Deeper Commentary
Exo 39:1 Of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made finely worked
garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments
for Aaron; as Yahweh commanded Moses-
Scarlet and purple were the colours of royalty or rulership, yet it
was intertwined with the priestly garments. There was always the theme of
king-priests. It was perhaps God's initial intention that the leadership
of Israel should be by the priests, and their choice of a human king and
the subsequent ruling dynasty through David and the tribe of Judah was not
His ideal intention.
Exo 39:2 He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined
linen-
The "fine twined linen" was given to them on leaving Egypt, as it was
characteristic of Egypt ("fine twined linen from Egypt" Ez. 27:7). It was
apparently only in Egypt at that time that such fine linen was "made from
yarn of which each thread was composed of many delicate strands". We see
that the best wealth we take from Egypt / the world is to be devoted to
the Lord's work.
Exo 39:3 They beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to
work it in the blue, in the purple, in the scarlet, and in the fine linen,
the work of the skilful workman-
This may refer to one specific "skilful workman", Bezaleel or
Aholiab.
Exo 39:4 They made shoulder straps for it, joined together. At the two
ends it was joined together-
LXX "It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined together, fastened on
the two sides". "Joined / Coupled together" is s.w. "have fellowship
with" (Ps. 94:20), and often of men 'joining together'. The theme of
coupling and joining together occurs throughout the record of the
tabernacle, and is used e.g. of the joining together of the curtains (Ex.
26:3). Unity amongst believers is to be the outcome of the indwelling of
God's glory. Disunity results from simply not having perceived His glory.
For before that, all disunity disappears as we are awed by His grace and
convicted of our own smallness and unworthiness.
Exo 39:5 The skilfully woven band that was on it, with which to fasten it
on, was of the same piece, like its work; of gold, of blue, purple,
scarlet, and fine twined linen; as Yahweh commanded Moses-
The significance of the colours should not be over emphasized. Israel
in the wilderness only had a limited range of things with them, and as
with the use of the acacia wood for the tabernacle construction, God was
[and is] in a sense limited by the material He choses to have available to
work with.
But see on :1.
Exo 39:6 They worked the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold,
engraved with the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the
children of Israel-
LXX "emerald". The LXX is the version quoted repeatedly in the New
Testament, often preferring its renderings to that of the Masoretic text.
And yet the LXX differs from the Hebrew in the description of the precious
stones, and their order in the breastplate. It is unwise therefore to seek
to find meaning in the actual stones. These precious stones would have
been extracted from the amulets or jewellery given to Israel by the
Egyptians when they left Egypt. The significant thing is that the names of
God's people were engraved upon them. God's people were carried before God
by the High Priest, looking forward to how we are personally represented
by name before God, through the mediation of the Lord Jesus in Heaven
itself. Man is not alone, none are forgotten or unknown. That is the
simple take away.
The names of God's people were engraved upon the stones which were on the High Priest's clothing. God's people were carried before God by the High Priest, looking forward to how we are personally represented by name before God, through the mediation of the Lord Jesus in Heaven itself. Man is not alone, none are forgotten or unknown. That is the simple take away. But "engraved" is the word usually translated "open", "to make appear". We are revealed before God, our life situation and personality type is openly made to appear before God, by our great High Priest.
Exo 39:7 He put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be stones of
memorial for the children of Israel, as Yahweh commanded Moses-
The idea wasn’t that God might forget His people and
so He needed to be reminded by the Priest wearing these stones with their
names on; rather they were a reminder to Israel that they were each
personally remembered by God all the time.
Exo 39:8 He made the breastplate, the work of a skilful workman, like the
work of the ephod; of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined
linen-
"Breastplate" is LXX "oracle", as if the judgment flashed out from
the urim and thummim associated with the breastplate was God's word
or oracle to His people. For "linen" see on :2. "The skilful
workman" may specifically refer to Aholiab (Ex. 38:23). Perhaps Paul saw
in this man a representation of us all- for he urged us likewise to be
careful workmen when it comes to the understanding and teaching of God's
word (2 Tim. 2:15).
Exo 39:9 It was square. They made the breastplate double. Its length was a
span, and its breadth a span, being double-
GNB "9 inches long and 9 inches wide". 23 x 23 cm. Again we note the
small size of the things associated with the tabernacle, compared with the
grandiose surface level religion of the other peoples. David and Solomon's
obsession with building a large scale temple reflects how they failed to
grasp this. The breastplate
was quite small, compared to the grandiose religious clothing of other
religions.
Exo 39:10 They set in it four rows of stones: a row of ruby, topaz, and
beryl was the first row-
The faithful believers are likened to a stone with a unique name written on it
(Rev. 2:17). We are each called to uniquely reflect and refract the light of
God’s glory in a way slightly different to anyone else, just as the stones on
the breastplate all glimmered with their own unique beauty. Unity isn’t the same
as uniformity.
