Commentary on Exodus, Commentary · Chapter 39
CHAP. XXXIX.
Verſe 1. AND of the blue, and purple, and ſcarlet.] Theſe Artiſicers proceeded in the moſt natural order, to make all that God commanded. For firſt they made the Houſe it ſelf, in which he was to dwell, Chap. XXXVI. then all the Furniture belonging to it, Chap. XXXVII. and then the outward Court, and all that was therein, Chap. XXXVIII. and now Moſes relates how they made the Prieſtly Garments, without which they could not miniſter to God in this Houſe.
They made.] This ſhows how all that goes before (where it is ſaid he made) is to be interpreted. Bezaleel and Aholiab, and all that were employed under them, had a hand (as we ſpeak) in theſe Garments: the principal Artiſts directing, and the reſt working all that is here mentioned.
Clothes of Service.] To be put on when they miniſtred unto God, in the Prieſt's Office, XXVIII. 4. XXX. 10. XXXV. 19. not to be worn abroad, but only in the Sanctuary. As Mr. Selden obſerves Lib. III. de Synedr. c. 11. p. 145. where he looks upon the following words, To do ſervice in the holy place (or, to ſerve in the Sanctuary) as determining them to be uſed here, and no where elſe.
Ver. 2. And he made the Ephod, &c.] Gave direction for the making it, of ſuch Materials as here follow. See XXVIII. 6, &c.
Ver. 3. And they did beat the Gold into thin plates, &c.] The under Workmen by Bezaleel's direction, did firſt beat the Gold into very thin Plates, and then ſlice them into Wires, or ſmall Threds of Gold. For in thoſe days they had not the Art which we have now, of drawing a piece of Gold into round Wires or Threds, of what length we pleaſe: but, as Moſes here deſcribes it, they beat it firſt into broad thin Plates, and then cut off leſſer, and narrower Wires (as we call them) which were not round, but of a very ſmall breadth; which they wove with the other Materials here mentioned. But nothing is here ſaid of Silver thus wrought; for they had not the Art of weaving Silver in this manner, in ancient times, as Salmaſius obſerves upon Vopiſcus in the Life of Aurelian. In whoſe days the Art of making Silver into Threds, and weaving it with their Garments, was not known: but was much in uſe in the time of the latter Greek Emperours.
To work it in blue, and in purple, &c.] The manner of it was thus, (as Maimonides ſaith) They took one Thred of Wire of Gold, and joyned it with ſix Threds of blue, and twiſted all ſeven into one. And ſo they mingled the like Thred of Gold with ſix of purple; and another with ſix of ſcarlet, and another with ſix of fine linen: So that there were twenty eight Threds in all. Which R. Solomon Jarchi expreſſes thus upon XXVIII. 8. Theſe five kinds (blue, purple, ſcarlet, fine linen, and gold) were twiſted into one Thred. For the Gold being ſtretched into a thin Plate, and Threds cut out of it, they weaved a Thred of Gold, with ſix Threds of Blue (and ſo they did with the reſt) after which they twiſted all theſe Threds into one. See Joh. Braunius de Veſtitu Sacerd. Hebr. L. I. c. 17. n. 26.
Cunning-work.] See XXVIII. 6.
Ver. 4, 5. See XXVIII. 7, 8.
Ver. 6. They wrought Onyx-stones.] See XXVIII. 9.
Ver. 7. For a memorial.] See XXVIII. 12.
Ver. 8. He made the breast-plate, &c.] See this explained, and all that follows to v. 22. in XXVIII. 15, 16, &c. only obſerve, that there is not a word here ſaid of his making Ʋrim and Thummim: which confirms what I ſaid there, that they were not diſtinct things from the precious Stones in the Breaſt-plate.
Ver. 22. And they made the robe of the Ephod, &c.] See this and the two following Verſes explained XXVIII. 31, 32, 33.
Ver. 24. And twined Linen.] In the Hebrew there is only the word twined: but the Maſora rightly obſerves, that Scheſch is to be underſtood; which we have therefore juſtly ſupplyed in the word Linen. And ſo the LXX.
Ver. 25. Bells of pure Gold, &c.] See XXVIII. 33, 34. where this and the next Verſe are explained.
