objects of that shrine. In this way the priests, who were not permitted to enter the holy of holies, could have some conception of what was within it. The cherubims pourtrayed on the vail and on the curtains were no doubt faint and inadequate pictures of the originals on the mercy-seat. They could not have been otherwise. They were a flat representation of objects that stood out in the sacred shrine in the clearest and fullest relief. They were an embroidery in perishing materials, at comparatively slight cost of labour, of a work of the highest art, beaten out in the purest gold, with the most unwearied industry and the most consummate skill. But with all these necessary imperfections, the needlework of the vail and of the curtains gave a fair idea of the cherubims which stood in the most holy place, in their invisible and unapproachable glory. The Jewish priests and worshippers were not left in complete ignorance. There were witnesses to picture to them that which they could not see. They had shadows of the realities behind the vail. Their faith had elements of sight to support it. I wish to make use of this most interesting fact as a graphic illustration of the great truth, which is true throughout the universe, that things concealed from us have their shadows manifested in the things we see. The universe is a great tabernacle divided by a vail and curtains into an outer and inner compartment, as it were. From the inner we are shut out, and we cannot see with our bodily eyes the things that are contained in it. And yet we have representations of these hidden mysteries before our eyes every day, which give us a more or less satisfactory idea of them. Here we see in part, and prophecy in part. The horizon, for instance, is a vail that comes down to conceal from us what is beyond. Many of us will never be able to visit foreign countries, and ascertain with our own eyes what the nature of these countries and the mode of life in them may be; and yet, within the horizon in which we spend our life we have shadowy intimations of the most distant regions of the earth. Ships come to us with their produce; our houses are full of objects brought from them; books describe them to us; and letters from friends make us partakers of their larger experience. Even the scenery around our homes is not so dissimilar to that of foreign lands as we might suppose. Between us and the lofty summits of a great mountain range there is a vail often woven of cloud and mist. Elevated far above the busy common-place haunts of man, these sublime peaks seem to dwell apart, to retire into a more awful solitude than exists on the surface of the earth. And yet the lofty summit of the mountain sends down into the valley by the streams that channel its flanks waifs of brilliant Alpine flowers, which take root and grow among the common lowland plants: and thus the dweller at the foot of the mountain knows what kind of vegetation abounds in the upper regions as truly as if he had actually scaled the heights. Many who live far inland have a vail of mountain ranges between them and the great ocean. They may never be able to stand on its shore, gaze on its foaming billows, or listen to the beating of its mighty pulse. And yet, up the reaches of the quiet inland river, into the heart of the mountains, into the midst of shady woods, the ocean sends its tidal waters, its fresh invigorating breezes, and its white-winged sea-birds, so that the inland inhabitants may have some idea of the vast world of waters that extends far beyond their horizon. The vail of daylight hides from us the other worlds in space; and the darkness of night which brings out the stars only increases their mystery. But the vail which conceals also reveals. Spectrum analysis has made known to us the chemistry of the sun and stars, the physical constitution of the most distant worlds. This wonderful science shows to us that the substances of the stars are identical with those of our own earth. Not a single new or unknown element has been discovered in the remotest stellar ray subjected to its scrutiny. Upon the very vails that separate us from the inmost and remotest sanctuaries of nature we see impressed the images of the objects which they hide from our view. But it is not only natural things that thus reveal themselves by that which conceals them; the realities of the spiritual world are also manifested to us on the vail of earthly things. We have numberless analogies in nature which make plain to our understandings the mysteries of grace. Our Lord revealed to His disciples and to the multitude what the Kingdom of Heaven was like by showing to them its shadows on the vail of common objects and common processes, in His parables. The Kingdom of Heaven is like everything we see and deal with. The youngest person can see the meaning of the great truths of salvation in some degree and measure by the help of the figure of them which his own experience presents to him. The doctrine of the atonement is in remarkable keeping with the sympathetic nature which God has imparted to children, by which they feel for others, and can therefore understand how one person may carry his loving-kindness to such an extent as to give up his life for his friend. The forgiveness of God has a shadow of it in the sorrow which all truly sensitive minds feel when they have offended one dear to them, and in the joy which the sense of being reconciled and accepted by the one from whom their faults had estranged them imparts. There is thus not a mystery of the holy of holies of Divine truth but may be seen in dim yet true shape, embroidered, as it were, upon the vail of natural objects around us, and of our own common instincts and experiences. But I