A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Exodus · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
Verſ. 1. MOreover thou ſhalt make the t…bernacl… with ten curtains, &c.]
This word tabernacl… is ſometimes taken in a larger ſenſe, including the court alſo; but h…re it is onelyonly taken for the incloſure of the ten cur…ains which did compaſſ… the Sanctuary of the moſt holy place.
With Cherubi… of c…ni…g …rk, &c.]
Th…ſe Ch…ubims w…r… a viſibl… …g… of Gods preſence, a…d of … Angles miniſtry in th… Church, whereof th… …b…rnacle was a type.
Verſ. 2. The length of one curtain, &c.]
According to our m…aſures every curtain was four…t…n yards long, and two yard… broad; and ſo the breadth of all the ten curtains togeth…r was tw…nty y…rds: and thu… they w…r… ordered, they were laid in the length of them croſſe athwart the tabernacle, in the breadth ofit, from th… North to th… South. Now th… tab…rnacle b…ing fifteen yards compaſſe from th… ground on th… Southſid… to the ground on the Northſid… (for it was on both ſid…s five yards high and on th… top five y…rd… bro…d▪) the curtain… of four…t… yards length would cov… i… fr… one ſid… to the oth… within half…a yard of th… grou…d on …ach ſide: and again, the t…bernacle b…ng▪ fif…n yard… long, the breadth of theſ… t… curtains, making together twenty yards, would cover the tabernacle in the length of it, and then foure yards and an half would b… l…f… to hang down as a coveri…g f… th… fa…he…t end of the taber…acl… Eaſtward, within h…l… yard of th… ground, as on the ſides, and it might lean over on th… fore…ont half a yard.
Verſ. 3. Th… f… curtains ſhall be coupled tog…th… &c.]
S…w…d or f…ſt…ned together, and ſo ſhould make two great curtain… ▪ which were alſo coupl…d tog…her wit… loop… and ta…h…, as is …xpr…ſſ…d in th… following v…ſ….
Verſ. 4. A…d t…o… ſh…lt … loop… of …l…w …p… the …dg… of on… curtain, &c.]
The meaning of this clauſe is, That there ſhould be loops of blew ſet upon th… …dg… of th… two g… curtain… that lay n…xt together, when th… …urtains w… ſpread over t…e tab…nacle, to wit upon th… fartheſt edg… W…ſtw…rd of the …rſt gr…t cur…in wh… it was to be coupled to the oth…r gr…at curtain, and upon that edg… of th… ſ… cond cu…in w…re i… was to … coupled to the … and ſo with thoſ… t…h… o…gold▪ mentioned verſ. 6. theſe loops on the edg… of th… two curt…in… w…r… … tog… ther. Now this, I co…iv… ▪ was th… ord…r…d, bo…h …ha… th…ſ… loop… and taches on the outſide might ſhew the diviſion of the holy place from the moſt holy▪ (for juſ… und…r that place the vail divid…d them, verſ. 33. Thou ſh…l… ha…g up th… vail un…r th… tac…es) and alſo that being ſo …aſt…ned th…y might b… tak…n aſu…der, and t…at with the more conv…i…nci… ▪ and l…ſſ… troubl… th…y migh… … t…m down, and fold them up when they removed the tabernacle. But beſides, the faſtening … curtains together ſignified the ſpirits … o… coupli…g▪ o… th… Sain… tog…her by faith and love in Chriſt, of which the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Ep…ſ▪ 4▪ 3▪ 4. wh…r… he exhorts us to endeavour to keep the unity of the ſpirit in the bond of peace, telling us that they that are Chriſtians are one body and ſpirit, even as they are called in one hope of their calling, &c. And the coupling of the two great curtains together to m…e o… … mig… alſo … …at the Sain…s both in heaven … earth, …owever …eve…ed …n place one from anot…er, do make but one Church, all things … in heaven and earth being gathered together in one, even in Chri…t, Eph. 1. 10.
Verſ. 6. And it ſhall be one taber…acle.]
