1E hizo el altar del holocausto de madera de acacias, su largura de cinco codos, y su anchura de otros cinco codos, cuadrado, y de tres codos su altura. 2Y le hizo sus cuernos a sus cuatro esquinas, los cuales eran de la misma pieza, y cubriólo de bronce. 3Hizo asimismo todos los vasos del altar, calderones, y palas, y tazones, y tenedores, y braseros: todos sus vasos hizo de bronce. 4E hizo la criba para el altar de hechura de red de bronce, en su cerco debajo hasta el medio de él. 5E hizo de fundición cuatro sortijas para la criba de bronce a los cuatro cabos para meter las barras. 6E hizo las barras de madera de acacias, y las cubrió de bronce. 7Y metió las barras por las sortijas a los lados del altar para llevarlo con ellas, el cual hizo ahuecado de tablas. 8También, hizo la fuente de bronce y su basa de bronce de los espejos de las que velaban a la puerta del tabernáculo del testimonio. 9También, hizo el patio a la parte del mediodía austral; las cortinas del patio eran de cien codos de lino torcido. 10Sus columnas veinte, y las basas de ellas veinte de bronce: los capiteles de las columnas y sus molduras de plata. 11Y a la parte del norte cortinas de cien codos: sus columnas veinte, y las basas de ellas veinte, de bronce: los capiteles de las columnas y sus molduras de plata. 12A la parte del occidente cortinas de cincuenta codos: sus columnas diez, y las basas de ellas diez: los capiteles de las columnas y sus molduras de plata. 13Y a la parte oriental al oriente, cortinas de cincuenta codos. 14A un lado cortinas de quince codos, sus tres columnas con sus tres basas. 15Al otro lado de la una parte y de la otra de la puerta del patio, cortinas de a quince codos, sus tres columnas, con sus tres basas. 16Todas las cortinas del patio al derredor eran de lino torcido. 17Y las basas de las columnas, de bronce: los capiteles de las columnas y sus molduras, de plata. Y las cubiertas de las cabezas de ellas, de plata, asimismo todas las columnas del patio tenían molduras de plata. 18Y el pabellón de la puerta del patio de obra de recamado de cárdeno, y púrpura, y carmesí, y lino torcido: la largura de veinte codos, y la altura en la anchura de cinco codos y conforme a las cortinas del patio. 19Y sus columnas cuatro con sus basas cuatro de bronce, y sus corchetes de plata, y las cubiertas de los capiteles de ellas, y sus molduras, de plata. 20Y todas las estacas del tabernáculo y del patio al rededor de bronce. 21Estas son las cuentas del tabernáculo, del tabernáculo del testimonio, lo cual fue contado por dicho de Moisés por mano de Itamar hijo de Aharón, ministro, para el ministerio de los Levitas. 22Y BezaleL, hijo de Uri, hijo de Jur, de la tribu de Jehudá, hizo todas las cosas que Jehovah (el Eterno) mandó a Moisés. 23Y con el Oholiab, hijo de Ahisamac, de la tribu de Dan, maestro e ingeniero, y recamador en cárdeno, y púrpura, y carmesí, y lino fino. 24Todo el oro gastado en la obra, en toda la obra del lugar santo, el cual fue oro de ofrenda, fue veintinueve kikarim, y setecientos treinta shekelim, conforme al shekel del lugar santo. 25Y la plata de los contados de la congregación fue cien kikarim, y mil setecientos setenta y cinco shekelim, conforme al shekel del lugar santo. 26Beka <medio shekel> por cabeza, medio shekel, conforme al shekel del lugar santo, a todos los que pasaron por cuenta de edad de veinte años y arriba, que fueron seiscientos tres mil y quinientos y cincuenta. 27Hubo además cien kikarim de plata para hacer de fundición las basas del lugar santo, y las basas del velo, en cien basas cien kikarim, a kikar por basa. 28Y de mil setecientos setenta y cinco <shekelim> hizo los capiteles de las columnas, y cubrió los capiteles de ellas, y las ciñó. 29Y el bronce de la ofrenda fue setenta kikarim, y dos mil y cuatrocientos shekelim. 30Del cual hizo las basas de la puerta del tabernáculo del testimonio, y el altar de bronce, y su criba de bronce, y todos los vasos del altar. 31Y las basas del patio al derredor, y las basas de la puerta del patio, y todas las estacas del tabernáculo, y todas las estacas del patio al rededor.
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 Bezaleel having finished the gold-work, which, though the richest, yet was ordered to lie most out of sight, in the tabernacle itself, here goes on to prepare the court, which lay open to the view of all. Two things the court was furnished with, and both made of brass: -
I. An altar of burnt-offering,
Exod 38:1-
Exod 38:7. On this all their sacrifices were offered, and it was this which, being sanctified itself for this purpose by the divine appointment, sanctified the gift that was in faith offered on it. Christ was himself the altar to his own sacrifice of atonement, and so he is to all our sacrifices of acknowledgment. We must have an eye to him in offering them, as God has in accepting them.