go on further to show that the realities of the eternal world are manifested to us by the things of time. The vail of death, which no human hand can lift, hides the scenes beyond from our view. The Bible speaks to us of the existence of that happy land, and discloses its glory in forms which far transcend our earthly imagination. It calls our future home a new heaven and a new earth. The ascension of our Lord to heaven, with all the attributes of perfect man, the resurrection of man in a body strictly identical with his present body, prove beyond doubt that the scene of our translation, with all its circumstances, must be accommodated to the nature of man. From the very constitution of our nature, we form our anticipations of the future from our past experiences. The objects and experiences of earth are preparations for those which await us above. On the vail that hides our future home from us, we see pictured the cherubims of glory. Yes; the cherubims of heaven are seen on the vail of earth. Heaven is filled with objects long endeared to us, and with pleasure which we have already enjoyed in part, and learned from the foretaste to long for the full fruition. We have now the earnest of the purchased possession--the first-fruits of the great harvest. Now, what is the practical outcome of thoughts like these? Does it not teach us that we have no excuse for sinful ignorance, seeing that God has brought within the range of our touch and vision in earthly images His perfect heavenly things, and placed us so that we can understand the things that belong to our Spiritual life by the things that belong to our daily life? Do not these glimpses and foreshadowings of unseen and eternal things also inspire us with a deeper interest in them? And more than all, does not the fact of the cherubims upon the vail being the same as those in the shrine show to us that our life is continuous here and hereafter--that it is one history and one development? If you are to behold and enjoy the glorious cherubims of the heavenly world, you must have them represented, as it were, upon the vail of your earthly tabernacle. Your hearts must be turned now to the heavenly harmonies. When certain conditions of light are present, if you look through a window at a particular angle into the street, you see a flame apparently outside, flickering strangely in the air. It is only the reflection of the fire in the room on the window-pane. Is not the heaven you see beyond the window of this life, the projected reflection of your present experience? What you are now determines your future; and the heaven of each man is just what he himself makes it, according as the fire of love and holiness burns more or less brightly on the hearth of his heart. (H. Macmillan, D. D.)
Significance of the cherubim in Exodus
Many have supposed that the Church is symbolized by the cherubim in Exodus. But the fact of their forming the vail seems to preclude this interpretation. As the vail shadows forth Christ in the flesh, we cannot suppose that any type would be given representing the union of the Church with Him then; as, before death, the corn of wheat abode alone: it must die, in order to bring forth fruit. The union of the believer with Christ is in life, quickened together with Him: seated in heavenly places in Him. He was the Substitute in death; but He is the last Adam, the head of the new family, and source of its existence in resurrection. The lion (one of the four faces of the cherubim) is classed with the king, against whom there is no rising up., in Pro_30:30-31; and is also described as going well, and being comely in going; and as strongest among beasts, turning not away from any. Majesty, strength, and courage are therefore here typified. The ox, in addition to its well-known character for patient enduring labour, is also recognized in Scripture as knowing its owner; herein it may prefigure the persevering resolution of Him who unflinchingly set His shoulder to the arduous work committed to Him by His Father, and who always recognized His Fathers will, and delighted to do it. The way of an eagle in the air is alluded to in Pro_30:19, as too wonderful to be known: referring probably to the astonishing extent and accuracy of its vision as to things of earth, when poised aloft, and to its swiftness of flight when the object of its search is discovered. Fit emblem this of Him, whose eyes search the depths of the heart, and who is as rapid in discovering where the lawful prey is, as in delivering it from the power of the destroyer. These three faces, combined with the human face and form, completed the cherubim: for all this power, labour, activity, and quickness of perception, were put forth under the control and guidance of perfect wisdom and sympathy. Wings were also spread abroad over the surface of the vail, proceeding from the cherubim; denoting the heavenly origin and unearthly ways of the Son of Man, who was from above, and who could say, even while here, The Son of Man, who is in heaven. (H. W. Soltau.)
The pillars of the vail
The pillars of the vail were four in number. Unlike those on which hung the curtain for the Tabernacle door, they had no capitals; thus they lacked the ordinary completeness of a pillar. May not our thoughts be directed by this, to the contemplation of those Scriptures, which speak of the Lord as cut off? (see Isa_53:8; Psa_102:23-24). And yet the very fact of this seemingly abrupt termination of the life of the Lord Jesus, in the days of His flesh, has made Him to be unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; a fourfold perfection, meeting our fourfold need; to which possibly the number of vail-pillars may allude. (H. W. Soltau.)
The door of the tent.
