New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Exodus 38
1
The workers made the altar for burnt offerings out of acacia wood. It was four feet six inches high and seven feet six inches square.
Reference
Creation
2 Chronicles 4:1
Parallel theme
Revelation 21:16
Sacrifice
Hebrews 13:10
Exodus 40:29
Exodus 40:6
2
They made a horn stick out from each of its four upper corners. They covered the altar with bronze.
3
They made all of its tools out of bronze. They made its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks, and pans for carrying ashes.
Reference
4
They made a bronze grate for the altar. They put the grate halfway up the altar on the inside.
5
They made a bronze ring for each of the four corners of the grate.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 27:4
6
They made poles out of acacia wood. They covered them with bronze.
Reference
Creation
Deuteronomy 10:3
7
They put the poles through the rings. The poles were on two sides of the altar for carrying it. The workers made the altar out of boards. They made it hollow.
Reference
8
The workers made the large bronze bowl and its bronze stand. They made them out of the bronze mirrors that belonged to the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 40:7
1 Timothy 5:5
Psalm 26:6
Zechariah 13:1
John 13:10
Temple
Luke 2:37
1 Samuel 2:22
9
Next, the workers made the courtyard. The south side was 150 feet long. It had curtains that were made out of finely twisted linen.
10
The curtains had 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The posts had silver hooks and bands on them.
11
The north side was also 150 feet long. Its curtains had 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The posts had silver hooks and bands on them.
12
The west end was 75 feet wide. It had curtains with ten posts and ten bases. The posts had silver hooks and bands on them.
13
The east end, toward the sunrise, was also 75 feet wide.
14
Curtains that were 22 feet six inches long were on one side of the entrance. They were hung on three posts. Each post had a base.
15
Curtains that were 22 feet six inches long were also on the other side of the entrance to the courtyard. They were hung on three posts. Each post had a base.
16
All of the curtains that were around the courtyard were made out of finely twisted linen.
17
The bases for the posts were made out of bronze. The hooks and bands that were on the posts were made out of silver. Their tops were covered with silver. So all of the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.
18
The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was made out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. A person who sewed skillfully made it. It was 30 feet long. Like the curtains of the courtyard, it was seven feet six inches high.
19
It had four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks and bands were made out of silver. Their tops were covered with silver.
20
All of the tent stakes of the holy tent were made out of bronze. So were all of the stakes of the courtyard that was around it.
21
Here are the amounts of the metals that were used for the holy tent, where the tablets of the covenant were kept. Moses commanded the Levites to record the amounts. The Levites did the work under the direction of Ithamar. Ithamar was the son of the priest Aaron.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 6:23
Temple
Acts 7:44
Numbers 1:50
Numbers 9:15
Numbers 10:11
Numbers 1:53
Numbers 18:2
Word
2 Chronicles 24:6
22
Bezalel, the son of Uri, made everything the Lord had commanded Moses. Uri was the son of Hur. Bezalel was from the tribe of Judah.
23
Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, helped Bezalel. Oholiab was from the tribe of Dan. He could carve things and make patterns. And he could sew skillfully with blue, purple and bright red yarn and on fine linen.
Reference
24
The total weight of the gold from the wave offering was more than a ton. It was weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. The gold was used for all of the work that was done in connection with the sacred tent.
Reference
25
The silver that was received from the men in the community who were listed and counted weighed four tons. It was weighed out in keeping with the weights used in the sacred tent.
26
It amounted to a fifth of an ounce for each person. It was weighed out in keeping with the weights used in the sacred tent. The silver was received from the men who had been listed and counted. All of them were 20 years old or more. Their total number was 603,550.
Reference
27
The four tons of silver were used to make the bases for the holy tent and for the curtain. The 100 bases were made from the four tons. Each base used more than 75 pounds of silver.
Reference
28
The workers used 45 pounds to make the hooks for the posts, to cover the tops of the posts, and to make their bands.
29
The bronze from the wave offering weighed two and a half tons.
30
The workers used some of it to make the bases for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They used some for the bronze altar for burnt offerings and its bronze grate and all of its tools.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 26:37
31
They used some for the bases for the courtyard that was around the holy tent. They used some for the bases for the courtyard entrance. And they used the rest to make all of the tent stakes for the holy tent and the courtyard that was around it.
Summary of Exodus 38
Exodus 38 begins the description of the tabernacle’s construction by mentioning some of the items that will be constructed in the outer courtyard. Bezalel makes the bronze altar, the laver, and the court around the tabernacle. This chapter also explains how much metal was used for the work and describes how the materials were counted.
Bezalel begins by constructing the altar of burnt offering. This altar is to be constructed from shittim wood and covered with brass. It should be a square with horns at the four corners. It also has a network of brass on it, as well as various vessels to carry out the sacrifices. The utensils include pots, shovels, basins, fleshhooks, and firepans. The poles that are used to carry the altar are made from shittim wood and covered with brass.
