Thus did Moses ,.... He set up the tabernacle, and every thing in its place, and anointed them, and Aaron and his sons: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he ; by which he approved himself to be a faithful servant in the house of God. read more
And it came to pass in the first month, in the second year ,.... Of the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt: on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up ; so that this was in the spring of the year, about the vernal equinox, on a new year's day, that this was done, which was beginning the year well: it was within a fortnight of a year after their coming out of Egypt, and when they had been about five months and a half in building the tabernacle; for such... read more
And Moses reared up the tabernacle ,.... Not of himself, but with the help of others: and fastened the sockets, and set up the boards thereof ; fixed the silver sockets all around, which were the foundation of the building, and placed and established the shittim boards in them: and put in the bars thereof ; to keep the boards close and tight: and reared up his pillars ; the pillars that supported the vail between the holy and holy of holies, and those on which the hanging for the... read more
And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle ,.... Which were curtains of goats' hair: and put the covering of the tent above upon it ; which was of rams' skins died red, and over that another covering of badgers' skins: as the Lord commanded Moses ; Exodus 26:7 . read more
And he took and put the testimony into the ark ,.... The ten commands, called the "testimony", because they testified and declared what was the will of God with respect to things to be done, or not done. The Targum of Jonathan says, he put the broken pieces of the tables into it; but what became of them, or were done with them, we nowhere read; and it does not appear that any other, but those that Moses hewed by the order of God, were put into the ark; see Deuteronomy 10:1 . and set the... read more
And he brought the ark into the tabernacle ,.... Into that part of it called the holy of holies: and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony ; the vail which divided between the and most holy place, and so kept out of sight the ark of the testimony within, from being seen by any, even by the priests in the holy place: as the Lord commanded Moses ; Exodus 26:33 . read more
He spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle - By the tent, in this and several other places, we are to understand the coverings made of rams' skins, goats' hair, etc., which were thrown over the building; for the tabernacle had no other kind of roof. read more
And put the testimony into the ark - That is, the two tables on which the ten commandments had been written. See Exodus 25:16 . The ark, the golden table with the shew-bread, the golden candlestick, and the golden altar of incense, were all in the tabernacle, within the veil or curtains, which served as a door, Exodus 40:22 , Exodus 40:24 , Exodus 40:26 . And the altar of burnt-offering was by the door, Exodus 40:29 . And the brazen laver, between the tent of the congregation and... read more
Verse 17 17.And it came to pass in the first month In all the arrangements, which are here described, it must be especially noted, that Moses obeyed God in such a manner as not to vary in the most trifling point from the form prescribed to him. He therefore so frequently enforces the fact, that he did as God had commanded him; and not without reason, for there is nothing to which men are more prone than to mix up their inventions with God’s commands, as if they would be wiser than He is. In... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 40:16-33
When the tabernacle and the furniture of it were prepared, they did not put off the rearing of it till they came to Canaan, though they now hoped to be there very shortly; but, in obedience to the will of God, they set it up in the midst of their camp, while they were in the wilderness. Those that are unsettled in the world must not think that this will excuse them in their continued irreligion; as if it were enough to begin to serve God when they begin to be settled in the world. No; a... read more