36
Exodus

Making the Tabernacle

Exodus 36:8-38
8And all the wise of heart among those doing the work made the tabernacle: ten curtains of twisted linen, and blue, and purple, and worm scarlet, with cherubim, the work of a designer; he made them. 9The length of the one curtain was twenty-eight cubits, and the width of the one curtain was four cubits; one measure for all the curtains. 10And he joined five of the curtains one to one, and five curtains he joined one to one. 11And he made loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain at the end in the joining; so he made on the edge of the outermost curtain in the second joining. 12Fifty loops he made on the one curtain, and fifty loops he made on the end of the curtain which is in the second joining, the loops receiving one to one. 13And he made fifty clasps of gold, and he joined the curtains one to one with the clasps, and the tabernacle became one. 14And he made curtains of goat hair for a tent upon the tabernacle; eleven curtains he made them. 15The length of the one curtain was thirty cubits, and the width of the one curtain was four cubits; one measure for the eleven curtains. 16And he joined five of the curtains by themselves, and six of the curtains by themselves. 17And he made fifty loops upon the edge of the outermost curtain in the joining, and fifty loops he made upon the edge of the curtain of the second set. 18And he made fifty clasps of bronze to join the tent together to be one. 19And he made a covering for the tent of ram skins reddened, and a covering of leather skins from above. 20And he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing. 21Ten cubits the length of the one board, and a cubit and a half the width of the one board. 22Two hands for the one board, fitted one to one; so he made for all the boards of the tabernacle. 23And he made the boards for the tabernacle: twenty boards for the side of the Negeb southward. 24And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards, two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under one board for its two tenons. 25And for the second side of the tabernacle, for the side of the north, he made twenty boards. 26And their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board and two sockets under the other board. 27And for the flanks of the tabernacle westward he made six boards. 28And two boards he made for the corners of the tabernacle in the flanks. 29And they were double from beneath, and together they were double at its head to the one ring; so he made for the two of them at the two corners. 30And there were eight boards, and their sockets of silver were sixteen sockets, two sockets under the one board, and two sockets under the one board. 31And he made bars of acacia wood, five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle. 32And five bars for the boards of the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the flanks westward. 33And he made the middle bar to pass through in the midst of the boards from the end to the end. 34And he overlaid the boards with gold, and their rings he made of gold, houses for the bars, and he overlaid the bars with gold. 35And he made the curtain of blue, and purple, and worm scarlet, and twisted linen, the work of a designer; he made it with cherubim. 36And he made for it four pillars of acacia, and he overlaid them with gold, their hooks of gold, and he cast for them four sockets of silver. 37And he made a covering for the entrance of the tent of blue, and purple, and worm scarlet, and twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer. 38And its five pillars and their hooks; and he overlaid their capitals and their bands with gold, but their five sockets were of bronze.

Key words in this passage

Cross-references

Study notes

Skilled hands translate the commanded pattern into a finished structure by first joining ten linen curtains embroidered with cherubim into one tabernacle through matching blue loops and fifty gold clasps. Eleven goat-hair curtains, secured by bronze clasps, form the tent above, topped by reddened ram skins and leather. Acacia boards ten cubits high stand upright in paired silver sockets on every side, braced by five horizontal bars per wall plus a middle bar, all overlaid with gold. A second cherubim curtain hangs inside on four gold-covered pillars set in silver, while the entrance receives an embroidered screen on five pillars whose sockets are bronze. The result is a single, stable dwelling whose graded materials and exact fittings mark degrees of holiness from center to threshold.

What is Making the Tabernacle about?

The skilled artisans whom Moses had singled out begin the actual construction of the tabernacle. They start with the inner curtains of twisted linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, each bearing cherubim worked by a designer, then join them in two groups of five with blue loops and gold clasps so the whole becomes one. Over these they stretch the goat-hair tent curtains, joined by bronze clasps, and add the outer layers of reddened ram skins and leather.