The altar is set up in the court just outside the tabernacle proper; it is the main place in which sacrifices are carried out. Unlike the golden altar of incense, described in the previous chapter, the altar is significantly larger and is covered in brass rather than gold.
Then Bezalel uses brass to construct the laver, or washing basin, which is made from the mirrors of the women who had served at the doors of the tabernacle. The laver is placed in the court between the sanctuary and the altar. The priests use it to wash their hands and feet as they go about their duties.
The next step in describing the tabernacle is to describe the court around it. On the south side there is a curtain of fine-twined linen that extends for one hundred cubits. Along this there are twenty pillars of brass that stand on twenty sockets. The same is true of the north side, but the west side is half as long, with only ten pillars and ten sockets.
At the east side, the entrance to the court is also fifty cubits wide. This entrance is also decorated with fine-twined linen curtains and blue, purple, and scarlet material. The four pillars for the entrance curtain also have brass sockets. The pillars that were used to set up the courtyard have silver hooks and bands, and their sockets are of brass. The court is set up so that it surrounds the tabernacle, and the entrance to it is at the east.
Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest, is described as being the one who keeps record of the materials used and oversees the building of the tabernacle. The Levites are the ones who actually help Aaron with the work, and the materials are carefully measured.
In describing the materials used to make the tabernacle and its vessels, it is noticed that the amount of gold used for the work is twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels. The amount of silver used for the work is one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels. The silver is used for making the sockets for the sanctuary and the sockets for the pillars of the veil and those of the court.
It is mentioned that the brass used for the work is obtained from the people’s offerings. This brass is used for furnishing the altar, its vessels, the sockets for the court, the pins, and a vast number of other items. Exodus 38 is full of detailed description of the items of furniture that are to be placed in the courtyard and the items that surround the tabernacle. The bronze altar serves as the main site of sacrifice, while the laver provides the means by which the priests can wash themselves before they serve. The court is constructed around the tabernacle so that the work of the priests is separated from the rest of the camp.
Finally, the chapter describes how all the items used in the construction of the tabernacle were meticulously measured and recorded. Gold, silver, and brass are all used in the work, and the people were generous with their offerings of these materials. By the end of this chapter, then, the vast majority of the materials for the construction of the tabernacle and its vessels have been described.
Bezalel begins by constructing the altar of burnt offering. This altar is to be constructed from shittim wood and covered with brass. It should be a square with horns at the four corners. It also has a network of brass on it, as well as various vessels to carry out the sacrifices. The utensils include pots, shovels, basins, fleshhooks, and firepans. The poles that are used to carry the altar are made from shittim wood and covered with brass.
The altar is set up in the court just outside the tabernacle proper; it is the main place in which sacrifices are carried out. Unlike the golden altar of incense, described in the previous chapter, the altar is significantly larger and is covered in brass rather than gold.
Then Bezalel uses brass to construct the laver, or washing basin, which is made from the mirrors of the women who had served at the doors of the tabernacle. The laver is placed in the court between the sanctuary and the altar. The priests use it to wash their hands and feet as they go about their duties.
The next step in describing the tabernacle is to describe the court around it. On the south side there is a curtain of fine-twined linen that extends for one hundred cubits. Along this there are twenty pillars of brass that stand on twenty sockets. The same is true of the north side, but the west side is half as long, with only ten pillars and ten sockets.
At the east side, the entrance to the court is also fifty cubits wide. This entrance is also decorated with fine-twined linen curtains and blue, purple, and scarlet material. The four pillars for the entrance curtain also have brass sockets. The pillars that were used to set up the courtyard have silver hooks and bands, and their sockets are of brass. The court is set up so that it surrounds the tabernacle, and the entrance to it is at the east.
Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest, is described as being the one who keeps record of the materials used and oversees the building of the tabernacle. The Levites are the ones who actually help Aaron with the work, and the materials are carefully measured.
In describing the materials used to make the tabernacle and its vessels, it is noticed that the amount of gold used for the work is twenty-nine talents and seven hundred and thirty shekels. The amount of silver used for the work is one hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five shekels. The silver is used for making the sockets for the sanctuary and the sockets for the pillars of the veil and those of the court.
It is mentioned that the brass used for the work is obtained from the people’s offerings. This brass is used for furnishing the altar, its vessels, the sockets for the court, the pins, and a vast number of other items. Exodus 38 is full of detailed description of the items of furniture that are to be placed in the courtyard and the items that surround the tabernacle. The bronze altar serves as the main site of sacrifice, while the laver provides the means by which the priests can wash themselves before they serve. The court is constructed around the tabernacle so that the work of the priests is separated from the rest of the camp.
Finally, the chapter describes how all the items used in the construction of the tabernacle were meticulously measured and recorded. Gold, silver, and brass are all used in the work, and the people were generous with their offerings of these materials. By the end of this chapter, then, the vast majority of the materials for the construction of the tabernacle and its vessels have been described.