The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 249

tnhemade, rn-ing supported by t.cnt-poles, "of bronze.~ The links of the inner curtain and kept tnut. by mee.ns of cords and pegs were of gold (ver. 6). (eh. XKYii. l!J; xxxv 18). See the repre- Ver. 12.-'i'he remnant whioh remai.neth, sentatmn in Dr. W. Smith's Dictionary of tl,e etc. Both this and the next verso presume a lli/,le. ,·ol. iii. p. 145-l, which ie reproduced in very close connection between the fine linen the Speaker'• Oomm,ml.ary. vol. i. p. 876. To co,•eringofthe mi8hltrinand the goe111 hairtent- be a. oovaring. In eh. xxxv,. 14, "'C have-" he cloth which protected it. " The remnant that mll.de curtains of goats· hair for U,e tent O'l'er remaineth" is the half-breadth by which the the tabernacle," ·••rhich is far better. The tent-cloth would overlap the linen covering at "·ord used in hotb pla.ces is the same ('liltel). the ha.ck of the font, when at the front ha.If of El9V11n onrtaim-i.e., "eleven breadtl... " the eleventh breadth had been turned back Compare ver. l. upon the other half (see comment on ver. 9) Ver. 8.-The length . . lhall be thirty This " remnant" was to be allowed to hang cubitll. A tent with a rect.angular roof, over down o,·er the back part of the tabernacle. such e chamber as the mi,ihk,i,., brought down, Ver. 13.-A.nd a oubit. Rather, " And tl,e &5 tent,; usual!..- are, within six or seven feet of cubit." 'l'he cub ii. b1 whieh the goo.hi' hair tent- the ground, ";ould have required a covering cloth, which was thirty cubihl a.cross (ver. 8), of tlus length. If the slope of the roof bad would exceed the linen covering, which was been greeter. the covering must have been twenty-eight cubits (ver. 2), on either side of longer. The breadth . . . four oubila. This the tabernacle, wu to be allowed to hang giYes for the .,atire covering, when made up, dowu, like a valance, hiding so far the golden a width of forty-four cubits, or sixty-six feet. boards of the taberna.cle. A8 the entire length of the miaalcon was only thirty cubits, or foriy--five feet, it is evident TIil! ouliet- protection (ver. 14). that the tent projected considerably beyond the taberna.cle, either at both ends, or, at any Ver. 14.-And thou llh&lt make a oovering ,,.te, at one end. Probably the projectiou for tu tent. Nothing is said 'lf the size of was at one end only-,·iz., in front; "·here this covering; but, u ihl obJect was clearly to ;t constituted a porch, eighteen or twenty protect the roof of the tent from penetration feet deep. The temple, which was modelled by wet, it seems reasonable to suppose that it after the tabemacle, bad a porch fifteen feet extended at least as far as the boards of the deep. tabernacle. To do this, it must have been Ver. 9.-Thou Bhalt oo'IIJl).e, etc. AB with thirty cubits long, and fourteen brond. the inner awuing of linen, so with the goats' 77,e boarding a/ f1lll tabernacle (vers. 15-30). hair tent-cloth. The whole when made up was to be iil two pieces, for convenience of Ver. 15.-Boarda . . . of shittim wooa. transport. (See the comment on ver. 3.) These boards were to be fifteen feet long by The number of breadths in the tent-cloth two feet three inches broad, and, if they were being uneven. the two pieces were to be of each of a single plank, can scarcely have been different sizes, one containing five, and the furnished by any of the aca.cias which now other six, "breadths." Thou IJh&lt double grow in the Sinaitic peninsula. It is pos- the lis:tb. Clllrtllin in the fol'llfront of the sible, however, that they were made up of two S&benlaale. "Tabernacle" here is a mis- or more planks, since the name by which they translation ; since the Hebrew word is 'ohel, are designated, kereth, is thought to be applied " tent." The meaning may be, either that in Ezek. x.xvii 6, to the "deck of a ship." the sixth breadth was to be doubled ba.ck Standing up. The way in which they were upon the fifth, or that half of it was to be to ~e made to "stand up" is explained in vers. doubled ha.ck upon the other half. The 17 and 19 They were not to have one end latter view :s to be preferred, since otherwise sunk in the ground, but to be fitted by the extra breadth would have been super- means of " tenons " into silver " sockets." fiuous. Ver. 17.-Twotenona. Literally," hands." Ver. 10.-:Fifty loop11 in the edge of the Projecting rods, such as those common in our eurt&in that ooupleth the ll800nd. Rather, dinner tables, seem to be meant. They may "fifty loops at the edge of the second curtain have been of metal, let into the boards to a of coupliilg." The two portions of the goats' certain depth, and projecting several inches ho.ir covering were to be united in exactly beyoo.d them. Or, possibly, they may have the same way a.s those of the inner awning of been of aca.cia wood. In one board-i.e. linen. Fifty loops were to be sewn on to the "In ea.eh board"-no doubt, at the bottom of edge of the extreme, or outermost, breadth of each. Set in order one against the other. each portion, and these loops were to be Arranged, i.e., at regular intervals, the posi- connected by clasps or link&. The outermu&t tion of each corresponding to the position of breadth on which the loops are sewn, is called its fellow. the curta.io of coupling." Ver. 18.-Twenty boards. Each board be- \' er. 11 -Fifty tachu of bra&1. Rather ing a cubit and a half in width (ver, 16), the Cll. XXVI, 19-33.] 