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Exodus 40

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Instructions for Setting Up and Consecration 1–15

1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. ​
3
And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail. ​
4
And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.
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And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.
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And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
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And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.
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And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.
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And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy. ​
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And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.
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And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.
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And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
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And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
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And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:
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And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. ​

Moses Completes the Task 16–33

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Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.
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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. ​
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And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.
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And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.
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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: ​
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And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.
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And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.
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And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.
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And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
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And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:
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And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.
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And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.
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And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.
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And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.
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And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:
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When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.
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And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. ​

The Glory of the Lord Fills the Tabernacle 34–38

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Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. ​
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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 tabernacle. ​
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And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
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But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
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For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · 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).