The door of the Tabernacle
1. This was the only door of the Tabernacle; it must therefore have been an emblem of Jesus Christ (Joh_10:9). There was only one entrance into the court, only one door into the holy place, and only one way into the holy of holies. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by Him. The curtain at the door of the Tabernacle was made of blue, and purple, and scarlet. Here we have an emblem of the Saviours threefold Name. Lord--Jesus--Christ. He is Lord of all power, majesty, dominion, and glory. May not the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, be figurative of Jesus in His threefold office, as Priest, King, and Prophet? The scarlet shows His priestly sacrifice. The purple His kingly dignity. The blue His heavenly teaching as the prophet. It is only as we see Jesus in His threefold office, that He is the Door. As the Priest, He is the sacrificial Way. As the Prophet, He is the Truth. As the King, He reigns to give Life. As Jesus, He is our saving Priest; as Christ, He is our anointed, instructing Prophet; and as Lord, He is our ruling King. In Him these offices are united. We may distinguish between them, but we must not separate them.
2. May not the five pillars which held up the curtains at the Door, be emblems of gospel ministers, whose work it is to hold up Christ before the people?
3. These pillars had sockets of brass. Brass being in Scripture an emblem of strength, we may here see the servants of God strengthened for their work. May we not see Jesus Himself in the sockets of brass? His feet are like fine brass. Jesus upholds His servants with His own strength. Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. He who holds the stars in His right hand, upholds His servants as pillars in the house of God. Were the pillars beautiful So are ministers abounding in their work (Isa_53:7). (R. E. Sears.)
The door of the Tabernacle
The hanging, which formed the door, was made of the same materials as the vail; the only difference being that in the former the colours were skilfully intermixed, whereas in the latter a pattern of cherubim was cunningly or ingeniously embroidered. The priests, who entered within the door of the Tabernacle, alone beheld the cherubim of glory worked into the vail and roof, whilst the worshippers in the court saw the same colours intermingled in the door-curtain. May not this be intended to teach us, that every worshipper of God recognizes the beauty and perfection of Christ, God manifest in the flesh, as his eye rests upon the door-curtain. But the nearer we approach to God as His priests, the more intimate our fellowship with Him in heavenly places, the more shall we discern the glories of Jesus, and realize His power, majesty, and strength. He will be the one object that fills our soul, and under the shadow of His wings shall we abide. (H. W. Soltau.)
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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v31 MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Exo_26:31-37
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Exo_26:31-37
THE TABERNACLE VAILS
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What does this vail between the Tabernacle and the court, and this vail which divides the Holy Place from the Holiest Place, signify? and what relation have they to Christianity?
I. They signify that the highest vision and fellowship of God are as yet denied to man. Whilst the Tabernacle was standing, these vails signified the distance of God from man,—His inaccessibility. God withdrew Himself behind impenetrable vails. This is the teaching of the Apostle: “Into the second Tabernacle went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which He offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first Tabernacle was not standing: which was a figure for the time then present” (Heb_9:7-9). God’s presence is fenced about from sinful man. Because of our sin Paradise is closed to us: because of our sin God has hid His face from us. There are two vails, and Jewish authorities say that the vail between the Holy and the Holy of Holies was four fingers thick, to prevent any person penetrating with his eyes into the Holiest. Does not this powerfully remind us how the holy God has hidden Himself from unholy man?
II. Whilst these vails remove God from the approach of man, they give the promise of a fuiler revelation. Look at the hanging for the door of the tent: “Blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework,” Exo_26:36. Here, at the threshold of the TaLernacle, the bright colours of the vail are full of promise. The God of mercy, and love, and life shines through the obscuration. The cloud that God has spread on His throne has a rainbow in it: the curtains by which God hides Himself from man are burnished with coloure of hope. And then, as you draw near to the Holiest, the vail is still more glorious. In addition to the rich colours of tlie vail of the door, the vail of the Holy of Holies has cherubim made upon it, and other associations of brightnessand beauty. The vail that God has drawri about Himself is not of forbidding, hopeless blackness; but it promises whilst it prevents, it allures whilst it forbids. Is there not something of this in nature? Whilst the creation is a dense curtain to hide God, does not the beauty of the curtain declare the grace of Him who is behind it, and give us the promise of some day knowing Him better? The Jewish dispensation is full of the same idea—the golden thread, the rainbow colours, give the promise of a fuller vision, a richer fellowship when the fulness of time shall come.
