English · ASV

Exodus 40

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Instructions for Setting Up and Consecration 1–15

1
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2
On the first day of the first month shalt thou rear up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. ​
3
And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and thou shalt screen the ark with the veil. ​
4
And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.
5
And thou shalt set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
6
And thou shalt set the altar of burnt-offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
7
And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put water therein.
8
And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the screen of the gate of the court.
9
And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the furniture thereof: and it shall be holy. ​
10
And thou shalt anoint the altar of burnt-offering, and all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar shall be most holy.
11
And thou shalt anoint the laver and its base, and sanctify it.
12
And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tent of meeting, and shalt wash them with water.
13
And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments; and thou shalt anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
14
And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them;
15
and thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: and their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. ​

Moses Completes the Task 16–33

16
Thus did Moses: according to all that Jehovah commanded him, so did he.
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 tabernacle, and laid its sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up its pillars.
19
And he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
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: ​
21
and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
22
And he put the table in the tent of meeting, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the veil.
23
And he set the bread in order upon it before Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
24
And he put the candlestick in the tent of meeting, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.
25
And he lighted the lamps before Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
26
And he put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil:
27
and he burnt thereon incense of sweet spices; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
28
And he put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
29
And he set the altar of burnt-offering at the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt-offering and the meal-offering; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
30
And he set the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water therein, wherewith to wash.
31
And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat;
32
when they went into the tent of meeting, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
33
And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work. ​

The Glory of the Lord Fills the Tabernacle 34–38

34
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle. ​
35
And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle. ​
36
And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward, throughout all their journeys:
37
but if the cloud was not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
38
For the cloud of Jehovah was upon the tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Exodus 40

Verse 2

On the first day of the first month — This is the month the LORD had made 'the first month of the year' at the Passover (12:2), now the month of setting up the dwelling. 'Set up' is qum, to raise; the plan was 'shewed thee in the mount' (26:30). The day is kept in v.17 and Num 9:1, 'the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt'.

Verse 3

cover the ark with the vail — Sakak, to screen or cover, the verb used of the cherubim 'covering the mercy seat with their wings' (25:20). The 'testimony' is the tables of stone (25:16; 31:18), and the vail (poreketh) was hung to divide the holy place from the most holy (26:33). John saw 'the ark of his testament' in heaven's temple (Rev 11:19).

Verse 9

anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein — Mashach, to smear with oil, in the shemen mishchah of 30:22–29, where the purpose is stated: 'that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy' (30:29). Moses carries it out in Lev 8:10, and Num 7:1 records the tabernacle 'anointed' and 'sanctified' on the day it was set up.

Verse 15

an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations — Olam, for ever, with dor, generation. The anointing of Aaron's sons is the ground of the priesthood, repeated to Phinehas as 'the covenant of an everlasting priesthood' (Num 25:13). Hebrews contrasts the many priests who died with Christ, who 'continueth ever' and 'hath an unchangeable priesthood' (Heb 7:23–24).

Verse 17

the tabernacle was reared up — The date is the first day of the first month, as commanded in v.2, so the work finished in ch. 39 is raised on the day appointed. Num 7:1 gives the same day, 'that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle', and Num 9:15 says that 'on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle'.

Verse 20

the testimony into the ark … the mercy seat above upon the ark — This is the order of 25:16, 21: first the testimony, the tables written 'with the finger of God' (31:18), then the lid. 'Mercy seat' is kapporeth, the place of covering for sin, where the blood was sprinkled on the day of atonement (Lev 16:14). The staves were not to be removed (25:15).

Verse 33

So Moses finished the work — Kalah with melakah, 'finished' and 'work', the same pair as Gen 2:2, 'God ended his work which he had made'. Moses 'did look upon all the work' and blessed the people (39:43), as God blessed the seventh day (Gen 2:3). The court and the hanging of its gate were the last parts set up.

Verse 34

the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle — The cloud 'covered' (kasah) the tent, and the glory (kabod) 'filled' (male) the dwelling. Moses had asked, 'shew me thy glory' (33:18), and the cloud had covered Sinai (24:16). It happens again at Solomon's temple: 'the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD' (1 Kgs 8:11).

Verse 35

Moses was not able to enter — Yakol, to be able. The cloud 'abode' (shakan), the verb of 'the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai' (24:16) and the root of mishkan, dwelling. The next book opens, 'the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation' (Lev 1:1). Solomon's priests too 'could not stand to minister' (1 Kgs 8:11).

Verse 38

the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night — The book closes on the sign first given at the exodus: 'a pillar of a cloud' by day and 'a pillar of fire' by night (13:21). The tent now has it 'in the sight of all the house of Israel'. Whenever the cloud lifted, they went onward; if not, 'they journeyed not' (vv.36–37).