S f 1,2-. The date.
g -2. The Tabernacle set up.
h 3-8. The placing of the furniture.
i 9-16. Consecration.
f 17-. The date.
g -17-19. The Tabernacle set up.
h 20-33-. The placing of the furniture.
i -33. Completion.Exodus 40)
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "On the first day of the first month (= The Spring equinox, March 20th. Six events in Scripture on this day. See Gen. 8:13. In the first month on the 14th day [April 3rd] the first Passover was kept [Num. 9:1-3]. On the first day of the second month they were numbered [Num. 1:1,2]: 50 days between Ex.40:17 and Num. 10:11. In the interval comes the book of Leviticus, and Num.1:1-10:10. On the 13th day of the second month the Tabernacle was taken down, ad the journey began from Sinai to Canaan [Num. 10:11])
shall you set up the tabernacle (= dwelling place of Yahaveh) of the tent of the congregation.
3 And you shall put therein the ark of the testimony (see Ex. 25:22), and cover (= screen) the ark and the mercy-seat with the veil.
4 And you shall bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it (i.e. in two piles, six loaves in each pile, answering to the stones on the shoulder of the High Priest. There was a golden dish at the bottom of each, and another reversed on the top, with a golden bowl of frankincense on the top. Cp. 25:23-30); and you shall bring in the lamp-stand, and light the lamps thereof.
5 And you shall set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the entrance to the dwelling place of the Lord.
6 And you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the entrance of the dwelling place of the tent of the congregation.
7 And you shall set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shall put water therein.
8 And you shall set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.
9 And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint (see 30:22-29) the dwelling place of the Lord, and all that is therein, and shall hallow it (see 3:5), and all the furniture thereof: and it shall be holy.
10 And you shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy. (Heb. = holiness of holinesses)
11 And you shall anoint the laver and his base, and sanctify it.
12 And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of the congregation, and wash (= bathe, see 29:1-4) them with water.
13 And you shall put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him (see 29:5-7), and sanctify him; that he may minister to Me in the priest's office.
14 And you shall bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: (see 29:8,9)
15 And you shall anoint them, according as you did anoint their father, that they may minister to Me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations."
16 Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he.
21nd March, 1490 B.C.
17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month,
that the tabernacle was reared up.
18 And Moses reared up the dwelling place of the Lord, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.
19 And he spread abroad the tent over the dwelling place, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; according as the Lord commanded Moses. (See 39:1, and note the 7 occ. of the expression "according as Yehovah commanded Moses" in his chapter as in chapter 39. #7 = spiritual perfection, or completeness)
20 And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark: (see 25:17)
21 And he brought the ark into the dwelling place of the Lord, and set up the screen of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; according as the Lord commanded Moses.
22 And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the opposite side of the dwelling place northward, outside the screen.
23 And he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord; according as the Lord had commanded Moses.
24 And he put the lamp-stand in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the opposite side of the dwelling place southward.
25 And he lighted the lamps before the Lord; according as the Lord commanded Moses.
26 And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the veil:
27 And he burnt sweet incense thereon; according as the Lord commanded Moses.
28 And he set up the hanging at the door of the dwelling place.
29 And he put the altar of burnt offering by the entrance of the dwelling place of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; according as the Lord commanded Moses.
30 And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.
31 And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat: (The ceremonial cleansings or "baptisms" [Heb.6:2], always performed by the persons themselves.)
32 When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near to the altar, they washed; according as the Lord commanded Moses.
33 And he reared up the court round about the dwelling place of the Lord and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate.
So Moses finished all the work.
34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the dwelling place.