LXX "a sardius, a topaz, and emerald".
Exo 39:11 and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an
emerald-
LXX "a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a jasper".
Exo 39:12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst-
LXX has "a ligure" for "jacinth".
Exo 39:13 and the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They
were enclosed in gold settings-
LXX "chrysolite, and a beryl, and an onyx stone".
Exo 39:14 The stones were according to the names of the children of
Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet,
everyone according to his name, for the twelve tribes-
The long sentence here belabours the point several times over that
the names of Israel were engraven or 'opened up' upon the stones. The idea
is that the people of God were individually represented by name before God
by the High Priest / the Lord Jesus.
Exo 39:15 They made on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work
of pure gold-
LXX calls "the breastplate" "the oracle", see on :8. The attachment
of the breastplate to the inner clothes of the High Priest is emphasized.
The impression is of careful connection of the precious stones to the
person of the High Priest- all looking forward to our connection with the
Lord Jesus.
Exo 39:16 They made two settings of gold, and two gold rings, and put the
two rings on the two ends of the breastplate-
As noted on :15, the impression is of careful connection of the
precious stones to the person of the High Priest- all looking forward to
our connection with the Lord Jesus. LXX is quite different: "And Aaron
shall take the names of the children of Israel, on the oracle of judgment
on his breast; a memorial before God for him as he goes into the
sanctuary".
Exo 39:17 They put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the
ends of the breastplate-
The almost monotonous stress continues- that the chains connected the
breastplate to the ephod. The lesson from all this is that God's people are
indeed truly connected to their High Priest. And that connection, like
they themselves, is all supremely precious- the most valuable metal and
stones are used to represent it.
Exo 39:18 The other two ends of the two braided chains they put on the two
settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, in its front-
As noted on :16,17, the cameraman of Divine inspiration is zoomed in
very close up here. The connection of God's people to their High Priest is
being laboured.
Exo 39:19 They made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the
breastplate, on its edge, which was toward the side of the ephod inward-
GNB "make two rings of gold and attach them to the lower corners of
the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod".
Exo 39:20 They made two rings of gold, and put them on the two shoulder
straps of the ephod underneath, in its front, close by its coupling, above
the skilfully woven band of the ephod-
GNB "attach them to the lower part of the front of the two shoulder
straps of the ephod, near the seam and above the finely woven belt". There
is nowhere that we have more detail about a piece of clothing in the
Bible. The attachment of the symbols of God's people to the High Priest is
clearly of the utmost importance to Him.
Exo 39:21 They bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the
ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be on the skilfully woven band of
the ephod, and that the breastplate might not come loose from the ephod,
as Yahweh commanded Moses-
GNB "so that the breastpiece rests above the belt and does not come
loose". Again we note the constant emphasis upon the connection between
the breastplate and the ephod, looking ahead to the unbreakable connection
between God's people and the Lord Jesus in His work of mediation for us
before God.
Exo 39:22 He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue-
This plain single colour [perhaps indigo] would have thrown into
contrast the variegated patterns of the ephod and breastplate.
Exo 39:23 The opening of the robe in its midst was like the opening of a
coat of mail, with a binding around its opening, that it should not be
torn-
The Lord having His own
clothes put back on Him meant that He would have been dressed in blood
sprinkled garments for the walk to Golgotha. Again His holy mind would have
been on the Messianic prophecies of Is. 63:3 about a Messiah with blood
sprinkled garments lifted up in glorious victory. Or perhaps He saw the
connection to Lev. 8:30, where the priests had to have blood sprinkled
garments in order to begin their priestly work. This would have sent His
mind to us, for whom He was interceding. Likewise when He perceived that His
garment would not be rent, He would have joyfully perceived that He was
indeed as the High Priest whose garment was not to be rent (Ex. 39:23).
Christ died as the supreme High Priest, and the
soldiers decided not to rend His garment but instead to throw dice to see
which of them should get it (Jn. 19:24). As He hung on the cross, looking
down and noticing what they were doing, He would have remembered this
teaching about the High Priest’s garment, and taken encouragement that He
was indeed doing the High Priestly work to its ultimate term. His blood
stained, dirty outer garment- perhaps woven by his social outcast of a
mother- was equivalent of the High Priest’s robe of “glory and beauty”
(Ex. 28:2).
Exo 39:24 They made on the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue,
purple, scarlet, and twined linen-
The golden bells on the High Priest's garments were familiar in local
religions as charm to ward off demons by their noise. But they are used in
the Divine scheme of things to remind of God's holiness and the danger of
human sin impinging upon this and thus leading to death. And thereby fear
of demons was to be replaced by fear of God's holiness and human sin.