'l'Irn BOOK OF EXODUS. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ---- - leugth of tho ch,unber was, necessarily, thirty the boards-one at lell.'lt to each-nm! tbns t,, cubits. On the aouth aide aouthwe.rd. Liter- hold the boards firmly together. The mi,!11le allr, " On the south side. to the right." The be.r in ea.eh case woe to extend the whole Orientals regarded it as nntuml to look to length of the enclosure ( ver. 28 ). nm! thQ9 in the e11.t1t, nod spoke of the east as "in front," two cases to be thirty cubits, or forty-five feet tho west as "behind," the north as " on long. The exact length, and the disposition the left," and the south a., " on the right of the other bars is not indicated ; hut it i8 hand." with reason conjectured that two were above Ver. 19-l'ortyaooketa ohilver. Nothing e.nd two below the "middle bar"-that a.II is said of tl..e shape of these "sockets." They were horizontal-and tho.t each coapled to- were certainly very IIIJl.Ssive, as each contained gether ono he.If of the boards of each side. The a silver to.lent ( eh. xxxvili. 27), and thus length of each wo.s probably fifteen cubih; weighed from eighty to ninety pounds. It has e.nd the ends which reached the two comer been supposed that they stood on the ground, posts at the back ran into the comer rings, and formed a sort of continuoas base, out of which were shaped so e.s to receive the two which the planks rose. But this would have bars (see ver. 24). It is not said whether the constituted a very unsafe structure. Kalisch bars were inside or outside the mishko.11 ; but is probably right in his view, that the sockets the best authorities suppose them to have been were let into the ground-resembling those at outside. the bottom of a gate, into which the bolt is Ver. 29.-The rings were to be of solid pressed down. &eh socket received one of gold; the boards and the bars of acacia wood the " tenons." overlaid with gold. Ver. 20.-The aeoond aide .. . the north Ver. 30.-Acoording to the fashion. Where aide. The north side, or left hand. was always the description was incomplete ( and it could regarded as less honourable the.n the south side not but be incomplete in many points), Moses or right hand (see Gen. xlviii. 13--2().), was to follow his recollection of the " pattern," probably because in the northern hemisphere which either in vision, or otherwise-he had the sun illumines the south side. It showed seen in, the mount This would be his best the superior dignity of. the south side that guide, for the golden candlestick was set against it (eh. xl. 24). "Segnius irritant animum demissa per aures, Vers. 22, 23.-For the aides of th& taber- Quam qua? sunt oculis subjecta tidelibus."' naole westward. Rather, " for the be.ck " (.-a &.-la·-LXX.). Here there were to be Vers. 3.J.-35.-The weil and the ordering llix board.a only, which would give the ab- oj t}1,e hol,y places. normal e.nd improbable width ol nine cubits. Ver. 31..-A 'lllil. The veil was to be of The e.~ditional cubit reqwred was no doubt the same material and workmanship as the obtained from the comer boards, or poets, inner covering extended over the mishkan, ea.eh of which added to the (internal) width e.nd like that, we.s to have figures of cherubim half a cubit (see ver. 23). woven into its texture by a skilled weaver. Ver. 24.-They shall be ooupled together Ver. 32.-Four pill&ra. The contrast be- beneath ... unto one ring. This is very ob- tween these four pillars of the interior, and scure, e.nd might be explained in several ways. the "jiioe pillars" at "the door of the tent " Perhaps it ie best to suppose that the coupling (vers. 36, 3:Z), is striking, and justifies the was by the " bars," cf. vers. 26-29, the ends supposition that the veil in the tabernacle did of which fitted into a sort of double ring, like not completely divide the holy of holies from the figure 8, attached to the corner posts. the holy place, but formed a screen, above Above the head. Rather "at" or near the which the space w.as open. If the veil had head." been hung from the top, of ihe tented roof, so Ver. 25.-And they shall be eight board& as completely to separate the two places, there Counting in the two corner boards, or posts, must have been flue pillars, or at any rate an the boards of the be.ck would he eight. Each odd number, m the interior. Their hooks of them was to have two "tenons," like the llhe.11 be of gold. These are hooks attached to boards of the sides, and every " tenon" was the pillars, for the purpose of th<iir having the to have its own silver "socket." Thus the curtains hung upon them. ll'pon the four "Rockets" would be sixteen, two under each sooketL The word " sockets " he.s no article. board. Translate-" Thou shalt hang it upon four Vers. 26-28.-Bars of ehittim wood. To pillars of shittim wood overwd with gold, give greater stability to the structure, to keep with their hooks of gold, and standing upo,. the hoards in their places, and to preYent there four socketa of silver." The pillars proho.bly being any aperture between them, five bars had "tenons," like the boards (ver. 17), which were to be made for each side, and the same were inserted into silver sockets, let into the number for the end, of the 11d,hlcan, which ground. w~re to be passed through riugs uttache<l to Ver. 33.-Thou sha.lt hang up the veil :.'.li-l TllE BOOK OF EXODUS. (en. ,:xvi. 33-3;,