And for the second side of the tabernacle the north side ,.... The direction of the tabernacle was east and west; at the east end was the entrance into the holy place, and at the west end the holy of holies; and the two sides were north and south; and as on the south side, so on the north there shall be twenty boards : just the same number as the laws of building required. read more
THE TABERNACLE . The sacred furniture which the tabernacle was to contain having been described, with the exception of the "altar of incense" the description of which is reserved for Exodus 30:1-38 . ( Exodus 30:1-10 )-directions were next given for the sacred structure itself. This was to consist of three main things— 1 . A quadrangular enclosure thirty cubits long by ten broad, open at one end, and on the other three sides enclosed by boards of acacia-wood overlaid with... read more
The symbolism of the tabernacle structure. I. That the HOLY OF HOLIES typified heaven itself is declared in the Epistle to the Hebrews ( Hebrews 9:7-12 ). In it were the forms of cherubim, representing the angelic choir, and between them was the manifestation of the presence of God himself. It was cut off from the rest of the sanctuary by the veil, which none was to lift save the High Priest once a year: "the Holy Ghost thus signifying, that the way into the holiest of all"— ... read more
Jehovah's dwelling. Instructions are now given for the making of the "dwelling-place," of that sacred house or tent which was to be the special abode of Jehovah, and within which, when reared according to the fashion shown to Moses in the mount ( Exodus 26:30 ), the sacred articles described in the previous chapter were to be deposited. We need not encumber our homily with the minutiae of construction. It will suffice to direct attention to the general arrangement of parts, and to the... read more
The tabernacle itself. Consider here— I. GOD 'S COMMANDMENT THAT A DWELLING - PLACE SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR HIM . Against even the least degree of image-making there was a stern edict; and we might also have expected that there would be equal sternness in forbidding the creation of aught in the shape of a holy house. For what on the face of it would seem more probable than this, that the erection of a holy house would be a strong inducement towards the fashioning... read more
The second side … the north side . The north side, or left hand, was always regarded as less honourable than the south side or right hand (see Genesis 48:13-20 ), probably because in the northern hemisphere the sun illumines the south side. It showed the superior dignity of the south side that the golden candlestick was set against it ( Exodus 40:24 ). read more
(Compare Exodus 36:8-33.) The tabernacle was to comprise three main parts, the tabernacle Exodus 26:1-6, more strictly so-called, its tent Exodus 26:7-13, and its covering Exodus 26:14 (Compare Exodus 35:11; Exodus 39:33-34; Exodus 40:19, Exodus 40:34; Numbers 3:25, etc.). These parts are very clearly distinguished in the Hebrew, but they are confounded in many places of the English Version (see Exodus 26:7, Exodus 26:9, etc.). The tabernacle itself was to consist of curtains of fine linen... read more
Curtains, coverings and framework (26:1-37)Probably the easiest way to picture the two-roomed structure under the tent is as a huge open box with a cloth draped over it. This cloth was a multi-coloured, richly embroidered linen covering that formed a ceiling and hung over the four sides but did not quite reach the ground. It consisted of two sets of five curtain strips sewn along their length and then tied together to form one huge covering (26:1-6).Over this multi-coloured linen covering was... read more
side . Hebrew. zela ` = rib. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 26:15-30
Very particular directions are here given about the boards of the tabernacle, which were to bear up the curtains, as the stakes of a tent which had need to be strong, Isa. 54:2. These boards had tenons which fell into the mortises that were made for them in silver bases. God took care to have every thing strong, as well as fine, in his tabernacle. Curtains without boards would have been shaken by every wind; but it is a good thing to have the heart established with grace, which is as the... read more