Add parallel Print Page Options

The Construction of the Courtyard

Bezalel[a] made the courtyard. For the south side[b] the hangings of the courtyard were of fine twisted linen, 150 feet long, 10 with[c] their twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver. 11 For the north side the hangings were[d] 150 feet, with their twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver. 12 For the west side there were[e] hangings 75 feet long, with[f] their ten posts and their ten bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver. 13 For the east side, toward the sunrise, it was 75 feet wide,[g] 14 with hangings on one side[h] of the gate that were 22½ feet long, with their three posts and their three bases, 15 and for the second side of the gate of the courtyard, just like the other,[i] the hangings were 22½ feet long, with their three posts and their three bases. 16 All the hangings around the courtyard were of fine twisted linen. 17 The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks of the posts and their bands were silver, their tops were overlaid with silver, and all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.[j] 18 The curtain[k] for the gate of the courtyard was of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer. It was 30 feet long and, like the hangings in the courtyard, it was 7½ feet high, 19 with four posts and their four bronze bases. Their hooks and their bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver. 20 All the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the courtyard all around were bronze.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 38:9 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  2. Exodus 38:9 tn Heb “south side southward.”
  3. Exodus 38:10 tn While this verse could be translated as an independent sentence, it is probably to be subordinated as a circumstantial clause in line with Exod 27:10-12, as well as v. 12 of this passage.
  4. Exodus 38:11 tn Here the phrase “the hangings were” has been supplied.
  5. Exodus 38:12 tn The phrase “there were” has been supplied.
  6. Exodus 38:12 tn The text simply has “their posts ten and their bases ten”; this may be added here as a circumstantial clause with the main sentence in order to make sense out of the construction.
  7. Exodus 38:13 tn The text simply says “75 feet.”
  8. Exodus 38:14 tn The word literally means “shoulder.” The next words, “of the gate,” have been supplied here. The east end contained the courtyard’s entry with a wall of curtains on each side of the entry (see v. 15).
  9. Exodus 38:15 tn Heb “from this and from this” (cf, 17:12; 25:19; 26:13; 32:15; Josh 8:22, 33; 1 Kgs 10:19-20; Ezek 45:7).
  10. Exodus 38:17 tn Heb “they were banded with silver.”
  11. Exodus 38:18 tn This word is different from the word for hangings; it has more of the idea of a screen, shielding or securing the area.

The Courtyard(A)

Next they made the courtyard. The south side was a hundred cubits[a] long and had curtains of finely twisted linen, 10 with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 11 The north side was also a hundred cubits long and had twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts.

12 The west end was fifty cubits[b] wide and had curtains, with ten posts and ten bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 13 The east end, toward the sunrise, was also fifty cubits wide. 14 Curtains fifteen cubits[c] long were on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, 15 and curtains fifteen cubits long were on the other side of the entrance to the courtyard, with three posts and three bases. 16 All the curtains around the courtyard were of finely twisted linen. 17 The bases for the posts were bronze. The hooks and bands on the posts were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver; so all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.

18 The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer. It was twenty cubits[d] long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits[e] high, 19 with four posts and four bronze bases. Their hooks and bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver. 20 All the tent pegs(B) of the tabernacle and of the surrounding courtyard were bronze.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 38:9 That is, about 150 feet or about 45 meters
  2. Exodus 38:12 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters
  3. Exodus 38:14 That is, about 22 feet or about 6.8 meters
  4. Exodus 38:18 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters
  5. Exodus 38:18 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters