The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 248

word for e." tent" in Hebrew, and 1B so tre.ns- This gives for the entire length of the curtai11 ({ by 10), 1:0. cubits, or ten cubits more than le.t~d generally (Gen. iv. 2.0 ; ix. 2.1 ; xiii. 31 ; the length of the boarded space. The roof xviii. 1, etc.), though in this chapter, 11Ilfor- must thus he.ve been e.dve.nced some distance tune.tely, " covering" (ver. 'Z) ; e.nd 8. A ill front of the tabernacle proper, or rectan- " covering ''--mikaell., to be placed over the gular boarded space. I.very one of the our- 'ohel, composed of re.ms' skins dyed red, e.nd taillll shall ha.v11 one measure. They shall all, i.e., have the same measure. seals' skins (ver. H:). Subord.i.lULte po.rte.of the Ver. 3.-When the ten " breadths " had •tructure were-(a) The sockets, or bases, been woven, five wei:e to be sewn together to "hich were to receive and support the up- fotID one portion of the awning, and the right boards (vers. 19~2.a); (b.) The bars other five to form another portion, the reason which were to hold the boards togethel' (vers. for this beuig, probably, the.t if all the ten breadths had been sewn together, the awning 26-29); (o) The veil, stretolied on pillars, would have been too cumbrous to have been which was to be hUI1g across the" dwelling- readily folded together, or ee.sily conveyed house," and to separate it into two po.rte, the when the people jow:n.eyed. "holy place" and the " holy of holies" (ven. Ver. 6.-The Authorised Version gives the 31-33); e.nd (d) The curtain or "hanging" &elll!e fairly. The two curtains, each com- posed of five "breadths," were to be united e.t the open end of the " dwelling-ple.ce," by mellJIS of o:ue hund.red lDops, fifty on each where there were no boards, which we.s ill.- cw:tain, which were to be coupled together by tended to close the.t side of the structure fifty "te.ches " or clasps. The loops were when necessary ( vers. 36, 37). to be of the "blue" material used generally in the textile fabrics of the tabernacle (eh. x.xv. Thefi~e linen covering (vers. 1-tl). 4; x.xvi. l, 31, 36), and the "taches ·• or Ver. 1.-Thou &halt make the tabernaole clasps were to be of gold. In this way the with ten onrtains. These " ten curtains " are covering of the mhkci11 was to be completed. explained in the verses which follow to be ten The g"'1t'B skin tent-cloth. (vers. 7-13). " breadths," so fastened together e.s to form practically a single curtain or awning, which Ver. 7.-From the in.ner covering of the constituted the cieling or inner covering of tabernacle the directions proceed to the ex- the tabeme.cle. The mode of its arrange- ternal covering, or rather coverings, which ment is not quite certain Some suppose that constituted the real strength of the structU1e, it we.s really e. po.rt of the "tent," being laid and its protection from wet or stormy over the so.me framework as the goats' hair weather. Curtains of goats' hair, such as the curtain (Fergusson, Cook); others believe it Arabs still use, as the ordinary covering of to he.ve been strained across the mishkcin and their tents (Laye.rd, Nill. and Bah., p. 171 ), fa.stencd to the top of the bourds 011 either were to form a true •·tent·• ('ohel) above thOi  'l'IIE DOOK OF EXODUS. [ea. XXVI. 8-11,.