Year of the Bible
Exodus 26
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Commentary on the Book of Exodus, Chapter 26:
God continues His instructions for the material items to be used in worship. The focus of this chapter is the Tabernacle, the physical structure in which worship will happen. The Tabernacle is designed as a rectangular building divided by a veil into a square and a rectangle. The square room is the Most Holy Space and is where the Ark of the Covenant with its Mercy Seat will reside. On the other side of the veil will be the Lampstand and the Table. Much of this chapter explains the construction of the layers of curtains that form a tent over the entire structure. The innermost cloth is the most intricate and requires the highest skill level to create. As the layers move outward, lesser valuable cloth and animal skins are used. The curtains, veil, and furnishings create an atmosphere inside the Tabernacle that is cool, dark, visually detailed, and shimmering with gold. This is in stark contrast to the exterior desert region with its heat, bright sun, and monochrome colors. The high attention to each element of the structure illustrates how God is found even in the details of our worship.
The Book of Exodus, Chapter 26
The Tabernacle
26 “Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet stuff; with cherubim skillfully worked shall you make them. 2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; all the curtains shall have one measure. 3 Five curtains shall be coupled to one another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. 4 And you shall make loops of blue on the edge of the outmost curtain in the first set; and likewise you shall make loops on the edge of the outmost curtain in the second set. 5 Fifty loops you shall make on the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite one another. 6 And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to the other with the clasps, that the tabernacle may be one whole.
7 “You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains shall you make. 8 The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits; the eleven curtains shall have the same measure. 9 And you shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and the sixth curtain you shall double over at the front of the tent. 10 And you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outmost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which is outmost in the second set.
11 “And you shall make fifty clasps of bronze, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together that it may be one whole. 12 And the part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 And the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, of what remains in the length of the curtains of the tent shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it. 14 And you shall make for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins.
The Framework
15 “And you shall make upright frames for the tabernacle of acacia wood. 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. 17 There shall be two tenons in each frame, for fitting together; so shall you do for all the frames of the tabernacle. 18 You shall make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side; 19 and forty bases of silver you shall make under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under another frame for its two tenons; 20 and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side twenty frames, 21 and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame, and two bases under another frame; 22 and for the rear of the tabernacle westward you shall make six frames. 23 And you shall make two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear; 24 they shall be separate beneath, but joined at the top, at the first ring; thus shall it be with both of them; they shall form the two corners. 25 And there shall be eight frames, with their bases of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one frame, and two bases under another frame.
26 “And you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 28 The middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall pass through from end to end. 29 You shall overlay the frames with gold, and shall make their rings of gold for holders for the bars; and you shall overlay the bars with gold. 30 And you shall erect the tabernacle according to the plan for it which has been shown you on the mountain.
The Veil and the Screen
31 “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen; in skilled work shall it be made, with cherubim; 32 and you shall hang it upon four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, upon four bases of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the covenant in there within the veil; and the veil shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy. 34 You shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the covenant in the most holy place. 35 And you shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand on the south side of the tabernacle opposite the table; and you shall put the table on the north side.
36 “And you shall make a screen for the door of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. 37 And you shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, and you shall cast five bases of bronze for them.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Such care is taken in the Old Testament for the dwelling place of God. The same God chooses to dwell with and even in us! Lord, how can I make more room for you in my heart and in my life? Thank you for your presence in my life.
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
»Construirás el Tabernáculo
con diez tapices de lino torzal,
de púrpura violácea, púrpura escarlata
y carmesí, y con querubines artísticamente
bordados en ellos. 2 La longitud
de cada tapiz será de veintiocho codos
y la anchura de cuatro, todos de la misma
medida. 3 Cinco tapices estarán unidos
uno con otro y lo mismo los otros
cinco. 4 Harás unos lazos de púrpura
violácea en el borde del tapiz final de la
primera serie y otros tantos en el borde
del que remata la segunda serie. 5 Pondrás
cincuenta lazos en el primer tapiz
y otros cincuenta en el que remata la segunda
serie, de modo que se correspondan
unos con otros. 6 Harás cincuenta
broches de oro y unirás los tapices uno
con otro, de modo que el Tabernáculo
forme un todo.