Ver. 27. And they made Coats of fine Linen.] Coats were ordered to be made for Aaron and his Sons, XXVIII. 40. but the matter of them not mentioned: which is here therefore ordered to be of fine Linen. For white Garments, being pure, bright, unmixed, and alſo ſplendid and ſtately (for anciently the greateſt Perſons were ſo clothed, as appears by Joſeph, when he was honourably arrayed by Pharaoh, XLI Gen. 42.) were uſed by all Nations in the Service of God. And what was moſt ſutable to nature, God thought fit to continue in his Service, though uſed perhaps by Idolaters before this time. Only his Prieſts wore theſe Garments no where, but in the Sanctuary; whereas the Prieſts of Iſis (for inſtance) went every where clothed in white.
Of woven work.] Not ſowed with a Needle: for ſuch Coats may be made without any Seame; and Braunius hath ſhown the manner of weaving them, L. I. de Vestitu Sacerdot. Hebr. c. 16.
Ver. 28. Mitre of fine Linen.] XXVIII. 39. and of Bonnets and Breeches. See there v. 40, 42.
Ver. 29. And a girdle of fine twined Linen, &c.] XXVIII. 39.
Ver. 30. And they made the Plate of the holy Crown.] See XXVIII. 36. To which I ſhall only add, That the Prieſts, both Men and Women, among the Gentiles, had ordinarily the Epithete of foreign from the Crowns they wore upon their Heads; which were ſometimes of Gold, ſometimes of Lawrel. See Cuperus in his Harpocrates, p. 137.
Ver. 31. A Lace of blue, &c.] See XXVIII. 37.
Ver. 32. Thus was all the work of the Tabernacle, of the Tent of the Congregation finiſhed, &c.] Every thing belonging to the Houſe of God (which he commanded Moſes to make) was compleated exactly according to his directions: though they were not yet ſet in their place, which God orders in the next Chapter.
Tabernacle of the Tent, &c.] See XL. 2.
And all the Children of Iſrael did according to all that the LORD commanded Moſes, ſo did they.] This hath a more particular reſpect to the Workmen; yet all the Materials being brought by the Body of the People, they are alſo comprehended in this Expreſſion.
Ver. 33. And they brought the Tabernacle unto Moſes, the Tent, and all its Furniture, &c.] In this and the following Verſes he makes a recapitulation of all the particulars mentioned in the foregoing Chapters: which they brought to Moſes, that he might ſee whether they were made according to his order. It is probable that the whole Congregation, or the Heads of them, accompanied Bezaleel and the other Artificers, when they brought theſe things to Moſes for his approbation.
Ver. 34. And the covering of the Rams-skins, &c.] Of this Covering, and of the next, ſee XXVI. 14. XXXVI. 19.
And the vail of the covering.] See XXVI. 36.
Ver. 37. The pure Candleſtick.] Of pure Gold, as we read XXV. 31. XXXVII. 17.
Ver. 42. So the Children of Iſrael made all the work.] Here again the whole Body of the People are ſaid to have made all the work fore-mentioned, (ſee v. 37.) becauſe they contributed to it, and alſo helpt to prepare ſome Materials for the Workmen, XXXV. 25. XXXVI. 6.
Ver. 43. And Moſes did look upon all the work.] Took a ſolemn view of it; and examined it carefully whether it was performed according to the order they had received.
And behold, they had done it as the LORD commanded.] This is the tenth time that Moſes, in this one Chapter, ſaith all was done as the LORD commanded, v. 1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31, 32, 42. and here in this laſt Verſe: to ſhow how exact they were in their obedience; and that nothing was done according to their own Reaſon and Opinion, but all according to the Divince Precept, without Addition or Detraction. They are the words of the Authour Sepher Coſri, Pars III. n. 23. who well obſerves, that all was done and brought to perfection, by two things, which are the Pillars of the Law: the one is, That the Law is from God: and the other, that it be accepted by the Church with a faithful heart. And thus was the Tabernacle ordered by the Divine Precept; and it was made by the whole Church or Congregation, XXV. 2.
And Moſes bleſſed them.] Both the Workmen, who had done their work faithfully; and the Children of Iſrael, who had contributed the Materials, and alſo now, together with Bezaleel and the reſt of the Artificers, preſented the whole to him.