Next they shape the acacia framework: boards ten cubits long fitted with tenons and set in silver sockets, twenty on the south, twenty on the north, six plus two corner boards on the west, all braced by horizontal bars overlaid with gold. Inside they hang the dividing curtain of the same colored fabrics on four gold-covered pillars standing in silver sockets, and at the entrance they fashion an embroidered screen on five pillars whose capitals and bands are gold but whose sockets are bronze.

The immediate question is whether the people’s freewill gifts and the craftsmen’s skill will produce a structure that matches the pattern already given. These verses matter because they mark the first concrete steps of building after the workers’ appointment and the gathering of materials, showing how the commands move from instruction to execution without delay or alteration.

Where does this passage sit in Exodus?

These verses open the actual building phase right after the report that the people brought far more materials than needed and Moses had to restrain further gifts. The workers whom Bezalel and Oholiab now direct begin with the ten linen curtains and their cherubim, exactly the first item listed in the earlier instructions for the tabernacle. The same sequence of goat-hair tent, ram-skin covering, acacia boards, and inner and outer hangings follows without deviation, so the narrative moves from completed provision straight into ordered execution.

The wording of each measurement, loop, clasp, and socket repeats the commands given on the mountain, creating a steady echo that runs from chapter twenty-six through the present section. This repetition marks the transition from divine command to human fulfillment after the covenant had been broken and restored. Once the curtains and framework are finished, the account turns without pause to the ark and its furnishings, preserving the same pattern of making that began here.

Within the larger flow of Exodus, the section therefore sits between the gathering of resources and the production of every sacred object, showing how the skilled leaders appointed in chapter thirty-five now carry the work forward until the whole structure stands ready for assembly.

How is the passage structured?

The account opens with the ten linen curtains, each twenty-eight cubits long and four wide, bearing cherubim. Five are joined to five, blue loops meet blue loops, and fifty gold clasps draw the halves into a single tabernacle. The movement then shifts outward to the goat-hair layer: eleven curtains, thirty cubits long, are grouped as five plus six, secured by bronze clasps so the tent itself becomes one. A single verse adds the ram-skin and leather coverings above.

Attention next turns to the vertical structure. Acacia boards ten cubits high stand on silver sockets, twenty along the south, twenty along the north, six plus two corner boards on the west. The text lingers over the double tenons and paired sockets, then repeats the pattern for each side before describing the five horizontal bars per wall and the single middle bar that runs the full length. Gold overlay unifies the wooden frame.

The description returns inside for the dividing curtain of colored linen with cherubim, hung on four gold-covered pillars set in silver sockets. Finally the entrance receives its embroidered screen on five pillars whose capitals and bands are gold but whose sockets remain bronze. The sequence therefore moves from innermost fabric to outer skins, to load-bearing frame, and back to the two internal partitions, each stage marked by its own material and joining method.

What is the historical background?

Acacia wood appears repeatedly for the upright boards and bars because the tree grows in the dry wadis of the Sinai and southern regions the people traversed. Its hardness and resistance to decay suited the portable structure. The cubit measure used for every board and curtain follows the common forearm length of the surrounding cultures, roughly eighteen inches, so that the twenty boards on each long side and the six plus corner boards on the west produced a consistent rectangular frame once the tenons seated into the sockets.

The inner curtains of twisted linen dyed blue, purple, and scarlet required skilled dyers and imported colorants. Purple especially came from murex snails along the Mediterranean coast, while scarlet derived from scale insects; both signaled costly materials reserved for sacred or royal use. The cherubim worked into these curtains belong to a wider ancient Near Eastern convention of winged guardians flanking holy space. Here they appear only on the innermost layer, nearest the ark.

Goat-hair cloth formed the next covering, a standard tent material among pastoral groups because it sheds water yet breathes. The outer layers of reddened ram skins and leather added further weather protection. Gold clasps joined the linen set, bronze clasps the goat-hair set, a material distinction that matches the graded holiness moving outward from the center. Silver sockets under the boards supplied a stable base while keeping the wood off the ground.

