Exodus38

Bezaleel and Aholiab completed the tabernacle's external structures and furnishings as commanded. This included the brazen altar for burnt offerings, the brazen laver, and the extensive court with its hangings, pillars, and sockets. The chapter concludes with a detailed accounting of the gold, silver, and brass contributed by the congregation and used in the construction, overseen by Ithamar.

The Bronze Altar of Burnt Offering

1
He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. It was square. Its length was five cubits, its breadth was five cubits, and its height was three cubits. ​
2
He made its horns on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with brass.
3
He made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its vessels of brass.
4
He made for the altar a grating of a network of brass, under the ledge around it beneath, reaching halfway up.
5
He cast four rings for the four ends of brass grating, to be places for the poles.
6
He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with brass.
7
He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks. ​

The Bronze Laver

8
He made the basin of brass, and its base of brass, out of the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered at the door of the Tent of Meeting. ​

The Courtyard and Gate

9
He made the court: for the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, one hundred cubits; ​
10
their pillars were twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
11
For the north side one hundred cubits, their pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver.
12
For the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver.
13
For the east side eastward fifty cubits.
14
The hangings for the one side were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three;
15
and so for the other side: on this hand and that hand by the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16
All the hangings around the court were of fine twined linen.
17
The sockets for the pillars were of brass. The hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver; and the overlaying of their capitals, of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.
18
The screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. Twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, like to the hangings of the court. ​
19
Their pillars were four, and their sockets four, of brass; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals, and their fillets, of silver.
20
All the pins of the tabernacle, and around the court, were of brass.

Accounting of Materials

21
This is the amount of material used for the tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the Testimony, as they were counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest. ​
22
Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.
23
With him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen.
24
All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents, and seven hundred thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. ​
25
The silver of those who were numbered of the congregation was one hundred talents, and one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: ​
26
a beka a head, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone who passed over to those who were numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty men. ​
27
The one hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the one hundred talents, a talent for a socket. ​
28
Of the one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals, and made fillets for them.
29
The brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand four hundred shekels. ​
30
With this he made the sockets to the door of the Tent of Meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, all the vessels of the altar,
31
the sockets around the court, the sockets of the gate of the court, all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins around the court.

Study Notes for Exodus 38

Verse 1

The altar was the largest item in the courtyard, symbolizing the necessary provision for atonement through sacrifice. Its construction of acacia (shittim) wood overlaid with bronze (brass) made it portable yet protected against the intense heat of the continuous burnt offerings.

Verse 7

The altar was constructed 'hollow with boards' to make it lighter for transport. This design emphasizes the temporary and mobile nature of the wilderness Tabernacle.

Verse 8

The Laver was made from the polished bronze mirrors (lookingglasses) donated by the women who served at the Tabernacle entrance. This detail highlights the communal sacrifice of personal possessions and the transformation of objects of vanity into tools for priestly purification.

Verse 9

The court established the physical boundary between the sacred dwelling place of God and the surrounding common camp. The enclosure was 150 feet long (100 cubits), creating a massive sacred space.

Verse 18

Unlike the plain white linen hangings of the court walls, the gate curtain was made of vibrant colors (blue, purple, scarlet) and fine needlework. This marked the ceremonial entrance to God’s dwelling place with beauty and splendor.

Verse 21

This verse begins the detailed financial and material accounting, demonstrating the meticulous care taken to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of the public offering. Ithamar, Aaron’s youngest son, was appointed to oversee this census and accounting process.

Verse 24

The total gold used was approximately 29 talents (over one ton), reflecting the immense value and sanctity placed upon the internal furnishings of the Holy Place, which were primarily gold. The 'shekel of the sanctuary' was the official, regulated weight standard.

Verse 25

The silver was derived primarily from the census tax (Ex. 30:11-16), a mandatory half-shekel payment required of every man counted, used specifically to fund the foundational structure of the Tabernacle.

Verse 26

This verse confirms the total number of men aged twenty and older who were registered in the census (603,550), validating the precise amount of silver collected through the half-shekel head tax.

Verse 27

The bulk of the silver was used to cast the one hundred heavy sockets that served as the foundational bases for the boards and pillars of the Tabernacle proper, giving the structure stability and weight.

Verse 29

Bronze (or copper) was the heaviest metal contribution. It was used for the outer furnishings, including the Altar of Burnt Offering, the Laver, and the sockets, stakes, and vessels of the courtyard, items exposed to the elements and the fire of sacrifice.

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