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The Courtyard

“You are to make the courtyard[a] of the tabernacle. For the south side[b] there are to be hangings[c] for the courtyard of fine twisted linen, 150 feet long for one side,[d] 10 with[e] twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with the hooks of the posts and their bands of silver. 11 Likewise[f] for its length on the north side, there are to be[g] hangings for 150 feet, with twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and bands[h] on the posts. 12 The width of the court on the west side is to be 75 feet with hangings, with their ten posts and their ten bases. 13 The width of the court on the east side, toward the sunrise, is to be 75 feet. 14 The hangings on one side[i] of the gate are to be[j] 22½ feet long, with their three posts and their three bases. 15 On the second side[k] there are to be[l] hangings 22½ feet long, with their three posts and their three bases. 16 For the gate of the courtyard there is to be a curtain of 30 feet, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer, with four posts and their four bases. 17 All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands;[m] their hooks are to be[n] silver, and their bases bronze. 18 The length of the courtyard is to be 150 feet[o] and the width 75 feet,[p] and the height of the fine twisted linen hangings[q] is to be[r] 7½ feet, with their bronze bases. 19 All[s] the utensils of the tabernacle used[t] in all its service, all its tent pegs, and all the tent pegs of the courtyard are to be made of bronze.[u]

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 27:9 tn Or “enclosure” (TEV).
  2. Exodus 27:9 tn Heb “south side southward.”
  3. Exodus 27:9 tn Or “curtains.”
  4. Exodus 27:9 sn The entire courtyard of 150 feet by 75 feet was to be enclosed by a curtain wall held up with posts in bases. All these hangings were kept in place by a cord and tent pegs.
  5. Exodus 27:10 tn Heb “and.”
  6. Exodus 27:11 tn Heb “and thus.”
  7. Exodus 27:11 tn Here the phrase “there will be” has been supplied.
  8. Exodus 27:11 sn These bands have been thought by some to refer to connecting rods joining the tops of the posts. But it is more likely that they are bands or bind rings surrounding the posts at the base of the capitals (see 38:17).
  9. Exodus 27:14 tn The word literally means “shoulder.” The next words, “of the gate,” have been supplied here and in v. 15. The east end would contain the courtyard’s entry with a wall of curtains on each side of the entry (see v. 16).
  10. Exodus 27:14 tn Here “will be” has been supplied.
  11. Exodus 27:15 tn Heb “shoulder.”
  12. Exodus 27:15 tn Here the phrase “there will be” has been supplied.
  13. Exodus 27:17 tn The text uses the passive participle here: they are to “be filleted with silver” or “bound round” with silver.
  14. Exodus 27:17 tn Here the phrase “are to be” has been supplied.
  15. Exodus 27:18 tn Heb “100 cubits.”
  16. Exodus 27:18 tn Heb “fifty.” The text has “and the width 50 [cubits] with 50.” This means that it is 50 cubits wide on the western end and 50 cubits wide on the eastern end.
  17. Exodus 27:18 tn Here “hangings” has been supplied.
  18. Exodus 27:18 tn Here the phrase “is to be” has been supplied.
  19. Exodus 27:19 tn Heb “to all”; for use of the preposition ל (lamed) to show inclusion (“all belonging to”) see GKC 458 §143.e.
  20. Exodus 27:19 tn Here “used” has been supplied.
  21. Exodus 27:19 sn The tabernacle is an important aspect of OT theology. The writer’s pattern so far has been: ark, table, lamp, and then their container (the tabernacle); then the altar and its container (the courtyard). The courtyard is the place of worship where the people could gather—they entered God’s courts. Though the courtyard may not seem of much interest to current readers, it did interest the Israelites. Here the sacrifices were made, the choirs sang, the believers offered their praises, they had their sins forgiven, they came to pray, they appeared on the holy days, and they heard from God. It was sacred because God met them there; they left the “world” (figuratively speaking) and came into the very presence of God.

Court of the Tabernacle

“You shall make the court of the tabernacle. The south side of the court is to have curtains of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits long for one side; 10 it shall have twenty pillars and twenty bronze sockets; but the hooks of the pillars and their fasteners shall be silver; 11 likewise for the north side there shall be curtains, a hundred cubits long, and its twenty pillars and twenty bronze sockets; but the hooks of the pillars and their fasteners shall be silver. 12 For the width of the court on the west side there shall be curtains of fifty cubits, with ten pillars (support poles) and ten sockets. 13 The width of the court [to the front], on the east side shall be fifty cubits. 14 The curtains for one side [of the gate] shall be fifteen cubits with three pillars and three sockets. 15 On the other side [of the gate] the curtains shall be fifteen cubits with three pillars and three sockets. 16 For the gate of the court there shall be a screen [to provide a covering] of twenty cubits, of blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and finely woven [embroidered] linen, the work of an embroiderer, with four pillars and four [base] sockets. 17 All the pillars (support poles) around the court shall be joined together with silver rods; their hooks shall be of silver and their sockets of bronze. 18 The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, and the width fifty [cubits] throughout, and the height five cubits of fine twisted linen, and their sockets of bronze. 19 All the tabernacle’s utensils and instruments used in all its service, and all its stakes, and all the stakes for the court, shall be of bronze.

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