7 »Tejerás también tapices de pelo de
cabra en forma de tienda para el Tabernáculo;
serán en total once. 8 La longitud
de cada tapiz será de treinta codos y la
anchura de cuatro; los once tapices de la
misma medida. 9 Empalmarás cinco de
los tapices en una parte y los seis restantes
en otra, y doblarás el sexto en la
parte delantera de la tienda. 10 Pondrás
cincuenta lazos en el borde del tapiz que
remata la primera serie y otros cincuenta
en el borde del que remata la segunda.
11 Fabricarás cincuenta broches de
bronce por los que harás pasar los lazos,
uniendo así la tienda de modo que forme
un todo. 12 De la parte sobrante de
los tapices de la tienda, la mitad colga
rá por la parte posterior del Tabernáculo;
13 y el codo sobrante a todo lo largo
de la tienda, a uno y otro lado; se extenderá
a ambos lados del Tabernáculo
para cubrirlo.
14 »Harás también para la Tienda
una cubierta de pieles de carnero, teñidas
de rojo y una sobrecubierta de pieles
selectas.
15 »Harás también para el Tabernáculo
unos tablones de madera de acacia y
los pondrás de pie. 16 La longitud de cada
tablón será de diez codos y la anchura
de codo y medio. 17 Cada uno tendrá
dos espigones paralelos para ensamblarse;
los tendrán todos los tablones del Tabernáculo.
18 De los tablones para el Tabernáculo,
colocarás veinte en el flanco
del Négueb, hacia el sur; 19 harás cuarenta
basas de plata donde apoyar los veinte
tablones; dos basas para cada tablón, ensamblando
sus dos espigones.
20 »En el segundo flanco del Tabernáculo,
hacia el norte, pondrás otros veinte
tablones, 21 con sus cuarenta basas de
plata: dos basas para cada tablón, ensamblando
sus dos espigones. 22 En el
lado posterior del Tabernáculo, al poniente,
pondrás seis tablones, 23 y otros
dos en los ángulos posteriores del Tabernáculo.
24 Éstos irán unidos desde abajo
hasta arriba en una sola pieza, formando
así los dos ángulos del Tabernáculo.
25 Serán, pues, ocho tablones con sus dieciséis
basas, dos debajo de cada tablón.
26 »Harás también unos travesaños
de madera de acacia: cinco para sujetar
los tablones de un lado del Tabernáculo,
27 cinco para los tablones del lado opuesto,
y cinco para los del lado posterior, al
poniente. 28 El travesaño central, a media
altura de los tablones, pasará de un
extremo a otro. 29 Recubrirás de oro los
tablones y harás de oro las anillas por
donde pasarán los travesaños; también
éstos los recubrirás de oro.
30 »Erigirás el Tabernáculo según
el modelo que se te ha mostrado en la
montaña.
»Confeccionarás un velo de púrpura
violácea, púrpura escarlata y carmesí,
y de lino torzal, con querubines artísticamente
bordados. 32 Lo colgarás de
cuatro columnas de madera de acacia, recubiertas
de oro y provistas de ganchos de
oro; sus cuatro basas serán de plata.
33 Colgarás el velo debajo de los corchetes,
y detrás del velo introducirás el arca
del Testimonio; así, el velo os servirá de
separación entre el Santo y el Santo de
los Santos.
34 »Pondrás el Propiciatorio sobre el
arca del Testimonio, en el Santo de los
Santos. 35 Colocarás la mesa fuera del
velo, y enfrente el candelabro; éste al
lado meridional del Tabernáculo y la
mesa al lado norte.
36 »Harás también una cortina para
la entrada de la Tienda; será de púrpura
violácea, púrpura escarlata y carmesí
y de lino torzal, todo artísticamente
recamado. 37 Para esta cortina harás cinco
columnas de madera de acacia, recubiertas
de oro y provistas de ganchos de
oro; fundirás para ellas cinco basas en
bronce.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).