Exodus 27:18
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Exodus 27:9–19
The courtyard plans included curtain walls made of finely woven linen, hanging on posts with bronze bases. The posts were 2.29 meters apart (7.5 feet) and 2.29 meters high (7.5 feet). The curtains formed a rectangle measuring 46 meters long (150 feet) and 22.86 meters wide (75 feet), with a 10-meter opening (30 feet) centered on the east side.
Exodus 27:1–19
Section overviews (2)
Exodus 25:1–27.19
These instructions first list the materials that the Israelites could give to build the tabernacle (25:3–7).
Next, the instructions describe the tabernacle from the center and move outward. They begin with the ark of the covenant (also called the ark of the Testimony, 25:10–22; 27:9–19).
Two items are described later. These are the altar of incense inside the sanctuary and the bronze basin in the courtyard (30:1–10, 17–21).
These items appear in the section about the priesthood. They may be placed there because the priests used them in a special way as part of their service.
Exodus 25:1–40.38
Unlike most churches today, the Tent of Meeting (the tabernacle) was not mainly a place where people gathered to meet. It was first of all the dwelling place of God. It functioned like the palace of a king. God was Israel’s divine King, and the Tabernacle was his royal tent.
In this way, churches today are more similar to later Jewish synagogues, where people gathered to worship and learn (see also study note on 40:2).
The last section of Exodus completes God’s self-revelation to Israel. Through these events, God brought the people out of the spiritual darkness that had held them in slavery.
This section includes three main parts:
Instructions for building the Tent of Meeting (chapters 25–31).
The story of the golden calf (a wrong attempt to secure God's presence, chapters 32–34).
The report of building the Tent of Meeting (the correct way to secure God's presence, chapters 35–40).
These chapters show that God’s ultimate goal in delivering Israel from slavery was to live among them.
God wanted to share his presence with his people. However, because God is holy (completely pure and set apart from sin), people could experience his presence only in the way he commanded.
They could not approach him through pagan practices (worship methods of other nations) or through human manipulation (trying to control or force a god to act).
The building of the Tent of Meeting is described here, even though some instructions in Leviticus were given earlier (see 40:1–2; Leviticus 25:1; 27:34; Numbers 7:1). This event shows the goal of the entire exodus story: God came to live among his people.
27:9-18
the court of the tabernacle--The enclosure in which the edifice stood was a rectangular court, extending rather more than fifty yards in length and half that space in breadth, and the enclosing parapet was about three yards or half the height of the tabernacle. That parapet consisted of a connected series of curtains, made of fine twined linen yarn, woven into a kind of network, so that the people could see through; but that large curtain which overhung the entrance was of a different texture, being embroidered and dyed with variegated colors, and it was furnished with cords for pulling it up or drawing it aside when the priests had occasion to enter. The curtains of this enclosure were supported on sixty brazen pillars which stood on pedestals of the same metal, but their capitals and fillets were of silver, and the hooks on which they were suspended were of silver also.
27:9-19
Before the tabernacle there was to be a court or yard, enclosed with hangings of the finest linen that was used for tents. This court, according to the common computation of cubits, was fifty yards long, and twenty-five broad. Pillars were set up at convenient distances, in sockets of brass, the pillars filleted with silver, and silver tenter-hooks in them, on which the linen hangings were fastened: the hanging which served for the gate was finer than the rest, Exo 27:16. This court was a type of the church, enclosed and distinguished from the rest of the world, the enclosure supported by pillars, denoting the stability of the church, hung with the clean linen, which is said to be the righteousness of saints, Rev 19:8. These were the courts David longed for and coveted to reside in (Psa 84:2, Psa 84:10), and into which the people of God entered with praise and thanksgiving (Psa 100:4); yet this court would contain but a few worshippers. Thanks be to God, now, under the gospel, the enclosure is taken down. God's will is that men pray every where; and there is room for all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ.
27:9-19
Exodus 27:9-19
9. And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:
9. Facies insuper atrium tabernaculi ad plugam meridianam australem: cortinae erunt atrio e bysso retorta: centum cubitorum erit longitudo angulo uni.
10. And the twentypillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
10. Columnae autem ejus erunt viginti, et bases earum viginti aereae: capitella colunmarum et ilia earum argentea.
11. And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
11. Et sic lateri aquilonari in longitudine erunt cortinae centum, et columnm ejus viginti, basesque earum viginti rerem: capitella columnarum, et fila earum argentea.
12. And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
12. Porro in latitudine atrii ad latus occidentale, erunt cortinae quinquaginta cubitorum: et columnae earum erunt decem, et bases earum decem.
13. And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
13. In latitudine vero atrii in latere orientali ad orientem, quinquaginta cubiti erunt.
14. The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
14. Qindecim autem cubitorum erunt tortinto lateri uni: columnae earum tres, basesque earum tres.
15. And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15. Lateri vero secundo quindecim cortinae: columnae earum tres, et bases earum tres.
16. And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.
16. Et portae atrii disponetur aulaeum viginti cubitorum ex hyacintho, et purpura, et vermiculo cocci, et bysso retorta, opere acupictoris: columnae ejus quatuor, basesque earum quatuor.