III. That these vails are taken away in Christ. “And the vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” (Mar_15:38). The rent was complete. See Heb_9:11-12. In Christ we stand “within the vail.” In Him we realize the presence and joy of God. In Him we realize highest fellowship with God. “There I will meet with thee, and commune with thee.” In Him we realize the everlasting vision and felicity of God. Sin wove the vail between us and the heaven above us, but in Christ’s atonement and priesthood that vail is taken away. If there are any vails now, they are upon our heart.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
Blue.—If the gold was a type of the glory, majesty, and eternity of the Son of God, blue will fitly represent the grace and love He manifested as declaring the character of God. “God is love.” So inseparably and exclusively is this blessed attribute descriptive of Him, that He affirms it to be His very nature. It is not of earth. As the blue vault of heaven, with its vast dimensions, defies our puny measurements, so the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of the love of Christ passeth knowledge. The thunders of God’s wrath and holy indignation against sin may for a time seem to obscure His love. But “His anger endureth but a moment.” Judgment is “His strange work,” for “He delighteth in mercy.”—H. S. Soltaw.
The Scarlet.—As blue is peculiarly the colour of the heavens, so scarlet is the gorgeous colour belonging to earth. The flowers, the produce of the soil, display its brilliant tints. We do not look above to find it: but it meets our eye when we contemplate the flowers of the field. The Word of God also employs this colour as an emblem of royalty. The beast, and the woman in the Revelation, are both represented as scarlet. Not that the scarlet of itself denotes evil; but because the kingdoms of the world were held under their regal sway. And, when the Lord Jesus was, in mockery, hailed as king, the soldiers of imperial Rome clothed Him with a scarlet robe. (Mat_27:28).—Ibid.
Purple.—If we were to place the blue and the scarlet side by side, without the intervention of some other colour, the eye would be offended with the violent contrast; for, though each is beautiful in itself, and suitable to its own sphere, yet there is such a distinction—we might almost say opposition—in their hues, as to render them inharmonious if seen in immediate contact. The purple interposed, remedies this unpleasing effect: the eye passes with ease from the blue to the scarlet, and vice versa, by the aid of this blended colour, the purple. The blue gradually shades off into its opposite, the scarlet, and the gorgeousness of the latter is softened by imperceptible degrees into the blue. The purple is a new colour, formed by mingling the two: it owes its peculiar beauty alike to both: and were the due proportion of either absent, its especial character would be lost.
The order of the colours, blue, purple, scarlet, repeated at least twenty-four times in Exodus, is never varied. The scarlet and the blue are never placed in juxta-position throughout the fabrics of the Tabernacle. Does not this intimate a truth of an important character? Would the Spirit of God have so constantly adhered to this arrangement had there not been some significant reason for it? Are we not hereby taught a very precious fact respecting the Lord Jesus? He is God and Man: and we can trace in the Gospels all the fulness of the Godhead, as well as the dignity and sympathy of the perfect Man. But, besides this, in His thoughts, feelings, words, ways, and actions, there is an invariable blending of the two. Many mistakes and errors would have been avoided in the Church of God, if those, who have undertaken to write or speak on this subject, had been subject to the definite words of Scripture, instead of adopting abstract reasonings upon the divinity and humanity of the Son of God. The Christ of God is the object of our faith; not a nature, or natures, but Himself.—Ibid.
The linen composing the mystic vail was required to be fine; pure and faultless as the material could be produced: indicating that although Messiah should be found in fashion as a man, He should be clearly exempt from the merest stain of defilement through contact with humanity. What a dignified and courageous appeal was that of Christ to His enemies and accusers! “Which of you,” said He, “convinceth Me of sin?” (Joh_8:46); and how altogether extenuating was the testimony of the Judge at whose bar envy and maliciousness had arraigned the Son of Man as a malefactor and a criminal—“I find in Him,” said Pilate, “no fault at all” (Joh_18:38). Even Satan found nothing in Him wherewith to work the commission of the smallest inconsistency in the character of Jesus.—Mudge.
ILLUSTRATIONS
BY
REV. WILLIAM ADAMSON
—Stowe.
Divine Æstheticism! Exo_26:1-37.
(1.) Henry Martyn wrote, “Since I have known God in a saving manner, painting, poetry, and music have had charms unknown to me before. I have received what I suppose is a taste for them; or Religion has refined my mind and made it susceptible of impressions from the sublime and beautiful. Oh, how Religion secures the heightened enjoyment of those pleasures which keep so many from God by their becoming a source of pride!”