The five pillars at the entrance and four for the inner curtain carried gold overlay on their capitals and bands, yet rested in bronze sockets, again showing a shift in metals at the threshold. The Negeb reference for the southern side simply orients the whole structure by the compass directions familiar to people moving through that terrain.

What does this passage teach about God?

The repeated insistence that the wise of heart made every curtain, board, and clasp shows that the tabernacle arises from human skill placed at the service of divine instruction. The workers do not improvise; they follow exact lengths, widths, and numbers so that ten linen curtains become one tabernacle when joined by fifty gold clasps. This unity is not an afterthought but the direct result of matching loops and clasps, indicating that the dwelling God requires must be whole rather than assembled from separate pieces.

Materials are graded according to proximity to the interior. Gold clasps and gold-overlaid pillars stand inside, while bronze clasps and bronze sockets remain at the entrance and outer framework. The distinction is not arbitrary; it marks degrees of holiness without denying that every part belongs to the same structure. The goat-hair tent and the reddened ram skins above it further shield the inner linen from weather, yet they also keep the most costly fabrics from public view. Only those who pass the embroidered screen encounter the cherubim woven into the dividing curtain.

Acacia boards stand upright in pairs of silver sockets, their tenons fitted so that the entire frame holds together from end to end. The middle bar runs the full length, binding the sides into one rigid whole. Such engineering expresses stability: the place where God meets Israel must endure wind and movement, not collapse when the camp relocates. At the same time the wood itself remains visible beneath its gold overlay, reminding the makers that ordinary substance, shaped and covered, now carries glory.

The cherubim appear only on the innermost curtains and the dividing veil. Their presence signals guardianship rather than decoration; they mark the boundary that separates the holy place from the most holy. The same hands that fashion loops and sockets also produce these figures, showing that artistic labor and ritual order belong together. The result is a portable sanctuary whose every measurement and material bears witness that the covenant God has chosen to dwell in the midst of a people prepared to obey with care.

What are the interpretive difficulties?

The account of the corner boards on the west side leaves their precise construction open to more than one reading. Exodus 36:28-29 states that two boards were made for the corners and that they were double from beneath while together double at the head reaching one ring. The wording allows for either two boards joined side by side to form a thicker post or individual boards shaped with an angle, yet the text supplies no additional detail that would settle the question. Later temple descriptions do not resolve the matter, so interpreters must work with the ambiguity the tabernacle narrative itself preserves.

The near-verbatim repetition of measurements and materials from the earlier instructions raises a separate question about the purpose of such exact restatement. Every curtain length, clasp count, and socket arrangement reappears without recorded deviation or on-site modification. The narrative therefore presents the completed structure as matching the commanded pattern in every listed respect, but it offers no comment on whether this outcome required correction, improvisation, or simply steady adherence to the given specifications.

A further silence concerns the practical challenges of fitting the middle bar through all the boards from end to end. The description in 36:33 assumes the bar could run continuously, yet the text does not address how the rings and sockets accommodated its passage once the boards stood upright in their silver bases. This detail remains unelaborated, leaving readers to infer that the design permitted the bar to function as described without further explanation.

Finally, the account distinguishes the gold clasps that joined the inner curtains from the bronze clasps used on the goat-hair tent, yet it does not indicate whether this material difference carried any ritual weight beyond the practical need for durability. The distinction stands in the finished work, but the text does not expand on its significance.