LXX "pomegranates of a flowering pomegranate tree".
Exo 39:25 They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the
pomegranates around the skirts of the robe, between the pomegranates-
The pomegranate was full of seeds. The suggestion was that the
mediation of the High Priest was to produce a multitudinous seed, in
fulfilment of the promises to Abraham. Hebrew tradition claims there were
12 pomegranates on the hem, appropriate to the 12 tribes of Israel. All
this came to full term in the priestly work of the Lord Jesus. As
noted on :23, the robe looked ahead to that of the Lord Jesus, and so we
note how He healed those who took hold of the hem of His robe (Mt. 9:20;
14:36). Perhaps they perceived His High Priestly nature.
Exo 39:26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, around the
skirts of the robe, to minister in, as Yahweh commanded Moses-
The bells can be understood as meaning that there was to be an
element of proclamation in the work of the priest.
Ex. 28:35 adds: "It shall be on Aaron to minister; and his sound
shall be heard when he goes in to the holy place before Yahweh, and when
he comes out, so that he will not die".
"Woe
is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel" (1 Cor. 9:16) may be alluding to
how the High Priest had to have bells so that "his sound may be heard...
that he die not" (Ex. 28:35; this idea of the sound being heard is picked
up in Ps. 19 concerning the spread of the Gospel).
Exo 39:27 They made the coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and
for his sons-
Ex. 28:40 adds that these clothes were "for glory and for beauty".
The idea is not that the clothes should be beautiful and glorious; they
were "for" the manifestation of the glory and beauty of God's saving ways,
once their significance was perceived. The naked flesh of man was to be
covered over with a glory and beauty which was to come from God, looking
forward to the idea of imputed righteousness which Paul explains in
Romans. Glory and beauty were to be the features of all Israel in their
role as priests / teachers of the Gentile world (Dt. 26:19 s.w.). Again we
see repeated the ideal intention that all Israel were to be a nation of
priests, and not just resign the work of witness to the priestly tribe.
Exo 39:28 and the turban of fine linen, and the linen headbands of fine
linen, and the linen breeches of fine twined linen-
"The fine linen is the righteousness of the saints" (Rev. 19:8)
suggests that the entire body of believers ["saints"] are seen as indeed
they are, a priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5). This is how we will be presented to
the Lord, as priests now equipped for eternal service. This is what
eternity will be about- serving in the spirit of priests. And we are to
train for this now, and at least develop the desire to do that work.
Exo 39:29 and the sash of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and
scarlet, the work of the embroiderer, as Yahweh commanded Moses-
"Sash" is AV "girdle". "The embroiderer" was specifically Bezaleel or
Aholiab (Ex. 38:23), and the word is more commonly translated
"needlework". This was typically women's work, but a theme of the
construction of the tabernacle is that the work was done by God's Spirit
using people for His purpose. We may connect this with how the likes of
chemists and goldsmiths were used for the rough work of rebuilding the
walls of Jerusalem in Nehemiah's time. On one hand, our natural talents
are used by God; and yet we are also called to step out against the wind
of our natural inclination in God's service.
Exo 39:30 They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on
it a writing, like the engravings of a signet: HOLY TO YAHWEH-
Most of the surrounding tabernacles featured quite a lot of noise-
especially incantations and spoken formulas regarding the holiness of the
god and shrine. There were few spoken words in the Mosaic rituals; "Holy
to the Lord" was written upon the forehead of the High Priest
rather than stated by incantations (GNB 'Dedicated to the LORD',
Exo 39:31 They tied to it a lace of blue, to fasten it on the turban
above, as Yahweh commanded Moses-
"Lace" is s.w. "wire", "ribband", "line"; we note it was not a golden
chain but a lace. That the Priest’s crown was to be made of linen rather than solid gold or some
other precious metal could appear some kind of anticlimax- most leaders of other
religions had something solid on their heads. White linen represents
righteousness (Rev. 19:8); it’s as if the intention was to highlight the fact
that simple righteousness is of such great value and power in God’s sight rather
than any visible ostentation.
Exo 39:32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was
finished. The children of Israel did according to all that Yahweh
commanded Moses; so they did-
There is huge emphasis upon the exact obedience to the commandments
given before the apostacy with the golden calf. But it was really Moses,
Bezaleel and Aholiab who did most of the work. Their obedience and work
was counted to all Israel. The idea of imputed righteousness is found
throughout the Bible, and not just in the New Testament letter to the
Romans.
Exo 39:33 They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent, with all its
furniture, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets-
The interconnected nature of the tabernacle construction is
continually stressed. For this is the nature of God's system of
manifestation amongst His people to this day- various aspects and
individuals linking in with each other, according to His design. There is
no way an individual can reach God's Kingdom alone.
