Chapter 26
The Tabernacle. 1 “As for the tabernacle, you shall make it out of ten curtains of fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet, with cherubim sewn on them by skillful craftsmen.[a] 2 The curtains shall be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide, each curtain being the same size. 3 Five curtains shall be joined together, and the other five curtains shall be joined together. 4 Make loops of blue cloth on the outside edge of the first set, and likewise loops on the outside edge of the second set. 5 Make fifty loops in the first set and make fifty loops in the edge of the second set. The loops should be symmetrical. 6 Then make fifty golden clasps and attach the sets of curtains to each other to form the tabernacle.
7 “You shall then make curtains of goats hair to build a tent over the tabernacle, eleven curtains in all. 8 The curtains shall be thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. Each curtain shall be the same size. 9 You shall join five of the curtains on one side and six curtains on the other side. Fold back the sixth curtain to double it over on the front of the tent. 10 You shall make fifty loops in the outside edge of the first set, and fifty loops in the edge of the second set. 11 You shall make fifty bronze clasps and put the clasps into the loops to join the tent together and make it a single structure.
12 “The overlapping part of the curtain, the half curtain that is left over, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 The cubit that is left over on the one side, like the cubit that is left over on the other side, of what is remaining in the length of the curtain of the tent, shall hang over the two sides of the tabernacle to cover one side and the other.
14 “You shall make a covering for the tent out of rams’ skins dyed red, and over it shall be a covering of sheep skin.
15 The Linear Structure of the Tabernacle.“You shall make upright frames for the tent of acacia wood. 16 Each board shall be ten cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 17 Each board shall have two joints in it to fit them together. All the boards of the tabernacle are to be made this way. 18 This is how you shall make all the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards being on the southern side. 19 You shall also make forty silver bases for the twenty boards, two bases for each of the joints on one board, and two bases for each of the joints on the next board. 20 On the second side of the tabernacle, toward the north, there shall be twenty boards 21 as well as their forty silver bases, two bases under one board, and two bases under the next board. 22 For the rear of the tabernacle facing the west you shall make six boards, 23 and two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 24 They shall be doubled together below and likewise joined together above into one ring. The two of them will form two corners. 25 Thus, there shall be eight boards with their silver bases, sixteen bases in all, with two bases under one board and two bases under the next board.
26 “You shall also make bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of one side of the tabernacle 27 and five bars for the boards for the other side of the tabernacle and five bars for the boards of the rear, toward the west. 28 The middle bar shall pass half way up the boards, reaching from end to end. 29 Cover the boards with gold, and make their rings gold in which the bars are inserted, and also cover the bars in gold.
30 “You shall build the tabernacle according to the plan that you were shown on the mountain.
31 The Inner Veil.“You shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen, with cherubim sewn upon it by skillful craftsmen. 32 You shall hang it on four columns of acacia wood covered in gold, with hooks of gold and standing upon four bases of silver. 33 Hang the veil from the clasps, and place the Ark of Testimony inside the veil. The veil shall serve you as the separation between the Holy and the Holy of Holies. 34 Place the seat of atonement on the Ark of Testimony in the Holy of Holies. 35 Set the table outside of the veil and the lampstand opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle. You are to put the table on the north side.
36 The Entry Curtain.“You shall make a curtain for the door to the tent of blue and purple and scarlet cloth and fine twisted linen that is covered with embroidery. 37 You shall make five columns of acacia wood covered in gold for the curtain. Their hooks are to be made out of gold and you shall cast five bronze bases.
Footnotes
- Exodus 26:1 It is not easy to picture the exact shape of the tabernacle or dwelling (in Latin, tabernaculum, “tent”), even though it is described in such detail.
It seems to be a structure that could be disassembled, something like a Bedouin tent, about 16 feet wide, 16 feet long, and 16 feet high.
Inside, the curtain (v. 31) separates “The Holy Place” from “the Most Holy Place,” where the throne of God stood in darkness. See Lev 16; Mk 15:38; Heb 6:19; 9:6-14.