This is add…d as a reaſon why the two great curtains, made up each of them of five le…er curtains, ſhould be thus coupled together w…th loops and taches, to wit, that they mig…t make one tabernacle; which had not been, if (as ſome conceive it was) each …ve had been coupled together, and n… the five to the five. See ver. 11.
Verſ. 7. And thou ſhalt make curtains of goats hair, &c.]
To wit, goats hair ſpunne by women (Exod. 35. 26. And all the women, whoſe heart stirred them up in wiſdome, ſpunne goats hair) and woven into ſtuff, not much unlike our chamlet.
Eleven curtains thou ſhalt make.]
Whereas the embroydered curtains were but ten: the reaſon ſee in ver. 9.
Verſ. 8. The length of one c…rt…in ſhall be thirty c…bits.]
Two cubits, that is, a yard longer then the embroydered o…es: and ſo theſe reached on both ſides to the ground, whereas the other came …hort of the ground half a yard on both ſides. S… ver. 13.
Verſ. 9. And ſ…alt do…le t…e ſ…xt… curt…i… in the forefro…t of the taber…acle.]
It was doubled or folded back in the forefront, that it might ſerve as a pent…ce to de…end the vail which did hang there.
Verſ. 12. The half c…ain that remaineth, &c.]
There being of this curtain one covering more then of the embroydered curtains, it was the breadth of a curtain, that is foure cubits or two yards, of larger extent then the other; which overplus was thus uſed, a yard of it was doubled back in the forefront, as in ver. 9. And the other yard hung over on the backſide, and ſo fell down lower then the other curtain by half a yard, folded or doubled.
Verſ. 13. And a cubit on the one ſide, and a cubit o… the other ſide, &c.]
Se… above, ver. 8.
Verſ. 14. And thou ſhalt make a covering for the tent of rammes skinnes died red, &c.]
Of the meaſure and faſhion of theſe two coverings there is no mention, and happely becauſe in all things they agreed with that of the goats hair. Theſe ſerved for the ſervice of the tabernacle and things in the ſame, from the injury of the weather; and withall ſignified, 1. the ſafety of the Church covered and hi… from the injuries of the world, whence is that of the Prophet, Iſai. 4. 6. And there ſhall be a tabernacl… for a ſhadow in the day time for the heat, and for a place of r…fuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain; and that of David, Pſal. 27. 5. In the time of trouble he ſhall hide me in his pavilion; in the ſecret of his tabernacle he ſhall hide me, &c. And 2. the ſtate of the Church then, which had the myſteries of Chriſt under ſhadows and coverings, now taken away.
Verſ. 15. And tho… ſ…alt mak… boards for the tabernacle of ſh…tim-wood, ſtanding up.]
Theſe boards of the tabernacle (which were faſtened in ſilver ſocl…, ver. 19.) ſigni…ed the ſeverall members of the Church, w…o are built upon the fou…dation of th… Pr…ph…ts and Apoſtles, …ſ… Chriſt himſ…lf b…ing th… …i…f corner ſtone; In whom all the building fitly fram…d …ogether groweth unto …n holy temple in the Lord, Epheſ. 2. 20, 21. See Rev. 3. 12. Him that overcom…th will I mak a pillar in the temple of my God.
Verſ. 16. Ten cubits ſhall be the length of a board, &c.]
Which was the height of the tabernacle, ten cubit… or five yards.
Verſ. 17. Two tenons ſhall there be in one board, &c.]
That is, pieces of board cut out of the ſame breadth and depth in the bottome of each board, to put into the ſockets for their faſtning.
Verſ. 18. And thou ſhalt make boards for the tab…rnacle, twenty boards, &c.]
Twenty boards, each of them being a cubit and an half broad ver. 16. make thir… cubits, that is fifteen yards; which was the length of the tabernacle.
Verſ. 19. And thou ſhalt make fourty ſockets of ſilver, &c.]
Or footſtalls, having hollow mortaiſes for the tenons of the boards to be faſtned in.
Verſ. 22. And for the ſides of the tabernacle Weſtward.]