Exo 39:34 the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, the covering of sea cow
hides, the veil of the screen-
The sea cow hides would have been picked up by them whilst camped by
the Red Sea. Whatever we pick up along the way in our wilderness journey-
is to be used by God, and devoted to Him by us.
Exo 39:35 the ark of the testimony with its poles, the mercy seat-
"Pole" is s.w. "strength". There is again a juxtaposition of ideas-
the weak acacia wood, which is no more than a thorn bush, was to be turned
into God's strength through being overlaid with gold.
Exo 39:36 the table, all its vessels, the show bread-
"The bread of the presence" (Ex. 25:30) doesn't simply mean that it was bread
which was in God's presence; for that is the meaning covered by "before Me
always". Rather the idea is that God's especial presence was there in the
eating of the bread. The God who dwelt the other side of the veil, over
the mercy seat, as it were came out from there and was present when the
bread was eaten. We may have here some hint that there is a special
presence of the Father and Son at the breaking of bread, which is the
Christian equivalent of this table (Mt. 18:20; 1 Cor. 11:10).
Exo 39:37 the pure lampstand, its lamps, even the lamps to be set in
order, all its vessels, the oil for the light-
GNB reads in the possible ellipsis: "the lampstand of pure gold". As
the gold for it weighed around 40 kg., it would have been quite small,
given the density of gold. "The candlestick" or menorah is only ever
spoken of in the law of Moses in the singular, but in 1 Chron. 28:15 David
decided there were to be multiple such candlesticks. By doing so, he
ignored the symbolism of the one candlestick, the one people of God; such
was his obsession with mere religion.
Exo 39:38 the golden altar, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the
screen for the door of the Tent-
Exo 39:39 the bronze altar, its grating of brass, its poles, all of its
vessels, the basin and its base-
The continual mention of rings and poles is because all the
tabernacle had to be portable, as Israel were constantly on the move. This
is proof enough that much of the "law of Moses" was only relevant to the
wilderness generation. God's desire to be continually on the move,
dwelling in a tent, was still evident at the time when Israel settled in
the land. For He told David that He didn't want a temple because He was
dynamic, always moving on. But the way of religion is to have a permanent,
stable closed system, rather than the dynamic way of the Spirit and true
spirituality. "Rings" in Hebrew is literally 'that which sinks in', and
refers to a signet ring. If a literal ring was solely in view, a different
word would have been used. It was as if this mobile, ever moving onwards
style of the tabernacle was the signature or hallmark of God.
Exo 39:40 the hangings of the court, its pillars, its sockets, the screen
for the gate of the court, its cords, its pins, all the instruments of the
service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting-
The tent of meeting is here defined as the tabernacle. The reference
is to the tent which included the holy place and the most holy place (Ex.
29:11; 30:20). But the actual place of meeting between God and His people
was over the mercy seat, the lid of the ark of the covenant, which was in
the most holy place and only seen by the high priest briefly once / year.
But it was as if God as a king left His throne and came forth to meet His
people, represented by the priests, at the door of the holy place, the
"tent of meeting".
Exo 39:41 the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place,
the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to
minister in the priest’s office-
AV "the cloths of service" [NEV "finely worked garments"] may refer
to the cloths used for covering the various items as they were transported
around.
Exo 39:42 According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so the children of
Israel did all the work-
But it was really Moses, Bezaleel and Aholiab who did most of the
work. Their obedience and work was counted to all Israel. The idea of
imputed righteousness is found throughout the Bible, and not just in the
New Testament letter to the Romans.
Exo 39:43 Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as Yahweh
had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them-
Moses’ personal blessing of the people was that of God (Dt. 33); and
when he looked with pleasure upon the completed tabernacle and blessed
Israel, he was imitating God’s inspection and blessing of the completed
natural creation (Ex. 39:43). Yet Israel tragically failed to appreciate
the degree to which God was manifest in the words of Moses, as they did
with Christ. This is shown by them asking for Moses to speak with them,
not God; they failed to realize that actually his voice was God’s voice.
They failed to see that commandments given ‘second hand’ really are the
voice of God (Ex. 20:19). Perhaps our appreciation of inspiration is
similar; we know the theory, but do we really see the wonder of the fact
that what we read is the awesome voice of God Himself?
When Moses looked with pleasure upon the completed
tabernacle and blessed Israel, he was imitating God’s inspection and
blessing of the completed natural creation (Gen. 1:31); as if now a new
creation had been begun in the lives of Israel, just as it is in us
through baptism into Christ (cp. the Red Sea crossing)- 2 Cor. 5:17.
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