(2.) Win-slow says that to the new creature in Christ Jesus even the world of nature seems as a newborn creation, now that he has passed from death unto life. The sun shines brighter—the air breathes softer—the flowers smell sweeter—the landscape is clad with deeper verdure and richer loveliness. In a word, the whole creation appears in newborn beauty and sublimity.
(3) Even so Christ is not seen to be full of loveliness outside. Once in Him, the soul perceives His exquisite beauty; “My Beloved is fair and ruddy, the chiefest amongst ten thousand; yea, He is altogether lovely.” Once, he could perceive no beauty in Him that He should desire Him; now he exclaims, “Thou art all my salvation, and all my desire!”
“All over glorious is my Lord,
Must be beloved, and yet ador’d;
His worth if all the nations knew,
Sure the whole earth would love Him too.”
—Erskine.
Vail! Exo_26:31. The veil of the holiest was Broidered—Beautified and Borne up.
(1.) Blue! Brown thinks the blue was emblematic of God’s mercy, while Tanner regards it as representing heaven, and therefore typically imparting that revelation of heavenly things which Christ alone can give us.
(2.) Purple! Some say that this symbolised the Divine Righteousness of Jehovah Jesus; others suggest it as portraying royalty, i.e., the setting forth of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords.
(3.) Scarlet! It has been viewed as emblematic of the Justice of God in the precious bloodshedding of His dear Son; while, on the other hand, it is described as typifying life, and the blood which is the life.
(4.) Fine Linen! This some take to symbolise, as in the Apocalypse, the righteousness of the saints, i.e., sanctifying righteousness, or holiness of heart and life; while others consider it as indicative of the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Himself.
(5.) Cherubim Brown thinks that these represent the redeemed themselves, inwrought upon the veil, and as rent along with the veil at the Crucifixion; thus signifying both the dying of the redeemed with Christ in His death, and their union with Him by the Spirit of Faith.
“Where’er we turn, Thy glories shine,
And all things fair and bright are Thine.”
—Moore.
Cherubic-Symbols! Exo_26:31.
(1.) Were the figures of the cherubim above the mercy-seat in the most holy place compound animal forms, symbolic of creation? And were those embroidered in cunning work of various colours on the veil between the holy and most holy designed to indicate that the material creation is the veil between the seen and the unseen; i.e., like shadows on a window blind?
(2.) Macmillan says that just as on the outer side of the separating veil of the tabernacle there were flat cherubic figures woven on another material, answerable to those which stood out in full outline and relief above the mercy-seat; so the common objects and material every-day uses of the natural world around us are the screen on which we may perceive the figures of what is unseen and spiritual,
(3.) As the manna spoke of the True Bread from heaven—as the water gushing from the rock reminded of the Water of Life, even the Holy Spirit of Grace—as the pillar of light testified of Christ, the Light of Life in this dark world-wilderness of sin; so the cherubim were emblems of spiritual intelligences, either of the angels of God around the Throne exploring the mystery of redemption, or of the redeemed themselves fathoming the deep things of God,—
“In calm humility musing always
Upon those mysteries of grace, which seem’d
Vaster in length and breadth, and depth and height,
The measureless dimensions of God’s love,
As still the bridal of the Church drew near.”
—Bickersteth.
Colour-Symbolism! Exo_26:33-36.
(1.) As the gold was emblematic of the glory and majesty of God so the blue combined with it in the sacred appointments of the tabernacle might be aptly employed to represent God’s love and grace. The gold setting, as it were, with the blue gems, are to the eye an emblem of St. John’s sentence: “GOD IS LOVE.”
(2.) As the priest, whenever he moved within the tent of Aaron, was surrounded by gold and sapphire; so, wherever the Christian (who is a priest unto God) wanders, he finds himself still encircled by the gold and blue of Divine Love. The boundless sky of Divine Love bends over him—wreathes him round, as the horizon embraces the landscape.
“And the mild glories of Thy grace
Our softer passions move;
Pity Divine in Jesu’s face
We see, adore, and love.”
—Watts.
Veil-Embroidery! Exo_26:36.
(1.) Morier relates that in passing Lahar he found several encampments of Eelauts, at one of which he stopped to examine the tent of a chief, over the door of which was suspended a curtain curiously worked by the women with coarse needlework of various colours. In the Shah of Persia’s tents magnificent hangings of needlework are suspended, as well as on the doors of the great mosques in Turkey.
(2.) The Chinese are perhaps the most laborious and elaborate embroiderers of modern times. The figures are either in coloured silk alone, or in silk combined with gold and silver thread; the figures of men, horses, and dragons, &c., being outlined with gold cord, and filled up, coloured, and shaded with silk. The Persians, Turks, and Hindoos also excel in embroidery. They use, besides silk and gold and silver thread, beads, spangles, pearls, and precious stones.