II. A laver, to hold water for the priests to wash in when they went in to minister,
Exod 38:8. This signified the provision that is made in the gospel of Christ for the cleansing of our souls from the moral pollution of sin by the merit and grace of Christ, that we may be fit to serve the holy God in holy duties. This is here said to be made of the
looking-glasses (or mirrors) of the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle.
1. It should seem these women were eminent and exemplary for devotion, attending more frequently and seriously at the place of public worship than others did; and notice is here taken of it to their honour. Anna was such a one long afterwards, who
departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day, Luke 2:37. It seems in every age of the church there have been some who have thus distinguished themselves by their serious zealous piety, and they have thereby distinguished themselves; for devout women are really honourable women (
Acts 13:50), and not the less so for their being called, by the scoffers of the latter days,
silly women. Probably these women were such as showed their zeal upon this occasion, by assisting in the work that was now going on for the service of the tabernacle. They assembled by
troops, so the word is; a blessed sight, to see so many, and those so zealous and so unanimous, in this good work.
2. These women parted with their mirrors (which were of the finest brass, burnished for that purpose) for the use of the tabernacle. Those women that admire their own beauty, are in love with their own shadow, and make the putting on of apparel their chief adorning by which they value and recommend themselves, can but ill spare their
looking-glasses; yet these women offered
them to God, either, (1.) In token of their repentance for the former abuse of them, to the support of their pride and vanity; now that they were convinced of their folly, and had devoted themselves to the service of God at the door of the tabernacle, they thus threw away that which, though lawful and useful in itself, yet had been an occasion of sin to them. Thus Mary Magdalene, who had been a sinner, when she became a penitent wiped Christ's feet with her hair. Or, (2.) In token of their great zeal for the work of the tabernacle; rather than the workmen should want brass, or not have of the best, they would part with their mirrors, though they could not do well without them. God's service and glory must always be preferred by us before any satisfactions or accommodations of our own. Let us never complain of the want of that which we may honour God by parting with.
3. These mirrors were used for the making of the laver. Either they were artfully joined together, or else molten down and cast anew; but it is probable that the laver was so brightly burnished that the sides of it still served for mirrors, that the priests, when they came to wash, might there see their faces, and so discover the spots, to wash them clean. Note, In the washing of repentance, there is need of the looking-glass of self-examination. The word of God is a glass, in which we may see our own faces (see
James 1:23); and with it we must compare our own hearts and lives, that, finding out our blemishes, we may wash with particular sorrow, and application of the blood of Christ to our souls. Usually the more particular we are in the confession of sin the more comfort we have in the sense of the pardon.
9 The walls of the court, or church-yard, were like the rest curtains or hangings, made according to the appointment,
Exod 27:9, etc. This represented the state of the Old Testament church: it was a garden enclosed; the worshippers were then confined to a little compass. But the enclosure being of curtains only intimated that the confinement of the church in one particular nation was not to be perpetual. The dispensation itself was a tabernacle-dispensation, movable and mutable, 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, as is foretold,
Isa 54:2,
Isa 54:3. The church here on earth is but the court of God's house, and happy they that tread these courts and flourish in them; but through these courts we are passing to the holy place above.
Blessed are those that dwell in that house of God: they well be
still praising him. The enclosing of a court before the tabernacle teaches us a gradual approach to God. The priests that ministered must pass through the holy court, before they entered the holy house. Thus before solemn ordinances there ought to be the separated and enclosed court of a solemn preparation, in which we must wash our hands, and so draw near with a true heart.
21 Here we have a breviat of the account which, by Moses's appointment, the Levites took and kept of the gold, silver, and brass, that was brought in for the tabernacle's use, and how it was employed. Ithamar the son of Aaron was appointed to draw up this account, and was thus by less services trained up and fitted for greater,
Exod 38:21. Bezaleel and Aholiab must bring in the account (
Exod 38:22,
Exod 38:23), and Ithamar must audit it, and give it in to Moses. And it was thus: - 1. All the gold was a free-will offering; every man brought as he could and would, and it amounted to twenty-nine talents, and 730 shekels over, which some compute to be about 150,000
l. worth of gold, according to the present value of it. Of this were made all the golden furniture and vessels. 2. The silver was levied by way of tax; every man was assessed half a shekel, a kind of poll-money, which amounted in the whole to 100 talents, and 1775 shekels over,
Exod 38:25,
Exod 38:26. Of this they made the sockets into which the boards of the tabernacle were let, and on which they rested; so that they were as the foundation of the tabernacle,
Exod 38:27. The silver amounted to about 34,000
l. of our money. The raising of the gold by voluntary contribution, and of the silver by way of tribute, shows that either way may be taken for the defraying of public expenses, provided that nothing be done with partiality. 3. The brass, though less valuable, was of use not only for the brazen altar, but for the sockets of the court, which probably in other tents were of wood: but it is promised (
Isa 60:17),
For wood I will bring brass. See how liberal the people were and how faithful the workmen were, in both which respects their good example ought to be followed.