That is, for the whole Weſt end, from one ſide or corner of it to the other.
Verſ. 23. And two boards ſhalt thou make for the corners, &c.]
Theſe are called the corner boards, either becauſe they ſtood ſloping, and ſo joyned the boards of the ſide and end together; or becauſe they were made purpoſely of another faſhion, that ſtanding in the corners they might ſtrengthen the whole frame of the tabernacle.
Verſ. 24. And they ſhall be coupled together b…neath, &c.]
That is, they ſhall be cut or ſlit in the midſt, and then doubled (the Hebrew word ſignifieth twined) they were to be cut juſt of the ſame proportion every way, and then clapt together, one to line the other: and by this means though there were eight boards in the end, yet the tabernacle was not twelve but ten cubits, that is five yard…, broad.
And they ſhall be coupled together above the head of it into one ring.]
This I underſtand of a plate of gold, which was put about the ends of theſe corner-doubled boards for better binding or faſt cloſing them together.
Verſ. 26. And tho… ſhalt make barres of ſhittim-wood; five for the boards of the one ſide of the tabernacle, &c.]
Foure of theſe were rowes ofbarres; for it ſeems onelyonly the middle barre did reach from end to end, ver. 28. the other were ſhorter barres, laid in foure rowes, two beneath & two above, and ſome way joyned together▪ where they met, for the ſtrengthening of them.
Verſ. 28. And the middle barre in the middeſt of the boards ſhall reach from end to end.]
There were two rowes of barres went acroſſe in the upper part of the boards, and two in the nether part of the boards; but this barre, that went athwart in the middeſt of the length of the boards, was all of one piece, one entire barre, reaching from end to end. Now the faſtning together of theſe boards thus with barres ſ…gnified the uniting of all the members together by one and the ſame ſpirit in Chriſt, from whom the whole body fi…ly joyned together, and compacted by that which every joynt ſupplieth, according to the effectuall working in the meaſure of every part, maketh increaſe of the body, unto the edifying of it ſelf in love, Epheſ. 4. 16.
Verſ. 31. And thou ſhalt make a vail of blew, &c.]
This vail, which cloſed in the moſt holy place, ſignified, 1. the body of Chriſt, ſhadowing his divinitie, by which he hath opened for us a way into the holieſt, that is, into heaven: Heb. 10. 19, 20. Having therefore, brethren, boldneſſe to enter into the holieſt by the bloud of Jeſus, by a new and living way which he hath conſecrated for us, through the vail, that is to ſay, his fleſh, &c. See alſo Heb. 9. 8, 24. And 2. it ſignified that as yet the ſpirituall worſhip of God was in a manner hidden under the vail of legall ceremonies, which ſhould be clearly revealed at the coming of Chriſt; 3. It might alſo ſignifie the ſeparation betwixt the Church of the Jews and of the Gentiles, which is now reconciled by Chriſt, Epheſ. 2. 14. For he is our peace, which hat… made of both one, and hath broken down that partition-wall; and therefore at the death of Chriſt the vail rent aſunder, Luke 23. 45.
Verſ. 32. Their hooks ſhall be of gold, &c.]
Which did hold up the cords upon which the vail did ride, and were faſtned to the heads of the pillars.
Verſ. 33. And thou ſhalt hang up the vail under the taches, &c.]
Under thoſe taches mentioned ver. 6. ſo that this is added to ſhew in what place this vail was to be hung up.
Verſ. 36. And thou ſhalt make an hanging for the doore, &c.]
This hanging at the very entrance into the Tabernacle ſignified with what fear and reverence we ſhould approch into Gods preſence, and partake of his ſacred myſteries, not ruſhing in boldly upon them without any awe; as alſo the reſtraint of the Jewiſh Church from ſuch bleſſings as are now opened unto us in Chriſt: for within this hanging the people might not come, Hebr. 9. 6.
Verſ. 37. And thou ſhalt make for the hangings five pillars of ſhittim-wood. &c.]
Becauſe this lay open to the wind and weather, it had the more pillars to ſtrengthen it; the other had but foure.