(3.) Allusion is made to this embroidery in Son_1:5, under the name of the curtains of Solomon. These were either the beautiful embroidered hangings of Solomon’s palace mentioned in Ecc_2:4; or else, the broidered veil or hangings of the temple. Some think, however, that the word Solomon is not a name here but the title “Prince of Peace,” and that the curtains are the veils which adorned the tabernacle of the Prince of Peace when He journeyed through the desert with His people (Psalms 45; Eze_16:14; Mat_22:11).
“O that I knew how all these lights combine,
And the configurations of their glory;
Seeing not only how each verse doth shine,
But all the constellations of the story!”
—Herbert.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On vv31–32 The inner veil, type of Christ’s human body Mat…
vail
The inner veil, type of Christ’s human body Mat 26:26; Mat 27:50; Heb 10:20. This veil, barring entrance into the holiest, was the most expressive symbol of the truth that "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified"; Rom 3:20,; Heb 9:8. Rent by an unseen hand when Christ Died Mat 27:51 thus giving instant access to God to all who come by faith in Him, it was the end of all legality; the way to God was open. It is deeply significant that the priests must have patched together again the veil that God had rent, for the temple services went on yet for nearly forty years. That patched veil is Galatianism--the attempt to put saint or sinner back under the law. (Cf) Gal 1:6-9 Anything but "the grace of Christ" is "another gospel," and under anathema.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v31 The Veil and the position of the Appointments
The Veil and the position of the Appointments
v. 31. And thou shalt make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work, tapestry, or damask, made according to the highest skill of the weaver’s art, of byssus and the other costly materials named here; with cherubim shall it be made, showing figures of cherubim.
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v. 32. And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold; their hooks, to which the veil should be fastened, shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. These were four single upright posts inside the Tabernacle, held in an upright position by their heavy silver bases.
v. 33. And thou shalt hang up the veil under the taches, that is, directly under the seams where the couplings of the goats’ hair coverings came together, ten cubits from the west wall, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the Ark of the Testimony, the only piece of furniture which was permitted in this part of the Tabernacle; and the veil shall divide unto you between the Holy Place, the eastern end of the Tabernacle, and the Most Holy, its western end.
v. 34. And thou shalt put the mercy-seat, Exo 25:17, upon the Ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place.
v. 35. And thou shalt set the table for the showbread, the so-called table of prothesis, without the veil, on its east side, and the candlestick over against, opposite, the table on the side of the Tabernacle toward the south; and thou shalt put the table on the north side of the tent.
v. 36. And thou shalt make an hanging, a heavy curtain, for the door of the tent, the entrance to the Holy Place, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the fine materials which were used throughout, wrought with needlework, that is, woven in stripes or squares and in various geometrical figures formed by them.
v. 37. And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, acacia posts from which the door-curtain might be suspended, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold; and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass, or bronze, for them, these bases being heavy enough to hold the pillars upright. The double curtain of the Tabernacle indicated that there was as yet no free access to God’s throne of grace. But Christ, having entered into the Most Holy Place of heaven through the veil of His flesh, has found an eternal redemption for us, by virtue of which we may now freely enter into the presence of God, assured in advance of His mercy. Heb 10:20; Heb 9:11 ff.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v31 General Information:
General Information:
Yahweh continues to tell Moses how the tabernacle is to be constructed.
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You must make
Yahweh is speaking to Moses, so the word "you" is singular. Yahweh probably expected Moses to tell someone else to do the actual work, but Moses would be the one responsible for seeing that the work was done correctly. "Tell a craftsman to make." See how you translated this in Exodus 26:1. (See: Forms of You)
clasps
The clasps fit into the loops to hold the curtains together. See how you translated these in Exodus 26:4-6.
you must bring in the ark of the testimony
The ark of the testimony is the chest that contains the commandments. This can be stated clearly in the translation. AT: "you must bring in the chest containing the commandments" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
The curtain is to separate the holy place
This can be stated in active form. AT: "The curtain will separate the holy place" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
cherub
works
column
acacia
gold
silver
ark of the covenant
holy
holy place
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv31, 33 26:31 While blue, purple, and scarlet are rich colors…
26:31 While blue, purple, and scarlet are rich colors appropriate for the palace of a divine king, they may also have been specified because these dyes were easiest to procure in the desert.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.