Exodus 38NASB
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Exodus38

New American Standard

1Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high.

2And he made its horns on its four corners, its horns being of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze.

3He also made all the utensils of the altar, the pails, the shovels, the basins, the meat-forks, and the firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze.

4And he made for the altar a grating of bronze netting beneath, under its ledge, reaching halfway up.

5He also cast four rings on the four ends of the bronze grating as holders for the poles.

6He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

7Then he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.

8Moreover, he made the basin of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

9Then he made the courtyard: for the south side the hangings of the courtyard were of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits;

10their twenty pillars, and their twenty bases, were made of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver.

11For the north side there were a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver.

12For the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver.

13For the east side, fifty cubits.

14The hangings for the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases,

15and so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the courtyard were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three bases.

16All the hangings of the courtyard all around were of fine twisted linen.

17And the bases for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands, of silver; and the overlaying of their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of the courtyard were furnished with silver bands.

18Now the curtain of the gate of the courtyard was the work of the weaver, of violet, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the courtyard.

19Their four pillars and their four bases were of bronze; their hooks were of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands were of silver.

20All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the courtyard all around were of bronze.

21This is the number of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were counted according to the command of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

22Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord had commanded Moses.

23With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skilled embroiderer, and a weaver in violet, in purple, and in scarlet material, and fine linen.

24All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary, which was the gold of the wave offering, was twenty-nine talents and 730 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

25And the silver of those of the congregation who were counted was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary;

26a beka a head (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary), assessed to each one who passed over to those who were counted, from twenty years old and upward, for 603,550 men.

27The hundred talents of silver were used for casting the bases of the sanctuary and the bases of the veil; a hundred bases for the hundred talents, a talent for a base.

28And of the 1,775 shekels, he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their tops and made bands for them.

29And the bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels.

30With it he made the bases to the doorway of the tent of meeting, and the bronze altar and its bronze grating, and all the utensils of the altar,

31and the bases of the courtyard all around and the bases of the gate of the courtyard, and all the pegs of the tabernacle and all the pegs of the courtyard all around.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 38.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: The brazen altar and laver. (1–8). The court. (9–20). The offerings of the people. (21–31).

vv1-8

In all ages of the church there have been some persons more devoted to God, more constant in their attendance upon his ordinances, and more willing to part even with lawful things, for his sake, than others. Some women, devoted to God and zealous for the tabernacle worship, expressed zeal by parting with their mirrors, which were polished plates of brass. Before the invention of looking-glasses, these served the same purposes. (Ex 38:9-20)

vv9-20

The walls of the court being of curtains only, intimated that the state of the Jewish church itself was movable and changeable; and in due time to be taken down and folded up, when the place of the tent should be enlarged, and its cords lengthened, to make room for the Gentile world.

vv21-31

The foundation of massy pieces of silver showed the solidity and purity of the truth upon which the church is founded. Let us regard the Lord Jesus Christ while reading of the furniture of the tabernacle. While looking at the altar of burnt-offering, let us see Jesus. In him, his righteousness, and salvation, is a full and sufficient offering for sin. In the laver of regeneration, by his Holy Spirit, let our souls be washed, and they shall be clean; and as the people offered willingly, so may our souls be made willing. Let us be ready to part with any thing, and count all but loss to win Christ.

Cross References

Exodus 38
v1Exodus 27:1-8thematic

The exact instructions for constructing the altar of burnt offering which are here executed.

Supported by John Calvin, JFB

v8Exodus 30:18-21thematic

The divine command for making the brass laver and its specific ritual purpose.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v81 Samuel 2:22thematic

Historical record of the dedicated women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v9Exodus 27:9-19thematic

The original architectural pattern and dimensions for constructing the outer court.

Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin

v25Exodus 30:12thematic

The commandment for the census and the half-shekel ransom money used for building.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v8Job 37:18thematic

Poetic description of the sky being strong like a molten looking glass (polished brass mirror).

Supported by Matthew Poole

v8Luke 2:37thematic

New Testament parallel of a devoted woman serving God continually at the temple.

Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB

v22Exodus 35:30-35thematic

The calling and divine endowment of Bezaleel and Aholiab for the work.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v4Exodus 27:4thematic

The specific pattern for the bronze grate of network under the altar's compass.

Supported by John Calvin

v20Exodus 27:19thematic

The command that all the pins of the tabernacle and court must be made of brass.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v24Exodus 30:13thematic

The standard definition of the shekel of the sanctuary used for valuation.

Supported by Matthew Poole

v2Exodus 27:2thematic

The instruction to make the horns on the four corners of the altar.

Supported by John Calvin

v3Exodus 27:3thematic

The command to make all the altar's vessels of brass.

Supported by John Calvin

v17Numbers 4:32thematic

The specific inventory and assignment of the pillars, sockets, and pins to the Levites.

Supported by Matthew Poole