Movement by movement

The Linen Curtains36:8-13

The ten curtains of twisted linen, blue, purple, and worm scarlet, each bearing cherubim worked by a designer, receive the first attention. Every curtain measures twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide, so that all ten share one measure. Five curtains are joined edge to edge, and the remaining five receive the same treatment. Blue loops are then placed along the outer edge of each set where the two groups will meet, fifty loops on one curtain and fifty on the other, positioned to receive one another. Fifty gold clasps draw the loops together, and the tabernacle becomes one. The designer’s cherubim remain visible across the joined surface, while the gold clasps supply both fastening and ornament at the single seam. This construction follows the exact lengths and counts given earlier, so the inner dwelling is formed as a single expanse rather than separate panels laid side by side.

The Goat-Hair Tent and Outer Coverings36:14-19

The eleven goat-hair curtains stand directly over the linen tabernacle. Each measures thirty cubits long and four cubits wide, one measure for all eleven. The workers join five curtains by themselves and six by themselves, place fifty loops along the edge of the outermost curtain in each group, and draw the sections together with fifty bronze clasps so the tent itself becomes one. Over this they add a covering of reddened ram skins and another of leather skins from above.

The extra curtain in this layer allows the goat-hair tent to extend beyond the linen curtains on the sides and rear. Bronze clasps replace the gold ones used inside, matching the coarser material and its more exposed position. The single verse that records the two outer coverings gives no measurements or joining details, treating them as a final weather barrier rather than a structural element. This outward movement from linen to hair to skins follows the same sequence of provision and execution already seen in the inner curtains, yet the change in clasp metal and the added length of the tent curtains mark the shift from the dwelling space itself to its protective envelope.

The Acacia Boards and Sockets36:20-30

The boards for the tabernacle are cut from acacia wood and set upright, each ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide, with two tenons fitted one to one. Twenty boards rise along the south side, each pair of tenons seated in its own two silver sockets, producing forty sockets in all. The north side receives an identical set of twenty boards and forty sockets. On the west, six boards stand in the flank, yet two additional boards are prepared for the corners. These corner boards are double from beneath and together double at the head, reaching one ring, so the eight boards rest on sixteen silver sockets. The silver therefore forms a continuous base under every upright, while the repeated pairing of sockets under each board keeps the frame level and secure before any bars or gold overlay are added.

The Connecting Bars36:31-34

Five bars of acacia wood are prepared for each long side and for the western end. A single middle bar is then made to pass through the boards from one end of the tabernacle to the other. Gold rings are fashioned as houses for the bars, and every bar receives its own gold overlay. This work follows at once upon the setting of the boards into their silver sockets. The bars lock the uprights into a single rigid frame capable of supporting the linen curtains already joined with gold clasps and the goat-hair tent stretched above them. Because the middle bar runs the full length inside the boards, it supplies continuous horizontal strength without visible interruption on the exterior. The gold covering on the bars matches the gold already applied to the boards themselves, so the entire wooden skeleton shares the same finish as the inner curtains and the pillars that will soon stand at the veil and entrance. The text records no variation in number or material; the same five-plus-one pattern and the same gold treatment appear on every side.

The Veil and Entrance Screen36:35-38

The curtain of blue, purple, worm scarlet, and twisted linen receives cherubim worked across its surface by a designer, matching the pattern already used on the ten tabernacle curtains yet standing alone as the inner division. Four acacia pillars, each overlaid with gold and fitted with gold hooks, support this hanging and rest in four silver sockets. The entrance covering repeats the same dyed yarns and linen but is assigned to an embroiderer, and five pillars carry gold only on their capitals and bands while their sockets are cast in bronze. The change from four pillars to five and from silver sockets to bronze marks the outward movement from the most holy space toward the court. Silver sockets appear again here only for the veil itself, while bronze takes their place at the tent doorway, preserving the same grading of materials already visible in the gold clasps inside and the bronze clasps on the goat-hair layer. The cherubim remain visible only on the veil, not on the entrance screen, so the boundary before the ark carries the fuller imagery of guardians while the outer screen signals access without repeating that detail.

Notes accompany the Anselm Project Bible, an AI translation from the original languages. Tap any verse above for the committee's word-level decisions.

Tap a verse