Exodus 26:9

26:7-14 The curtains of meaner materials, being made both longer and broader, covered the others, and were defended by coverings of skins. The whole represents the person and doctrine of Christ, and the church of true Christians, and all heavenly things, which outwardly are mean, but inwardly, and in the sight of God, are glorious and precious.

And thou shall couple five curtains by themselves,.... And make one large curtain of them, as was ordered with respect to the linen curtains: and six curtains by themselves; as there were eleven of them, such a division was made of five into one large curtain, and six into another; and as that which had six in it would reach further than the other, provision is made for the disposal and use of that as follows: and shall double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle; at the entrance of it, in the east end of it; the sixth curtain reaching to that, and hanging down, was turned up, and so doubled, opposite the door or entrance; and was, as Jarchi says, like a modest bride that covers her face with a vail, which before this had no covering; for thus it was, as Dr. Lightfoot (m) describes it, the holy place was ten yards long, and the five curtains sewed together were just so broad, and so they covered only the top and the sides, but hung not down at the end, which was eastward--but the six (goat hair curtains) that lay east reached to the end, covered the pillars whereon that vail hung, and they hung half a curtain's breadth or a yard over the entrance. (m) Works, vol. 1. p. 718.

Verse 9. - Thou shalt couple, etc. As with the inner awning of linen, so with the goats' hair tent-cloth. The whole when made up was to be in two pieces, for convenience of transport. (See the comment on ver. 3.) The number of breadths in the tent-cloth being uneven, the two pieces were to be of different sizes, one containing five, and the other six, "breadths ." Thou shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle . "Tabernacle" here is a mistranslation; since the Hebrew word is ohel , "tent." The meaning may be, either that the sixth breadth was to be doubled back upon the fifth, or that half of it was to be doubled back upon the other half. The latter view is to be preferred, since otherwise the extra breadth would have been superfluous. Exodus 26:9

Five of these were to be connected (sewed together) by themselves (לבד), and the other six in the same manner; and the sixth piece was to be made double, i.e., folded together, towards the front of the tent, so as to form a kind of gable, as Josephus has also explained the passage (Ant. iii. 6, 4).

[Reformed Biblical] th materials of these colours, to wit, wool, as may be gathered from hence, that it is opposed to linen. Compare Exo_25:4. Of cunning work, either woven, or rather wrought with needle, wherein is most skill and curiosity. Exodus 26:2 Exodus 26:3 Exodus 26:4 ## Loops together with the taches w ere for the j oining the curtains together, as appears from Exo_26:11, which way of conjunction was most convenient for the often taking them down and setting them up. ## From the selvage , or from , or in the extremity, or end , or edge , Heb. lip . In the coupling , i.e. in the place where the two curtains are coupled together. And likewise the second curtain is to be made exactly like the first. Exodus 26:5 ## Ver. 5 . No text from Poole on this verse. Exodus 26:6 The taches, or hooks or buttons, which were put into the loops to unite and fasten the curtains. Exodus 26:7 ## Of goats ’ hair , spun, Exo_35:26, and woven into a stuff, like our camlet. ## To be a covering ; to be put next above the curtains. Exodus 26:8 Exodus 26: 9 For the bet ter security of the inward covering. Exodus 26:10 Exodus 26:11 Exodus 26:12 Exodus 26:13 Exodus 26:14 To prese

Ordinary gold is prescribed for the rim and rings, and for the gilding of the staves, of the Ark, table of Presence-bread, and incense altar ( Exodus 25:11-13 ; Exodus 24, 25, 26, 28; Exodus 30:3-5 ); for the cherubim on the mercy-seat ( Exodus 25:18 ); for the clasps of the curtains ( Exodus 26:6 ); for the gilding of the frames and of the bars outside, and of the pillars for the veil and for the screen ( Exodus 26:29 ; Exodus 26:32 ; Exodus 26:37 ); for the rings outside the frames for the bars ( Exodus 26:29 ); for the hooks attaching the veil and the screen to their pillars ( Exodus 26:32 ; Exodus 26:37 ); and for the gold thread, rosettes, rings for the sacred pouch, and bells, in the high priest’s dress ( Exodus 28:6 ; Exodus 28:8 ; Exodus 28:15 ; Exodus 11, 13, 20; Exodus 23, 26, 27; Exodus 33). Silver is prescribed for the sockets of the frames, and of the pillars for the veil ( Exodus 26:19 ; Exodus 26:25 ; Exodus 26:32 ); and for the hooks and fillets of the pillars of the court ( Exodus 27:10-11 ; Exodus 27:17 ); and copper for the altar of burnt-offering ( Exodus 27:2-4 ; Exodus 27:6 ); the sockets and pins of the court ( Exodus 27:10 f., 17–19); and the laver ( Exodus 30:18 ). brass ] bronze , or copper ( Genesis 4:22 RVm.), which, indeed, was the meaning of ‘brass’ in old English: in Holland’s Pliny , for instance, mention is made of ‘ mines of brass’ (cf. Deuteronomy 8:9 ).