17. All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.
17. Omnes columnae atrii in circuitu cinctae erunt argento: capitella vero earum erunt argentea, et bases earum aerea.
18. The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.
18. Longitudo atrii erit centum cubitorum, et latitudo quinquaginta in quinquaginta: altitudo autem quinque cubitorum: ex bysso retorta et bases earum aereae.
19. All the vessels of the tabernacle, in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.
19. Omnia vasa tabernaculi in omni ministerio ejus, et omnes paxilli ejus, et omnes paxilli atrii, ex aeare.
9. And thou shalt make the court. There were two courts divided from the sanctuary, one for the priests, the other common to the whole people. To the first chambers were annexed, in which the Levites dwelt, who were the keepers of the tabernacle; and thus sometimes the courts are spoken of in the plural number, and especially in the Psalms, (Psalm 64:4; Psalm 84:2; Psalm 92:13; Psalm 96:8.) It is the court of the people which is here referred to, where they consecrated the victims, offered their prayers, and were reconciled to God. In this manner the condition of mankind was shewn to the Israelites, by their being forbidden to enter the Temple, whilst at the same time they were reminded that men, although unworthy outcasts, are received by God, if only they seek Him simply, and with due humility, mindful of their own unworthiness. Hence the consolation in which David gloried, [149] "I had rather dwell in the courts of the Lord, than in the splendid tents of the ungodly." The court was formed by four curtains, two of which, on the north and south sides, were 100 cubits long, and supported by 20 pillars, whose bases were of brass, and their capitals [150] and fillets of silver; on the east and west, each curtain was 50 cubits long, supported by 10 pillars. The length spoken of is not from the ground upwards, but from their opposite corners: for the court was twice as long as it was broad, as is said in ver. 18. There would be an appearance of contradiction in the fact that Moses afterwards speaks of two sides, and assigns fifteen cubits to each, if he did not immediately go on to mention the hanging or curtain, which covered the gate of the court, and which he sets at twenty cubits. Thus the measure will be correct, and the passage will be quite accordant; for, after he has said in ver. 13 that the curtain on the east side should consist of fifty cubits, he adds in explanation that there were two curtains at the sides of the door, and a third between them to cover the door, making up in all the fifty cubits. But the door was covered by the hanging, that the Israelites might reflect in themselves, whenever they went into the sanctuary, that it was no profane or common (promiscuum) place; but if they came thither in purity and chastity, they might be assuredly persuaded that they were safe under the protection of God. Finally also the majesty of holy things was shewn them in this type, in order that they might reverently approach the worship of God; and they were reminded of their own unworthiness, that they might humble themselves the more before God, and that fear might beget penitence, whilst moderation in the desire of knowledge was recommended to them, that they might not be unduly inquisitive. The religion of the Gentiles also had its secret shrines with the same object, but for very different causes; for it was a brutal religion, for which veneration was sought by darkness, and the disguise of ignorance; whereas God, whilst He retained His people in modesty and simplicity, at the same time set before them the Law, from which they might learn whatever it was right and useful for them to know.
Footnotes:
[149] It will be seen that he quotes Psalm 84:10, somewhat parathrastically.
[150] A. V., hooks.
27:16-18
And for the gate of the court - It appears that the hangings of this gate were of the same materials and workmanship with that of the inner covering of the tabernacle, and the outer and inner veil. See Exo 26:36.
27:18
The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits,.... And as may be concluded from the length of the hangings on each side:
and the breadth fifty everywhere; at both ends, and was the breadth of the hangings there, and which all around made the court:
and the height five cubits; or two yards and a half, and somewhat more; it was but half the height of the tabernacle, and hence that might be seen above it every way; so that, according to Bishop Cumberland, it contained one rood, twenty one perches, and twenty seven square feet, and was half an Egyptian aroura, which is the square of one hundred Jewish or Egyptian cubits: "of fine twined linen"; of which the hangings were made, and here called the court, as they properly were, for they made it:
and their sockets of brass; the bases on which all the pillars stood, upon which the hangings of fine twined linen were, were of brass; which seems to be repeated, that the foundation of this court might be observed to be different from that of the tabernacle; the foundation of that, or the sockets, into which the boards of it were put, being of silver.
27:17-18
"All the pillars of the court round about (shall be) bound with connecting rods of silver." As the rods connecting the pillars of the court were of silver, and those connecting the pillars at the entrance to the dwelling were of wood overlaid with gold, the former must have been intended for a different purpose from the latter, simply serving as rods to which to fasten the hangings, whereas those at the door of the dwelling formed an architrave. The height of the hangings of the court and the covering of the door is given in Exo 38:17 as 5 cubits, corresponding to the height of the pillars given in Exo 28:18 of the chapter before us; but the expression in Exo 38:18, "the height in the breadth," is a singular one, and רחב is probably to be understood in the sense of רחב door-place or door-way, - the meaning of the passage being, "the height of the covering in the door-way." In Exo 28:18, "50 everywhere," πεντήκοντα ἐπὶ πεντήκοντα (lxx), lit., 50 by 50, is to be understood as relating to the extent towards the north and south; and the reading of the Samaritan text, viz., באמּה for בחמשּׁים, is merely the result of an arbitrary attempt to bring the text into conformity with the previous באמּה מאה, whilst the lxx, on the other hand, by an equally arbitrary change, have rendered the passage ἑκατὸν εφ ̓ ἑκατὸν.